How I lost my home language | from Picture This comedy special

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  • Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
  • This is part of my full special, 'Picture This' which you can watch here:
    • Jenny Tian: Picture Th...
    If you'd like to support me, my merch is available here:
    sound-merch.com.au/collection...
    Follow me on my socials:
    Insta: / _jennytian
    Facebook: / jennytiancomedy
    TikTok: / nomnomjenny
    RUclips: / @nomnomjenny
    00:00 - 01:00 My parents
    01:01 - 01:31 My best friend
    01:32 - 03:58 A new student in class
    03:59 - 05:23 The truth comes out
    05:24 - 05:59 Wedding attendance
    06:00 - 07:15 I don't know how to speak mandarin anymore
    07:15 - 08:01 Keeping touch with cultural roots
    #storytelling #asian #secondgeneration #immigrantstories #standupcomedy
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Комментарии • 991

  • @nomnomjenny
    @nomnomjenny  6 месяцев назад +253

    Hope you enjoyed this story! This was one part of my comedy special which you can watch here:
    ruclips.net/video/DL5UZqf6DuY/видео.html
    Also I’m touring a brand new show in 2024 and would love to see you there! Tickets here:
    comedy.com.au/jenny-tian

    • @samsun01
      @samsun01 5 месяцев назад

      Stick to comedy, not a long winded story. You forgot about 'comedic story 101'. In fact, stick to making sandwiches in the kitchen because like Chapelle and Louis CK would say, woman just aren't built to be funny (and you proved it yet again!)

    • @defectiveclone8450
      @defectiveclone8450 5 месяцев назад +1

      That was so good!!! The China overlords was spot on. Maybe try some Taiwan related jokes. They always go down well from when others add them.

    • @feifeishuishui
      @feifeishuishui 5 месяцев назад +3

      I am a Chinese and I live in the US. I don't teach my kids Chinese. They chose to teach themselves read and speak Chinese. I am OK with it if they choose not to speak Manderin one day, but I don't like the way you use it to please you Australian audiance.

    • @hefeibao
      @hefeibao 5 месяцев назад +1

      You need come to the US! You'd be killing it on the west coast. Vancouver, BC as well...

    • @NeilTaylor1
      @NeilTaylor1 5 месяцев назад

      You should bring your show to Hong Kong - there's a big comedy scene here. I'm not so sure the locals will appreciate the "cuntonese" digs though.... Oh go on, of course they won't mind, they'll be too busy shouting DLLM at your "Mandarin is superior" jibe!

  • @mohawkcub
    @mohawkcub 6 месяцев назад +555

    The "you've gotten fat / here, eat more" is a unifying front for grandparents in particular that overrides all cultural difference.

    • @nh4843
      @nh4843 4 дня назад +1

      really?? I always thought that's only asian grandparents would do such thing XD.

    • @exosproudmamabear558
      @exosproudmamabear558 4 дня назад

      ​​​​@@nh4843Nah like every culture has it. I am Turkish and know a lot of people from middle east and balkans their grandparents same too. They always complain about how they gained a few kgs when they stay there. It is same for me but thank god Turkish homemade food is not that high calorie in my area as long as you can shut your mouth to the pastries and desserts there is a hope for your pants.

    • @SamuIise
      @SamuIise 4 дня назад

      @@exosproudmamabear558I think it’s less of a white people thing though

    • @choppersghost5439
      @choppersghost5439 4 дня назад

      The secret is, when you've had enough, do not finish everything on the plate. When they see this they think you need more and will happily fill you until you cannot move.😉🤭🤌🙏🙌

    • @exosproudmamabear558
      @exosproudmamabear558 3 дня назад

      @@SamuIise No I dont think so they have this too. It is a very common thing. Turkish are white too btw (causian). Race is a social construct.

  • @manningbartlett522
    @manningbartlett522 5 месяцев назад +1600

    As a 老外 who speaks **really mediocre** Mandarin, I have witnessed first hand the "reverse discrimination" that people of Chinese ancestry suffer in China when they do not speak the language with native fluency. I get absurd (and unjustifable) amounts of praise simply by being able to ask the way to a train station, whereas those with Chinese background get lambasted if they cannot recite Tang dynasty poetry flawlessly.

    • @mjklein
      @mjklein 5 месяцев назад +29

      Truth.

    • @user-yo7eg8er3s
      @user-yo7eg8er3s 5 месяцев назад +211

      A bit exaggerated but to Chinese a foreign born Chinese who do not speak Chinese reflects badly on his/her whole family, as in they didn’t care or know enough about their roots and culture to have taught their kid well something they should have already known, vs u as a total foreigner studying Chinese on your own initiative shows how cultured and thirsty for knowledge you are, thus worthy of respect and praise

    • @JueWang86
      @JueWang86 5 месяцев назад

      Unfortunately it’s a fact. As a Chinese from China myself, I do think those Chinese who can’t speak Chinese are weird, always wondering how do they communicate with their parents? But the situation is changing, most of the new generation of Chinese immigrants teach their kids to speak and writing Chinese. To be able to speak two languages really isn’t too hard, especially for kids, and being a bilingual person only has benefits but no harm.
      I understand the hardship of the older generation of Chinese immigrants, it the 1990s and early 2000s, the internet was not as advanced as today, the international call was very expensive. Going abroad at that time almost means lost connections with China. But now, they can watch China TV on their phone, they use WeChat everyday, they use Douyin and Redbook, living in Burwood or Eastwood is like living in China. So most new ABCs can speak both Chinese and English on a native level.

