Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Monday, February 06, 2006
filipino names(from the BBC)
The Philippine name game
By Sarah Toms
BBC News, Manila
Naming a child is often a difficult decision. For many Filipinos, individuality is an important factor, with many choosing unconventional first names. So when the BBC's Sarah Toms gave birth in the Philippines, could she come up with an original name?
In March, my daughter will be celebrating her second birthday in Manila.
Made in the Philippines and born in the Philippines, it seems only yesterday that I was trying to leave hospital with my newborn.
The nurses had quickly christened her "Miss Philippines" because of her long legs.
But then I discovered that until I came up with a real name and began her birth registration at the hospital, I would not be allowed to leave.
Exhaustion made any decision difficult and I started worrying I would be celebrating her first birthday in the hospital if I did not find a name soon.
'Ace' politician
Filipinos place serious importance on finding unique names for their children, most of them injected with a large dose of Philippine humour.
Here, there is nothing ironic about a senator called Joker Arroyo - it is his real name.
Joker Arroyo, who is no relation to the Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, has a brother called Jack but there is no word on any other siblings called Queen or King.
Another politician however, is known as Ace.
Congressman Robert Ace Barbers is always known by his middle name as his two other brothers and late father all share Robert as their first name.
One composite name that has become popular is Luzviminda, taken from the three main regions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
One writer said it is like being called "Engscowani" for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In this devoutly Roman Catholic country it is not surprising that many have taken on religious names, but with a Philippine twist.
With a rapidly growing population, it seems there are not enough last names to go round
Take the mayor of Makati, the financial district in Manila.
His name is Jejomar, composed of the first few letters of Jesus, Joseph and Mary.
Catholicism started here with the arrival of the Spanish in 1521 and the colonisation of the Philippines.
Beyond food and architecture, religion is one of the lasting influences of Spanish rule. And that is at the root of the desire to have a unique first name.
Many Filipinos who converted to Catholicism took on surnames with religious references, such as Santos or De la Cruz, for good luck. But this resulted in many people having the same last names.
To solve the problem, the Spanish decided to restrict the surnames of Filipinos to a number of acceptable ones. But with a rapidly growing population, it seems there are not enough last names to go round.
Originality
Security experts say that with so many surnames being the same it can take ages to do background checks.
A first name with a bit of individuality can help avoid confusion and cases of mistaken identity
Filipinos encounter their own problems with the country's notoriously poor records system.
Getting a bank loan or passport can be a nightmare if someone with the same name is wanted for a crime.
With the country ranked as one of the most corrupt in Asia, thousands of Filipinos are forced to walk around with certificates from the National Bureau of Investigation to prove they are not wanted criminals.
So a first name with a bit of individuality can help avoid confusion and cases of mistaken identity.
Because of that I know a Peachy, a Preciosa and even a Bogi. I also know a Boy and a Girlie, names that often come from being the lone son or daughter in a large family.
One journalist friend told me of an interview he had with a Hitler Manila
I even have a female friend called Ken and no one thinks it is odd.
Still, I was taken aback when a famous and middle-aged newspaper columnist asked me to call him Babe.
Cultural misunderstanding
Some of the names are real and some are nicknames, but it is hard to tell them apart.
That brings me to the doorbell names: it is not uncommon to call your little one Bing, Bong, Bong Bong and even Ping and Ting.
Another category is the rock 'n' roll name.
How would you feel being christened Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger or Nirvana?
One journalist friend told me of an interview he had with a Hitler Manila.
Mr Manila, who does not share the Nazi ideology, told him that he was always remembered for his name but it sometimes caused problems.
One time, when he was shooting pool with some visiting Germans, the atmosphere became tense after he wrote his name on the blackboard to reserve the next game.
Another friend told me of a couple who named their five daughters Candy, Caramel, Cookie, Peanut and Popcorn
Order was not restored until he pulled out his driving licence to prove his name really was Hitler.
Still, that experience did not stop him from carrying on the family tradition. His sons are named Himmler and Hess after two of Hitler's closest associates.
Deliberation
Another friend told me of a couple who named their five daughters Candy, Caramel, Cookie, Peanut and Popcorn.
Scott Harrison, an American businessman here, says he has heard of a woman who gave birth to twin girls on either side of midnight, naming them Sunday and Monday.
Nothing unusual in that - my daughter's kindergarten teacher is called Wednesday.
So what did I name my daughter?
After much deliberation and temptation to join the Philippine name game, I settled for an old French favourite, Elise.
Elise is not a strange name by any means, but in the Philippines it is as unusual as you can get.
From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 14 January, 2006 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times.
THREE WAYS TO LISTEN AGAIN
Listen to the programme Download the mp3 (8 Mb)
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4609892.stm
Published: 2006/01/14 13:29:33 GMT
© BBC MMVI
By Sarah Toms
BBC News, Manila
Naming a child is often a difficult decision. For many Filipinos, individuality is an important factor, with many choosing unconventional first names. So when the BBC's Sarah Toms gave birth in the Philippines, could she come up with an original name?
In March, my daughter will be celebrating her second birthday in Manila.
Made in the Philippines and born in the Philippines, it seems only yesterday that I was trying to leave hospital with my newborn.
The nurses had quickly christened her "Miss Philippines" because of her long legs.
But then I discovered that until I came up with a real name and began her birth registration at the hospital, I would not be allowed to leave.
Exhaustion made any decision difficult and I started worrying I would be celebrating her first birthday in the hospital if I did not find a name soon.
'Ace' politician
Filipinos place serious importance on finding unique names for their children, most of them injected with a large dose of Philippine humour.
Here, there is nothing ironic about a senator called Joker Arroyo - it is his real name.
Joker Arroyo, who is no relation to the Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, has a brother called Jack but there is no word on any other siblings called Queen or King.
Another politician however, is known as Ace.
Congressman Robert Ace Barbers is always known by his middle name as his two other brothers and late father all share Robert as their first name.
One composite name that has become popular is Luzviminda, taken from the three main regions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
One writer said it is like being called "Engscowani" for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In this devoutly Roman Catholic country it is not surprising that many have taken on religious names, but with a Philippine twist.
With a rapidly growing population, it seems there are not enough last names to go round
Take the mayor of Makati, the financial district in Manila.
His name is Jejomar, composed of the first few letters of Jesus, Joseph and Mary.
Catholicism started here with the arrival of the Spanish in 1521 and the colonisation of the Philippines.
Beyond food and architecture, religion is one of the lasting influences of Spanish rule. And that is at the root of the desire to have a unique first name.
Many Filipinos who converted to Catholicism took on surnames with religious references, such as Santos or De la Cruz, for good luck. But this resulted in many people having the same last names.
To solve the problem, the Spanish decided to restrict the surnames of Filipinos to a number of acceptable ones. But with a rapidly growing population, it seems there are not enough last names to go round.
Originality
Security experts say that with so many surnames being the same it can take ages to do background checks.
A first name with a bit of individuality can help avoid confusion and cases of mistaken identity
Filipinos encounter their own problems with the country's notoriously poor records system.
Getting a bank loan or passport can be a nightmare if someone with the same name is wanted for a crime.
With the country ranked as one of the most corrupt in Asia, thousands of Filipinos are forced to walk around with certificates from the National Bureau of Investigation to prove they are not wanted criminals.
So a first name with a bit of individuality can help avoid confusion and cases of mistaken identity.
