I have a bit of a language lesson today. We have been watching a Mandarin drama series these past few nights and there is a character in there called "Da Sha". A direct translation is "Big Stupid".
That name, "Big Stupid", reminded me of a term that was one of my favorites when I was trying to pick up Mandarin from my colleagues at work - "Sha Qua" meaning "Stupid Melon". No, I don't think they called me that (or maybe they did behind my back), but it was a term that one particular girl would throw out every hour or so. I don't know why, I just liked the sound of it.
So now, we have Big Stupid and Stupid Melon. Another very common one that I hear in Mandarin TV shows is "Ben Dan" meaning "Stupid Egg". Or sometimes, "Da Ben Dan". You guessed it, "Big Stupid Egg". Obviously, with the references to melons and eggs, these aren't really used for malicious name calling purposes. I wouldn't know how to give a lesson on that. Supposedly, the swearing that goes on in Mandarin or Cantonese can be extremely colorful but unfortunately, I don't understand one bit of it.
Off on a tangent but still on the topic of eggs: Richard, who is only allowed to speak Mandarin to Aaron, often says "Pu Yao Huai Dan", meaning "Don't be a rotten egg!"
I wonder what the history is behind using melons and eggs. I'll update this list if I come across more varieties of stupid.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The 101 Things To Do List
Last year, I came to know about the 101 things in 1001 days from zero_zero_one's blog. The idea immediately appealed to me and I started work on my list. Making the list was much harder than I thought it would be and I actually took a couple of months to complete it. It really made me think that all this staying at home had made me into a lazy bum for not having anything that I wanted to do. I felt good when it was done and I looked forward to crossing things off. Bad luck! Our hard disk crashed and I lost everything! I backed up things like photos but this list was on the desktop....and alone. Somehow, I just didn't have the motivation to make another list and I left it.
Recently I started reading "How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" by Jack Canfield. He's the guy that wrote the "Chicken Soup For The Soul" series (which I really really did not enjoy). Every so often, I enjoy reading one of those books that tells you about focusing and getting your life on track (and then I forget LOL!).
Anyway, once again, this book suggested a list of 101 things. This time, the time frame was much longer - you have until death to do them. So, I started working on that list last week. I'm only up to item 64!!! I'm starting to wonder whats wrong with me. The list has a lot of places that I want to visit, several things I want to learn how to do (including make shoes), a few materialistic things and a few of those ideas I had for helping the underprivileged. I didn't want to put down simply anything just to make up the list. For example, I had the fleeting thought of sky diving but then I thought about it again and I don't really want to do it. I also don't want to put down some of the "smaller" things like "read The Kite Runner", which I had on my 101 things in 1001 days list.
Have I become so unambitious? Am I so complacent in life that I can't even think of things that I want to do before I die? Or have I just become boring? Older? Unimaginative? Narrow minded? Maybe I've lost some brain cells and I just can't think anymore?
Anyway, this has been frustrating me today. I'm giving myself a couple more days and then I'm moving forward with the book. So be it if I only have a list of 64 things!
Recently I started reading "How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" by Jack Canfield. He's the guy that wrote the "Chicken Soup For The Soul" series (which I really really did not enjoy). Every so often, I enjoy reading one of those books that tells you about focusing and getting your life on track (and then I forget LOL!).
Anyway, once again, this book suggested a list of 101 things. This time, the time frame was much longer - you have until death to do them. So, I started working on that list last week. I'm only up to item 64!!! I'm starting to wonder whats wrong with me. The list has a lot of places that I want to visit, several things I want to learn how to do (including make shoes), a few materialistic things and a few of those ideas I had for helping the underprivileged. I didn't want to put down simply anything just to make up the list. For example, I had the fleeting thought of sky diving but then I thought about it again and I don't really want to do it. I also don't want to put down some of the "smaller" things like "read The Kite Runner", which I had on my 101 things in 1001 days list.
Have I become so unambitious? Am I so complacent in life that I can't even think of things that I want to do before I die? Or have I just become boring? Older? Unimaginative? Narrow minded? Maybe I've lost some brain cells and I just can't think anymore?
Anyway, this has been frustrating me today. I'm giving myself a couple more days and then I'm moving forward with the book. So be it if I only have a list of 64 things!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Another Sign From Palembang
First of all, the Annual Dinner I mentioned in the last post was as dull as dull can be. I don't have much to report from there. I made small talk with the big boss's wife. It wasn't too uncomfortable. Most of the time was spent telling her that first impressions of Palembang are deceiving and that its not just an overgrown village.
I left after the dinner but Richard had to stay back for a meeting with all the bosses. After that meeting, the big boss went off to bed but those middle bosses went for their usual drinking and karaoke-ing so Richard didn't get to come home to nearly 2am. That was expected I guess.
