Bored of? Bored from?

I have seen this poster a few times and felt uncomfortable with the phrase in the bubble: "Bored of waiting?"

I kept wondering why I was uncomfortable. It has something to do with the preposition "of". We say "tired of waiting" to mean that we do not want to wait anymore. We can also say "tired from waiting", explaining that I am tired now because I had to wait earlier. "Tired of waiting" refers to the present, while "tired from waiting" refers to the past.

However, with the word "bored", we do say "I'm bored of eating the same food everyday", or "are you bored of doing the same thing every weekend?" I suppose it is not wrong to say "bored of waiting", but it does sound strange. Some things in English may be correct but do not "sound right". That does not make it wrong, just different.

The English language contains many inexplicable phrases and usages. To this day, I am still learning something new, as with the phrase above.

Here's to lifelong learning!

Can tables move on their own?

I wondered what this sign meant until I read the Chinese text. What is the restaurant management trying to say?

"Please do not move the tables around"

To "shift" something means to move it. However, "shifting" something infers that the object in question, in this case the tables, move by themselves, without human intervention, as in "shifting sands". In the latter, the sand moves about on its own from movements beneath the surface of the earth. Tables in a restaurant do not move themselves unless there is an earthquake.

When living in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual country like Malaysia (where I spotted this sign), we do end up with mastering one language over another, even though we are supposed to be proficient in both. In this case, the manager or owner who typed up this sign is obviously better at Chinese than English, hence the funny English phrase.

While English is not an easy language to learn, it does help to ask for help before putting up signs that embarrass yourself and display your lack of understanding of the language. Learning is lifelong. Let us take every mistake as a learning experience.

Have fun with English!

Scoops? Scopes?

I came across this in a restaurant menu and had a good laugh. I took notice because I like waffles and ice cream! Who does not? Yum!

Well, this restaurant serves waffles with two "scopes of ice cream". Huh?

A "scope" is, among other definitions, a viewing instrument like a microscope, periscope, etc. When you have a problem in your stomach or intestines, a doctor will insert a tube with a small camera down your mouth into your stomach and beyond to see what is going on inside you. That tube with a small camera is called a "scope".

What I want with my waffle is a "scoop" of ice cream. I expect my ice cream to come in the form of a round ball about 1.5 - 2 inches in diameter. The size of the scoop varies, but the idea is the same: a small ball of ice cream on top of my waffle.

Obviously the copywriter for this restaurant's menu did not bother to check the correct spelling before sending the menu to print. Hmmm .... Nonetheless, I hope the waffle and ice cream tastes good :)

It does not hurt to check, check and re-check.

Enjoy your scoops of ice cream or risk having a scope going down your gut :D

Happy eating!

One word description

Use only one Chinese character to describe your country in 2014. The following list is what countries using Chinese widely have chosen:

Malaysia 航 (aircraft)
Japan 税 (tax)
Singapore 乱 (chaos)
China 法 (law)

If you have been keeping up with world news, a cursory look at this list will not bring surprises. How apt can you get? However, the writer of the article did mention that Singapore is the only country that "chose a character based on domestic and international events." This cannot be helped. Singapore is tiny. Anything that happens elsewhere has a direct impact on the country and its people.

Here's a challenge for you: what word (in your own language) would you use to describe your life in 2014?

Cheers to a year of new language acquisition!

Colourful descriptions

Wired to learn languages

The advantages of bilingualism seem to be neurological, too. We are wired to learn languages, and the more languages we speak, the more networks our brains develop.
(The Straits Times, 29 December 2014)

A friend has told me many times that he cannot lead worship nor a prayer meeting in Chinese. Truth be told, he does speak Chinese, probably a lot better than I, but having to lead a group is another story. (I have often wondered if he just does not want to help me!)

After reading this article about multiculturalism and Canada's bilingual policy, I am greatly encouraged to know that my brain is not going to slow down any time soon. Constantly keeping up with the languages I already speak, and trying to learn Vietnamese, helps keep my brain networks active. My friend +Lloyd Estrada just made a public declaration that he will be learning Burmese this year. He already speaks three languages fluently. His last language acquisition is Spanish, which he learned so well that he had a blog and could preach in it too! I am very sure he will do well in Burmese, although it will be an uphill task first trying to learn the writing system.

In this fast-paced and stressful world, we tend to forget things very easily. We have tech gadgets to help us, but our brain functions end up slowing down. One good way to keep those brain networks developing is to learn a language. The benefits will outweigh the sweat and tears in the beginning.

Cheers to 2015! Happy language learning!

Happy = Merry

Since we are still within the 12 days of Christmas, here is another post about the holiday.

So many of my Cambodian friends like to wish people "Happy, Merry Christmas!" A double wish does not add more happiness to the season. What do I mean? "Happy" and "merry" have exactly the same meaning. Traditionally, we wish friends and acquaintances "Merry Christmas". Once in a while, we may say, "Happy Christmas!" Whichever one you choose to use is correct, just not the two words together.

Having said all that, no one ever says, "Merry Birthday!"