With only 66 days to go before Hong Kong returns to China - and help from a Chinese-speaking English friend (who I suspect is a spy) - I have compiled a glossary of Cantonese words and phrases essential for post-1997 living in the territory.
This simple guide is designed for non-Cantonese speaking mainland comrades as well as expatriates who have been here for years but can only muster 'Wan Chai fai dee lah [hurry]'.
Since neither of us has a degree in linguistics, our phonetic spelling for the Cantonese pronunciation is subject to errors.
Aiya! My friend thought this was a good one to learn. It is an expression apt for all occasions: when the Hang Seng Index soars and when it slides; when Martin Lee Chu-ming and others hold mass rallies on June 4 and when they get arrested.
Bin dou ah? Where? A question people may be asking when some street names are quietly altered in the future. For example: Queen's Road Central may become Yan Man Dai Lu (People's Avenue).
Chee sin. Used in conjunction with the politically-incorrect word gweilo in colonial days. Now that Hong Kong is no longer a colony, prepare to be called something much, much worse than a 'crazy foreign devil'.