Cantonese?

You mean you speak English to your parents? How can that be? What kind of Chinese household is that?

What is so surprising about a family that speaks only English (and at times Mandarin?) It always amuses me that my colleagues here think that I am weird just coz I do not understand Cantonese. Of course, at times I feel really left out as well when they ramble on and on during lunch and I literally "catch no ball". So, I am "dialect-handicapped"... but I really was not exposed to the dialect! Don't see why that should be a "snub" factor... but it is with the peeps here at work. And coz of that, I don't even try to make an effort to tell them that I do understand... I do confess... in retailiation, when speaking to a certain Mr D, I always double up my English speed just to prove a point.