• I never felt brave enough to just tell them they said it wrong, like… it felt too confrontational, so I just… nervously laughed when they say it.

    When I did know English, and they say it, my response was just like: “I can speak English”… and like that’s it…

    I feel like it was futile. No westerner is gonna waste time with the tones and it’s… just too much hassle.

    Same thing with my name, I just… kinda went along with the westernized pronunciation of the Pinyin, I mean, there are other kids also with Pinyin names, no teacher is gonna learn like 5 names from a few different classes per year.

    I never knew what to say when I got asked how to pronounce my name.

    What do I even say?

    The Cantonese ponunciation which is my actual “real” pronunciation I get called by parents.

    Or the Mandarin which is what teachers in China’s schools used, and what the Pinyin is based on.

    I just like freeze… lol…

    Anyways, that’s history, that part of my life is in the past.

    • SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.worldOP
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      2 days ago

      I personally might try to say something like that simply to show that I respect who you are, and am willing to learn if it helps the comfort level between us. But, yeah, unfortunately a lot of people can be jerks for a variety of reasons - and it’s difficult to discern people’s real motivations, so I can appreciate how you feel the need to play it that way. I hope you’re doing okay, considering how far down the shithole this country has gone over the past decade plus. I can’t imagine what you have to put up with.