Because of that I know a Peachy, a Preciosa and even a Bogi. I also know a Boy and a Girlie, names that often come from being the lone son or daughter in a large family.
One journalist friend told me of an interview he had with a Hitler Manila
I even have a female friend called Ken and no one thinks it is odd.
Still, I was taken aback when a famous and middle-aged newspaper columnist asked me to call him Babe.
Cultural misunderstanding
Some of the names are real and some are nicknames, but it is hard to tell them apart.
That brings me to the doorbell names: it is not uncommon to call your little one Bing, Bong, Bong Bong and even Ping and Ting.
Another category is the rock 'n' roll name.
How would you feel being christened Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger or Nirvana?
One journalist friend told me of an interview he had with a Hitler Manila.
Mr Manila, who does not share the Nazi ideology, told him that he was always remembered for his name but it sometimes caused problems.
One time, when he was shooting pool with some visiting Germans, the atmosphere became tense after he wrote his name on the blackboard to reserve the next game.
Another friend told me of a couple who named their five daughters Candy, Caramel, Cookie, Peanut and Popcorn
Order was not restored until he pulled out his driving licence to prove his name really was Hitler.
Still, that experience did not stop him from carrying on the family tradition. His sons are named Himmler and Hess after two of Hitler's closest associates.
Deliberation
Another friend told me of a couple who named their five daughters Candy, Caramel, Cookie, Peanut and Popcorn.
Scott Harrison, an American businessman here, says he has heard of a woman who gave birth to twin girls on either side of midnight, naming them Sunday and Monday.
Nothing unusual in that - my daughter's kindergarten teacher is called Wednesday.
So what did I name my daughter?
After much deliberation and temptation to join the Philippine name game, I settled for an old French favourite, Elise.
Elise is not a strange name by any means, but in the Philippines it is as unusual as you can get.
From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 14 January, 2006 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times.
THREE WAYS TO LISTEN AGAIN
Listen to the programme Download the mp3 (8 Mb)
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4609892.stm
Published: 2006/01/14 13:29:33 GMT
© BBC MMVI
footie
I went to the pub last night in Upton (Wirral) to watch the Liverpool-Chelsea game. Unlike when I watch the game in Hong Kong, when Chelsea scored you could hear a pin drop, not one cheer from an opposing fan.This is quite surprising, as here on the Wirral there are a lot of Everton or Tranmere fans. Liverpool lost unfortunately, and the goalie was sent off unfairly, but I did enjoy watching the game and having a decent pint.
I had my first tutorial for my English- past, present and future course on Saturday morning.I have my first one for Art of English next Saturday. I have 2 essays due this month. It feels good to be studying. Start work tomorrow!
I had my first tutorial for my English- past, present and future course on Saturday morning.I have my first one for Art of English next Saturday. I have 2 essays due this month. It feels good to be studying. Start work tomorrow!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Kung Hey Fat Choi! 'laa'
So , February is here. It is 0c outside-10.30am, we have had this cold snap for 10 days now, with no end in sight and no snow either. I actually think I'm getting used to the cold! It may be psychological though, the end is now in sight, there must be a chance of the weather improving in March, with at least a warm day or two. There is still only 8 hours of daytime, that is 16 hours of nighttime! That will definitely improve.
I begin work next Tuesday with the CSA- the child support agency. This job will do me until I decide to leave the UK. The money is better than English Teaching which according to the job advertisements that I get from TEFL.com only pay about £250 per week!! 90% of those jobs are down South, how people can live on that I don't know. That works out at Hk$14,500 per month.the cost of living is about the same here as in Hong Kong.Beer and food is cheaper, rent is the same, transport and utilities are more expensive.
I will decide if to stay for another year(or not) in October when I finish my OU course, but the chances are that I will return to Hong Kong.
We went to the Chinese New Year celebrations in Liverpool on Sunday- Lion dances, dragon dances and lots of firecrackers- HK on a smaller scale.It made me very homesick though. I noticed a lot of mainland Chinese tour groups, why they would come to Liverpool is beyond me.
Kung Hey Fat Choi!
I begin work next Tuesday with the CSA- the child support agency. This job will do me until I decide to leave the UK. The money is better than English Teaching which according to the job advertisements that I get from TEFL.com only pay about £250 per week!! 90% of those jobs are down South, how people can live on that I don't know. That works out at Hk$14,500 per month.the cost of living is about the same here as in Hong Kong.Beer and food is cheaper, rent is the same, transport and utilities are more expensive.
I will decide if to stay for another year(or not) in October when I finish my OU course, but the chances are that I will return to Hong Kong.
We went to the Chinese New Year celebrations in Liverpool on Sunday- Lion dances, dragon dances and lots of firecrackers- HK on a smaller scale.It made me very homesick though. I noticed a lot of mainland Chinese tour groups, why they would come to Liverpool is beyond me.
Kung Hey Fat Choi!
Friday, January 27, 2006
Dead city
I went shopping yesterday for a laptop in Liverpool city centre. I only found 1 shop that sold computers! That shop was Dixons.They only had a selection of 2 laptops around the £500 range. I searched the whole city centre. I find this astounding, but it is not the first time that I have noticed the absolute lack of choice or competition in English towns and cities. If I had wanted to buy sport shoes or tracksuits or get a perm or spray on tan I would have had no problem. There is also only 2 travel agents, 4 mobile phone companies, 1 camera/camera repair shop.All towns are full of the same shops- Topman,Boots,Hmv,Virgin,Marks,Woolworths,Whsmith,Mcds,Argos.The average city centre could fit into 1 shopping mall in Hong Kong, maybe not enough to fill Ocean Centre or Pacific Place. The big companies have taken over-Lock Stock and Barrel.There is no choice, no competition,no character.
I find it incredible that Liverpool does not have a computer shop, or computer repair shop. most of the electrical chains here sell extended warranties with their products, for example; a 3 year warranty costing £100 can be bought with a TV costing £150! The consumer has no choice, nobody can repair the tv when it breaks down the day after the 1 year warranty runs out.
When i do eventually buy a laptop the only software preinstalled nowadays is windows XP. Word needs to be bougseparatelyely-at extortionate prices, as does any other software which makes the computer perform the baminimummum expected of it in 2006.
This is really the price we pay fglobalizationion, dead cities, and no competition.
Those Wto protesters may actually have a point.
I should be able to buy cheap Chinese nobrand computers here in Liverpool, and fill it with imitation-not copy software from India.
I cannot see the European economies continuing to flourish with such stale markets, a nice big recession-1930's style is needed to liven things up a bit.
I find it incredible that Liverpool does not have a computer shop, or computer repair shop. most of the electrical chains here sell extended warranties with their products, for example; a 3 year warranty costing £100 can be bought with a TV costing £150! The consumer has no choice, nobody can repair the tv when it breaks down the day after the 1 year warranty runs out.
When i do eventually buy a laptop the only software preinstalled nowadays is windows XP. Word needs to be bougseparatelyely-at extortionate prices, as does any other software which makes the computer perform the baminimummum expected of it in 2006.
This is really the price we pay fglobalizationion, dead cities, and no competition.
Those Wto protesters may actually have a point.
I should be able to buy cheap Chinese nobrand computers here in Liverpool, and fill it with imitation-not copy software from India.
