I think Malaysian especially those Chinese have problem to greet with people.
That day, a middle age lady came to order Curry Mee from my mother and she said: “aunty, ho wa kari mi, bihun mi mai ham.”
Another case, an obviously old looking man with white hair and wrinkled face came by to order mee and said: “aunty ar, ho wa kari mi, ge hui, ge hiam jio.”
They are the proper sentences to use in Butterworth to order food except the word ‘AUNTY’. Can you imagine some people older than you calling you aunty or uncle? How can this happen in our culture!!!
I mean there are some other proper words to use rather than ‘aunty’ right? Or maybe they don’t understand the word ‘anuty’ or ‘uncle’?
I remember in Kampar, all their favorites greet is either leng zai or leng lui and these can come out from their mouth even with closed eye. But why in Butterworth there is no such kind of name to use. No doubt leng zai and leng lui must use depend on situation (because can cause misunderstood, in Butterworth you use these word, people would though you are prostitute or what), but at least they (those really aunty and uncle) use some other proper word instead of calling others younger with an old greet! Please la~!
However this can’t blame on them because this is the heredity from our parent since we are young, right. When we are still in children time, we had well-trained to greet elders with either aunty or uncle depends on their sexuality. Other than that, nothing had been taught to differentiate their level of oldness (perhaps they also found hard to make a name out for them).
Whatever, this is important because we are well educated person. So I have a personally suggestion out for you all to make as a references.
When you saw people about the same age with you, use ‘yo’.
When you saw people younger than you, use ‘Hi! Hi!’.
And when you saw people older than you but looking younger, use ‘what product you use’.
