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04/09/2005
Banana talking
This blog entry is inspired by the mis-pronunciations that my son has made throughout his life and also the mis-pronunciations made by a presenter I was watching on Discovery Channel last night.
Joshua came home from school one day and showed me the Malaysian flag that he drew and colored. He had his name written on the back of the flag. But he forlornly told me, “But mom, my name is written the balich on the back of the flag. What should I do?”
The what? The balich? What is that, Josh?
“Oh, you know, teacher Christine says that ‘the balich’ means upside down in Malay”. A ring went off in my head and I heard a chortle rising up in my throat. Finally, I broke into insane laughter. The debate began.
“No, Josh. You mean terbalik”
“No, it’s the balich”
“Ermm…..you’ve got most of it right but…”
”No, it’s correct”
He was so certain he pronounced it right that I kept quiet most of the way home and announced the news to daddy who laughed his heart out at the mispronunciation. However, over the next few days, I pointed out things that were upside down and said it the right way. And he finally accepted that I was right. Phew!
Talk about a banana (Chinese who knows not how to speak the Chinese language) talking.
Malaysians have a tendency to pronounce English language wrongly, yes. But it seems that even American presenters don’t do their homework in terms of trying to pronounce Malay terms.
My husband was watching Discovery Channel and I was working on my computer. I was half-listening. The program was about ‘strange’ food found in other countries, stuff we consider normal and others consider an oriental delicacy. For example, our nasi lemak, sambal belacan, durian, and the likes. The focus of the program was Penang, the Pearl of the Orient.
The presenter went on about fermented eggs and other fermented stuff. And the things he pronounced wrong were:-
- icon beelis – Excuse me, that’s ikan bilis (ee – karn – bee – lease) to you, sir
- Doe ran – Nobody ran. It’s durian (due – rian)
- Nat zi lee mak – How can you mispronounce one of the most essential source of nutrition to Malaysians. That’s Nasi Lemak (nar – see – ler – mark) to all of us.
- Sam Ball Ber Lan Can – Yum, Yum!! Goes hand in hand with Nasi Lemak and it’s can be found in Supermarkets, seaside foodstalls, kids’ tuition centers…EVERYWHERE. That’s sambal belacan (sarm – barl – ber – luh – charn) to all of us in Malaysia.
For someone who knows how to write and read in English and can converse in Hokkien (mother tongue), Cantonese, Mandarin (only speak when forced to), I am ashamed to say that my own son is as BANANA as they come.
18:18 Posted in Blog , Family | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
Please help make a child smile TODAY!
I look at my kids...and I wonder what would happen to me if the doc told me that my kids' have 2 weeks to live! I would immediately fall apart and die!
And yet, this is what is happening everwhere in the world. I featured the "Katrina' disaster today and I thinking to myself, "Hell, where Katrina didn't hit, children of all ages are still dying". There's probably very little we (and the parents) can do to extend the lives of these children. They have acute diseases andare destined to a short life. But what we're tying to do is to make it a short BUT SWEET life.
First off, they shouldn't suffer. Criminals and murderers should suffer...not CHILDREN. They're innocently bystanders that fate randomly hits on. They deserve a full life and they deserve nothing more than happiness and hope. And yet, these children have no hope. They are destined for a short life. However meaningful their parents can make it, I hope these children get it.
If you want to make a child smile, visit www.makeachildchild.org today and then make a small donation. It could be small donation of $5 or something, it doesnt matter. It could be a stuffed toy or a story book. As long as these children know that someone out there cares about them, that's all that matters.
That's all that matters.....
00:42 Posted in Being human , Blog , Ramblings | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
03/09/2005
Katrina changed lives
I am sitting here, sipping on beer, writing for my clients and surfing the net. I am lucky. I may not have as much money as I want to have, but this is nothing compared to the ‘lifestyle’ that some of the victims of Katrina is facing. The uncertainty, the confusion and frustration.
This makes me think about the tsunami that hit part of Malaysia in December 2004. The tsunami (come to think of it, there’s no name for the tsunami) hit HOME and I know how it feels like. I kept calling relatives back in Penang (my father was born in Penang, therefore, I have lots of relatives there) and fear that some of them have been injured…etc.
Then, there’s the unforgettable haze from Indonesia. It may not be a huge catastrophe in some peoples’ eyes, but to me, it’s just as huge. The haze was unimaginable and almost choked me. It honestly felt like dooms day, and got me thinking about my children’s future. I got thinking about diseases and health problems.
And now, Katrina.
New Orleans is far from where I live but heck, it’s close to home in terms of being fellow human beings. I search for photos and news about the effects of Katrina and I see that everything that I feared for my relatives during the Dec tsunami resurfaced. I emailed all my US based clients asking if they are OK. So far, three of them have been affected, one major and 2 minor damages. Katrina is, indeed, extremely agree with the world, wasn’t she?
I can’t comment about the political criticisms on Bush’s administration because politics make me want to puke! But all I know is that Bush is doing everything he can. Like anyone else with a heart will. Give the guy a break. I am not much of a Bush fan, but heck, you think it’s easy being PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES? Go give it a shot.
I have a niece by the name of Katrina and when I look at her, I wonder how she will feel like to have a name that signifies a storm (hurricane) that damaged so many lives. I know if I had a natural disaster named after me, I would feel so guilty. I hope she won't be, though, of course. But please, don't name anything negative after me.
I have a feeling 'Marsha' is more likely to be used for a brand of cereal than a storm. Phew!
Till later,
Marsha
http://www.marshamaung.com
http://www.allmomstuff.com
23:15 Posted in Being human | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this
01/09/2005
The quest of a cool mom wannabe
When my kids become teenagers, I hope I don’t turn into one of those ‘cool mom wannabes’ and do something stupid like this woman did. Apparently, Sylvia Johnson (40) tried too hard to be cool. Being a cool mom is one thing…but this is bordering on stupid.
I guess I am detached to my kids…and I can understand why she did the things she did. She wanted to be a cool mom so that she can make her kids proud or still remain in the lives of her kids. But heck, this is SURELY not the only way to do things!
I mean, having sex parties is hardly cool, is it? Maybe to teenage boys, eh? But to a 40-year-old woman? This is ridiculous.
And this is not all that the woman did. She has daughters and she held sex parties a whole year with teenage boy friends of her daughters’. She supplied drugs and alcohol to the boys, abused them, had sex with them…etc. In the end, her need to be a cool mom landed her in jail…for 58 years! Is 58 years worth all that effort? Couldn’t she try to be cool in another way?
Didn’t she understand that most of the boys she had sex with were 15 to 17 year old BOYS with raging hormones. They may not be infants or toddlers anymore, but they are physically ready to have sex, and they will jump at the chance of having sex with…just about anyone. Yes, including their friends’ mom! If she isn’t legally insane, she is emotionally unstable or mentally challenged.
'Cool mom' faces jail time (read more here)
marsha
21:19 Posted in Being human , Blog , Ramblings , Women | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this