I cannot see the European economies continuing to flourish with such stale markets, a nice big recession-1930's style is needed to liven things up a bit.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Happy New Year from scouseland
This is my first entry this year, it has been busy so far.
First- looking after Jo, then my B'day, then a friend from HK came up to Liverpool and we went out and got blasted. And this week Teosdee and Jack came back.It feels good to be a family again. Even if it is only for the next 4 months until they have to leave again.
My Open University course has started, and it is a lot more demanding than I had thought, but if I put in the time it should be okay.I can put the diploma towards either a degree or masters, I am leaning towards the latter-I only have another 40 years to live -maybe!
I start work on the 7th of February-pen pushing, should be interesting.
"Where does the word Scouse come from?" I hear you ask. Well here is the answer you seek my friend. The final part about speech etc is pretty much what I am studying at OU.
SCOUSE [From 18c lobscouse, a sailor's dish of stewed meat, vegetables, and ship's biscuit, not unlike Irish stew. Lobscouser was a slang name for a sailor. The terms Scouse and Scouser for someone from Liverpool seem to be recent, and probably arose because the city is a port and stew was a feature of the diet. The OED cites the Southern Daily Echo (1945), in which ‘a scouse’ is explained as ‘a native of Liverpool where they eat “scouse”’].
1. Also Scouser. A person born in the city of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, especially if from the working class.
2. The often stigmatized working-class speech of Merseyside. The ACCENT combines features of LANCASHIRE with varieties of English from Ireland and to a lesser extent from Wales, brought in by 19–20c immigration. Accents range from broad Scouse though modifications towards RP and RP itself in the middle and upper classes. Among the distinctive expressions in Scouse are the Pool, a nickname for Liverpool, and Liverpudlian (the correct name for someone born in Liverpool, substituting puddle for pool). Non-Scousers, especially from north of the city, are sometimes called woollybacks (sheep), a nickname suggesting rusticity and lack of wits.
Pronunciation
Of the following features, 1–5 are widely regarded as SHIBBOLETHS, especially when several occur together: (1) A merger of the vowels in such pairs as fair/fur and spare/spur, realized as an /e/ or //. (2) As in other parts of the north-west of England, syllable-final -ng is pronounced /g/, as in ‘long-g’ for long and ‘sing-ging-g’ for singing. (3) The vowel in such words as pin and sing is pronounced /i/, so that they sound close to ‘peen’ and ‘seengg’. (4) The sound /r/ may be either an alveolar continuant or an alveolar tap that is particularly distinct initially (rabbit, run), after stops and fricatives (breathe, grass, three), and between vowels (carry, ferry). (5) A /t/ between vowels is often replaced by /r/, sometimes shown in print as rr, as in ‘marra’ for matter: What's the marra with you then? In a publicity drive for the Liverpool clean streets campaign, litter was described as ‘norra lorra fun’. (6) Some speakers, especially working-class Catholics of Irish background, replace /, / with /t, d/, as in ‘dese tree’ for these three. Month may be pronounced ‘muntth’. (7) In syllable-initial and syllable-final positions, a fricative can follow a stop, as in ‘k/x/ing’ for king (where /x/ represents the fricative in ScoE loch), ‘me d/z/ad’ for my dad, ‘back/x/’ for back, and ‘bad/z/’ for bad. (8) Scouse is often described as having a flat intonation, in effect a rise with a level tail where RP has a fall: in the statement I don't like it, it goes up on like then runs level, whereas RP starts going down on like and keeps going down. There is also a kind of fall in yes–no questions where RP would have a rise, so that in the question Are you from Birkenhead?, Scouse falls on Birk where RP rises. (9) Until recently it was possible to distinguish the speech of Irish Catholics from Protestant English through the pronunciation of some words: a double advertisement on local buses in the 1960s read on one side of the bus ‘Treat us furly, travel early’, on the other ‘Treat us fairly, travel airly’ (the latter denoting Irish-derived usage).
Adenoidal speech
The voice quality of speakers of Scouse has often been described as adenoidal, and phoneticians have speculated about the origins of such a feature. David Abercrombie, noting that children may acquire a quality of voice from others who have a problem, observes: ‘A striking example … is afforded by some urban slum communities where adenoids, due doubtless to malnutrition and lack of sunlight, are prevalent, with their consequent effect on voice quality, but where people can be found with adenoidal voice quality who do not have adenoids—they have learnt the quality from the large number who do have them, so that they conform to what, for that community, has become the norm…. The accent of Liverpool seems to have had its origin in such circumstances’ (Elements of General Phonetics, 1967). Gerald O. Knowles adds: ‘In Scouse, the centre of gravity of the tongue is brought backwards and upwards, the pillars of the fauces are narrowed, the pharynx is tightened, and the larynx is displaced upwards…. The main auditory effect of this setting is the “adenoidal” quality of Scouse, which is produced even if the speaker's nasal passages are unobstructed’ (in P. Trudgill (ed.), Sociolinguistic Patterns in British English, 1978). The effect is primarily achieved by the sustained closure of the velum or soft, palate. See DIALECT IN ENGLAND.
How to cite this entry:
"SCOUSE" Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. Ed. Tom McArthur. Oxford University Press, 1998. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Open University. 25 January 2006
First- looking after Jo, then my B'day, then a friend from HK came up to Liverpool and we went out and got blasted. And this week Teosdee and Jack came back.It feels good to be a family again. Even if it is only for the next 4 months until they have to leave again.
My Open University course has started, and it is a lot more demanding than I had thought, but if I put in the time it should be okay.I can put the diploma towards either a degree or masters, I am leaning towards the latter-I only have another 40 years to live -maybe!
I start work on the 7th of February-pen pushing, should be interesting.
"Where does the word Scouse come from?" I hear you ask. Well here is the answer you seek my friend. The final part about speech etc is pretty much what I am studying at OU.
SCOUSE [From 18c lobscouse, a sailor's dish of stewed meat, vegetables, and ship's biscuit, not unlike Irish stew. Lobscouser was a slang name for a sailor. The terms Scouse and Scouser for someone from Liverpool seem to be recent, and probably arose because the city is a port and stew was a feature of the diet. The OED cites the Southern Daily Echo (1945), in which ‘a scouse’ is explained as ‘a native of Liverpool where they eat “scouse”’].
1. Also Scouser. A person born in the city of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, especially if from the working class.
2. The often stigmatized working-class speech of Merseyside. The ACCENT combines features of LANCASHIRE with varieties of English from Ireland and to a lesser extent from Wales, brought in by 19–20c immigration. Accents range from broad Scouse though modifications towards RP and RP itself in the middle and upper classes. Among the distinctive expressions in Scouse are the Pool, a nickname for Liverpool, and Liverpudlian (the correct name for someone born in Liverpool, substituting puddle for pool). Non-Scousers, especially from north of the city, are sometimes called woollybacks (sheep), a nickname suggesting rusticity and lack of wits.
