Shermy=Share with Me 六寶媽日誌

今天中午在Aldi買東西的時候，我聽到一個老奶奶在向一個正在把麵包上架的亞洲員工問東西，聽起來很像是”dye sheet”。由於英文非我母語，外加這不甘我的事，以下的對話僅能以我理解的方式來詮釋，並非百分之百還原現場情境。

老奶奶：染布，知道嗎？布？

員工：(一臉疑惑)布？

老奶奶：就是拿來舖東西的(然後非常不耐煩的走掉了)

當我在排隊結帳時，老奶奶正好在我前方。他問了結帳人員關於染布的事情，對方告訴他因為某些原因店裡沒有庫存，非常抱歉。然後這個老奶奶就開始抱怨她剛剛和那位亞洲員工之間的事情。

老奶奶：有些人就是不懂，因為他們不是澳洲人！

然後她還特別對我投來注目的眼光，上上下下的打量著我，好像這一番話是專門衝著我來的。而我選擇什麼反應都沒有。

接著換我結帳了。結帳人員馬上跟我說「真的很抱歉，我真不敢相信她竟然可以這麼沒有禮貌，有些人就是這樣。」

我聳聳肩微笑著說「至少你很有禮貌啊！」換來了對方的一陣大笑。

其實我一點也不生氣，但是有一些情緒被喚醒了，催促著我必須把這件事情給記錄下來，必須好好的挖出隱藏在背後的情緒。

是啊，我是亞洲人，我和大部分的澳洲人相比有著不一樣的膚色，還說著不一樣的語言。儘管我已是澳洲公民也在這個國家待了快九年了，對於英語我還是常常無法理解。

我的腦袋內建的是我的母語，當我聽到或要開口說英語時，我還是必須要經過腦袋翻譯的程序再來理解或做表達，這就是為什麼像我一樣生活在英語國家的華人們都需要一點時間去理解事物，因為我們從來都沒辦法在第一時間搞懂過。

相信我，你們白人的挫折我完全能理解，因為我和我澳籍老公有過太多這種「你怎麼會不懂這不是他媽的超簡單的事情嗎？？？」這樣的對話。我們就是不懂。對你而言可能很簡單的東西，但對一個說雙語的人來說，真的一點也不簡單，相信我。

“Sheet”和”Shit”在我聽來都是一樣的。所以當你在問dye sheet還是die shit的時候，我完全可以理解為什麼那位亞洲員工必須和你重新確認這個字的問題。你根本無法了解我們耳裡所聽到的跟你嘴裡所說的牛頭不對馬嘴的境界。而這也是所有誤會和不愉快的來源。

拜託請有耐心一點，然後請選擇對他人友善儘管對方不瞭解你。我們都是來學習的，不是來評論彼此的，也許在外表上我們看似不同，但內在我們不相上下，我們都是需要愛的，就是這麼簡單。

Today is the World Kindness Day, and I’ve been racism.

I overheard an old lady asking for something sound like a “dye sheet” to an Asian staff in Aldi who was shelving the bread. As English is not my fist language and plus it’s not my business, the following conversation only capture 80% of the scene.  

Old lady: Dye sheet. You know, the sheet?

Staff: (confused) Sheet?

Old lady: It’s the thing you put on. (very impatiently walk away)

When I lined up at the counter, this old lady was in front of me. She asked the counter about the dye sheet again, and the counter told her he’s very sorry but there’s no stock due to problems with the production line. And this old lady started to complain about the conversation she had with the Asian staff before.

Old lady: (blah blah blah)….some people just don’t understand, they are not Australian!

Then she gave me a stare look s if she's talking to me. All I did was standing there saying nothing.

Then it’s my turned. The counter said to me straight away:” I’m so sorry, I can’t believe how rude she is. Some people just like that…(blah blah blah) “

I shrugged my shoulder, smiled and replied: “At least you are polite.” Then the man laughed.

I wasn’t angry at all but there are feelings being stirred. It urges me to write it down and sort out all the emotions behind.

Yes, I’m an Asian, I have different colours compare to the majority in Australia, and I speak different language. Even I have my citizenship and been living in this country for 9 years, I still struggle to understand English.

My brain is built in with my mother language and everything I heard or every time I speak, I still need to translate it in my mind and then process it. That’s why people like me might need some time to understand things, because we never get it right the first time.

And believe me, I totally understand your frustration as my Aussie husband always has the “why-don’t-you-understand-it’s-fucking-simple!!!!” conversation with me. We just don’t get it. It’s simple for you, but never for a bilingual, trust me.

“Sheet” and “shit” always sound the same to me.  So when you asking for a “dye sheet” or “die shit” I totally understand why the Asian staff wanted to double check the word with you. You just don’t understand what we heard is totally different from what you talking about. And there’s where all the misunderstanding and unhappiness started.

Please just be patience and choose to be kind even it’s hard to make others understand you. We are all here to learn, not making judgement to each other. We might look different from the outside, but not so much different from the inside. All we need is love. That simple.