Last night was a big victory for Cantonese. Eight young people, unable to utter more than a couple of words in this, the language of angels, came to Knutsford Terrace, shivering a little with apprehension.

But lo: Only one and a half hours later they were completely confident in not only ordering beer of various kinds, but asking for and understanding the price of said items! I felt so proud of my clever hatchlings. 

 

We started with a light crash-course where the beautiful and intelligent young people learnt the most important Cantonese basics: Beer basics. 

When this was done and they were fluent in beer, I divided them into teams and sent them out in the Hong Kong night, armed only with a piece of paper with Chinese characters. 

The characters were the address of a certain bar, which they had to find by asking innocent bystanders: ‘喺邊度呀？’ （Where is this?)

After an almost disconcertingly short time - my trusty sidekick Ms. White and I barely had time to drink a bottle of beer - the first team came galloping into the bar. After ordering and paying for beer, all in flawless-ish Cantonese, they then got a new address from the bar staff and off they trudged again! 

In the first bar there was karaoke (optional) - in the second, darts! 

It's fun for us oldies to guide the young people of today to drink the good drink

The staff everywhere were also helpful, as well as beautiful

THIS is the way to learn Cantonese. Clearly, this is the way. In only 90 minutes they learnt everything the need to set them up for a lifetime of learning. Sign up here for the next extravaganza! Running every second and last Friday of the month, from 18:30 (or thereabouts)

喺邊度呀？ (Hai bin dou ah?) Where is this?

青島 (Cheng Dou) "Tsingtao". Also a place in China. Means Green Island

喜力 (Hei Lek) Heineken. Happiness/strength

嘉士伯 (Ga Si Baak) Carlsberg. Fine/Scholar/Uncle