Pronunciation
Of the following features, 1–5 are widely regarded as SHIBBOLETHS, especially when several occur together: (1) A merger of the vowels in such pairs as fair/fur and spare/spur, realized as an /e/ or //. (2) As in other parts of the north-west of England, syllable-final -ng is pronounced /g/, as in ‘long-g’ for long and ‘sing-ging-g’ for singing. (3) The vowel in such words as pin and sing is pronounced /i/, so that they sound close to ‘peen’ and ‘seengg’. (4) The sound /r/ may be either an alveolar continuant or an alveolar tap that is particularly distinct initially (rabbit, run), after stops and fricatives (breathe, grass, three), and between vowels (carry, ferry). (5) A /t/ between vowels is often replaced by /r/, sometimes shown in print as rr, as in ‘marra’ for matter: What's the marra with you then? In a publicity drive for the Liverpool clean streets campaign, litter was described as ‘norra lorra fun’. (6) Some speakers, especially working-class Catholics of Irish background, replace /, / with /t, d/, as in ‘dese tree’ for these three. Month may be pronounced ‘muntth’. (7) In syllable-initial and syllable-final positions, a fricative can follow a stop, as in ‘k/x/ing’ for king (where /x/ represents the fricative in ScoE loch), ‘me d/z/ad’ for my dad, ‘back/x/’ for back, and ‘bad/z/’ for bad. (8) Scouse is often described as having a flat intonation, in effect a rise with a level tail where RP has a fall: in the statement I don't like it, it goes up on like then runs level, whereas RP starts going down on like and keeps going down. There is also a kind of fall in yes–no questions where RP would have a rise, so that in the question Are you from Birkenhead?, Scouse falls on Birk where RP rises. (9) Until recently it was possible to distinguish the speech of Irish Catholics from Protestant English through the pronunciation of some words: a double advertisement on local buses in the 1960s read on one side of the bus ‘Treat us furly, travel early’, on the other ‘Treat us fairly, travel airly’ (the latter denoting Irish-derived usage).
Adenoidal speech
The voice quality of speakers of Scouse has often been described as adenoidal, and phoneticians have speculated about the origins of such a feature. David Abercrombie, noting that children may acquire a quality of voice from others who have a problem, observes: ‘A striking example … is afforded by some urban slum communities where adenoids, due doubtless to malnutrition and lack of sunlight, are prevalent, with their consequent effect on voice quality, but where people can be found with adenoidal voice quality who do not have adenoids—they have learnt the quality from the large number who do have them, so that they conform to what, for that community, has become the norm…. The accent of Liverpool seems to have had its origin in such circumstances’ (Elements of General Phonetics, 1967). Gerald O. Knowles adds: ‘In Scouse, the centre of gravity of the tongue is brought backwards and upwards, the pillars of the fauces are narrowed, the pharynx is tightened, and the larynx is displaced upwards…. The main auditory effect of this setting is the “adenoidal” quality of Scouse, which is produced even if the speaker's nasal passages are unobstructed’ (in P. Trudgill (ed.), Sociolinguistic Patterns in British English, 1978). The effect is primarily achieved by the sustained closure of the velum or soft, palate. See DIALECT IN ENGLAND.
How to cite this entry:
"SCOUSE" Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. Ed. Tom McArthur. Oxford University Press, 1998. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Open University. 25 January 2006
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Resolution
30 minutes until 2006.i am watching CNN at home.RESOLUTIONS?? I have given up smoking already, i haven't been out since July!! RESOLUTION? Lose weight,do what i need to here in UK,get the hell out of here.RESOLUTION for the remainder of my breathing days:NEVER again spend festive season in UK.1st year without Teosdee at midnight even if she is usually asleep,after new years greetings i am able to go to Wanchai,not this year.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
1Interview 1job.
I had my first interview just before xmas,for the civil service.The 3 hours
consisted of an exam,after which those that failed left.That was followed by a group discussion in groups of 4.The final part was an individual role play,oral and written.The interviews were held at Anfield o' haloed ground! I received a call the next day to say that I was successful.
Joseph and I had a quiet xmas, we only went out to church.No drinking,smoking,but a lot of TV.The weather has been bitterly cold, -9c last night , not above zero today.The snow is due any minute.Joseph and I have been together 24 hours a day, for 8 days since he finished school.He follows me around the house. If I go to the shop he has to come.7 days until he goes back to school.New Year's.....looks quiet.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
disco
The only Mercer on the razz is Joseph this year. I just dropped him at school-9am, and he is having a 70's disco! Tomorrow he has his xmas party. It has been 8 days since Teosdee left(she went to a bbq on Lantau Island on Sunday).It is not easy being a lone parent of a 4 year old.Getting him ready for school,cooking breakfast, washing dishes,clothes,shopping,giving him a bath,fighting to get him to bed,fighting to get him to switch off cartoons,cooking dinner, and making him eat it.At the same time as all this I have to plan Christmas, and buy everything associated with it.
I am not complaining, these things need to be done. Everything would be easier if it was warmer here.The weather is shit, it always feels cold in the house, I spend a lot of time closing doors, curtains, blocking draughts to try and keep heat in at least one or two rooms.The water from the tap is painfully cold, it really wakes you up in the morning.Is this really the 21st century? Doesn't feel like it here.
I am presently at the library.I use the computer here, as I don't have a PC here in the UK.They allow me to use the computer for 1 hour a day.That's when I am able to keep up this blog and check my emails.
I think this may be the first year since I was 15 that I will not go to a pub at Christmas.Still not smoking, so I suppose that will make it easier.
The HK government are still holding a handful of Koreans I see from RTHK.
They should throw the book at them.There can be no excuse for going to another country and taking part in/instigating violent protests. Do it in your own country if necessary ,but never elsewhere.Those farmers may or may not have a point , but they could have roamed the streets of Seoul to urge their own government to help them or to withdraw from the WTO. Hong Kong has not seen violence on it's streets since the 1960's and even then it was started by communist militants influenced by China. South Korea is a democracy, Hong Kong is not.This was not a good advertisement for free speech.
I am not complaining, these things need to be done. Everything would be easier if it was warmer here.The weather is shit, it always feels cold in the house, I spend a lot of time closing doors, curtains, blocking draughts to try and keep heat in at least one or two rooms.The water from the tap is painfully cold, it really wakes you up in the morning.Is this really the 21st century? Doesn't feel like it here.
I am presently at the library.I use the computer here, as I don't have a PC here in the UK.They allow me to use the computer for 1 hour a day.That's when I am able to keep up this blog and check my emails.
I think this may be the first year since I was 15 that I will not go to a pub at Christmas.Still not smoking, so I suppose that will make it easier.
The HK government are still holding a handful of Koreans I see from RTHK.
They should throw the book at them.There can be no excuse for going to another country and taking part in/instigating violent protests. Do it in your own country if necessary ,but never elsewhere.Those farmers may or may not have a point , but they could have roamed the streets of Seoul to urge their own government to help them or to withdraw from the WTO. Hong Kong has not seen violence on it's streets since the 1960's and even then it was started by communist militants influenced by China. South Korea is a democracy, Hong Kong is not.This was not a good advertisement for free speech.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
WTO and the Old China Hand
I see those damned Koreans are causing trouble in Wanchai,as I write.They obviously don't have enough football to watch in Korea.Why aren't those farmers working? No, they are on fucking holiday in Wanchai. I just saw the HK chief of police telling everyone to leave Wanchai and go home, that advice sounds familiar to many of us.Who would have thought that the WTO would have a direct effect on my local pub.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Thursday, December 15, 2005
wto
The protests in Hong Kong about the WTO have been aired here, only on the BBC really.Also the democracy demos. I was at the demo on July 1st, and wish I could have been on this one.Not too sure about the WTO though, those Korean farmers go a bit far. In the news here this morning is how Blair is willing to reduce the UK's EU rebate, if the EU stop giving money to French farmers-maybe he read my last entry-see below. A French farmer was on TV defending the subsidies- farming still represents a huge part of the French workforce.So did mining here in the UK, so did manufacturing ..etc. It is time to move on.It is time that we started to grow the world's food in Central Asia,Siberia,Australia, the western plains of the USA, and Africa. I worked in farms in Israel 15 years ago, they had managed to reclaim large areas of desert using complicated irrigation.We should apply similar techniques in Africa.
