Chinese Joke – American Audience

Today, as I was waiting for our South Indian dinner plans to develop, my friend Yue told me a joke.

It’s important to know that Yue speaks excellent English and with a wonderful accent. But she’s also Chinese and I’m American and I’ve grown fond of our regular, natural and often humorous miscommunications. There are two other Mandarin speakers in our group (from Taiwan and Malaysia, respectively) and they feature here.

Yue: Do you want to hear a joke?

Chris: Is this a Chinese joke?

Y: Yes.

C: Definitely. Let’s hear it.

Y: What does a banana turn into while it’s falling out of a 100-story building?

C: What does it turn into? You mean anything?

Y: Like, what kind of fruit or vegetable does it turn into?

C: I don’t know, a banana split?

Y: (obvious confusion)

C: How about a mango?

Y: Mango? Why would I turn into a mango? That’s silly!

C: Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. I have no idea what you are…

Y: It turns into a cucumber! (hysterical laughter)

C: …(confusion leading into laughter because Yue is laughing so hard) Why does it turn into a cucumber?

Y: Because its green! (ongoing hysterical laughter)

C: …(still laughing, but trying to figure out what the hell is going on) Is that the color that Chinese people turn when they are scared?

Y: Of course! Now wait. What does it turn into when it hits the ground?

C: Um…Banana milkshake?

Y: No, it turns into a…hold on (checks with Chinese speaking friend #1)…it turns into a zucchini! (ongoing hysterical laughter)

C: (dazed confusion. At least I could find a way to explain a cucumber…but zucchini…I start laughing anyway at the general nature of the conversation) Zucchini?

Y: Yes! Zucchini!

C: Why does it turn into a zucchini? (laughing continues)

Z: Because its purple! Like a bruise! (laughter continues)

C: You mean a…

Y: Wait a second. (checks with Chinese-speaking friend #2) I mean an eggplant! It turns into an eggplant!

C: (with a laugh and a smile) Yes. Of course it does.