Archive for the 'linguistics' Category

flipping over a table in anger

Flipping over a table in anger:
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Putting the table back nicely:
┬──┬◡ノ(° -°ノ)

Throwing the guy who put the table back nicely:
(╯°Д°)╯︵/(.□ . \)

HAHAHAHA how cute are these Japanese emoticons? To see a whole amazing and amusing list, click HERE! (My colleague J sent me the link – she loves Japanese things!) Enjoy! 。◕‿◕。

untitled

……and jubilation in the time of parturition!

untitled

Love in the time of cholera, panic in the time of SARS, apprehension in the time of H7N9……

the elixir of youth

A snippet of a Whatsapp conversation with Daphne just after midnight yesterday morning……

Daphne: Sigh now still doing homework

Me: Do you feel like 16 again

Daphne: Nope
I feel like 10

Me: !!!

Daphne: Haha
Sigh tonnes of homework not done yet

Me: 原来做功课竟然有返老还童的作用 [So doing homework has the effect of making one younger]

PS So everyone, please do more homework! :P

you learn something new every day

Recently edited an article about Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders. Was reading up about them on Wikipedia when I realized that their ‘Without Borders’ tag has actually spawned a whole non-governmental organization (NGO) naming convention. Look at the sheer number of NGOs Without Borders. Though, to be honest, I’ve only ever heard of MSF! :P

a piece of creative writing

Friend B, who teaches in a certain boys’ school in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio area, posted this on his Facebook wall yesterday:

creative writing paragraph of boy whom I had punished for misplacing a worksheet by sending him out of class to copy the whole worksheet by hand:

“Nevertheless, John did regret losing his creative writing piece. The main reason was that he would probably be forced by the evil, dictator-like teacher to stand outside the class, and worst of all, to rewrite it, as many times as the teacher wanted until she was satisfied. Ms Lee was not for softies. In fact, if she had her way, she would declare the school under martial law Kim Jong Il-style for as long as it would take every student to get an A* in every subject. Which is to say, never.”

And his amusing post garnered over 90 likes, including mine! :D

you learn something new every day

The capital of Christmas Island is called Flying Fish Cove! What an amazingly evocative name! It was actually named by Captain Maclear of HMS Flying Fish. Flying Fish Cove is the main settlement of the island, and apparently, many maps simply label it ‘The Settlement’.

you learn something new every day

mole

image from here

Why do moles grow hair?

A few days ago, I was on the train home when I noticed this uncle standing a few metres away from me. On one of his forearms was a large, okay gigantic, black mole, which had sprouted a bunch of thick black hair. (HAHA don’t even ask me why I notice such things! :X)

Continue reading ‘you learn something new every day’

just like heaven

Snippet of a Whatsapp conversation with Daphne last night/this morning……

Me: [on Catholic Mass, which I attended one Christmas] Their choir singing sounds like those angels in heaven after u died

Daphne: How u know
We all no die before mah

Me: Oh the movie[s] said so

taking a step back

Spotted on Whatsapp this afternoon……

Sze Yong: 退一步,海阔天空

Daphne: 退一步,掉进垄沟

Sze Yong: Your one much better; you win *horrified scream emoji*

 

hokkien clams

A snippet of a conversation with Daphne on Whatsapp this morning……

Daphne: Me and some p2 [Primary 2] parents chitchating abt schools and clans.. I typo and ask how to join hokkien clams

Me: *thumbs up emoji* good one

Daphne: Lol

Me: I join cantonese oysters

And there are also the Teochew mussels and Hainanese scallops too, I suppose……

emeritus pope

So the Pope is resigning due to age and declining health – news that has greatly astounded the world. Whoever knew that a pope could resign?! And indeed, Benedict XVI is the first pope to resign in 600 years (since Gregory XII in 1415).

The Vatican has just announced that Benedict XVI will be known as ‘emeritus pope’ in his retirement and will continue to wear a white cassock. Which amused me greatly, as it was strangely reminiscent of  an official called the Emeritus Senior Minister in another tiny country half the globe away.

As Dr NFA aptly put in a Facebook update on her wall today: ‘So the world will soon have an Emeritus Pope. Who will wear white. Clearly, the Vatican City has studied best practices at another small city-state.’

 

white paper

So the Government released its Population White Paper recently, which ignited fierce debate from many quarters. And then I found out that ‘white paper’ was actually ‘白皮书’ in Chinese.

Suddenly, I realized what the title of Taiwanese idol drama 《爱情白皮书》 meant! (Its English title is actually Tomorrow.) I had always thought they’d used ‘白皮书’ because it was a term that sounded vaguely romantic. But no, that couldn’t be further from the truth!

SY informed me that there is also the term ‘green paper’, which isn’t really used in Singapore. I guessed (correctly!) that it is called ‘绿皮书’!

The Chinese Wikipedia entry for ‘白皮书’ also notes that the governments of different countries use different colours for their documents, and the names vary accordingly.  How interesting!

easter eggs

If you’re bored and have a little time to spare……

First, go to Google and search ’tilt’.

Then, search ‘do a barrel roll’.

Lastly, search ‘zerg rush’.

Wasn’t that fun? :D

These hidden functions are called ‘Easter eggs‘.

Click here to check out other Easter eggs designed by Google!

a piece of p.i.e

Another ad on the front page of the Straits Times today…..

170113

Wow, McDonald’s has really gone political! :P


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