I watched Joseph's nativity play twice this week.Joseph was hilarious as he kept on touching baby Jesus, and flirting with 'Mary'.They sang and danced a lot, and a merry time was had by all.Next week he has a 70's disco before he breaks up for xmas.
Still not smoking.Chance of snow this weekend.
I watched Joseph's nativity play twice this week.Joseph was hilarious as he kept on touching baby Jesus, and flirting with 'Mary'.They sang and danced a lot, and a merry time was had by all.Next week he has a 70's disco before he breaks up for xmas.
Still not smoking.Chance of snow this weekend.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
This green and pleasant land.
I took Teosdee and Jack down to Heathrow yesterday. We took the coach at Midnight on Sunday and she flew at 9am Monday.I then took the tube to London Euston where I caught the train back to Liverpool. Before I took the train I had a quick walk around the block in Euston. London is so different from up here, I feel at home in London, not so many white people.It feels like a city, an international city. Nobody cares that I have a ponytail, or strange black glasses.I feel at home. It was cloudy and cold, only later did I realize that the cloud was the smoke from the big fire at the oil depot. I saw the fire as the train headed north out of Watford.The sky was actually blue, so the huge cloud of smoke rising from the ground was very easy to see.They say this is the biggest fire in Europe since the second world war. I love taking the inter city train , it gives me a good chance to see England. As I thought about the environmental impact of the fire on the surrounding countryside, I began to look at the British countryside more closely. Yes, it is a green and pleasant land, but that's it really. It is not breathtaking, it is not wild, it is not beautiful.The English countryside(actually it's not fair to include Wales and Scotland in this) has been managed for so many hundreds of years that there is very little of it that is natural.How is it that you can travel the whole length of the country without seeing a wild animal? Fields are neatly separated into nice rectangles, surrounded by fences or hedges interspersed with lines of trees.Rivers have been cut to suit man's needs.Canals cut across the country. The farms are the worst, utterly destroying the land. That doesn't seem fair, to criticize the farmers does it?
Farms in the UK and throughout Europe have been so heavily subsidized for so long that farmers are millionaires.Fresh produce is not cheap in this country, it is bloody expensive.Vegetables are cheaper in Hong Kong, which cannot grow enough vegetables to feed it's people! Food can be grown cheaply elsewhere.We don't need to keep on helping British and French farmers, let them go the way of the coal miners-extinct. If the farms go bust, then maybe we can let the land grow wild, let it return to it's natural state,introduce some wild animals.Screw the farmers.
The cities are not much better.Once outside London, there is no hope.Every town and city is ugly, full of the same dark brown terraced houses with the same gardens- a long rectangle with a lawn and some flowers around the edge, separated by a six foot fence.The monotony is astounding, London is not much better. Somebody wanted to build a 36 floor hotel here in Liverpool, this year but planning was turned down because it was felt that it wouldn't look in place with the present buildings. The present buildings look like they are going to fall down.They have just stopped the planned new tram lines from being built here, because of money. It is time that we accepted that our towns, cities and countryside is/are ugly and boring.
Frosty this morning. Joseph told me that Jesus made the road.That put the funniest image of our lord laying tarmac, sipping mugs of tea, and wolf whistling at the local totty "blessed art thou amongst women, darlin". I will go and see Joseph's nativity this afternoon. Still not smoking.
Farms in the UK and throughout Europe have been so heavily subsidized for so long that farmers are millionaires.Fresh produce is not cheap in this country, it is bloody expensive.Vegetables are cheaper in Hong Kong, which cannot grow enough vegetables to feed it's people! Food can be grown cheaply elsewhere.We don't need to keep on helping British and French farmers, let them go the way of the coal miners-extinct. If the farms go bust, then maybe we can let the land grow wild, let it return to it's natural state,introduce some wild animals.Screw the farmers.
The cities are not much better.Once outside London, there is no hope.Every town and city is ugly, full of the same dark brown terraced houses with the same gardens- a long rectangle with a lawn and some flowers around the edge, separated by a six foot fence.The monotony is astounding, London is not much better. Somebody wanted to build a 36 floor hotel here in Liverpool, this year but planning was turned down because it was felt that it wouldn't look in place with the present buildings. The present buildings look like they are going to fall down.They have just stopped the planned new tram lines from being built here, because of money. It is time that we accepted that our towns, cities and countryside is/are ugly and boring.
Frosty this morning. Joseph told me that Jesus made the road.That put the funniest image of our lord laying tarmac, sipping mugs of tea, and wolf whistling at the local totty "blessed art thou amongst women, darlin". I will go and see Joseph's nativity this afternoon. Still not smoking.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
never surrender-revised
Churchill, said "we will fight them on the ..." blah, blah, blah.The only word in that speech that wasn't 'English' was surrender. I also will not give up, but strangely I am fighting against the UK government, not fighting with it, unlike my grandfather.
The rules to get your wife a visa are made in such a way that you do have to be rich, if you are honest and follow the rules. If you are in a foreign country you need to prove that you have a home and job in the UK,difficult when you are not in the UK.I don't see how the government can still say in 2005 that I must have a lot of money to bring my wife here.I can understand that my wife will have no access to 'public funds', that of course is fair enough. We will get Teosdee a visa. There was a time, a few years ago that it seemed as though neither Teosdee or I would get a Hong Kong visa, but we did. That was the first step in us being able to get a UK visa.Four and a half years ago, Joseph was born in the Philippines because his mother did not have a HK visa.
For me, when Teosdee gets the right to come and go as she wishes, that will be the time that we can choose to live where we wish. Secure in the knowledge that we can go anywhere.Then it will be time to get U.S. visa'a, HA HA!!
One month now without smoking, I think I have reached the point of no return. I have started studying for my BA in International Studies including the Diploma in English Studies.That is where I learnt that surrender is not an English word. English studies is a bit heavier than I thought,although interesting.It deals with linguistics quite a lot and even phonetics.
Heavy frost this morning, dark now at 4pm, around 0c.I did see that it was 11c in HK today, made me feel a better until I saw that it would back in the 20's by the weekend. It is strange that Teosdee will be there next week,I think I'm jealous!
The rules to get your wife a visa are made in such a way that you do have to be rich, if you are honest and follow the rules. If you are in a foreign country you need to prove that you have a home and job in the UK,difficult when you are not in the UK.I don't see how the government can still say in 2005 that I must have a lot of money to bring my wife here.I can understand that my wife will have no access to 'public funds', that of course is fair enough. We will get Teosdee a visa. There was a time, a few years ago that it seemed as though neither Teosdee or I would get a Hong Kong visa, but we did. That was the first step in us being able to get a UK visa.Four and a half years ago, Joseph was born in the Philippines because his mother did not have a HK visa.
