Like the rest of the planet, Hong Kong was obsessed with the U.S. election. Everyone has been talking about it with us, locals and expats alike. I was impressed to see how much non-Americans know about our political system, and deeply embarrassed for myself because I couldn't begin to tell you how the Hong Kong or Chinese government works. I'm going to have to quit reading my current detective novel and start looking for books on local politics and history.The next morning, I saw that all the newspapers at our nearby 7-11 store featured Obama's win on the front page. Which got me thinking: How do you translate "Obama" into Chinese, and more specifically, into Cantonese? You can't spell it phonetically, as there's no alphabet. Furthermore, each syllable can have multiple meanings depending on its tone; for instance, "ma" can mean "mother" or "horse," among others. So, some media stories have reported that Obama's name translates to "Oh Bus Horse" in Cantonese.
I will make it a point to ask one of my Chinese friends how to translate it properly. Whatever the translation, I'm happy to welcome President Oh Bus Horse to the White House. Practically everyone else in Hong Kong welcomes him, too.
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