The Happy Birthday Song

Everyone knows how to sing the birthday song - "Happy birthday to you~" repeat 4 times. One variation would include changing the 3rd time to "Happy birthday to [insert name]".

In my school days, another variation went:
"Happy birthday to you,
You were born in the zoo,
With monkeys and elephants,
Happy birthday to you."

Sounds ok yeah? Not too offensive yeah?

So the other day I got to know of another version straight from the Nephew's mouth. It started the same, "Happy birthday to you". And the next line went - "You were born in the sky". I was like, wow, born in the sky? That's... nice? Sky ma, we love the sky, don't we?... though it doesn't rhyme with "you"...

The 3rd line surprisingly rhymed with "sky", but when I heard it I was quite horrified: "You will drop down and die~" .................................... and ended with "Happy birthday to you."

... Speechless.

床前没有光

上个礼拜的某一天, 经过睡觉前好多, 好多分钟和隔天约莫半天的细心教导、解释、甚至画画! 外加不少的软磨硬泡，哄骗的给了他多五分钟的iPad时间后，终于，终于! 教侄儿背了《静夜思》。。。的第一句。

汗颜。

但当他举一反三地把 "床前明月光" 故意说成 "床前没有光" 时，我是欣慰的，因为这证明他是了解那句的意思的。

今天已经教了他第三句。

可是他在学校不知怎么学了这句： “你妈妈没有毛，你爸爸没有毛”，而在念诗时，总是把这句有毛没毛的加进去。

哎哟，好头痛。

Kids these days

The Nephew called the Dad the other day and reported his overall exam results. Apparently it was better than expected (the Dad heard from the Bro some days before about the test results). Dad, although very happy, couldn't fathom how that could happen, and called up the Bro.

A few minutes after the Dad hung up the call with the Bro, the Bro called back.

Because the Bro was surprised, cos 1, the Nephew didn't tell HIM, and 2, there was no school that day, so how would the Nephew suddenly know his results? - he called the Nephew up.

And what did the Nephew say when the Bro asked how he knew?

"I guessed one."

*facepalm

We were all stupefied how the Nephew can just call and reported his exam results without really knowing, and not mentioning that he only actually guessed the results.

The kids these days.

*thumbs up

Craving Ice

Do you crave for ice? Until you can be termed an ice addict?

I used to love to eat ice. The home and office fridge was also stocked up with ice. I was kinda the official ice lady in office. With the nickname "ice ice baby". It can even be said most of my water intake came from eating ice cos whenever I felt thirsty, I went for ice first.

Not all ice are equal. Notice how some ice are transparent all the way (pure ice), while some are cloudy (ice with trapped impurities and minerals) - those cloudy ones taste the best. Like ice kacang ice. Very shiok.

People have told me eating so much ice isn't good. Especially for the teeth. But I've got no fillings, no decaying teeth - I even thought eating ice helped in maintaining the no dental fillings situation. People have their likes and dislikes, right? Like how some love to eat cake. I love to eat ice. Nothing wrong what. At least ice's kinda healthier than cake... XD

Until I read online that it might be a form of pica, where one has an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive, such as ice, soil, or chalk.

So when I went for a body checkup couple of years ago, I mentioned my ice craving to the doc. She then recommended me to take a ferritin blood test, which measures the amount of stored iron in the body. So I did, and waited to collect the results one week later.

Before the week was up, the doc called. She told me to go get some iron pills immediately and start eating them. She said the iron in my body was very low. I didn't know how low until I went to see her for the body checkup results.

Apparently my ferritin level was 2, resulting in low blood count - a 7.9. Doc said if the blood count reaches 7, it's time for blood transfusion. She's amazed I'm not always dizzy or something, and remarked maybe I've gotten used to it all these years.

So I started eating iron pills. Sangobion. Didn't cause constipation, heng ah. People have remarked I have more color in my face and lips. And what about ice?

I stopped craving them. I kinda miss the shiokness in eating them, though. I've tried to eat some once in a while, but that shiokness isn't there anymore.

And now if I see my friends who crave ice to the point of being addicted, I will ask them to go see a doc and maybe do some blood test.

Where are your hands

The other day during lesson, teacher was talking about how English is very lorsoh as compared to Chinese, and that sometimes when interpreting, we can ignore those not very necessary parts and cut straight to the point, like the below.

EN: I would be most grateful if you could speak a bit louder.
CN: 请你大声点。

Or,

EN: Will all those who are in favor of this change, please signify by raising their hands?
CN: 赞成的请举手。

And then the topic digressed to how during concerts, the artists on stage would say stuff like, "你们的手在哪里！" when they want the audience to raise their hands and clap and etc. Teacher then went, "谁不知道他们自己的手在哪儿啊？？" Can tell she is not very impressed with them. XD

Motivated to move

Activity trackers like those from Fitbit, Jawbone, and etc, are great. They encourage people to move more by having goals to meet and showing one's results / progress everyday.

What's more awesome than the above?

ACTIVITY TRACKERS WITH REWARDS.

Like AIA Vitality, one can get $10 worth of vouchers (Cold Storage / Uber / Starbucks) every week (individual + team), and the upcoming National Steps Challenge. The rewards are not much, but pairing up with rewards do have more motivation for people to move.

DK said if not for this, he won't move much, which I concur. 有钱能使鬼推墨 and we are the 懒惰鬼s. Hurhur.

Caterpreters

Different people from different parts of the world speak different languages.

In order to understand each other, translators and interpreters weave their magic and make things easier.

Now.

Japan cats go "nyan", while SG cats supposedly go "meow". I have never heard a cat go "nyan" in SG. Seriously.

When a Japan cat meets an SG cat, do they need an interpreter a caterpreter?


An aside: call me bias, but I think dogs make all kinds of sounds, so I feel the Chinese version of  "汪汪" and English version of "woof", "arf", "grrrr" are all perfectly acceptable. :p

Goodness

What would Dolly the sheep think of this?

I want to use this on someone someday

你属虾的啊，脑子里装的全是屎吗？

#itsgoodtohaveambitions #胸怀大志

死就是死

"不得好死" is a very common curse.

But strictly speaking, 死就是死, 管他个好死还是坏死呢?

As long as one lives, there is hope, be it 生不如死 or not. Once dead, there's nothing, absolutely nothing, for that person anymore.

In that light, maybe "祝你早死" would be a better malediction as compared to "不得好死" and "生不如死", for (1) the other two means letting the person suffer, that's not very nice, and (2) there's a "祝" there oh, which is polite.

当然，以上只是建议，没有恶意，请不要(太)在意。

听雨

在家里，我不是一个有事没事会每分每秒盯着窗外看外头是怎么样的天气来着的人。

所以当外面下起雨时，我不是靠看，而是靠听出来的。几乎每一次我喊"下雨了！"时，老爸老妈都未察觉外面的天其实已经变了。有时他们还不信呢。真是一个下，一个听，一个准。

厉害吧。

我是一个睡眠蛮浅，又难轻易入睡的人。晚上碰到下雨时，简直是被听醒的。

现在时间凌晨一点半。

不厉害了吧。

听个屁啊，听雨。我要睡觉，呜呜。