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

[@nomnomjenny]

Hope you enjoyed this story! This was one part of my comedy special which you can watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/en2Yho2nm5t3q7s 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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@NeilTaylor1]

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]

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

[@nh4843]

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

[@exosproudmamabear558]

​​​​@@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]

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

[@choppersghost5439]

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]

@@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.

[@silverchairsg]

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]

phoenix is usually chicken though....

[@silverchairsg]

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

[@daltongalloway]

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

[@robezy0]

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]

So false advertising isn't a worry there?

[@gregop8699]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@karlalalalulu1513]

@@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]

Nakakaintindi ka na?

[@Life_Of_Abbyy]

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]

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]

⁠@@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]

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]

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]

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

[@colinmartin9797]

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]

Hahahahahaha

[@Croz89]

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

[@vixxcelacea2778]

I wonder if it would sound the same from a Swedish person, given that the mid western accent is definitely influenced by the many Swedish immigrants that moved there at the time (Hence the red and white trimmed housing/barns!) I want to hear the accent now speaking Mandarin, LOLOLOL.

[@djdameswholdames]

infest

[@yilunli7374]

how is that even possible

[@manningbartlett522]

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]

Truth.

[@CMo-x9c]

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]

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]

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]

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'.

[@NHJDT]

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]

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

[@NHJDT]

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

[@vikramad36]

@@NHJDT That means you’re fully American 😁

[@annew.1]

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]

Ah, K-Pop. The great unifier!

[@huaiscrblol5077]

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]

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

[@kokona1990]

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]

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]

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

[@alexchu4499]

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.

[@Kikimikimone]

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

[@mr.mediocregamer9653]

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

[@TheGrimmGamer]

Kindergarten teachers will see her in court.

[@mr.mediocregamer9653]

@@TheGrimmGamer :D

[@kathakailin]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[@rocketmangenesis]

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

[@lumiong]

SitDown Comedy is much funnier than StandUp comedy 😂😂😂

[@jasonmullagan]

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

[@bas1cbh0p]

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

[@warrenleezy]

You should try 'ta ma de' if they're Mandarin speaking passport scammers 😅😅😂

[@mrmingsun]

I think they don't understand cantonese.

[@SunnyWu]

@@warrenleezy If they have a Taiwan accent you should totally ask wow, I'm surprised they hired someone from the island to work at the Chinese embassy.

[@StellarJones]

@@SunnyWuor say “gan nin nya chao jee bye”

[@Eskay1206]

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

[@funlovesjoy]

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

[@SamChou]

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]

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]

@@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]

Have you ever told your parents you love them?

[@SamChou]

@@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]

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

[@Nyxxxis]

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

[@Zilch.0]

To be fair, it's basically only white, middle class parents in English speaking countries who says that to their children. I'm Swedish and I've never heard a parent use that phrase towards their children here.

[@hippieyoda1993]

@@Zilch.0just in: telling your kids you love them is middle class. Ok -

[@Zilch.0]

@@hippieyoda1993-I'd say the 'in english speaking countries' is the more important distinction (and not so much the UK or Ireland). I'm middle class myself, just not anglo.

[@restfulplace3273]

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

[@snozbucket]

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]

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]

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

[@doncooper2344]

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.

[@khyeli]

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.

[@0900370pian]

As a native Malay speaker myself, from what I've noticed Malaysian Chinese generally are either just an average Malay speaker or just plain bad. If there was a government function catering for these folks, you will hear heavy accented Malay like 'talima kasih latok sili" from 4th/5th generation Chinese that had been living in Malaysia. Their written Malay is always atrocious so much so that they rather write their comments in English even under a Malay speaking video clip. Even though Malay is the national and official language of Malaysia, there are some resistances from the Non-Bumis to either speak it or write it. Forget about oversea Malaysian Chinese, their Malay proficiency had long gone. اوسه برلاڬق دڠن كونونڽ باكت ترسمبوڽي اندا، كلق دكتاواي اورڠ. Soli ah, gua manyak lesis sama lu. Tapi gua misti tulis supaya lu olang tau olang malayu tadak suka sama itu sikolah cina sebab lu olang suka pigi sana tak mau campur dengan olang malayu. Kita malayu ingat lu olang pikir ini negara Cina ka mau letak itu must speak mandarin as a condition for hiring employees. Cilaka betul. Sebab itu ah lu Leng Chai Leng Lui kita mau kasi lu olang assimilate sama malayu, baru itu NEP sama hak-hak bumiputera dapat dihapuskan. Kita mau negara kita jadi macam itu Thailand dan Indonesia. Olang Cina sana sudah assimilate sama native people. Itu macam baru Malaysia boleh maju. Tengok ini video, dia cina duduk Ostolia, cakap English fluent macam orang Ostolia, tadak itu pelat-pelat. Gua ingat ah kalau gua tutup mata dengar dia cakap, gua ingat dia mat saleh tau. Oklah, gua bising bising lama-lama nant gua kena banned. Ok ar Ah Soh, have a nice day.

