The handicap of speaking only Chinese
As the Thai girls in Phuket will tell you: never mind you cannot speak Thai. US dollar is universal language. You have money, I have honey. Yes, the US dollar cuts across all language barriers. Even the girls in Phuket can tell you that.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
In his article “Economic value of language”, Wong Chun Wai of The Star said: So, if you are in London, Paris or Milan, you will find that many brand outlets there have hired Chinese speaking shop attendants because they know it’s the Chinese tourists who are spending big. (READ MORE HERE)
That is true. But they also hire Japanese and Arabic speaking staff as well. Stores want to sell and if one day Martians come to earth in huge numbers and shop in Harrods and Selfridges, these stores will employ Martian-speaking staff as well.
And these stores will also have special services for other handicapped people. If you are in a wheelchair there are special toilets for you. If you wear a hearing aid because you have a serious hearing problem you can tune in your hearing aid to the system. If you are with a baby there are special places where you can change your baby’s nappy when it is soiled. And so on.
No need speak Thai, US dollar universal language
Basically, these Chinese-, Japanese-, or Arabic-speaking staff that Chun Wai is talking about is a service big stores provide to handicap people – that is people who are handicapped in speaking the English language. And it is good business (plus is some cases the law) that services for handicapped people are provided. And this handicap service is not confined to just Chinese-speaking people who do not speak English but to any other foreign buyers who do not speak English as well.
Chun Wai speaks proudly of stores in Europe that provide Chinese-speaking staff. I would not be too proud of that if I were Chun Wai. The Japanese and Arabs are not proud of that because those who cannot speak a universal language are considered handicapped.
The argument we always hear is that China is an emerging economic power so you need to learn Chinese to do business with them. If the Chinese want to do business with you they will find ways to communicate with you. Not being able to speak Chinese is not an issue. Having money to pay for what you buy or goods and raw materials that they need is what matters.
As the Thai girls in Phuket will tell you: never mind you cannot speak Thai. US dollar is universal language. You have money, I have honey. Yes, the US dollar cuts across all language barriers. Even the girls in Phuket can tell you that.
