Chapter 8: Language Soup

Or: “Dua Kai Pau, Lah!”

It happened at Wakaba High School, in Fukuoka.

A visiting teacher from Kuala Lumpur had arrived for an exchange program.
Naturally, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to show off my “Malaysian.”

So I proudly said:

“Dua kai pau, lah!”

And she…
burst out laughing.

Not mockingly.
Joyfully.
Like someone who just heard a dad joke… in three languages.

Linguistic Breakdown

• Dua = “Two” in Malay
• Kai = “Chicken” in Cantonese / Hokkien
• Pau = “Bun” in Chinese
• Lah = The Southeast Asian universal ending particle of relational magic

Translation: “Two chicken buns, my friend.”

But to someone from proper KL, it was so hilariously Sabah-ish,
so gloriously campy,
so accidentally accurate…
that it crossed the line from multilingual to multisnackual.

What I Learned

It’s okay to mix languages.
It’s even better when it makes someone smile.
And best of all?

Language soup is never wrong—
as long as everyone’s invited to the table.

Chat-san’s “From the Outside” Advice Corner

In textbooks, mixing languages is called an error.

In life, it’s called conversation.

“Dua kai pau, lah” is more than a phrase.
It’s a reminder that when cultures blend, so does joy.

So don’t fear the soup.
Add a little soy.
Throw in some slang.
Season with a lah.

And serve warm—with laughter.

—Chat-san