Gabriel LAU
Have you ever Ai-ya?
Ai-Ya!----A must read for all Chinese people I had a craving for a sweet taste of childhood the other day; so I went shopping for some moy*. I was putting said treat into my cart and looking for my Ranch 99 VIP card, when a woman with three kids in tow ran into my cart. At that moment, both of us said, "Aiya." The children giggled, she apologized, and I quickly replied, "M'sai...No apology needed."
Although it was a minor exchange, I later realized that Aiya is more than just two characters; it is part of the spirit of being Chinese...in a moment of surprise I could've said just about anything -- my reaction was to say Aiya. I was surprised that I would instinctively use my mother's tongue because I've always known that I don't speak Cantonese well. No matter how far removed I've become as an American, there is something at my core that is Chinese.
I decided to conduct informal research about Aiya. First, I went to a national bookstore chain to review its Chinese language materials. I thumbed through all the Chinese language materials, but couldn't find any vocabulary drill including Aiya. Seeing that the publishers of tourist books were not going to be helpful, I decided to observe its use in the community.
I clipped my cell phone to my belt, grabbed a couple of pink bakery boxes and sat around San Francisco's Portsmouth Square drinking 7-Up and eating dim sum. Lo and behold, I heard Aiya used in a variety of ways. Based on my personal experience and this observation, I've developed a personal understanding of Aiya.
Aiya is 24-carat Chinese gold. Aiya is more than just two characters; it is part of the spirit of being Chinese and may even go back to antiquity. It is used wherever the Chinese have been in the diaspora of the last sesquicentennial.
How you say Aiya can say volumes about your state of mind. For example,when the problem is minor, I can say "Aiya" in a short/curt manner. However when I am extremely stressed, I can draw it out to nearly five seconds. (I'm planning an experiment where I get a room full of people to meditate using it as a mantra. With practice, I might get them to draw out Aiya even longer.)
To explain more deeply how to use Aiya, imagine a worker slaving on the Great Wall when he accidentally drops a brick (a quickie Aiya)...on the work foreman (Aiya!!) -- which gets him thrown into the wall to perish an agonizing death (AIYA!!!!)
As you read the following ways Aiya can be used, the mental image to solicit is to picture any of the mothers from Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. For those who have met anyone in my family, you can picture one of my relatives instead:
Surprise: "Aiya! A surprise party for me?"
Joy: "Aiya! You got 5 out of 6 in Lotto!"
Distaste: "You expect me to drink that herbal medicine concoction of yours? Aiya!"
Doubt: "Do I have to wear that lemon yellow/lime green sweater my mother made? I wonder if she would notice if I 'accidentally' donated it to Goodwill? Aiya."
Awe: "Your son got accepted into Harvard Law School!?! Aiya!"
Irritation: "Clean your room. Aiya! Why do you live like a pig?"
Great astonishment: "Aiya! She switched majors from Business to Art History!"
Disapproval: "Report Card -- 5 As, 1 B? Always a B in Math. Aiya." (Actual quote from my mother when I was a sophomore in high school.)
Shock: "What? Ketchup on Yang Chow Fried Rice...Aiya!"
Lamentation: "Aiya...why me...ungrateful child... Aiya. (Probably what my mother is thinking when she reads this.
Outrage: "Never clean your rice cooker with that steel scouring pad! Aiya!"
Verge of internal combustion: "I can't deal with the family asking when and if I'm getting married! Ai-yaaa!"
Aiya is an all-purpose phrase that comes from deep in the soul. Aiya is both simple and complex: on one hand it is a couple of Chinese characters; on the other hand it can be a whole speech describing the state you are in.
Aiya says "I'm afraid", "I'm in pain", "I don't believe it." It is an exclamation of exuberance, a shout of hurt, a cry of fear, and the reflex of being startled, and the embrace of joy.
It is unfortunate that English has no equivalent to Aiya. It saddens me that American English doesn't afford me a fun phrase to emote. "Shucks","Darn" and the plethora of swear words cannot convey what Aiya can. So, I'm going to propose that we start an initiative. American English should grab on Aiya or the Yiddish "Oy" for our use.
So the next time you go to a teahouse for dim sum or decide to go shopping at an Asian market, listen to the lively banter as friends and families meet. It's a wonderfully vibrant, alive community out there. Who knows, you just might get caught up the lyrical rhythm of the people. Aiya, what fun!
Diane (ANDERSON) Persons '69
I think ai-ya is in the vocabulary of any of us, Chinese or not, who've grown up in HK. What a wonderful word (or two?) It's part of my nonTCK husband's vocab. now too, although our kids use a Filipino equivalent themselves, which isn't as broadly used.
