Hong Kong English/Cantonese (X)
C’mon.
What happens to James?
Sorry for the long wait (though I don’t know if anyone really waits for me to post anything). I was quite busy recently. I’ve been to Edinburgh, Scotland during Easter. I enjoyed it very much and I didn’t really write anything in my drafts (but I bought a fancy Ramsay blue kilt for myself).
After the trip to Scotland, I decided to start going to the gym. I am completely new to doing this kind of exercise (maybe all kinds of exercise too), so I joined an induction class and met my personal trainer, James.
His name just reminds me of a famous Hong Kong slang.
C’mon, James (or Come on, James) is an expression made wide-spread in an article by a well-known Hong Kong writer, Chip Tsao (陶傑) back in 2004. The background of the story is based on the changes (in university curriculum and of lifestyles before and after graduating from secondary school).
Let me summarise the story: The girl got into a prestigious university, while the boy, James, could only study in a community college. The girl changed a lot when immersed in the new culture and was dating a new boy (who was studying the second year at the same uni as the girl). And the girl met James at a cha chaan teng for the break-up. The girl used all her efforts to spot any differences between the two of them and tried to make James get crossed such that it was James who said the word.
Netizens could relate this article to our own culture. It hit the hearts of a lot of people, especially the famous phrase:
“C’mon, James. Can you be more mature,” she said.
(「Come on, James，可不可以成熟一點呢，」她說[。])
People could always relate this phrase as a dislike of the ones who don’t look prestigious or excellent (as James was written as a boy with pimples on his face and was wearing a pair of old-fashioned glasses).
Readers have different interpretations towards the story. In my opinion, it pretty much shows that change happens. When things change, you can basically do nothing against it.
Anyway, that article went viral, especially the phrase. Chip Tsao also wrote stories related to this over the years, but these did not go as viral as this one.
Therefore, when you think someone is not mature enough, you can just throw “C’mon, James” to them.
Wait, what if that person isn’t a James?
No. They. Are. James. They are all James.
Time flies. People change.
When you look back, you may have found that you are already not what you were/thought of in the past.
Oh, right. C’mon, James. Can you be more mature? Oh, right. I’m not mature either. Sorry.
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