Competing at level footing
This could be just my wishful thinking - I should be given a longer presentation time (at least 20%) at local conferences because English is my 2nd language (to be fair)! I don't think most conference organisers would be sympathetic about this, they work very hard to keep a tight schedule running on time.
Interestingly, I have some reflections on this topic out of some games played at a recent 'Year of the Tiger Celebration'. I hosted the event at my place and invited friends from diverse backgrounds to attend, some were migrants or transient visitors from different country of origins, some were Australian-born locals.
The first game we played was to ask people with Chinese not their first language to read out the 4-word phrase of Chinese New Year Blessings in Cantonese with minimal coaching from native speakers and also describe what blessing that phrase would bring.
Another game was to introduce my guests to the art of Chinese calligraphy (you might have watched it at the movie The Crouching Tiger" . It was a Chinese New Year custom to write New Year Blessing' on special red paper before New Year Day. These pieces of paper (called Fei Chun 暉春) would be hung on walls or doors to offer protection and good wishes to the family throughout the year. I was joking to my friends that working as an academia, it would be best to stick the 'Boh-boh-goh-sing' (步步高昇Step-by-step rising up to the top!) on your office door!
The game was a competition and there was a prize! Each team sent out 2 team mates, a Chinese and a 'non-Chinese' to each write 2 words of the 4-word phrase using traditional Chinese calligraphy brushes and ink. Everyone seemed to enjoy the game (see the photos)!
The whole cross-cultural encounter gave my guests (especially the non-Chinese) a new experience: they had a taste of what it was like when the 'competition' was not on a equal footing. There was an obvious disadvantage to those who had never practised Chinese calligraphy before.
I enjoyed watching the process too. Don't get me wrong, I don't build my happiness upon other people's suffering! I reflected upon this cultural experience and asked the following question:
What impact it will have on migrants growing up in a different culture and language when everyday one has to compete with the natives for jobs and other life opportunities? Even getting attention when standing in front of a reception area at any busy service counters could be a daunting experience for some people with English as their 2nd language.
公平競爭
這可能只是我的一廂情願﹐當我出席本地的學術會議時﹐大會應該給我一個較長（至少多20％）的演講時間，因為英語不是我的母語（這才算是公平嘛）！我相信大多數會議組織者不會對我表示同情，因為他們要保證會議的緊逼時間表得以運作順利﹐已經負出很大的努力﹐那有閒情去考慮我的額外要求。
有趣的是，我最近就這個問題有一些反思﹐這是原於今年'農曆虎年慶祝會'上的一些助慶遊戲比賽。我在農曆年初七‘人日’在家中開派對，並邀請來自不同背景的朋友參加，有些是移民或旅客﹐真的是來自江湖四海﹐龍蛇混雜，也有好些是澳大利亞出生的本地人。
第一場比賽是要求‘華語’非其母語國的客人讀出4字一組的農曆新年暉春﹐他們的華裔隊友可以給他們最後衝刺的速成練習﹐並解釋這句暉春所帶出的祝福。看看那一隊的 ‘老番(鬼佬)’暉春說得最似模似樣!
另一場比賽是﹐我向各位賓客介紹了中國的書法藝術（他們可能在電影話"臥虎藏龍"中見過)。這是中國新年習俗之一﹐通常在大除夕﹐家中的長輩會用特別的紅紙寫上幾條暉春﹐送給後輩作為祝福和鼓勵(如心想事成﹑龍精虎猛﹑出入平安等)。一般人會把這些件暉春貼在牆上或門上﹐祝福一家人有富裕的一年﹐平安和健康是大家都希望得到的。我跟我的客人開玩笑，以我大學的同事來說，他們作為學術界的表表者﹐‘步步高昇’將是最好的一條暉春!我告訴他們一定要把暉春貼在辦公室的門上！
這場比賽是競爭性的，是有贏有輸的!贏了是有獎品的﹐雖然輸了不用捱打！每隊派出兩個隊友，一個華人和一個‘非華人’﹐每人負責寫兩個字。他們要使用中國的傳統書法工具:毛筆和墨彩。似乎每個人都陶醉於這個頗有新意的遊戲！
這一次的‘跨文化’交流為我的客人（特別是那些非華人）帶來一個新的經驗和體會：他們可能是第一次感受到'不公平‘競爭是甚麼的滋味?那些從未有練習過中國書法的是很明顯地處於下峰了!
請不要誤會﹐我不是把自己的快樂建築在別人的痛苦上。我在反思這種文化交流的經驗後提出以下一個問題：
試想想﹐在不同文化和語言背景長大的移民，每天在澳洲這個異邦都要和本地人作‘不公平’的競爭﹐無論是就業機會和其他生活的機會!舉例來說﹐即使是在繁忙的服務櫃檯﹐對於一些英語為第二語言的移民﹐想獲得接待員的注意﹐可能也是一件很艱鉅的事情。
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