    • @wk1879s
      @wk1879s 5 месяцев назад +43

      In my hometown, where was the capital of the ancient China thousands years ago, one of the most intense humiliation to someone is “你羞先人了,” which means you've brought shame to your ancestors. So, even though Chinese people are not religious in terms of the Western view, we superstitiously worship our ancestors and value their reputations. I believe losing connection with own ancestors, let alone cutting off own cultural roots, is the biggest shame and pity in our culture!

    • @triarb5790
      @triarb5790 5 месяцев назад +46

      Discrimination is always discrimination. There is no such thing as 'reverse' discrimination, or ' reverse' racism for that matter. The ability to be racist or discriminatory does not belong exclusively to one group of people! It's like saying 'wet rain' instead of just saying 'rain'.

  • @Life_Of_Abbyy
    @Life_Of_Abbyy 6 месяцев назад +958

    I speak mandarin as a first language although I’m not from China mainland and the rest of my family speaks Cantonese, making me feel a little left out and watching this video makes me feel happy and making me know I’m not the only one. Thanks for making this video❤

    • @jeremysun7365
      @jeremysun7365 6 месяцев назад +21

      just curious. if your whole family speaks Cantonese, how did you learn Mandarin in the first place? wait... unless you mean your husband and kids... that is not too bad. I have a friend who speaks Cantonese, and his whole family speaks Korean.

    • @jlynnxxxx
      @jlynnxxxx 6 месяцев назад +57

      ⁠@@jeremysun7365from my experience, since mandarin is the standard language, parents push kids to learn it instead of the native regional language such as canto or Shanghainese for example. It’s to keep the whole country connected but it’s also creating a situation where other Chinese languages are decreasing ;-;

    • @MitchellBPYao
      @MitchellBPYao 6 месяцев назад +9

      Speak Cantonese can understand mandarin but Don know how to respond or read write chinese words, wish I did so I can understand them better

    • @goyam2981
      @goyam2981 6 месяцев назад +23

      My parents speak the Teochew dialect and they keep it as a language for talking secrets right in front of the kids. My brothers and I actually wish they had taught us the language because back when we were kids we couldn't really understand our grandparents. But my parents couldn't care less. So don't feel bad.

    • @jangguttok7437
      @jangguttok7437 6 месяцев назад +10

      maybe malaysian 🤣
      am not chinese, but a lot malaysian chinese originally their great great great grandparents were from non-speaking mandarin part of china. so they spoke cantonese hokkien etc
      but if u go to chinese school in malaysia, you learn mandarin.
      a lot of chinese young millennials n gen-z in malaysia speak mandarin now.. unlike back in the 80s/90s where even TV had a lot more cantonese programming from HK

  • @silverchairsg
    @silverchairsg 6 месяцев назад +379

    Yep when I went to China I got pwned big time. I understood like 30% of what was being said, and the menus weren't so simple. Instead of straightforward names like "grilled chicken meat with rice", it was stuff like "bamboo silk twice grilled dragon phoenix pearl treasure strips". I just looked for the familiar words 鸡 or 牛 and ordered those dishes.

    • @eadricng3267
      @eadricng3267 5 месяцев назад +16

      phoenix is usually chicken though....

    • @silverchairsg
      @silverchairsg 5 месяцев назад +39

      @@eadricng3267 I didn't know that. See how terrible my Mandarin is.

    • @daltongalloway
      @daltongalloway 5 месяцев назад +6

      Well at least it’s better than someone who speak no Chinese LOL

    • @robezy0
      @robezy0 5 месяцев назад +29

      Chinese when naming virtually everything from biology to technology and everything in between: Logical, descriptive, the most sensical language I have ever studied
      Chinese when naming dishes: flamboyant, confusing, destroying my entire argument of praise I had for the language

    • @flowerpower8722
      @flowerpower8722 4 месяца назад

      So false advertising isn't a worry there?

  • @gregop8699
    @gregop8699 4 месяца назад +251

    Such a poignant view delivered with great humour. I can totally relate as a child of Filipino immigrants in Australia. While I understand most Tagalog (enough to not get ripped off or kidnapped).
    We were never encouraged to speak it at home or in the community because our parents wanted us to fit in, so English was the main language at home. But now anytime at Filipino gatherings it's always "Oh he doesn't speak the language etc. etc." as if it's my own fault for having never been taught in the first place :)

    • @fengkuangyu7116
      @fengkuangyu7116 4 месяца назад +3

      If you want to fit in with the Filipino community, it's best if you speak fluent Filipino. If you don't want to, it's okay.

    • @karlalalalulu1513
      @karlalalalulu1513 3 месяца назад

      yeah, filipinos usually look down on their fellow filipinos who aren't as good at speaking filipino, cause they think that english-speaking filipinos are elitist/need to instill patriotism or whatever. it's a stupid ideology that we have because of an even stupider history. but hey, you can always watch filipino films and practice the language at home, if it matters.

    • @michaeljakeusman
      @michaeljakeusman 2 месяца назад +2

      its the parents fault. my cousin was born in the UK, and they speak tagalog at home.