For me, when Teosdee gets the right to come and go as she wishes, that will be the time that we can choose to live where we wish. Secure in the knowledge that we can go anywhere.Then it will be time to get U.S. visa'a, HA HA!!
One month now without smoking, I think I have reached the point of no return. I have started studying for my BA in International Studies including the Diploma in English Studies.That is where I learnt that surrender is not an English word. English studies is a bit heavier than I thought,although interesting.It deals with linguistics quite a lot and even phonetics.
Heavy frost this morning, dark now at 4pm, around 0c.I did see that it was 11c in HK today, made me feel a better until I saw that it would back in the 20's by the weekend. It is strange that Teosdee will be there next week,I think I'm jealous!
Monday, December 05, 2005
Joseph is Joseph
Joseph will be Joseph in his school nativity play.It has not been easy explaining to him that his mother and brother will not be here at Christmas. A bottle hit our window on Friday night.The window didn't break(double glazing), we didn't hear it.The area in front of the house was covered in broken glass.The local kids must have been having a bottle fight!!It is not easy being positive at the moment, but Teosdee will only go for a few weeks.She will come back and then leave again in May.Then we will apply for a settlement visa.It can't be done in the UK, it must be done from outside. I do want to finish my OU course, but after that(October) I am not sure that I want to stay here anymore anyway. Teosdee wants the security of a permanent visa here so that she can come and go as she pleases.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
jackwillfly
Teosdee and Jack will fly to Hong Kong on the 12th of December.They will stay for 4-6 weeks and then come back to the UK. Not sure where they will stay yet.Probably stay at one of Teosdee's friends for 1 week and then a week at another.
Friday, December 02, 2005
The dream is over??
We received a letter from the Irish embassy yesterday.They said it would take 10-12 weeks to process Teosdee's visa as she is not a UK resident.We said don't bother.Teosdee has to leave the Uk before December 29th, as she would have been here for 6 months.Her visa is valid until May, but only 6 months at a time.I called immigration to apply to change her visa to something more permanent.They said a visitor's visa cannot be changed under any circumstances. Teosdee and Jack will fly back to Hong Kong sometime this month.Joseph will stay here with me.We will work something out from there.
Monday, November 28, 2005
nosnow
There were parts of the country that saw heavy snow, but not here.We are disappointed.It did snow lightly this morning though.]
3 weeks and still not smoking.
3 weeks and still not smoking.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Stick your head in the oven!
The gritters and the snowploughs have been started up and they are ready to go.The arctic weather arrives tomorrow evening.They have been warning us for nearly a week now.Traffic disruption is expected-Why? Even when they have a week to prepare this country still can't and wont get ready.It is winter, but yet they seem surprised by the onset of snow and ice. It has apparently been mild here for the last 8 years so most people have forgotten what a real winter is like.The weathermen say this winter will be the worst since 1967.They are quite certain about this, but yet they can't tell me if it will rain tomorrow! The Prime Minister spoke to parliament today about possible gas shortages, because of the cold weather.He also spoke about doctors running out of flu vaccinations.This is due to the population panicking about bird flu and rushing to their doctor's and demanding to be injected with something that only helps against your run of the mill winter flu.This has left none for the poor old dears who actually need to be vaccinated against 'normal' flu.
Government ineptitude is not limited to the SAR govt by a long shot.Being a twat is a worldwide epidemic, with no known cure at the moment.
Gary Glitter made the front page of one of the tabloids this week- 'Pervy Glitter faces firing squad' serves him right really. The Chinese president visited last week and stayed at Buckingham Palace.I wonder did Prince Philip or Charles for that matter insult him. Prince Charles is suing a tabloid this week for publishing parts of his journal where he referred to the Chinese leaders as waxworks.Prince Philip once referred to them as 'slitty eyed'. It's no wonder that we are charged more for visas when visiting China.
Liverpool is full of drunken Spaniards this afternoon.Liverpool are playing Real Betis this evening.Not sure where 'Betis' is but they seem like a friendly, lively lot. Many pubs will close tonight at 11pm and reopen at 12.01 as the new licensing laws come into effect at midnight. I finish my Mandarin course at 9pm and am very tempted.
How long will I stay here? That is the million dollar question. I promised Teosdee 2 years , I cannot see me staying longer than that. School is great for Joseph.There is no teaching work here in Liverpool for me.I can't see me doing any other job.I miss teaching. After next summer I think it will be hard for me to stay on here. I miss the world.The UK seems such a small place. The shops will start opening later this week for Christmas shopping, I can now go shopping until 7pm, sometimes even 8pm.Practically the middle of the night!!! The most popular programme on TV now is called ' I'm a celebrity...get me out of here' it is basically 'survivor' with famous people. I say famous but I haven't heard of any of them. Broadband is advertised with great gusto with up to 1mbs bandwidth, in hongkong this figure is now up to 100mbs. I cannot get caller display on my homephone. A cheque still takes 5 days to clear at the bank!I have started keeping the oven lit and open to warm the house up!
Still not smoking.
Government ineptitude is not limited to the SAR govt by a long shot.Being a twat is a worldwide epidemic, with no known cure at the moment.
Gary Glitter made the front page of one of the tabloids this week- 'Pervy Glitter faces firing squad' serves him right really. The Chinese president visited last week and stayed at Buckingham Palace.I wonder did Prince Philip or Charles for that matter insult him. Prince Charles is suing a tabloid this week for publishing parts of his journal where he referred to the Chinese leaders as waxworks.Prince Philip once referred to them as 'slitty eyed'. It's no wonder that we are charged more for visas when visiting China.
Liverpool is full of drunken Spaniards this afternoon.Liverpool are playing Real Betis this evening.Not sure where 'Betis' is but they seem like a friendly, lively lot. Many pubs will close tonight at 11pm and reopen at 12.01 as the new licensing laws come into effect at midnight. I finish my Mandarin course at 9pm and am very tempted.
How long will I stay here? That is the million dollar question. I promised Teosdee 2 years , I cannot see me staying longer than that. School is great for Joseph.There is no teaching work here in Liverpool for me.I can't see me doing any other job.I miss teaching. After next summer I think it will be hard for me to stay on here. I miss the world.The UK seems such a small place. The shops will start opening later this week for Christmas shopping, I can now go shopping until 7pm, sometimes even 8pm.Practically the middle of the night!!! The most popular programme on TV now is called ' I'm a celebrity...get me out of here' it is basically 'survivor' with famous people. I say famous but I haven't heard of any of them. Broadband is advertised with great gusto with up to 1mbs bandwidth, in hongkong this figure is now up to 100mbs. I cannot get caller display on my homephone. A cheque still takes 5 days to clear at the bank!I have started keeping the oven lit and open to warm the house up!
Still not smoking.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
It's just not funny anymore!
It is 0c outside with freezing fog! There has been a frost every night for a week now.On Sunday morning we went to the country park near my house. The fields were were thick with frost and the duck pond was frozen.The kids loved walking through the winter wonderland, and Teosdee made 'snowballs' with the frost.By the time we were walking home Jack was screaming, as I think he was just too cold.My ears stung and my nose turned numb as I took Joseph to school this morning. The weather forecast is for snow and blizzards this weekend.The wind is apparently going to come direct from the North Pole!I think it is still about 28c in Hong Kong.
15 days without smoking now, not a single fag! The patches really do seem to work.I have reduced the stength of the patches as well.Still a long way to go before I am nicotine free.