Anyway, at least they all left the next day and our lives are back to normal.
I came across an interesting sign today. It is not as "exhaustive" as the one at the Ipoh library but it was still interesting. This was hanging outside the entrance to the foot reflexology place I took my mother to this afternoon.
My mother and I had such an amazingly relaxing time there just now. I can't stop raving about it each time I have an afternoon like this come home to tell any of my friends that are online. Regular readers, you're all like friends to me too, if you somehow manage to find your way to Palembang, I'll definitely treat you to an afternoon of foot reflexology with the head/neck/shoulder massage. Anyone?
I left after the dinner but Richard had to stay back for a meeting with all the bosses. After that meeting, the big boss went off to bed but those middle bosses went for their usual drinking and karaoke-ing so Richard didn't get to come home to nearly 2am. That was expected I guess.
Anyway, at least they all left the next day and our lives are back to normal.
I came across an interesting sign today. It is not as "exhaustive" as the one at the Ipoh library but it was still interesting. This was hanging outside the entrance to the foot reflexology place I took my mother to this afternoon.
My mother and I had such an amazingly relaxing time there just now. I can't stop raving about it each time I have an afternoon like this come home to tell any of my friends that are online. Regular readers, you're all like friends to me too, if you somehow manage to find your way to Palembang, I'll definitely treat you to an afternoon of foot reflexology with the head/neck/shoulder massage. Anyone?
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tidbits on Friday
Well, within 5 minutes of waking up this morning, I found out about Michael Jackson. And since then, reading and watching the news and then thinking about it has pretty much dominated my day. I'm not one of the crazy, fainting fans but my family has definitely followed his career closely. In fact, my mother is a bigger fan than me and was in tears as we watched the news reports. The first time I watched him was when my mother recorded the 1984 Grammy awards for us. My brother and I would watch him on that repeatedly. Its a sad day to hear that he passed away so suddenly. And, its tragic to hear that many people saw it coming but it still happened.
Anyway, here are the tidbits I had planned for today.
Earlier this week, Mike left a comment saying that he didn't know about our locked gates here in Palembang. Well, they are everywhere here. And all over Malaysia too. You won't be able to see from these photos but many of these gates, including ours, are padlocked all day long. Let me tell you, it is the most troublesome thing to have. Each time we go out, someone has to go unlock the gate, open it, stand there and wait till the car is out and then close and lock it back. And then when we get home, no matter if its raining or scorching hot, you've got to do the same thing again.
This photo is of the row of houses directly opposite us. All except the first one have gates. Perhaps this is because they are the only house without a car.
This is a view of all the houses on our road.
With the gates shown in these pictures, you still have a view into the garden. The really paranoid people build a brick wall and have a solid gate so that you have absolutely no view of the inside. They also have no view of the outside!
The other tiny tidbit I had for today is the way we buy towels (hand towels, bath towels, wash cloths, bathmats etc). There are places you can go to buy single towels but they are also sold by weight. I saw a cute Thomas & Friends hand towel yesterday but was told that it didn't meet the minimum weight requirements. I had to mix and match with other towels until I had at least 0.5kg worth! Needless to say, I didn't need so many towels.
Richard and I are going for the company's annual dinner tonight. All the bosses will be there. Remember these bosses? Well, their boss will be here too and he's supposedly a pastor on the weekends. Lets see how they behave today. Tell you about it tomorrow.
Anyway, here are the tidbits I had planned for today.
Earlier this week, Mike left a comment saying that he didn't know about our locked gates here in Palembang. Well, they are everywhere here. And all over Malaysia too. You won't be able to see from these photos but many of these gates, including ours, are padlocked all day long. Let me tell you, it is the most troublesome thing to have. Each time we go out, someone has to go unlock the gate, open it, stand there and wait till the car is out and then close and lock it back. And then when we get home, no matter if its raining or scorching hot, you've got to do the same thing again.
This photo is of the row of houses directly opposite us. All except the first one have gates. Perhaps this is because they are the only house without a car.
This is a view of all the houses on our road.
With the gates shown in these pictures, you still have a view into the garden. The really paranoid people build a brick wall and have a solid gate so that you have absolutely no view of the inside. They also have no view of the outside!
The other tiny tidbit I had for today is the way we buy towels (hand towels, bath towels, wash cloths, bathmats etc). There are places you can go to buy single towels but they are also sold by weight. I saw a cute Thomas & Friends hand towel yesterday but was told that it didn't meet the minimum weight requirements. I had to mix and match with other towels until I had at least 0.5kg worth! Needless to say, I didn't need so many towels.
