Have a little consideration

My dad and I went to see my mom this morning, a day-early Mother's Day visit. As we were sending our thoughts to her and offering fruits, a group of Chinese were there talking, laughing, and being oblivious to the fact that other people were around. Seriously? It's a mausoleum!

This example was the latest in a series of observations that when Chinese people congregate, they become loud and noisy and are inconsiderate of others. They tend to go off in their own little world and forget that their own little world is disturbing other people, and that maybe 40dB is an inappropriate volume for a place where others are visiting their late loved ones.

And when I say "Chinese," I'm not distinguishing among those from China, from Taiwan, from HK... I mean Chinese descent.

Oh, and while I'm venting about Chinese people: when you migrate to a new place, make some attempt to assimilate and learn the ways of your new home. While society does help new immigrants adapt to their new environments, we don't bend the society to suit your every need. We didn't ask you to come. So at least try to learn a few words of the language, and maybe don't bring all your bad driving, spitting and litterbug habits from the old country.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not against immigrants. I'm against immigrants who are here to freeload, and don't make any attempts to adapt to society. I'm sure that there are other ethnics who fall into that category, but Vancouver sure has a lot of Chinese types of those.

Make a little effort here. Have some consideration for the people around you.

我和我爸今天早上去看我媽，提早一天去祝她母親節快樂。 結果，當我們在拜她的時候，有一群華人在旁邊聊天，笑，完全不知道吵到別人。 真是的，在陵墓耶！

這個範例只是最近發生的。 已經就以來發現當華人聚在一起的時候，真的很吵，一點都不考慮到別人。 他們聊自己的，都不想到他們會打擾到人家。 很沒禮貌。 我指華人不分大陸的，台灣的，或香港的．．．。

既然在抱怨華人：當你移民到一個地方，是不是該試著適應一下，學學新家的習俗。 雖然社會會幫助新移民的人來適應新環境，我們不為了你而把社會折灣來配合你每個需求。 我們又沒逼你來。 所以至少試著學幾句話來溝通吧，還有不要把駕駛，吐痰和亂扔垃圾的壞習慣待過來吧。

請別誤會：我可不反對移民喔。 我只是討厭那些來享受這裡的福利，不勞而獲的人，那些一點都不試圖適應新社會的人。 我相信有很多其他種人也會這樣，不過溫哥華這種華人可多了。

Iron Ring irony

After our run this morning, a woman in my running group commented, "Oh, you're an engineer, too," indicating the Iron Ring on my right hand.

I always say that the stainless steel Iron Ring on my pinkie is a reminder of the hardest thing I've ever done: the many years of suffering through my engineering education. It's true. Those were some very gruelling years. I think I must've developed my people skills during university, in order to beg, borrow, and steal my way to that parchment. :P

The Iron Ring reminds me of the oath I took (goofy as the ritual was) to do my best in all my endeavours, and to mind my humility.

That's what I tell people.

But, today, something made me pause.

Subconsciously, I probably wear my Iron Ring because it's the only thing I've ever toughed out, the only major accomplishment I can be proud of when I look back on my 32 years. Even if engineering wasn't the right direction for me, sheer determination got me through and earned me the "right" to wear this ring.

Ironically, I regret not switching career paths looooong ago; in fact, I shouldn't have ever entered engineering, not to mention finished it. The only major achievement of my life, and I regret it. Ironic, eh?

The irony of my Iron Ring.

Could you repeat that again?

On my way home from campus a few days ago, I stopped off at Timmy Hs to grab some coffee and replenish my bagel supply. When I got to the counter, I placed my order: "Medium mocha with decaf, and half a dozen blueberry bagels, please."

The cash register rang up "1 Lg mocha". The woman behind the counter looked up at me and asked, "What size?"

Me: "Medium. With decaf, please."

She corrected her entry. "Anything else?"

Me: "Uh, yes. Half a dozen blueberry bagels."

Punch punch punch. "Half a dozen bagels. Just assorted?"

I looked at her in disbelief. "...Blueberry."

And then my cafe mocha came, and I confirmed, "It's decaf, right?" (Decaf is important; I have trouble falling asleep that night if I have coffee after 3pm.)

The cashier looked at the assistant supervisor, and said, "She wanted it with decaf."

He replied, "You have to enter that [into the machine] next time," and off he went to make another.

I guess she was a trainee (though she didn't have a trainee name tag). She must've required all of her concentration on finding the buttons to punch in the order that she simply wasn't able to listen at the same time.


前幾天從校園回家，順路到 Timmy Hs 買咖啡和補充家裡的貝果。 到了櫃檯，我就點了："中杯無咖啡因的摩卡，還有半打藍莓。"

收銀機顯示被輸入 "大杯摩卡"。 櫃檯女士抬頭問我："什麼大小？"

我："中杯。 請用無咖啡因。"

她改成中杯。 "還要其他什麼嗎？"

我："要啊。 半打藍莓貝果。"

按按按。 "半打貝果。 綜合的就可以？"

傻眼。 "．．．藍莓。"

摩卡來了，我就確認說："是用無咖啡因做的吼？" (無咖啡因這件事很重要；下午三點後喝咖啡我晚上會睡不著。)

櫃檯女士看著店長助理，說："她要無咖啡因的摩卡。"

店長助理回她："那妳下次要 [在收銀機] 輸入。" 然後跑去重新弄一杯。

看來這位櫃檯女士是新的員工 (雖然沒有帶著受訓者的牌子)。 她可能真的需要她百分之百的專注力，找收銀機的按鈕，完全無法邊輸入邊聽人家在講什麼。

Through sickness, health and sex change

While looking for an image for my French composition, I came across an article about a couple that was still married after the husband underwent a sex change operation. The article goes on to talk about how marriage laws are a little behind in keeping step with what is acceptable in modern society, and touches on just some of the issues that an untraditional couple might encounter in various states in America.

But what impressed me most? The support that Fran Brunner gave her then-hubby-now-wife, even staying married. Kudos to her!

-er or -ee?

I was looking up a synonym for the verb "to manage" at one of my favourite sites, Merriam-Webster, and among other definitions, it offered

1b: to treat with care: husband.

Huh? Intrigued, I clicked and found the transitive verb "to husband":

Main Entry: ²husband
Function: transitive verb
Date: 15th century

1 a: to manage prudently and economically b: to use sparingly : conserve
2archaic : to find a husband for : mate
— hus·band·er noun

Interesting..... So, who husbands who in a marriage? Is the man labelled the husband because he husbands or because he is husbanded? Husbander or husbandee.... All a mystery......