My kids were surprised to learn, though, that "tsup" (sauce/gravy) wasn't an English word, as it is used commonly in our house, and they hear cousins and grandparents using it.
An excellent piece of writing, that article on "ai-ya"! Thanks for sharing it.
David VAUGHN '69
Ho Yieh!, Gabriel. A universal word which, depending on emphasis,
intonation and pondus, can speak volumes. Even my Beijing Chinese
workmate Rui can relate to Ai-Ya!, although he professes not to
understand when I try the rest of my rusty Cantonese vocabulary on him.
Use it well!
David MEYER Faculty
Reminds me of an old comedy routine of all the ways in which one could use the phrase, "Oh Boy". As in, "BoBo Balinsky, 'oh boy'"...Za Za Gabor! OH BO-O-Oy......
Cecilia (WANG) Biggs '78
AIYAHHHHH!!! I can't resist anymore!!!! After MONTHS of dragontrain - I'm finally giving in - your Aiya essay is the one that did it for me. Thanks to your aiya ditty, I am finally going to sign on and say hello to everyone.
Can't speak Chinese myself - but some words from childhood continue - and aiyah is one of them. My non-chinese husband says it. My 6 yr old says it. My 2 year old says it. And when they visit with Grandma the aiyah's are flying left and right. I just loved your email and can relate to it so much. Brilliant!
Mark Shostrom - got your Rock the Boat email. I laughed so hard because that's the song I remember us dancing to the most. Aiya! Can't believe we never broke our necks on those stairs at Thingummy's.
James Barnett - been wanting to say Hey!! Remember me? And Ann Marie Garvey? And Danny O'Keefe? I'm still in touch with Pete Reiner. I remember you and your brother well.
It took the poetic, lilting sound of AIYAAAA to get me to overcome email shyness.
Thanks Gabriel.
James BARNETT '78
AIYAAA! CECILIYAAA!!!
It's about time, aiya!
Danny O'Keefe, AIYAAA! Where the hell is he? Have you kept in touch? And Meagan. Wah sai! (sorry that was Taiwan.)
Good to hear from you.
Eric ALLEN '76
As I recall (to add to our dictionary of ai-yah entries)the excamations depth of colour (Canadian spelling) and meaning can be tweaked by controlling the legnth and pitch of the final vowel.
i.e.: witnessing a cricket ball connect with groin: ai-yeuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh (a semitone drop in pitch from the yeu to the h)
upon observing a rush hour bus que (kew? 'q'? qieu?): ai-yyyyyyaaaaaaaa equal amounts of 'y' and 'a', no change in pitch.
Great to hear others still exclaim in this way!! (thought i was alone in this)
Richard VAUGHN '72
A great commentary Aiya!!!I always use such language and even in Hawaii with it's multiple Ethnic background still get strange looks.It was alot of fun reading Gabe's "Aiya Special" and I saved it as it is probably the 1999 Dragon Train "Pull..it...Sir" Winner.
Sai lay, jun hai ho teng nei,Sing Dan Fai Loh one and all. and of course Gung Hei Fat Choy!!!!
Marcus WOO '75
Thanks to Gabe for that great Aiya piece. I've lived in New York andnow in Taiwan, so along the way I've tried to assimilate by using oy and wa sai. But alas, there is nothing so irrepressible, so gratifying, and so comprehensively suitable for all occasions as "Aiya".
Ever notice also that this expression, which begins and ends in vowels, is utterly therapeutic. No so for those expletives we use too often in desperation when trying to relieve tension: i.e., those words which begin with a consonant like "sh" or "f" or "d" and end respectively in "t", "k" and "n" or in many cases, double consonants like "ck" and "mn". These dead end sounds tend to drive up blood pressure, and often cause embarrassment and regret.
Three cheers for Aiya!
also Marcus WOO '75
I forgot to mention that I own a collection of Hong Kong jokes entitled: "Ai-Ya". The book is not that great as jokes go, but that is the title and the theme.
Linda (SHOCK) Shelley '75
Marcus!
I haven't "spoken up" yet on the dragontrain, but seeing your name gives me courage. I think of you often because my oldest son, Micah, is Taiwanese and plays the violin. He is 8 and has played for about 3 years.
I ran into Ginger (McElroy) Shorey a couple months ago and your name came up as someone to get in touch with. She just moved here to Gig Harbor, WA and is getting settled in.
So a big hello to you! I hope you are doing well and weren't too
adversely affected by the earthquake earlier this year.
Would love to hear from you.