Christmas is in full swing here.Some houses already look like Santa's grotto.Do these people really enjoy Christmas or do they, as I suspect always feel let down on the day after building up to it for so long?
24 hour drinking begins in 2 days.I still haven't been in a pub since July, although a 24 hour session in the OCH would definitely go down well right now.
15 days without smoking now, not a single fag! The patches really do seem to work.I have reduced the stength of the patches as well.Still a long way to go before I am nicotine free.
Christmas is in full swing here.Some houses already look like Santa's grotto.Do these people really enjoy Christmas or do they, as I suspect always feel let down on the day after building up to it for so long?
24 hour drinking begins in 2 days.I still haven't been in a pub since July, although a 24 hour session in the OCH would definitely go down well right now.
Friday, November 18, 2005
The Darkness
It is -1c here now, it got down to -5c last night. It does look pretty though.The kids and Teosdee are amazed by the frost and why everything is now white. It gets dark now at well before 5pm! The streets are not safe enough around here to be walking around.This is how a mole must feel.Teosdee has to go on a visa run before the end of December, so we sent off an application for an Irish visa yesterday. Her visa is valid until May, but she can only spend 6 months at a time here. We will apply for a more permanent visa before May. I seem to have spent the last 10 years dealing with visas, I should find a job as an immigration expert. I don't worry too much about visas anymore as whatever will be will be.A refusal would give us a good excuse to escape and go back to the warmth, although that would be a big shame for Joseph's school. 10 days without smoking-is it getting easier?
Monday, November 14, 2005
7 days is a long time
7 days without a fag.It feels like I am underwater waiting to come up to breathe.I feel on the edge constantly.Does this feeling go away, or is this really how life feels drug-free? The air has a chill to it here, and I don't miss having to stand in the garden to smoke.The back door is firmly closed enabling the little heating we have to stay inside. The kids are driving me loopy, especially my little angel Jack.This may not be because I have given up smoking though, as Teosdee seems as stressed as me.I think it is the 'terrible twos' more than anything, and having to stay indoors a lot.
Winter in Liverpool, the idea scared the hell out of me just a few months ago.I think I can cope now though,but only with the knowledge that I can get out.The knowledge that I won't be doing two winters here.the idea of spending an extended length of time here still does scare the hell out of me. Imagine if you lived here?
It is 'Parents Evening' tomorrow at Joseph's school tomorrow-should be interesting.
Winter in Liverpool, the idea scared the hell out of me just a few months ago.I think I can cope now though,but only with the knowledge that I can get out.The knowledge that I won't be doing two winters here.the idea of spending an extended length of time here still does scare the hell out of me. Imagine if you lived here?
It is 'Parents Evening' tomorrow at Joseph's school tomorrow-should be interesting.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Hail! Joseph.
Leaving the house to take Joseph to school yesterday, started out well enough-a bit chilly, but sunny.Halfway there the sky opened and we were both soaking and cold but had to press on or we would be late for school. Then it started to hail and I could feel the temperature drop.Joseph was shocked, "ouch, ouch!That hurts!" It was his first experience of ice falling from the sky onto his head."Is it snow Daddy?" He enjoyed it I think.He had to change into his PE stuff in the classroom along with Beth and Kyle the other 2 unlucky kids that have to walk to school as well. Funny thing was, was that it had completely stopped on the way back, the sun was shining again.Teosdee often remarks "crazy weather" as she runs to get the washing in for the tenth time that day or as we take shelter with the kids on a Sunday afternoon walk.She comes from the Philippines where as I write a typhoon is boring down, probably for the 10th time this year-it will hit HK on Saturday night.English weather may seem boring, but to foreigners it is actually quite puzzling how 1 day can have every kind of weather, sometimes all at once.
Bonfire night was much better than I expected.In some ways it was more impressive even than the Hong Kong fireworks.Apart from the fireworks beginning a good 3 weeks before the actual night, the actual night itself was spectacular. The fireworks began as the sun was still heading down, and when I went to sleep at 2am they were still relentless. We walked to the local community centre at 6.30pm and watched the organised display, which was great as you could feel the earth move as they banged, and the smell was so strong that I am still coughing.The Hong Kong fireworks always seem so far away even after you have battled a million people to get that 1cm of sky view. We spent just as much time stopping and wowing on the way home at all the other fireworks .English people are also quieter as they watch fireworks, the only person shouting waaah was me!
I am attempting to give up smoking again! I have not smoked for 3 days, although I am wearing patches.Which is more likely to kill me though-smoking, or being a fat bastard? Answers on a postcard please to 'Fat Bastard or Smoker' 10 downing street London.I have had to edit and correct this blog because of mistakes-giving up smoking makes you stupid as well, so let's change the above to 'stupid fat bastard'.
Apart from killing me, is there really anything wrong with smoking? This is not helping me give up.later.
Bonfire night was much better than I expected.In some ways it was more impressive even than the Hong Kong fireworks.Apart from the fireworks beginning a good 3 weeks before the actual night, the actual night itself was spectacular. The fireworks began as the sun was still heading down, and when I went to sleep at 2am they were still relentless. We walked to the local community centre at 6.30pm and watched the organised display, which was great as you could feel the earth move as they banged, and the smell was so strong that I am still coughing.The Hong Kong fireworks always seem so far away even after you have battled a million people to get that 1cm of sky view. We spent just as much time stopping and wowing on the way home at all the other fireworks .English people are also quieter as they watch fireworks, the only person shouting waaah was me!
I am attempting to give up smoking again! I have not smoked for 3 days, although I am wearing patches.Which is more likely to kill me though-smoking, or being a fat bastard? Answers on a postcard please to 'Fat Bastard or Smoker' 10 downing street London.I have had to edit and correct this blog because of mistakes-giving up smoking makes you stupid as well, so let's change the above to 'stupid fat bastard'.
Apart from killing me, is there really anything wrong with smoking? This is not helping me give up.later.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Great Uncle Chris
This week I learnt that I had become a great uncle. My nephew has a 5 week old daughter. This is my mother's first great grandchild. I had to check that I am actually a great uncle as grand uncle seemed more logical, as the baby is my brother's grandchild. Apparently 'great' is the common term although grand can still be used. Grand uncle seems a bit camp, whereas great is well..great! I was a bit surprised to have greatness thrust upon me at the age of 33, but feel that I can live with it.Not sure that Teosdee is too thrilled though.
Last night was Halloween, so we switched off all the lights and pretended we weren't home.Not really but, not that far off.Kids around here expect money, no apples thank you, and may use the opportunity to case the joint. I did see 30-40 teenagers having a game of cat and mice with the police, but the evening passed off harmless enough.
We are now being treated to a nightly display of the latest fireworks.Bonfire night is on Saturday.The kids are already waiting outside the shops with a bunch of crumpled up old clothes with a balloon inside. I have acquired a definite hearing problem as the kids shout 'penny for the guy'. Is this not the silliest tradition of them all? Trying to explain to Teosdee the reasoning behind it has not been easy, especially the part about burning the effigy on top of a bonfire.Trying to justify going to watch it has been even harder.
I have enrolled on an Open University course- Diploma in English Studies, which consists of 2 parts- The Art of English, which definitely sounds interesting, and English-Past,Present, and Future which did, does and will sound challenging.I did am and will keep you posted.