    • @karlalalalulu1513
      @karlalalalulu1513 2 месяца назад +5

      @@michaeljakeusman lmao i know a bunch of people who were born/raised in the philippines, speak english fluently, and suck at tagalog. i think it's a socio-economic status thing, sadly.

    • @jqa16
      @jqa16 Месяц назад

      Nakakaintindi ka na?

  • @kathakailin
    @kathakailin 6 месяцев назад +512

    I'm German and studied Chinese at uni. Had quite a few classmates, whose parents, or one of them were Mandarin (sometimes Cantonese) speakers. I was so surprised they didn't really have much of an advantage apart from the pronunciation. Some of them said they even refused to learn any Chinese when they were children and came to regret that. So I guess it's totally normal, but must be so confusing to grow up with different cultures.
    Fun fact: those 2 Cantonese expressions are the only ones I know, too🤣

    • @LDogSmiles
      @LDogSmiles 6 месяцев назад +32

      I think it’s from wanting to fit into western culture, not wanting to appear foreign to avoid ridicule, and a sprinkle of laziness.

    • @SL-lz9jr
      @SL-lz9jr 6 месяцев назад +22

      Assimilation in a country that doesn’t show appreciation for different cultures will do that to any child of any background that isn’t the primary background.
      I studied Mandarin in college (you guys call it university) in the US and our Mandarin program separated those with zero Chinese background from those with some Chinese background. I thought that was nice because then I wouldn’t be stuck with classmates who were struggling to grasp the basics. I grew up studying Cantonese in Chinese Saturday school as a kid for about 5 years and at home I spoke Toisanese, so I totally got the basics. I just wasn’t fluent. And Cantonese is super colloquial so having to learn proper Chinese was also different but I think it’s easier for those with a Chinese background.

    • @arsenal_84
      @arsenal_84 5 месяцев назад +3

      I had polytechnic classmates from HK whose parents immigrate to Singapore before the 1997 handover. They always greet each other in Cantonese with the screw your mum phrase as an opening sentence. Both being in sg for quite some time, so their Mandarin is pretty understandable since they went though the public primary school system in sg.

    • @journeylife7491
      @journeylife7491 5 месяцев назад +1

      It is common with Chinese, but not other Spanish speakers. It is so strange.

    • @lumiong
      @lumiong 5 месяцев назад +3

      SitDown Comedy is much funnier than StandUp comedy 😂😂😂

  • @jasonmullagan
    @jasonmullagan 6 месяцев назад +107

    I always say "Du ne lo mo!" to the phone scammers.

    • @bas1cbh0p
      @bas1cbh0p 4 месяца назад +4

      in text its diu lei lo mo cuz u gotta have that I in there

  • @huaiscrblol5077
    @huaiscrblol5077 6 месяцев назад +256

    You're absolutely hilarious, and manage to tell such a heartwrenching story with so many good jokes! From, a Cantonese-American who can absolutely relate to the feeling of losing a language.

    • @blep852
      @blep852 5 месяцев назад +6

      oooo same but Canadian. Since my parents were 2nd gen, they knew less, and so, taught us less. They didnt like Chinese school growing up, so me and my sister never had that many extracurriculars. It makes me pretty sad when my friends' parents only speak Chinese and I cant understand a word that they're saying

  • @NHJDT
    @NHJDT 4 месяца назад +66

    I'm Korean and same thing happened to me. Moved to the states when I was 7. In CA I had Korean friends so I was bilingual then we moved to Nebraska. No Korean friends, did not go to church, and my parents were working all the time and within a couple years, it was easier to speak English. I'm 50 now and relearning as my kids are learning Korean thanks to their love of BTS. We took the family to Korea for two months this fall. I hadn't been back in 40+ years

    • @vikramad36
      @vikramad36 3 месяца назад +1

      How do you feel being in Korea? Do you feel moving back 😅

    • @NHJDT
      @NHJDT 3 месяца назад +5

      @@vikramad36 it was great but definitely felt foreign. In my mind, all my memories are of the US so that is my home

    • @vikramad36
      @vikramad36 3 месяца назад +2

      @@NHJDT That means you’re fully American 😁

    • @annew.1
      @annew.1 25 дней назад +2

      Same here, but with Hong Kong. It is amazing how you are perceived culturally. I am basically "white"/ Westernized in HK but am a conservative Chinese in the US. My late mom was almost an old "white woman" who wore Birkenstocks in HK. The difference is stark. Same skin color and ethnicity but not culturally.

    • @sanie1au
      @sanie1au 7 дней назад

      Ah, K-Pop. The great unifier!

  • @SamChou
    @SamChou 5 месяцев назад +158

    When you said you parents were quoting Forrest Gump, my immediate reaction was: "Your parents told you they love you?". The following delivery was spot on 😄. Sincerely, son of asian parents

    • @ethandorward2220
      @ethandorward2220 5 месяцев назад +2

      I wonder why that's a thing, I tell my children I love them every single day, you should because one day you won't be able to.

    • @SamChou
      @SamChou 5 месяцев назад +4

      @@ethandorward2220 Not sure why! It's a cultural thing. I never got hugs or shown any physical affection by my asian family, either. Not necessarily that they're cold or unloving...but it's complicated.

    • @rogerc23
      @rogerc23 5 месяцев назад +1

      Have you ever told your parents you love them?

    • @SamChou
      @SamChou 5 месяцев назад +2

      @@rogerc23 well that's a deep question I don't think I've ever been asked. The answer is no. Never occurred to me. It would be pretty weird.

