Noodle Soup

[Na Ren]

In Thailand and Laos, and maybe in Cambodia, our word for noodle soup (like the pho in Viet Nam) is called 'gwadteo.' I miss it so much living in America, it has great flavour and long noodles are always good luck for longevity. Is it a Teochew word? It is difficult to tell since many Thai words are similar to Cantonese, such as some of our numbers. My grandmother, the last person to 'act Chinese' in the family always said it was a Chinese loanword and that Yawalaj (Chinatown) always has the better soup, but she did not speak Teochew so she was not much of a help. If anybody knows the answer, please let me know. Dtoi Ja.

[Lim Eng Di]

Na Ren

Yes, 'gwadteo' is definitely a Teochiu loanword. I think it is the loanword both in Thailand and Cambodia (and Laos too maybe). The way I would romaniz"noodle soup" is "gue diao". Are you from Thailand? If you are interested in learning more about Teochiu people, history and language, please visit my website:

http://teochiu.tripod.com

Thanks. I am a Teochiu born in Thailand as well.

Lim Eng Di

[Lim Eng Di]

Na Ren

Yes, 'gwadteo' is definitely a Teochiu loanword. I think it is the loanword both in Thailand and Cambodia (and Laos too maybe). The way I would romaniz"noodle soup" is "gue diao". Are you from Thailand? If you are interested in learning more about Teochiu people, history and language, please visit my website:

http://teochiu.tripod.com

Thanks. I am a Teochiu born in Thailand as well.

Lim Eng Di

[Na Ren]

YES! Indeed I am a Teochew. Well, only about a fourth. It is had to determine the exact amount since it was my great-great-grandparents fleeing some famine, and other relatives may have been part Teochew. In Thailand, the reason Teochews seem small in number compared to the actual percentage of the population is because of severe assimilation laws or underlying social pressures. The Chinese were forced to adopt Thai names, language, and culture. Since the country is very nationalistic, this meant the Chinese adopted Thai language, culture, and even Theravada Buddhism. There are still some Chinese temples here and there, but most Teochews I know are Theravada like me. In the 1800's, there was a poll tax levied on the Chinese, and in the 1950's, with Chinese communist influence extending into Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam, no one wanted to be Chinese. It's sad, too, since our revered King Taksin was in fact half Chinese, and so is our current Prime Minister, the one before him, and most of the banks and many companies are owned by the Chinese. (At least the Chinese were assimilated to escape the violence Indonesia had, though.)

As for myself, the only thing Chinese is the fact I worship Guan Im (Kwan Yin) alongside the Buddha and the Hindu deities, ancestor worship, noodle soup, sharkfin soup, and I have more "Chinese style eyes." It is sad, only two generations ago, my grandparents celebrated New Year's with a chicken and prayers for the dead, held the elaborate funeral rituals, and spoke Teochew to some degree. The only reason anyone in the family speaks Teochew now is because the bank owner or garment factory owner or store klerk they work for is a "real Teochew" and not a part-Teochew acting Thai.

I am glad that at least the other overseas communities are still holding on the their roots. At least Singapore has Mandarin instead of no Chinese at all. Although, Yawalaj still has a Chinese newspaper, a few Chinese schools, lots of yummy restaurants, and a few temples. So maybe the community is not dead yet. And it is good to know that the overseas community is not just Hokkien, Cantonese, and Hakka. Go Teochews!

[Lim Eng Di]

It's great to hear from a Teochiu from Thailand. Thailand is really looked up to by other Teochiu populations across the world. The only place where Teochiu people were totally accepted and now thrive. Most Teochius in Thailand may not speak that much Teochiu, or practice customs that their ancestors practiced, but I still consider them my brothers and sisters.

Here is my story: I was born in a Refugee camp on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. My parents were born in cambodia and grew up there. For those who don't know, Pol Pot was a tyrant who commited genocide on all the people of Cambodia including Teochius. My family escaped to Thailand and was lucky enough to get sponsored to come to the US. I live in nyc right now and have had the luck to meet (online) dozens of other teochius living in the us and the world through my website : (http://teochiu.tripod.com). We are creating a organization dedicated to preserving and enriching teochiu culture for teochius living in north america. Most of the Teochius in North America are refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam.

Say hi some time!

Email me Na Ren: tylim@mail.com