Chinese dialects will be lost

A Malaysian couple lives here, and they have a five year old boy. The lady speaks Mandarin with me, and speaks Cantonese (another Chinese dialect) with her boy while he is playing. 

A part of our conversation: 

She said, he only speaks in English, I don’t know what to do. 

I said to her, try speaking Mandarin to him, so he knows more than one language.  Kids learn fast. 

She said, I think they have a place to learn Mandarin if they want to in the future, but not Cantonese. So, I force him to speak it sometimes. 

She is right. Our Chinese dialects will gradually be lost from generation to generation. 

                               

我與其中一對馬來西亞人有五歲男孩的母親交談，我們用華語邊談，她用廣東話邊與孩子的行為對應。
有一段話是: 
她說，我的孩子跟我講英文，真沒辦法。
我說，跟他說華語，小孩的學習很強，多一種語言最好。
她說，華語將來還有得學，但是廣東話就沒得學，所以有時迫他講。

她說得對。我們的方言已漸漸一代一代的流失！

Asian American vs Chinese Malaysian

A friend is Taiwanese American.  She said, her son told her that, among his classmates they describe themselves - some are ABC, he is ABT. 

ABC means American-Born Chinese, ABT means American-Born Taiwanese. 

Mostly, I introduce myself as Chinese Malaysian if people ask. I am proud my parents were born in China and I respect my race. 

I am not sure how those Malaysians who already changed their citizenship will describe themselves? 

Chinese-Malaysian American? 

Anyway, this is your own description. Officially, here race will be listed as Asian American. 

They are from Malaysia, but some of their spouses are American or Hong Kong or Taiwanese or... 

Nevertheless, whether they are white or black or yellow, their kids born here would be American.   

In Malaysia, even though we are born there, if we are not Malay but another race, we don’t have the same opportunities from the time we begin school. We are like 'second class' citizens.  

有一位來自台灣的朋友，Taiwanese American（台灣美國人）的她說，原來她的孩子在同學之間有這樣的形容: 有人是ABC，ABC = American Born Chinese。他是ABT，ABT = American Born Taiwanese。

大多時，我向洋人介紹自己是Chinese Malaysian（馬來西亞華人），因為我尊重我源自出生在中國父母的血統。

落地生根的馬來西亞人，我不知他們怎麼形容自己？ 

Chinese-Malaysia American（馬來西亞華裔美國人）？

不過怎樣形容也是自個兒的事，美國官方是統一為Asian American（亞裔美國人）。

這些來自馬來西亞人的伴侶，有的是洋人、香港人、台灣人、...

不管怎样，不管是白人、黑人，还是黄人，总之他们的孩子一定是美国人。 

可是土生土長的非巫裔的馬來西亞公民，從讀書的那一年開始的待遇就不平，就吃盡虧。

Prosperity Toss 撈起

A friend from Malaysia invited a group of Malaysian friends to his house for pot luck.  The Malaysia dishes were delicious, there was curry chicken, curry fish, curry squid, sambal shrimp, fried rice, fried noodles, ah chap, pork, 

有一位來自馬來西亞的朋友，招集一群他認識的馬來西亞的朋友在他的家potluck聚餐。這potluck有很豐富的馬來西亞食物 – Nasi Lemak的菜: 咖哩雞、酸辣魚、咖哩sotong（墨魚）、sambal 小蝦干。有炒飯、炒麵、Ah Chap、囪豬肉、 

Kuih talam

Oneh oneh

Pineapple tart

Egg tart

I made ‘or kuih’ and kaya kuih/pulut tai tai. 

我做 Or kuih（芋頭糕）、Kaya kuih/Pulut tai tai。

However, the classic dish was Yee sang, the Chinese New Year dish. 

而有一道，最經典的華人新年菜 – 七彩魚生。撈生，大家先一起來撈起啊！ 

美國 vs 馬來西亞的官

記得前年，美國名嘴Oprah Winfrey訪問美國總統夫人。我很驚呀其中幾段話，大意是: 

總統夫人說，在白宮請客人用餐是我們必須用自己的錢付費請客的。

Oprah也顯得很意外的說，我還以為是用納稅者的錢（即公賬）。

總統夫人說，不，我們吃的每一餐都要自己付。

總統夫人說，對於我們的孩子，很多自個兒的事我都要我孩子自己做，如收拾整理等。

看到馬來西亞的腐官們及其兒女的‘特權’ 揮霍公款無度，貪濫使盡，又可以消遙。

真是天淵之別！

Sunshine holds Shadow

It was surprising to see the bodhi tree’s shadow on the living room wall. 

The bodhi tree pot is in the family room. It seemed impossible; the sunshine wouldn’t be able to shine on that wall because of the position of the house. We searched for the source.  A neighbor’s car was parked so that the sun reflected off their window into our family room onto the bodhi tree. 

That’s a rare cause! It was so beautiful. 

Sunshine holds Shadow moving slowly. 

They wander across the wall, dissolving into the shadows.

Disappearing! 

很驚呀看到客廳牆上有菩提樹葉的影子。

菩提樹盆是在另一小廳，以我們屋子的角度，這似乎是不可能的，因為陽光不可能照射到這片牆上。我們去看了究竟，原來有一輛車停放著，將要下山的陽光直射在車玻璃窗，反射向菩提樹盆的位置。

少有的因緣聚會呀！真是太好看了。

陽光牽著影子慢慢移，走入迷濛的情懷。

消失，緣散了！

Practicing to reduce anger

After I had lunch with a friend at an Italian restaurant, I was driving down a street I was not familiar with at all. I was following the GPS instructions to take me home. 
I was in the middle lane at a stop light, and in front of the junction, there were two streets. I thought this middle lane was for the ramp onto 70West. The light changed to green. When I saw the first car at the left lane going to the front left street, I found I was in the wrong lane. I swift on left turn signal immediately, and drove toward the front left. At that moment, I heard the loud horn from the second car at the left lane behind me. 
I said silently, sorry. 
I was tense, from my mirror, I saw the car behind intentionally close to my car, long and loud horn continuing onto the highway, and passing over my right side with some more horn.

(If you are in my situation, what is your thought?)

朋友邀在一家意大利餐廳，請回我吃午餐后，我駕著車在我不熟悉的路上照著GPS回家。

我是第一輛車停在中排車行，等着綠燈，交叉口前有兩條路，我以為這中排車行可以向左前條路，通行至高速公路。綠燈了，左排車行的第一輛車向左前路去時，我警覺我是在錯的車行了，趕快打左車燈及駕向左前路，左排車行的第二輛車在我車后按了很響的啦叭。

我心裡說，對不起。

從鏡子看那后車的人踩油踩煞故意靠得很近我的車，很長很響的啦叭一直到高速公路，我很緊張、壓力，他越過我右邊還是很不甘心的按啦叭。

(如果你是在我這情境，你怎麼著想？)

I said to him silently, I forgive you. 

我心裡向他說，我原諒你。

Practicing to reduce greed

Once, after we left a store. I checked the receipt and found that they didn’t charge one $40 item.  The next day, I went back to the store and told the salesgirl, and they charged it. 

A few times, I checked store receipt and found a price was wrong, over charge or double the item. I didn’t go back to ask for money back.    

 
有一次，離開商店后，我才檢查單據時發現少計了約四十多美金的一項價款。隔天再去時，我告訴那店員，給她補計了。
有幾次，檢查商店單據時，發現價不對多計或計重複。也沒去要錢回了。