    • @rogerc23
      @rogerc23 5 месяцев назад +2

      @@SamChou I suggest you try it, if you do love them. It might open their hearts a little.

  • @kokona1990
    @kokona1990 4 месяца назад +53

    I'm a Chinese immigrant in Australia and I totally understand what you are talking about - what you felt in front of Stephanie and Vivian or at that wedding is exactly what we felt when we were fresh in Australia. It turns out that not everyone speaks as slow or as clear as the ILETS listening tests, especially for the Aussies. But hey, if we can pick a language basically from scratch in our mid 20s, finish a master degree with a decent GPA and secure a job amongst native speakers, then you could surely pick up your mandarin back again! (if you want) :D

    • @sanie1au
      @sanie1au 7 дней назад

      Sorry about that, worse still, we shorten words, drop letters and are just downright lazy with English. But to be fair, it's a stupid language with stupid rules that it stole from other languages

    • @poki580
      @poki580 4 дня назад

      @@sanie1au every language does that, no need to put yourself down to make others feel better

  • @colinmartin9797
    @colinmartin9797 Месяц назад +13

    I knew a girl who emigrated from china when she was 9. To fargo, north dakota.
    Fargo. North Dakota.
    She could speak perfectly fluent Mandarin. With a HARD fargo accent. It is, to this day, the funniest thing i have ever heard in my life and i treasure the memories of listening to her talk to her parents, especially when she would deliberately dial up the Fargo just to annoy them.

    • @brandonpaavola5634
      @brandonpaavola5634 25 дней назад +1

      Hahahahahaha

    • @Croz89
      @Croz89 День назад +2

      Reminds me of the Texas Germans who speak an archaic form of German with a strong Texas drawl.

  • @tedpeters896
    @tedpeters896 2 месяца назад +16

    I'm a 76 year old white dude and I found this beautifully poignant. My daughter-in-law is Taiwanese (my son is Brazilian) and I have two gorgeous granddaughters. I love living in a world that is merging cultures.

  • @alexchu4499
    @alexchu4499 6 месяцев назад +40

    I feel like all international students will have met someone like you on their first day at school, this kind of experience is always relatable.

  • @mr.mediocregamer9653
    @mr.mediocregamer9653 6 месяцев назад +73

    I like your style of comedy. It's unique the way you are telling the story with the fun pictures.

  • @Nyxxxis
    @Nyxxxis 6 месяцев назад +212

    "I love you Jenny"
    Jenny: Nah asain parents don't say I love you 😂
    Was bout to say that

  • @Kikimikimone
    @Kikimikimone 5 месяцев назад +32

    i have also "lost" a language. it is comforting to hear that others have had the same experience :)

  • @SwetPotato
    @SwetPotato 6 месяцев назад +203

    My little nephew, born in Sydney, speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese fluently and can understand Hakka, Suzhounese (a branch of Wu language. A more notable branch of the Wu language would be Shanghainese).
    His dad, my distant cousin is from Meizhou (where Hakka Chinese is spoken), Guangdong (Canton). The mum is from Suzhou (a city close to Shanghai, famous for its canals and classical gardens), Jiangsu.
    Dude basically got free language courses while growing up.

    • @sho9214
      @sho9214 5 месяцев назад +3

      My grandma is from Meizhou China. I can understand only a bit Hakka sadly,

    • @e.usiene
      @e.usiene 5 месяцев назад +3

      That's impressive! Am I right in understanding that his dad spoke Cantonese and Hakka with him growing up, and his mum spoke the Suzhou dialect with him, and both, on top of that, Mandarin? And did he grow up elsewhere?

    • @hiko7096
      @hiko7096 5 месяцев назад +2

      My mum speaks Hakka but I just know how to count one to ten in Hakka🤣

    • @rogerc23
      @rogerc23 5 месяцев назад

      He’s not your nephew. He’s your first cousin once removed.

    • @amsanchez1675
      @amsanchez1675 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@rogerc23 it's a colloquialism and, from my experience, relatively common in Asian and Latin American cultures. If you are from a previous generation and your immediate first cousin has kids, you are their auntie/uncle/auncle. I've heard the term "cousin uncle" in some families that want to make the distinction.

  • @vkb9013
    @vkb9013 6 месяцев назад +35

    Funny, sentimental, and refreshingly vulnerable. Jenny, you’ve got a new subscriber.

  • @khyeli
    @khyeli 5 месяцев назад +57

    Malaysian Chinese are so proud we all speak bilingual or even multilingual… I have no problem speak Cantonese, mandarin, English or even Taiwanese (I know a little bit hokkien) and my hidden talent Malay.

  • @restfulplace3273
    @restfulplace3273 6 месяцев назад +36

    I’m happy Jenny is more than just her shorts. Unexpected but happy.

  • @Siletzia
    @Siletzia 3 месяца назад +9

    Jenny is one of the most original and wittiest comedians I've ever seen, and this is one of the best skits ever.

  • @jessicamayne3394
    @jessicamayne3394 6 месяцев назад +123

    “Think about your future” applies to me. My kids need to know at least “吃饭了吗?” before we visit my relatives 😂

    • @J_Dos_S
      @J_Dos_S 6 месяцев назад +8

      First rule about learning a new language: learn the swear words 😂😂😂

    • @peterfireflylund
      @peterfireflylund 6 месяцев назад +5

      @@J_Dos_SIt's not rude -- it literally means "have you eaten?" but the real meaning is just a greeting like "how are you?"

