characteristic of the British poking fun at themselves. The tie's background colour is black, like the outlook during the Hong Kong 1967 riots. The dull, thin diagonal red lines represent the communist propaganda which was blared out from loudspeakers situated in the old Bank of China building in Central District. The three figures on the tie depict the inhabitants in Hong Kong in those troubled days: the 'white-skinned pigs' (the expatriates, largely British); the 'yellow running dogs' (the local Chinese working for, or co-operating with, the British); and the 'big, red, fat cats' (the Mainland Chinese who were posted from Red China to do business in Hong Kong, driving about in limousines, living it up). But, if you turn the necktie inside out it has a silver lining (even if every silver lining has a cloud)!
Being able to laugh at British or American jokes does not come automatically with being able to speak English. A Hong Kong Chinese told the author that he was making a farewell speech, on being posted away from Beijing, and he told the tale (in Putonghua, translating the sense, not word for word) about a pilot, the American President, a priest and a hippie in an aeroplane. The pilot turned to the three passengers and told them the plane was going to crash and that they had only three parachutes. 'I have my life ahead of me. I'm taking one,' said the pilot, and he jumped. The American President said, 'I'm the most important person in the world. I cannot be spared,' and he too jumped. Then the priest turned to the hippie and murmured, 'Look here, son, I am an old man, you have your life in front of you, take the one remaining parachute.' But the hippie replied, 'Don't worry Father, there are still two parachutes left. The President of the United States jumped by mistake with my rucksack!' Unexpectedly, the Hong Kong Chinese who told the joke said that the Beijingers laughed, much to his surprise, when he told the joke. But he thinks it may have been because the President of the United States had made such a fool of himself.
Some people certainly pick up a language, an accent or a sense of humour quickly. Appreciating another form of humour is like learning to appreciate another form of beauty or art. It is an 'education process'. One does not change one's sense of humour but one develops an 'extension' making one a more interesting person. Certainly, however, speaking English is not the same as being English, with all the nuances of the language, and subjects like Princess Diana are still touchy long after her death. How can you expect the Chinese, who
characteristic of the British poking fun at themselves. The ties back- ground colour is black, like the outlook during the Hong Kong 1967 riots. The dull, thin diagonal red lines represent the communist propa- ganda which was blared out from loudspeakers situated in the old Bank of China building in Central District. The three figures on the tie depict the inhabitants in Hong Kong in those troubled days: the 'white-skinned pigs' (the expatriates, largely British); the 'yellow running dogs' (the local Chinese working for, or co-operating with, the British); and the 'big, red, fat cats' (the Mainland Chinese who were posted from Red China to do business in Hong Kong, driving about in limousines, living it up). But, if you turn the necktie inside out it has a silver lining (even if every silver lining has a cloud)!
Being able to laugh at British or American jokes does not come automatically with being able to speak English. A Hong Kong Chinese told the author that he was making a farewell speech, on being posted away from Beijing, and he told the tale (in Putonghua, translating the sense, not word for word) about a pilot, the American President, a priest and a hippie in an aeroplane. The pilot turned to the three passengers and told them the plane was going to crash and that they had only three parachutes. 'I have my life ahead of me. I'm taking one, said the pilot, and he jumped. The American President said, 'I'm the most important person in the world. I cannot be spared,' and he too jumped. Then the priest turned to the hippie and murmured, ‘Look here, son, I am an old man, you have your life in front of you, take the one remaining parachute.' But the Hippie replied, 'Don't worry Father, there are still two parachutes left. The President of the United States jumped by mis- take with my rucksack!' Unexpectedly, the Hong Kong Chinese who told the joke said that the Beijingers laughed, much to his surprise, when he told the joke. But he thinks it may have been because the President of the United States had made such a fool of himself.
Some people certainly, pick up a language, an accent or a sense of humour quickly. Appreciating another form of humour is like learn- ing to appreciate another form of beauty or art. It is an 'education process'. One does not change one's sense of humour but one devel- ops an 'extension' making one a more interesting person. Certainly, however, speaking English is not the same as being English, with all the nuances of the language, and subjects like Princess Diana are still touchy long after her death. How can you expect the Chinese, who
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