Richard and I are going for the company's annual dinner tonight. All the bosses will be there. Remember these bosses? Well, their boss will be here too and he's supposedly a pastor on the weekends. Lets see how they behave today. Tell you about it tomorrow.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Dwarf Snapbeans Indeed!
After nearly 7 weeks away, I came back to a pretty decent garden. Shortly after I left, I told Richard to harvest the sweet potato leaves and eat them up. Instead, of "harvesting", he cleared them all. He just pulled them all out instead of just cutting the longer stalks off. Luckily, he proudly told me of his accomplishment that night and I got mad early enough for him to retrieve some stalks for replanting. By the time we came back, the sweet potato patch was full again.
My okra started flowering a few days before I left. At that time, they were only as tall as my knee. Right now, they're nearly 6 feet tall and full of okra. Another success!
Finally there is my Dwarf Snapbeans. I've been trying to grow them since last year but they kept dying or getting diseased. Before going back to Malaysia, the plants that I had there were alive but in no way flourishing. I really didn't expect anything from them and only hoped they wouldn't die again.
Surprise! Surprise! When I got back, the plant looked similar, perhaps with a few more leaves here and there. But, the underneath was full of skinny little beans. I was thrilled of course but when the pack said "Dwarf" I really didn't expect them to be this tiny!
This is what the photo on the packet looked like. Wouldn't you expect bigger beans too?
I took great pleasure in cooking up that handful last night. Unfortunately, they were already old and chewy. So, next time, I'm going to harvest them when they are even tinier.
The funny thing about growing my own vegetables is that no matter how they turn out, I'm always more than happy with them.
My okra started flowering a few days before I left. At that time, they were only as tall as my knee. Right now, they're nearly 6 feet tall and full of okra. Another success!
Finally there is my Dwarf Snapbeans. I've been trying to grow them since last year but they kept dying or getting diseased. Before going back to Malaysia, the plants that I had there were alive but in no way flourishing. I really didn't expect anything from them and only hoped they wouldn't die again.
Surprise! Surprise! When I got back, the plant looked similar, perhaps with a few more leaves here and there. But, the underneath was full of skinny little beans. I was thrilled of course but when the pack said "Dwarf" I really didn't expect them to be this tiny!
This is what the photo on the packet looked like. Wouldn't you expect bigger beans too?
I took great pleasure in cooking up that handful last night. Unfortunately, they were already old and chewy. So, next time, I'm going to harvest them when they are even tinier.
The funny thing about growing my own vegetables is that no matter how they turn out, I'm always more than happy with them.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A Sincere Price
I had a post in early May about needing to call in people from the electricity company to see why we have power trips every night.
Well, the problem wasn't solved then and I called them back. They came yesterday to "assess" the situation again and today came to change the circuit breaker. At least I think its the circuit breaker. Anyway, the big greyish thing with the blue switch.
The man that came didn't ignore me this time and I was a lot more polite than the last time. Unfortunately, he gave me the same reasons/excuses and never really answered my question of why I seem to have less power at night even when I have the same appliance on. At least he went the extra step to see if changing the circuit breaker would help.
After he finished the job, he calls me to take a look. And, he says "OK. See here, I have tied it all back up and put these little clamps on the cables. This shows we have done a perfect job." Maybe the meaning was lost on me but the direct translation of the Indonesian word he used really is "perfect". I laughed inside but left it at that.
When I asked him how much I had to pay, he said "Its up to you." Immediately, I knew that this should have been free. I said I didn't know what the price was meant to be and he repeated "Its up to you. Just a sincere price". What the heck was a sincere price?? Yet another meaning that is lost in translation. So, since this was basically "coffee money", I gave him enough for lunch.
This "sincere pricing" doesn't happen all the time though. I've had many other people come to fix things in the house and when the job was too small or meant to be free anyway, they have honestly told me that there was no charge.
After the electricians left, I was walking around outside and look what I saw.
They just chucked the old shell into one of my plant drums! It happens to look empty because I just cleared it and put some new seeds in a couple of days ago. Still, I don't think it looks like a rubbish bin. If they couldn't see a bin to dispose it in, why couldn't they have just handed it to me? Or taken it with them?
Anyway, we'll see tonight if there is any change to our power situation.
Well, the problem wasn't solved then and I called them back. They came yesterday to "assess" the situation again and today came to change the circuit breaker. At least I think its the circuit breaker. Anyway, the big greyish thing with the blue switch.
The man that came didn't ignore me this time and I was a lot more polite than the last time. Unfortunately, he gave me the same reasons/excuses and never really answered my question of why I seem to have less power at night even when I have the same appliance on. At least he went the extra step to see if changing the circuit breaker would help.
After he finished the job, he calls me to take a look. And, he says "OK. See here, I have tied it all back up and put these little clamps on the cables. This shows we have done a perfect job." Maybe the meaning was lost on me but the direct translation of the Indonesian word he used really is "perfect". I laughed inside but left it at that.