    • @J_Dos_S
      @J_Dos_S 6 месяцев назад +3

      @@peterfireflylund oh I just realised I might have replied to the wrong comment but my advice still stands 😂🤣

    • @catinabox3048
      @catinabox3048 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@peterfireflylund I'm Chinese and I don't usually think of that question as a greeting. To me, it's usually a way of gauging whether it'd be appropriate to engage the other person in conversation. Like, if it's around meal time and they haven't eaten, I assume that I should either offer them a meal or let them go so they can finish preparing their meal and eat soon. If they have eaten, on the other hand, I would feel more free to just stay there and chat a bit longer.

    • @wkl6432
      @wkl6432 3 месяца назад

      吃了吗?没有“饭”

  • @unifieddynasty
    @unifieddynasty 5 месяцев назад +20

    I know that feel. 😅
    Sometimes it's the little traumas during childhood that have reverberating effects. You did a great job expressing this.

  • @jeremysun7365
    @jeremysun7365 6 месяцев назад +85

    Welcome to Burwood.

    • @nomnomjenny
      @nomnomjenny  6 месяцев назад +30

      best food in sydney!

    • @jodiepalmer2404
      @jodiepalmer2404 26 дней назад

      @@nomnomjenny I want some. When I'm I go to visit Sydney later this year I will go to Burwood and have some proper Chinese food. PS, I live in Broken Hill, the opposite end of New South Wales next to South Australia.

  • @funlovesjoy
    @funlovesjoy 6 месяцев назад +33

    That Cuntonese and that lady's laugh really got me...😂

  • @sanguineel
    @sanguineel 5 месяцев назад +44

    Your style is absolute gold. Love the slideshows.

  • @highbrand
    @highbrand 4 месяца назад +6

    That line about moving to Burwood was classic.

  • @D.S.handle
    @D.S.handle 6 месяцев назад +30

    This was terrific. The audience was also great.

  • @snozbucket
    @snozbucket 6 месяцев назад +37

    It's funny since I noticed a stark difference between me and my brother. I was raised til about 5 living in Taiwan with my grandma and then moved to Denmark til highschool. I seriously don't ever speak mandarin at all but I have no issue switching back whenever I do need to speak it and to an extent I can also understand hokkien. My brother however was born here in Australia and while he did go back to Taiwan for like 2 years for highschool he's completely lost the ability to speak it now.

    • @looli1327
      @looli1327 5 месяцев назад +6

      Im not sure what to say about myself. Ive nearly completely lost my native language. I moved to the US at the age of 7. I picked up English and became a voracious reader. I moved back home to from 13-26 then immigrated to the US after that. I cannot string a complex sentence in Arabic. I can't remember basic words. Once you stop using it, it really does atrophy

    • @wobblysauce
      @wobblysauce 5 месяцев назад

      You know you lost it when they call you a redneck, as in you sound like you are from the rural areas.

  • @pauldwalker
    @pauldwalker 5 месяцев назад +13

    what’s shocking is that her cantonese pronunciation is better than her mandarin pronunciation.

  • @hf5486
    @hf5486 6 месяцев назад +115

    Just discovered you a few hours ago and have already subscribed. As an Aussie gweilo living in Asia, can’t wait to unleash this to my Canto and Putonghua buddies. 😂😂😂

    • @Daniel-ld7xs
      @Daniel-ld7xs 5 месяцев назад +1

      DIUUU LEI LO MOOOO!😂

  • @VeganDoris
    @VeganDoris 5 месяцев назад +11

    Oh that’s awesome! And so funny!
    I was born in the USA but Mandarin was literally my first language because that’s what my parents spoke to me. Then I started preschool when I was 3yo and I couldn’t speak English even though I was born in the USA, so my parents then decided we would speak only English at home. So English is my educated, fluent language and I speak mandarin like a 3yo.

  • @ldbarthel
    @ldbarthel 5 месяцев назад +94

    I'm not Chinese, but this is extremely relatable.
    In my case, the "lost" language is Pennsylvania Dutch. I've had many years of German - specifically Hochdeutsch (high German), whereas the PA Dutch dialect is more akin to Plattdeutsch (low German). But my vocabulary is still horrid and I don't get to practice.
    My wife's family aren't total polyglots, but they regularly use bits of Spanish, French, Japanese (and now Korean). Funny enough, they don't use much Welsh, even though that's their heritage....

    • @jazzguitar3441
      @jazzguitar3441 5 месяцев назад +3

      What a shame about the Welsh, it is such a beautiful language! ♡

    • @wobblysauce
      @wobblysauce 5 месяцев назад +4

      If you want people to think you are swearing at them just speak Welsh.

    • @stephanieyee9784
      @stephanieyee9784 5 месяцев назад

      ​@@wobblysauce, any Welsh words will do.

    • @stephanieyee9784
      @stephanieyee9784 5 месяцев назад +1

      Nadolig Llawen 🎅🏻🎄

    • @seanhartnett79
      @seanhartnett79 5 месяцев назад

      My ancestors spoke German and Irish. Both are lost.

  • @kaisquared90
    @kaisquared90 5 месяцев назад +9

    As someone who grew up in Australia with Chinese as my first but quickly fading language, I 100% relate with these stories.