[@kaisquared90]

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

[@Entername-md1ev]

Australia is called the graveyard of languages for a reason

[@ldbarthel]

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]

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

[@wobblysauce]

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

[@stephanieyee9784]

​@@wobblysauce, any Welsh words will do.

[@stephanieyee9784]

Nadolig Llawen 🎅🏻🎄

[@seanhartnett79]

My ancestors spoke German and Irish. Both are lost.

[@VeganDoris]

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.

[@gabrielesolletico6542]

Lol that's interesting, and funny.

[@jessicamayne3394]

“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]

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

[@peterfireflylund]

@@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]

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

[@catinabox3048]

@@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]

吃了吗？没有“饭”

[@unifieddynasty]

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

[@SwetPotato]

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]

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

[@e.usiene]

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]

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

[@rogerc23]

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

[@NopaliToons]

@@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.

[@stephanieyee9784]

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.

[@bethyd6134]

im so proud that jenny made it this far! she went from making funny youtube shorts in her house to literally on picture this!! love u jen :)

[@yaowsers77]

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.

[@jp4431]

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

[@sanguineel]

Your style is absolute gold. Love the slideshows.

[@TinglishMilaMali101]

I absolutely agreed!!!🎉🎉🎉

[@D.S.handle]

This was terrific. The audience was also great.

[@pauldwalker]

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

[@CatroiOz]

Spite is a powerful motivator I guess 😅

[@highbrand]

That line about moving to Burwood was classic.

[@ShouPow]

I'm not Australian and I feel like I don't even need to google what Berwood is to understand 😅 (I still did tho)

[@Siletzia]

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

[@jeremysun7365]

Welcome to Burwood.

[@nomnomjenny]

best food in sydney!

[@jodiepalmer2404]

@@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.

[@nonnyanneko]

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!

[@davidwong7144]

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!👍🏻

[@anime-rn7xn]

She turns stand up comedy into a classroom , you can't take Asia out of you😂❤

[@Mrmark154]

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

[@ChadGardenSinLA]

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.

[@13loodLust]

Can confirm. Am Cantonese and petty.

[@Autobot9400]

This is such a great video to stumble on to. I've never encountered anyone that's lost their native language so they don't understand how it happened to me. It really is just lack of use. I'm from South Africa and grew up speaking Afrikaans. When I 8 my family and I moved to England where I had to double down on learning English asap (my English was atrocious before moving to the UK). My mom was the only one in my life who spoke Afrikaans and to help me learn English faster she started only speaking English. We moved back after a few years and it took me about a year to regain fluency, and even all these years later my Afrikaans is still not great. I am technically fluent but I tend to mess up my grammar and my vocabulary isn't nearly as extensive as it is in English. I'm just glad no one can talk sh!t about me in Afrikaans anymore because I will catch you 😂

[@hf5486]

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]

DIUUU LEI LO MOOOO!😂

[@QYXP]

This story was both funny and heartbreaking in equal measure and I think that's so Shakespearean, you should be extremely proud of your story telling ability.

[@hrmd3537]

Great jokes, great punch lines and fantastic storytelling.

[@danieluzumaki14]

she got the minion fit

[@Leo_HuangAB]

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

[@vkb9013]

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

[@lumiong]

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

[@leicestersquarebob840]

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.

[@Fuzzle1985]

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]

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]

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

[@francescalee2497]

@@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]

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

[@mustafa1name]

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

[@maxscameraguy]

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.

[@toptiertrivia]

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

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

What’s an abc?

[@toptiertrivia]

@goldenfiberwheat238 American Born Chinese

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

@ oh

[@tiktaktictac]

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

[@ronson3161]

I’ve never seen your stuff before and have to say this is great. Great story telling and despite nothing you were talking about having any actual relatability to myself personally, you delivered everything in a way as to make it super relatable. Very funny. Well done girl, I’ll look forward to more of your material.

[@hyvnjinir3t]

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!

[@jaydenbraydon5405]

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

[@TonytheCapeGuy]

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

[@KCallia]

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! 🙃

[@ycajal]

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🤩

[@davidlee6505]

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

[@XaviRonaldo0]

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]

maybe cuz they hated their own native country so much

[@AndreiGrigorean]

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

[@djtan3313]

@@AndreiGrigoreandamn son

[@NamTran-xc2ip]

@@AndreiGrigoreanthats kinda sad

[@jle1352]

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

[@cameronschyuder9034]

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

[@josenemburg6112]

If this was a presentation, I’d give her an anchor plus A++😂😂💛💛👏👏

[@gracelee7946]

You are so funny, Jenny. Really enjoyed this.

