From: magical@rahul.net
Newsgroups: alt.humor.best-of-usenet
Subject: [alt.folklore.urban] Re: California Sat-9Test
Date: 17 May 2000 23:59:19 GMT

Subject: Re: California Sat-9Test 
From: K.C. Chan <kcchan.remove@iohk.com>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban

Phil Edwards <amroth@zetnet.co.uk> wrote:

>On 14 May 2000 22:34:59 GMT, tanzendog@aol.com (Candace A. Hume)
>wrote:
>
>
>I've had to use Polite Persistent Denial a few times, but they always
>get the point in the end. Maybe I've just had a better class of drunk.
>Or maybe I get some sort of weird twisted kick out of conducting
>endless circular arguments with a succession of total strangers.
>
>Phil "gosh, is that the time?" Edwards

Weird twisted arguments...OK, you got me.  I have to mention this.

In HK, you don't answer the phone with 'hello' you say 'wei'.
(Actually, you don't just say it, you make it into a sort of extended
whiny sound.)  And when someone answers the phone, you make sure they
haven't picked up the phone and run away by saying 'wei' back again.
So a normal conversation goes like this:

Callee:  "Wei?"
Caller:  "Wei?"
Callee:  "Wei?"
Caller:  "Is XYZ there?"
Callee:  "Who wants to know?" (it's actually phrased more politely
than that)
Caller:  "It's me, ABC"
Callee:  "Oh, Hi, ABC, blah blah etc".

(Note the intrinsic paranoia about this way of doing things - you
don't actually admit who you are until the caller identifies
themselves.  After you've had a few cold calls this method of doing
things becomes extremely attractive.)

It's funny to hear someone stop in the middle of a conversation and
suddenly start the 'wei' cycle again if the other person has a bit of
a pause.

Now, an admission of one of my deepest, darkest, guilty secrets.  If
the Callee (ie me) doesn't say "Wei" when they answer the phone, it
will sound like this:

Me:  "Hello, this is KC Chan."
Caller:  "Wei?"
Me:  "Yes, hello, this is KC Chan."
Caller:  "Wei?"
Me:  "KC Chan here, hello, do you want to talk to me?"
Caller:  (a bit pathetic now) "...Wei?"

The caller will not identify themselves or continue until I say the
Magic Word.  So, of course, I won't.  I have a bit of a competition
with myself to see how long I can keep them on the line until they
hang up.  I've had a wei-er on the line for nearly five minutes.
Often, the minute I say the magic word, something clicks in, they
realize I'm an English speaker, and hang up.

Me:  "Hello, this is KC Chan."
Caller:  "Wei?"
after a few cycles:
Me:  "OK, Wei, wei, wei, you can hang up now."
Caller:  <grunt> <click>

K.C. "WEEEEIIIIII?" Chan