Shopping

So this evening, on my way home, I decided I should be more of a 'neighbor' around here. Do something to feel like I'm more belonging to this quirky neighborhood than not. Like I should contribute some back.

Like a clueless pro, I popped into one dried goods store... after another... and then another. Man, they are endless on this street, my street.

Finally, I settled on one where the goods I was eyeing looked more decent. And the shopkeeper more decent too. (Alright, alright. That was the last one standing along the street, and I thought it would be very paiseh to turn back and walk into the ones I "pooh-pooh'd" already.)

Auntie: Leng lui! Oi meh ah?
Me: Dong gu dim mai ah? Ngor yew dai lup ge.
Auntie: Yi di lor. Yi di hai yat bun ge. Ho ho ge. Ho gor dai loh ge.
Me: O-K la. Dim mai ah?
Auntie: Yat kan, yat bat yi sup baat.
Me: Er... O-K la. Bei ngor yat kan.
Auntie: Wa, leng lui ho lek wor. Hiu mai dong gu ju...

For the uninitiated, the conversation translates roughly into this:

Auntie: Pretty Girl/Jude Babe/Miss. What do you want?
Me: How much are your mushrooms? I want the big ones.
Auntie: This kind lor. These are Japanese mushrooms, better than the Chinese ones.
Me: Ok lah. How much?
Auntie: One kati, one hundred twenty eight.
Me: Er... Ok lah. Give me one kati.
Auntie: Wah, Pretty Girl/Jude Babe/Miss very clever wor. Know how to buy and cook mushrooms...


I think my face must've been beaming brighter than the bright yellow plastic bag I was swinging in my hand on the rest of the journey home.