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00:09
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Sen: Hello and welcome to our podcast, English Trips. I’m Sen, and I’ll give you expert guidance on how to make the most of these episodes as a language learning tool. 
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00:30
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Today’s story takes us all the way to Hong Kong! 
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00:38
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Are you learning English at the moment? Then this podcast is perfect for you. In each episode, we’ll take a virtual trip to a different part of the English-speaking world, where you’ll hear a real story from a real person… in English, of course! 
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00:55
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Each episode focuses on a specific part of the language, such as a grammar topic. But don’t worry, this isn’t a grammar podcast. The main thing is that our stories are fun and interesting, and they also get you more comfortable with understanding the language! 
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01:13
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Also, did you know that you can read along while you listen using our dynamic transcript? You’ll find the link in our show notes. Here’s a tip just for you: the first time you listen to the episode, follow along with the transcript. This will help you understand more of the story, and identify any difficult words or expressions. Then, listen a second, or even third time without the transcript, and see how much more you understand! 
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01:49
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In this episode, you’re going to hear a lot of possessive adjectives, those little words that tell us what belongs to whom. You already know one from the phrase “My name is…”, but listen for some of the others, like “your”, “his” and “her”. 
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02:09
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Are you ready to go? Today Joanne is going to tell us about her friend Brian, a Brit who just can’t understand why people have such unusual names in Hong Kong! 
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02:21
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02:27
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Joanne: I once met a British guy, his name was Brian. He was new to Hong Kong and a friend said, 'You should have a Cantonese name!"
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02:39
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In Hong Kong you can call yourself what you want. On identity cards there’s space for a Cantonese name and an English name, and foreigners can choose any Cantonese names they like. 
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02:43
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FRONT OF MACAU ID CARD
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02:53
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Some Westerners give themselves crazy Cantonese names, like the student that called himself “angry urchin”. An urchin is a dangerous sea creature. It’s a weird thing to call yourself I think. 
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03:09
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Some Chinese people also give themselves weird English names like “Glacier” or “Apple”! “Sunny”, “Smile” and “Cherry” are also very common. Westerners find this quite funny. I mean, “Cherry” is not a name you hear every day, right? 
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03:24
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via GIPHY

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03:34
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Anyway, this guy, Brian, told me a funny story about his first day at work in Hong Kong. He went to his new office and looked for his desk. It was a big office, and there were lots of people working there. 
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03:59
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The first person he saw was a woman, and he asked her where his desk was. The woman smiled and asked him his name. Brian is an adventurous guy, so he decided to call himself "Mou-Him" because "Mou-Him" means "Adventure" in Cantonese. 
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04:20
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So when the woman asked him, “What’s your name?” He said, “My name is Mou-Him.” The woman looked annoyed, because he clearly wasn't Chinese. “But what’s your real name?” she asked. “That is my name!” he said. “What’s your name?” She said, “My name is Rainbow”. 
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04:43
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Rainbow
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04:45
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Brian was drinking coffee, and he coughed into his drink. “Rain-bow?”, he asked, and tried not to laugh. “Is that a common name in Hong Kong?” 
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04:59
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“It’s my English name!” she said. He nodded and thought to himself: “Someone named Rainbow can’t be a serious person.” 
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05:09
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Now both of them were offended. The woman showed Brian his desk and then left. 
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05:21
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Brian was told he would have lunch with his new boss, Chi-Nga. He was feeling a little nervous. He wanted his new boss to like him! When Rainbow came over to his desk at lunch time he was surprised. 
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05:37
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Why was she here again? Then he realised something. Rainbow’s real name must be Chi-Nga. She was his new boss! 
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05:46
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Alt:

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05:50
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“What is your favorite place to eat, Brian?” Chi-Nga asked him. He was surprised that she knew his English name. But of course she knew his name the whole time! She’s his boss. 
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06:06
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“My favorite place is called the Happy Cake Shop, Chi-Nga.” He replied, a little embarrassed. “My name is Chi-Nga, Brian!” 
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06:18
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“Oh. I’m sorry”, he said. Now, he was very embarrassed. He thought to himself, “Maybe Rainbow is a silly name, but it is easier to pronounce.” 
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06:30
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“It’s ok”, she said. “I know the Happy Cake Shop. It’s on the Queen’s Road East, right? Their buns are good. Let’s go!” 
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06:48
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They arrived at the bakery and an old lady came to serve them. 
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06:49
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HK Wan Chai 106 Queen's Road East Happy Cake Shop sign Nov-2012
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06:52
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She didn’t speak much English but she recognised Brian and said “Hello Mou-Him!” Chi-Nga looked surprised. She thought, “Did she just call him Mou-Him? Hmm… It is easier to say than Brian.” Then the lady looked at Chi-Nga and said, “Hi Chi-Nga!” 
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07:17
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Brian and Chi-Nga looked at each other and laughed — they were both regular customers! So, the names that people choose for themselves in Hong Kong, Cantonese and English, can be pretty weird. 
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07:38
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They make people confused sometimes, but in the end, they are a sign of two mixing cultures, and that’s pretty cool. 
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07:49
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Sen: Oh no, the faux pas! I was sure that Brian would lose his job after finding out that Rainbow was his boss! Thankfully, they ended up laughing with each other and not at each other in the end. A little cake can fix anything. But now you can understand why a simple question like “What’s your name?” isn’t always so simple. 
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08:14
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That’s all the time we have for today, fellow travelers. I’m sure you were able to pick out a lot of the possessive adjectives in today’s episode, but just in case you want some more practice, you can check out our newcomer courses or the grammar section in the Babbel app! 
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08:32
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Finally, we’d love to hear what you think of the podcast. You can write us an email at podcasting@babbel.com, or simply leave a comment in your podcast app and we’ll see it. Thanks for listening, and see you next time for another exciting story in English. 
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End
We head to Hong Kong and learn how the people there use names in an unusual way. Find out how the local use of names can sometimes lead to confusion. And why the system is actually quite useful after all. This monolingual story is great for intermediate learners. Or, if you're a beginner, first listen to the bilingual podcast in your native language and then listen to this one. It’ll give you an extra challenge to boost your English to the next level. Don't just listen, read along! Discover the episode transcript plus some little extras: babbel.com/podcasts