recently i have come to realise that my grasp of the chinese language is incorrigible. there are instances where i discovered that i would translate english literally into chinese and use it. and that of course sounded crass and without class. all the subtle nuances and double meanings is all lost when everything is translated in chinese. and i must say that the coupe de grace would be the other party not fully understanding you and then you have to switch to a language you feel so clumsy when trying to wield it.

and this is so exasperating.

damn.

i remember from the movie Love Actually, there was this portugese lady and englishman, Aurelia and Jamie. despite not speaking each other's languages, they managed to fall in love and live happily ever after(duh).

now, lets stop here and contemplate a little.

how is that possible?

i guess Jamie just has to look deeply into Aurelia's eyes and hope that she realises that he wants fish and chips for dinner tonight.

you have been warned.

sigh

and yeah, how does one say 'fancy some stimulating conversation and wonderful company?" in chinese?

The beginning of the End

and so the end draws near, with every step it clouds the mind with dread so unfathomable that it chokes the body. you stand at the edge of the precipice and death beckons. in its hands, death offers you salvation and oblivion. at that moment, all things become clear. the darkness clears and you begin to smile.

you take the plunge.

Sinistrality

recently i read a book about left-handedness and was glad that i wasnt born before my time. apparently besides racial, language, class discrimination, your laterality or to be specific your left-handedness is also discriminated. besides being seen as weird and not properly developed, we are also of sinister origins. left hands are also considered 'unclean' hands.

'As the right gained grounds on all fronts, inevitably, the left began to decline in acceptability, becoming associated with the more negative aspects of abnormality, darkness and wickedness.'

damn. talk about bigotry to the extreme.

i'm not done yet. moving on.

did you ever experience what i named 'handache' during long periods of writing with your hand especially during exams? do your nails dig into your index or middle finger while you hold your pen and sometimes your entire left hand becomes painful after a heavy bout of writing? how about calluses that develop from clutching your pen tightly? i have them.

'as a left hander, i must put my oar in here again and admit that exams were a nightmare, for to sit for long periods writing interminably with a pen clutched tightly in the pushing position creates cramps and muscle fatigue in the left hand, index finger and thumb not experienced by the right-hander. if the left-hander's exam scripts were seen to be shorter, it may not haven been because they wrote slowly but because they were sitting for a physical endurance test as well as a mental ability test. the sooner its over, the better.'

i'm sure glad i'm not the only one experiencing all the writing grief.

but fret not fellow lefties, we are in the league of geniuses.

some of the most prominent people in past and present were sinistrals. some of them include, Alexander the Great, Joan of Arc, Ronald Regan, Paul McCartney, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein.

and my personal favourite.

Jack the Ripper.

and yes, he was never caught.