I read in a Chinese newspaper that a government official was retiring, because his colleagues were increasingly using Cantonese and this made him feel alienated.
I do not know if this represents the views of most of the non-Cantonese-speaking people who work and live in Hong Kong.
I hope that they will not assume that when people are talking in their mother tongue, they are showing a lack of respect.
I grew up in Hong Kong and was not exposed to other countries' cultures, so I do not feel I have the courage to talk to people coming from a foreign country.
It is not because I do not like these people. I would like to speak to them, but I am afraid I might unintentionally offend them, because I do not understand their culture.
I also find it difficult to get on with foreign colleagues in my workplace.