Local Gweilo Gets Into Spirit Of Chinese New Year By Saying ‘Ni Hao!’ To Cantonese Yum Cha Waiter

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

One of Betoota's most worldly fleet logistics managers has today decided to join in on the festivities taking place in the part of town that is dominated by independent family businesses.

Brian Brogden (38) has always kept his mind open to oriental culture.

Some of his favourite things are Asian. Such as karaoke bars, Bruce Lee movies, and Nissan Skylines.

He also loves the food.

So what better way to get in on the spirit of Chinese New Year than by taking his lunch break in Betoota's Street Noodle District.

Across Asia and right around the world, billions of people are currently welcoming the Year Of The Horse, a celebration that marks not just marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, but also a point of renewal, reunion and hope for the new lunar cycle.

And the Western Queensland town of Betoota is no exception. For the next fifteen days, the dragon dances will be weaving through the streets of the CBD, while locals bang the large Chinese percussion instruments.

And Brian wants to get in on this, that's why he's peeled off from the desk for an hour with a couple of likeminded colleagues.

As he arrives in a bustling yum cha restaurants with red lanterns and excited Chinese families, he makes the effort of greeting the nearest waiter in a way that the most Gweilos simply wouldn't be cultured enough to understand.

"NI HAO!" he says, offering the standard Mandarin Chinese greeting for "hello," which literally translating to "you good"

The elderly Cantonese woman, who has lived in Australia for longer than Brian has been alive, nods in confusion and begins to take his order.

"Jeez. She's not that chatty"" he says to his colleagues, as the waiter rushes to send through his order of sweet and sour pork, Mongolian lamb and honey chicken, with nine pork buns.

"Must be exhausted from all the festivities already."

"Haha it's gonna be a long couple weeks for this one. You know this all goes for fifteen days right?"

MORE TO COME.