Xiang Yun & Japanese Daughter-In-Law “Can Only Communicate Through Body Language” ’Cos The Actress Is “Very Bad At English”

It's not unusual for families of intercultural couples to face communication problems due to the language barrier.

But how tough can it be? 

Last week, Xiang Yun and Edmund Chen welcomed a new member into their family after their son, ex-Mediacorp actor Chen Xi, tied the knot with his Japanese fiancée Mami at a Peranakan shophouse in Bendemeer. 

So how does the 63-year-old Mediacorp actress feel about being a mother-in-law for the first time?

In a recent interview with Chinese media zaobao.sg, the actress candidly admitted that she can barely communicate with Mami as she herself is not fluent in English.

"It's like one of us is a chicken, and the other is a duck," she quipped, referring to a Chinese idiom 'ji tong ya jiang' (literally translates to "chicken talking to a duck").

"I've been very bad at English since young. So the two of us can only communicate through body language and eye contact," Xiang Yun laughed. 

She even had to hold herself back during the tea ceremony last week as she was unable to find the words to convey her blessings for the couple.

"I had so much I wanted to say but couldn't really express myself. I could only tell her that we love her very much," she recalled. 

We think the actress is being too hard on herself though. We mean, we've seen her speech to Mami during the ceremony and thought she did just fine. 

"Welcome you, my new daughter. We always love you since the first day I met you. I know Chen Xi have a good choice in his life (sic). All the best," she gushed, slightly teary-eyed, during the tea ceremony.

But it's not that the language differences are getting in the way of their relationship anyway. 

When asked what type of mother-in-law she is, Xiang Yun proudly described herself as one who's very open-minded. She also hopes to become a "fun" senior so that the young people would like her more.

"Then they will want to get close to [me]. I'm working towards that direction!," she mused.

The best thing about her? She's totally chill about having grandkids and isn't intending to give Chen Xi or Mami any pressure.

"After all, it's really not easy to have a child in this day and age," she said.

How lucky is Mami to have such an easygoing mother-in-law like Xiang Yun-jie?