    • @Entername-md1ev
      @Entername-md1ev 2 дня назад

      Australia is called the graveyard of languages for a reason

  • @13loodLust
    @13loodLust 6 месяцев назад +34

    Can confirm. Am Cantonese and petty.

  • @yaowsers77
    @yaowsers77 6 месяцев назад +36

    This was hilarious! I'm much older than you but it still resonates. I've now found myself as the orderer of Chinese food. Also, i was in NYC volunteering to take pictures for tourists at a Christmas market and there were so many Chinese visitors. Listening to their conversation, i could put them at ease with my very basic Mandarin.

  • @myytacc9851
    @myytacc9851 6 месяцев назад +19

    4:50 yes this part! Me with Tagalog. I’m trying to learn it but being made fun of by someone who knows how to speak it but also knows English very well is just really demotivating.

  • @Eskay1206
    @Eskay1206 2 месяца назад +2

    This woman is awesome. from one Aussie to another, love your attitude. bloody brilliant

  • @hrmd3537
    @hrmd3537 5 месяцев назад +10

    Great jokes, great punch lines and fantastic storytelling.

  • @lumiong
    @lumiong 5 месяцев назад +18

    SitDown comedy is much funnier than the Standup comedy 😂😂😂😂

  • @stephanieyee9784
    @stephanieyee9784 5 месяцев назад +5

    My father and his brothers all refused to continue going to Cantonese school when they were teenagers. They also refused to ho to China to find wives. They told their father (himself an ABC) that they were Australian and would choose their own wives from here. Two married Chinese Australians and two married Europeans.

  • @Leo_HuangAB
    @Leo_HuangAB 6 месяцев назад +16

    As a Canto speaker, I really can't blame you.

  • @toptiertrivia
    @toptiertrivia 5 месяцев назад +7

    As an ABC, I feel a lot of what you're saying. You're hilarious and a great artist to boot!

  • @TonytheCapeGuy
    @TonytheCapeGuy 5 месяцев назад +6

    What a fun comedian, glad I found you. :)

  • @jp4431
    @jp4431 3 месяца назад +1

    A head nod from dad when you get an A+ is the closest we can feel love from dad.

  • @maxscameraguy
    @maxscameraguy 6 месяцев назад +7

    I took Chinese on and off for 9 and 1/2 years. You at the bubble tea stand is me whenever I try to speak it.

  • @davidwong7144
    @davidwong7144 5 месяцев назад +3

    Besides political matters, economic issues, fallen social aspects and some sad news about our next generation, your shows does refresh and warm up a lot of normal people. Good job!👍🏻

  • @gracelee7946
    @gracelee7946 5 месяцев назад +8

    You are so funny, Jenny. Really enjoyed this.

  • @jle1352
    @jle1352 5 месяцев назад

    When you end the talk with thank you in Chinese is so warmhearted. 🥰

  • @mattkidroske
    @mattkidroske Месяц назад

    This cracked me up but also made me sad. It's tough feeling betrayed by your friends. Great video!

  • @leicestersquarebob840
    @leicestersquarebob840 5 месяцев назад +8

    Mandarin is my first language but I feel like I’m also in the process of losing it. I can no longer fluently converse in Mandarin without throwing in English words and expressions.

  • @ZheFu-mp2fn
    @ZheFu-mp2fn 5 месяцев назад +15

    Went the opposite route. Hated America in my teens and young adult life and went back to learn and improve my Chinese. 😂 My parents were furious I deferred college to do so.
    Now get stared at by FOBs who wonder why I speak English fluently and can read and speak Mandarin Chinese. 😉
    Only downside is family and parents treating me like a Chinese person instead of realizing I'm basically a banana. If my Chinese was worse or had an accent they wouldn't have these weird expectations and disappointments. I can't straddle and meet both cultural expectations of be doctor and filial Chinese son to carry the entire family lineage while being constantly criticized for not doing enough.

    • @francescalee2497
      @francescalee2497 5 месяцев назад

      I never lost my first language (Canto) and taught myself mandarin when I was 12. I moved downunder when I was very young and picked up a British lilt from TV so people keep asking on the phone if I’m British, lol. When I went back to Hong Kong for a stint, everyone was so surprised I was functional in Chinese but that I really was not Chinese culturally. I actually kind of regret knowing the language because it makes it that much harder to break away from a culture that hasn’t been kind to me and to deny a government that would claim sovereignty over all people of Chinese descent no matter what citizenship they hold.

    • @lingordon1678
      @lingordon1678 4 месяца назад

      @@francescalee2497 Chinese government is not evil as you know from the Aus media. Come to China to see for yourself.

    • @francescalee2497
      @francescalee2497 4 месяца назад

      @@lingordon1678 Yeah, no thanks. I don't want to be disappeared. You just have to look at how they react to any journalists or potential journalists, and threaten academics overseas who look into their activities influencing other governments. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causeway_Bay_Books_disappearances

    • @lingordon1678
      @lingordon1678 4 месяца назад

      @@francescalee2497 Hunk, typical westerners' bias even though you can speak Chinese. You will find out the truth one day.

  • @johnford7847
    @johnford7847 2 месяца назад +1

    This is delightful! Thank you for sharing.

