I was having fish and chips at the Jurong Point third level food court for lunch, and happily eating till this angmoh guy suddenly snapped his fingers in front of me. I looked up.
He said something hurriedly, then started waving his hands in a circle and mumbling in a thick accent while pointing at my fries. I could barely make out what he was saying, but it sounded like "those (mumble mumble) french fries *snaps fingers* (mumble mumble) where?" followed by him gesturing around repeatedly.
Seeing that I didn't understand him, he started gesturing even more elaborately, with flailing arms and all. At this point he must have thought I was a chinky Chinaman. But he didn't seem to realise that I could understand his English perfectly, it was just that between his gesturing and mumbling he was confusing me further. And whatever he was mumbling, its either that it wasn't English, or that I've been learning the wrong way to speak English all my life. Somehow I think its the former, since every other angmoh I've met understands me fine.
After about 30 seconds or so of his not so entertaining performance, I just pointed right, and said in perfect Singaporean education system trained English "there, you can get french fries at that stall over there, the Grill." All along I'd figured that he was probably asking me where I bought my food from, but the way he was gesturing, he obviously thought I didn't understand him, and I wasn't sure either whether he was asking about fast food restaurants.
He looked rather irritated that I had wasted his time, and said "Thanks" before hurriedly scurrying off. Well, if he had bothered to phrase his question properly, speak slowly, and use less hand gestures, he would probably have got his information a lot sooner.
Good luck with the auntie at the stall.