When I asked him how much I had to pay, he said "Its up to you." Immediately, I knew that this should have been free. I said I didn't know what the price was meant to be and he repeated "Its up to you. Just a sincere price". What the heck was a sincere price?? Yet another meaning that is lost in translation. So, since this was basically "coffee money", I gave him enough for lunch.
This "sincere pricing" doesn't happen all the time though. I've had many other people come to fix things in the house and when the job was too small or meant to be free anyway, they have honestly told me that there was no charge.
After the electricians left, I was walking around outside and look what I saw.
They just chucked the old shell into one of my plant drums! It happens to look empty because I just cleared it and put some new seeds in a couple of days ago. Still, I don't think it looks like a rubbish bin. If they couldn't see a bin to dispose it in, why couldn't they have just handed it to me? Or taken it with them?
Anyway, we'll see tonight if there is any change to our power situation.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Aaron, The Palembang Boy
Aaron is definitely a Palembang boy. I think I can say that he sees this as home base and he misses it every time we leave it. We've been here since he was 7 months old so it looks like I have a little Indonesian son.
Prior to our return trip, he kept repeating "We're going back to Palembang on Friday." He told everyone! And each morning, he'd ask me if it was Friday yet.
As we approached Palembang, I told him I saw our house. I really did. He was bouncing up and down his seat, as far as his seatbelt would allow. And, he was yelling out LOUDLY "YAY! We're home. We're in Palembang." When the doors of the plane opened, he ran all the way to the immigration line.
For the first couple of days that we were back, Aaron wouldn't leave the house. He must have felt like he was in heaven and couldn't be torn away from all his toys. Actually, he still hasn't left the house, except to go to church on Sunday, and he's still as happy about it.
Yesterday, three of his little friends noticed he was back and came over to play already. They live across the street from us. A few minutes ago, I heard Aaron and the 3 year old girl, Vika, chatting from across the street to each other. It was all in Indonesian and so cute! I think this may be the start of Aaron's socializing, without me!
Vika : "Aaron!"
Aaron : "What?"
Vika : "Aaron"
Aaron : "What?"
Vika : "What are you doing?"
Aaron : "Nothing"
Vika : "What are you doing?"
Aaron : "Nothing"
Vika : "Come over"
Aaron : "I don't have the key. You come over"
Vika : "Come over"
Aaron : "I don't have the key. You come over"
Those aren't typos up there, they really repeated everything. I'm sure the both of them have perfect hearing but maybe they don't have perfect understanding of each other yet.
I didn't hear what went on after that but Aaron eventually came to ask me to open the gate so that Vika could come in. He must have misunderstood her because I saw that she was still safely locked behind her own gate and it looked like her mother was out because the car wasn't there.
Its amazing to watch how Aaron is growing. In a few short months, I can just imagine him arranging his own play dates and walking himself over there. He's growing up! I need to get used to that.
Prior to our return trip, he kept repeating "We're going back to Palembang on Friday." He told everyone! And each morning, he'd ask me if it was Friday yet.
As we approached Palembang, I told him I saw our house. I really did. He was bouncing up and down his seat, as far as his seatbelt would allow. And, he was yelling out LOUDLY "YAY! We're home. We're in Palembang." When the doors of the plane opened, he ran all the way to the immigration line.
For the first couple of days that we were back, Aaron wouldn't leave the house. He must have felt like he was in heaven and couldn't be torn away from all his toys. Actually, he still hasn't left the house, except to go to church on Sunday, and he's still as happy about it.
Yesterday, three of his little friends noticed he was back and came over to play already. They live across the street from us. A few minutes ago, I heard Aaron and the 3 year old girl, Vika, chatting from across the street to each other. It was all in Indonesian and so cute! I think this may be the start of Aaron's socializing, without me!
Vika : "Aaron!"
Aaron : "What?"
Vika : "Aaron"
Aaron : "What?"
Vika : "What are you doing?"
Aaron : "Nothing"
Vika : "What are you doing?"
Aaron : "Nothing"
Vika : "Come over"
Aaron : "I don't have the key. You come over"
Vika : "Come over"
Aaron : "I don't have the key. You come over"
Those aren't typos up there, they really repeated everything. I'm sure the both of them have perfect hearing but maybe they don't have perfect understanding of each other yet.
I didn't hear what went on after that but Aaron eventually came to ask me to open the gate so that Vika could come in. He must have misunderstood her because I saw that she was still safely locked behind her own gate and it looked like her mother was out because the car wasn't there.
Its amazing to watch how Aaron is growing. In a few short months, I can just imagine him arranging his own play dates and walking himself over there. He's growing up! I need to get used to that.
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