  • @stay_for_hyunjin
    @stay_for_hyunjin 5 месяцев назад +2

    I was born in Singapore but I moved to the USA when I was a baby. My parents are from china and they expect me to be able to speak mandarin fluently but I have lived in the US for almost my whole life. Whenever there is a new Chinese student that isn’t familiar with America, I feel so proud of myself for speaking Mandarin. Sadly, I can mostly just understand Mandarin more than I can speak, write, or was it. Thank you for making this video. It’s so relatable!

  • @qquack1950
    @qquack1950 5 месяцев назад +4

    I love the drawings 😭😭 makes it so much better

  • @Mrmark154
    @Mrmark154 5 месяцев назад +27

    As a Cantonese and Mando speaking white guy, this had me laughing really hard. Nice work!

  • @jamesrjohanniii774
    @jamesrjohanniii774 4 месяца назад

    I love when comedy has call backs a good story and you learn new things. Thaks gret set ! ⭐🇺🇲

  • @doncooper2344
    @doncooper2344 4 месяца назад

    This young woman is very funny in a very sophisticated way. I'm not from Australia so I will likely never see her live, but I hope she is appreciated and enjoys the success she deserves.

  • @KCallia
    @KCallia 4 месяца назад +4

    Canadian Chinese here, Cantonese-speaking. I had to endure *3 years of Mandarin lessons on Saturdays* because "it would be useful." Language lessons *for native speakers, so I didn't understand or learn anything!* Thanks ma! 🙃

  • @GaryAa56
    @GaryAa56 5 месяцев назад +4

    My new favorite comedian: Jenny Tian! Jenny your material, delivery and timing are so spot on!

  • @imnotgay_butineedthemoney
    @imnotgay_butineedthemoney 4 месяца назад +1

    Keeping in touch w/ cultural roots.
    Love the message.

  • @nonnyanneko
    @nonnyanneko 4 месяца назад +1

    Thank you for using comedy to discuss culture in a way that is light hearted yet deeply meaningful and personal. It reminds me of Natalie Tran of Community Channel. And I mean in the the highest of compliment!

  • @Lindalindali
    @Lindalindali 6 месяцев назад +3

    I like your style (the narration and the drawings)

  • @sloppytightbottom
    @sloppytightbottom 6 месяцев назад +7

    I love your clear and beautiful Aussie accent. :-)

  • @user-wr4uz8pg7m
    @user-wr4uz8pg7m 5 месяцев назад +1

    Thanks so much. I laughed more today watching this video than I have in a long time. :)

  • @brankofunda3231
    @brankofunda3231 4 месяца назад +2

    You are so funny and so entertaining! I love your gorgeous drawings too!

  • @djc9887
    @djc9887 5 месяцев назад +5

    First time watching you and as an Aussie with Chinese friends, I gotta say you defo made me laugh. The Burwood comment tho LOLOLOL

  • @mustafa1name
    @mustafa1name 5 месяцев назад +5

    While still mourning the loss of great Aussie comic Barry Humphries, it eases the soul to see brilliant young Oz comedians emerging. This clever writing, cultural insight, loving disrespect and striking delivery would go down well in the UK

  • @jaydenbraydon5405
    @jaydenbraydon5405 5 месяцев назад +1

    This is the first time I'm seeing this comedian. And damn. Love her set! 😂
    I'm Chinese. And it's hilarious!

  • @pendragon6207
    @pendragon6207 Месяц назад

    OK that was absolutely brilliant, and rather unique! Loved it!

  • @wadeseymour7706
    @wadeseymour7706 5 месяцев назад +4

    Very, very funny, I like your unique style of comedy 😊

  • @crcooldown
    @crcooldown 5 месяцев назад +5

    Great storytelling! :)

  • @swifttransactions3595
    @swifttransactions3595 Месяц назад +2

    Hi I'm white. I saw this video years ago and it inspired me to never learn to speak mandarin. But my Cantonese is getting pretty good. Let's be friends!

  • @Yupppi
    @Yupppi 5 месяцев назад +1

    At the same time really good sense of humor and the scariness when you consider what if she was not kidding, because everything funny she said was funny because it was true.

  • @XaviRonaldo0
    @XaviRonaldo0 5 месяцев назад +7

    As an almost exclusive descendant of British ancestry I unfortunately don't know any other language. My great grandfather was from East Prussia but unfortunately he didn't teach German to any of his children.
    I was incredulous at a Romanian workmate who refused to teach his kids Romanian. I don't understand why you wouldn't do so.

    • @privetin
      @privetin 5 месяцев назад

      maybe cuz they hated their own native country so much

    • @AndreiGrigorean
      @AndreiGrigorean 5 месяцев назад +2

      Romanian here, we generally despise our country and culture so much, we refuse to teach it to our children if we move abroad.

    • @djtan3313
      @djtan3313 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@AndreiGrigoreandamn son

  • @cameronschyuder9034
    @cameronschyuder9034 6 месяцев назад +8

    I lost my ability to speak from being in foster care for a couple years 😅 had to relearn it after my bio parents had full custody of me again, but I still can’t speak Mandarin as well as I can English now

  • @matthewwatson1720
    @matthewwatson1720 2 месяца назад +1

    Keep it up mate, awesome, laugh out loud on the train, everyone looking at me.🤣

  • @davidlee6505
    @davidlee6505 4 месяца назад +1

    Jenny has refined her little niche shtick into quite a unique, effective routine. Something actually fresh and different. Well done!