[@matickovac]

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.😂

[@djc9887]

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

[@matthewwatson1720]

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

[@Lulu_n_BroBro]

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.

[@johnford7847]

This is delightful! Thank you for sharing.

[@qquack1950]

I love the drawings 😭😭 makes it so much better

[@Yupppi]

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.

[@wyphonema4024]

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.

[@musiccapsule1379]

This is by far the funniest comedy, which I can relate by the way. I am loving the accent and i guess this is the common problem for most biracial, and those migrants. We tend not to speak mandarin. Now that is the issue i am having right now. Though I promise to improve my mandarin speaking in Taiwan

[@swifttransactions3595]

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!

[@MyaMore-cb7zb]

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

[@crcooldown]

Great storytelling! :)

[@stopdropnroll]

So good. New to Jenny Tian. Love to see you and JiaoYing Summers thrashing it out and comparing stories

[@wadeseymour7706]

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

[@awaleahmed8698]

I wish if you came on my feed earlier to catch your show in Perth. You comedy is golden and I love the visual storytelling and timing.

[@auvmedia]

As a parent, I teach my child Mandarin Chinese by exposing them to Chinese animations, games, and other interesting things from China. We also speak Chinese at home, but when we're out, we switch to English. I also encourage them to learn some Japanese. This way, I'm broadening their perspective rather than trying to make them pretend they grew up in China. They should embrace both Australian and Chinese cultures simultaneously.

[@AlOfNorway]

Never let any incident stop you from learning about yourself and where you come from. That’s what life is about-to know yourself. Why else is life existing? I am glad you put away those petty thoughts and got back to learning your language. Languages are beautiful. They are like psychic gates into other realities. The more you know, the more you see. It’s a privilege to see. Those who only speak one language are really missing out on life, what it is, and what it means.

[@rocketmangenesis]

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.

[@mikewazowski3303]

Really love this but Cantonese pride says I can’t thumbs up it 😂 I love your mix of humor and real life issues, you’ve really hit that sweet spot balance!

[@tedpeters896]

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.

[@zeitgeistx5239]

You mean Chinese. You don’t invent a new ethnic group just because of a civil war. Using that logic then Koreans don’t exist.

[@cairnex4473]

You mean a world where all culture is being destroyed by homogenisation and assimilation?

[@mattkidroske]

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

[@GaryAa56]

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

[@SamuraiSocietyShin]

😊

[@hk_200k]

Glad to hear this! We moved to an English speaking country with our boy a few years ago when he was five. Since then we never show him any Chinese letter and he isn't watching any Cantonese/ Chinese KZbin, yes, like your parents, for his future. LOL. He's now forgotten how to write his Chinese name.

[@eliyahuohiyon7461]

Jenny uploads, I click

[@sebastian-benedictflore]

I'm an Italian, born in Italy and have grown up mainly in the UK, speak basically no Chinese. In school, we learned about and celebrated various annual festivities from around the world. I've always known the phrase gung hay fat choy but always wondered why it sounded so different from the other Chinese I knew. I didn’t realise it was Cantonese until now (and of course the little Chinese I do know is Mandarin). All makes sense now lol

[@NC-qm8dc]

Sadly its w/ all asian countries. I am filipino and I have friends and coworkers who get on my case for not speaking tagalog. My parents immigrated from the Philippines when they were kids, so they picked up english very easily & can sort speak tagalogish. They couldnt teach my siblings and I how to speak the language because they could barely understand it themselves. Its hard to get into the language when the 2nd generation or even 3rd generation has already acclimated into another culture. Plus i like america i cant really bring myself to learn the language becuz i have no plans of ever visiting my homeland. Everyone i know & love is here. So yeah thats just my take on it. 😅

[@claudiadarling9441]

Unless you have a community to use the language with, it's really hard to learn/maintaine fluency.

[@jo-anndougheney2733]

G'day from NSW. We're Aussie's of Irish ancestry.💚 Our ancestor's origin history to here was the Forced Transportations (bringing of the Convicts) and the later Forced Evictions of Ireland (coming of the free Irish settlers). Convicts were Irish, English, Scottish, children and adults 1788-1868. My Eireann ancestors native gaeltacht language and cultural customs were banned under foreign law. Seven years was the standard period of incarceration. The Eireann people's spent generations trying to stop this through their various Rebellions both in Ireland and here, it failed. As a result we're Aussie's.💙 No whinging intended though, I'm only sharing.😊 Any food, music, customs, language (Munster dilect, what little I hold) that we grew up with is Irish in origin but we're Aussie's. We're just thankful for any cultural aspects that managed to survive throughout the generations. I grew up with mate's of various cultural ancestries including English. No worries and grudges held.🙂 Jenny is so funny.😄 Thanks for making me laugh Jenny.👍All the best to you.😃

[@TheSketchyMe]

funniest minion out there 😂

[@micjakes1]

Thanks Jen, this was so different. So original.