  • @Lulu_n_BroBro
    @Lulu_n_BroBro 5 месяцев назад +3

    Love this clip. I grew up in Toronto with the majority of my classmates being Chinese. Of course we all knew Du Lai Lo Mo. So funny. Please visit Toronto. You'll feel right at home.

  • @wyphonema4024
    @wyphonema4024 5 месяцев назад +9

    I'm Itailian and studied Chinese at uni. Had quite a few classmates, whose parents, or one of them were Mandarin (sometimes Cantonese) speakers. I was so surprised they didn't really have much of an advantage apart from the pronunciation. Some of them said they even refused to learn any Chinese when they were children and came to regret that. So I guess it's totally normal, but must be so confusing to grow up with different cultures.

  • @tiktaktictac
    @tiktaktictac 5 месяцев назад +1

    The freaking GONG at the end was cherry on top. I don't know if that's even intentional but that's hilarious 😂

  • @akarmoussaittizi3012
    @akarmoussaittizi3012 4 месяца назад

    She is simply amazing .

  • @matickovac
    @matickovac 5 месяцев назад +4

    I studied Chinese in university and even lived in China for a while. Can totally relate to many of these jokes but the last one is the real punchline, I find myself saying out loud when my Xiaomi phone is on the table: 'I for one welcome out Chinese overlords' whenever we speak trash about the PRC.😂

  • @ycajal
    @ycajal 5 месяцев назад +3

    I'm Korean but 100% agree that bubble tea is one of the biggest daily financial investments that are actually worth it. Also no need to worry about diabetes, the zero sugar option is always there for us🤩

  • @Swuesman28
    @Swuesman28 3 месяца назад +1

    As a guy marrying into a Taiwanese family, I really feel this struggle. Just know my kids are going be able to talk crap about me to my face just like their grandparents. Lol

  • @yingyangorca4124
    @yingyangorca4124 4 месяца назад +2

    Finally a funny woman that isn't trying to make something disgusting funny.
    In other words. Using intelligence. Loved it. Now on to the entire special!

  • @wellesradio
    @wellesradio 6 месяцев назад +46

    “In Australia here everyone speaks English”.
    That’s debatable.

    • @bigcunt5689
      @bigcunt5689 6 месяцев назад +1

      An emerging descendant language😂

    • @zandaroos553
      @zandaroos553 6 месяцев назад +2

      Ah yes the Anglosphere, five countries that speak something that vaguely resembles the mythical language of “English”

    • @ttbrown9700
      @ttbrown9700 5 месяцев назад

      more like Boganese

    • @wellesradio
      @wellesradio 5 месяцев назад

      We should call it Arthurian English.@@zandaroos553

    • @triarb5790
      @triarb5790 5 месяцев назад

      What a cocksucky thing to say. So our accent is different to yours. So fkn what?

  • @maj.mp4
    @maj.mp4 5 месяцев назад +24

    I’m Moroccan so Darija (Moroccan dialect of Arabic) is my first language but I’ve lived abroad for most of my life and I too lost my home language! But thankfully I’ve gotten closer to my culture today though my prononciation isn’t always perfect but hey I speak 3 and half languages so that’s that! All this to say: I relate! I also spent a year learning mandarin in middle school but I only know like 3 expressions now haha

    • @journeylife7491
      @journeylife7491 5 месяцев назад

      Nice

    • @LW78321
      @LW78321 4 месяца назад +1

      The fact that you know multiple languages is already impressive!

  • @boshmow3600
    @boshmow3600 6 месяцев назад +1

    Stand-up is a big part of my content consumption and this was brilliant. You are very funny. I'll keep an eye out for your South Western US tour ..

  • @DaoSeeker
    @DaoSeeker 6 месяцев назад +2

    Good jokes and a good crowd, a perfect combination

  • @UnicornsPoopRainbows
    @UnicornsPoopRainbows 5 месяцев назад +3

    As someone named Stefanie, I felt attacked 😂😂

  • @eliyahuohiyon7461
    @eliyahuohiyon7461 6 месяцев назад +15

    Jenny uploads, I click

  • @MyaMore-cb7zb
    @MyaMore-cb7zb 4 месяца назад

    The doodles! I love it.
    Laugh on that serious topic of roots and how ppl (young, old, whoever) would shame u into "forgeting" or "avoiding" what u grew up with (even if it's just a little).
    Glad u can order a bubble tea now ;D

  • @ChadGardenSinLA
    @ChadGardenSinLA 2 месяца назад +1

    I can totally relate as I'm Kapampangan, but grew up in the U.S. Army, in Germany and Japan. b/c diversity was celebrated in our culture we were encouraged to learn other languages. So glad my parents to took us to the Fil-Am parties; that's how my siblings and I learned Tagalog.

  • @TheSketchyMe
    @TheSketchyMe 5 месяцев назад +3

    funniest minion out there 😂

  • @journeylife7491
    @journeylife7491 5 месяцев назад +3

    It is strange how the majority of Spanish kids growing up in the West are proud to speak their parents' language and English, but the opposite with some other types of people from other cultures.

  • @jameslin3458
    @jameslin3458 5 месяцев назад

    l😂 love this so much!!the timing and the jokes!

  • @NekoJoyT
    @NekoJoyT 5 месяцев назад

    That last part is so true! And that's one of the reasons why I started learning Mandarin a couple of years ago lol