Last night was Halloween, so we switched off all the lights and pretended we weren't home.Not really but, not that far off.Kids around here expect money, no apples thank you, and may use the opportunity to case the joint. I did see 30-40 teenagers having a game of cat and mice with the police, but the evening passed off harmless enough.
We are now being treated to a nightly display of the latest fireworks.Bonfire night is on Saturday.The kids are already waiting outside the shops with a bunch of crumpled up old clothes with a balloon inside. I have acquired a definite hearing problem as the kids shout 'penny for the guy'. Is this not the silliest tradition of them all? Trying to explain to Teosdee the reasoning behind it has not been easy, especially the part about burning the effigy on top of a bonfire.Trying to justify going to watch it has been even harder.
I have enrolled on an Open University course- Diploma in English Studies, which consists of 2 parts- The Art of English, which definitely sounds interesting, and English-Past,Present, and Future which did, does and will sound challenging.I did am and will keep you posted.
Friday, October 28, 2005
heatwave
Yesterday was the hottest 28th of October on record apparently,temperatures reached 20c in most places.It was a nice day, but I didn't feel the urge to go to the beach! The clocks go back tomorrow night, and then it will start to get dark at 5pm! It already feels like the middle of the night here at 7pm.The streets are deserted, even the town centre(Birkenhead).Liverpool is marginally more busy, but not much.
I miss the evenings in Hong Kong.Going down to the waterfront at midnight and still having millions of people to watch.I haven't been to a pub since July, they just don't interest me.The licensing hours change in less than a month, with the possibility of 24 hour drinking.The reality appears to be that most will open till 12 or 1am, with some in the cities open till 3 or 4. The ability to leave home at midnight and have a few pints in your local is still a dream here. No Sunday morning drinking and dancing.
This week has been half term for the kids and also for myself.I did manage to use my Cantonese at my local chippy though.They were quite astounded, especially the kids .I still don't know how to order fish,chips and gravy in Cantonese though.Can anyone help?
I miss the evenings in Hong Kong.Going down to the waterfront at midnight and still having millions of people to watch.I haven't been to a pub since July, they just don't interest me.The licensing hours change in less than a month, with the possibility of 24 hour drinking.The reality appears to be that most will open till 12 or 1am, with some in the cities open till 3 or 4. The ability to leave home at midnight and have a few pints in your local is still a dream here. No Sunday morning drinking and dancing.
This week has been half term for the kids and also for myself.I did manage to use my Cantonese at my local chippy though.They were quite astounded, especially the kids .I still don't know how to order fish,chips and gravy in Cantonese though.Can anyone help?
Monday, October 24, 2005
The tale of Pedro
Well, it has done nothing but rain now for 2/3 days, and doesn't look like stopping.This is the real England.A guy (with a filipino wife)dropping off his son at school the other day said to me" I bet you wish you hadn't come back now" Of course at times like that I have to agree. He went on to say that the perceived notion of back home- long summer days, having a pint in a beer garden, walking through the countryside-is a load of bollocks- this is the reality he said cold, grey miserable mornings, with one nice day a year. This may sound quite depressing to you, but actually made me feel happy. It was nice to be dropping off my son at school, moaning about the weather to a big fat bloke with a filipino wife. In Hong Kong everyone is too busy to stop and chat in the morning. Over the last few weeks I have learnt that this guy is 58, on the dole, just waiting for retirement.He has been to the Philippines a couple of times and will go again next year.His wife was his'penpal' before he met her, and they would like to go back and live in the Philippines.
The big news here this morning is how Pedro(I gave him this name) the South American parrot caught Bird Flu whilst in quarantine here in the UK! This was quite puzzling as bird flu had not been found here or in South America. It was later discovered that Pedro had been kept in quarantine with a couple of Taiwanese birds, let's call them Kitty and Pussy. Anyway it seems that pedro caught the highly infectious bird flu from his Chinese friends. This story has a strangely familiar ring to it.Latino catches fatal disease after spending night with Taiwanese twins.
The big news here this morning is how Pedro(I gave him this name) the South American parrot caught Bird Flu whilst in quarantine here in the UK! This was quite puzzling as bird flu had not been found here or in South America. It was later discovered that Pedro had been kept in quarantine with a couple of Taiwanese birds, let's call them Kitty and Pussy. Anyway it seems that pedro caught the highly infectious bird flu from his Chinese friends. This story has a strangely familiar ring to it.Latino catches fatal disease after spending night with Taiwanese twins.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Nei Hou!
This week I managed to call just about everybody in Hong Kong, as all calls were free when using a post office phonecard-and will be this Saturday and the next Saturday. It was great to catch up with everyone, but of course it made me feel homesick. If you want me to give you a call, email me your phone number, as I definitely don't have it unless I called last week. As ever I spend half of my time fiddling around with mobiles. I cannot charge up my HK 3G phone as the universal charger that I bought in ShamShuiPo broke(or was broken by kids).This has pissed me off as I have photos and videos on it which I haven't been able to transfer to a computer yet,as I don't have a computer.I always use the public library to access the internet, although my home phone can now access the net on a screen, but is limited in it's capabilities.I can also access email on my TV, but not Yahoo, and not attachments of any great size or complexity.
I had my Mandarin class last night, which I am really enjoying.Unlike my Cantonese class it is quite challenging, but I always walk away with a greater understanding than when I arrived.I took the bus home with a young BBC(British Born Chinese) girl. Her grandfather comes from Shanghai, but had largely forgotten Mandarin until she has started to remind him.This girl also tried Cantonese but felt the students were not as serious, so opted for Mandarin. She said she likes the Mandarin class better because I and a couple of others seem to ask the teacher the right questions and so then he explains it clearly.In the Cantonese class I find myself spending a lot of time helping the teacher to explain things to the students or giving the teacher shorter phrases rather than the more long winded ones he often gives us.A good example of this is 'How do you spell....?' to me it is '....Dim Chuen?' but the teacher gave a much longer version which I can't remember.To give him his due-because he is a good teacher , he does often agree with me and tells the students that they can also use my example.What he is thinking at that time is anyone's guess.
I had my Mandarin class last night, which I am really enjoying.Unlike my Cantonese class it is quite challenging, but I always walk away with a greater understanding than when I arrived.I took the bus home with a young BBC(British Born Chinese) girl. Her grandfather comes from Shanghai, but had largely forgotten Mandarin until she has started to remind him.This girl also tried Cantonese but felt the students were not as serious, so opted for Mandarin. She said she likes the Mandarin class better because I and a couple of others seem to ask the teacher the right questions and so then he explains it clearly.In the Cantonese class I find myself spending a lot of time helping the teacher to explain things to the students or giving the teacher shorter phrases rather than the more long winded ones he often gives us.A good example of this is 'How do you spell....?' to me it is '....Dim Chuen?' but the teacher gave a much longer version which I can't remember.To give him his due-because he is a good teacher , he does often agree with me and tells the students that they can also use my example.What he is thinking at that time is anyone's guess.
Friday, October 14, 2005
It's f****ing cold!
Joseph complained that his face and hands were cold on the way to school, there was a definite chill to the air, as there still is now at 3.30pm.The house feels cold and it's time to start putting on the fire.
One of my favourite programmes on Tv in Hong Kong was the World Live that used to come on after the news or weather on TVB or ATV.I used to enjoy watching it with Joseph, who would say "Have you been there Daddy"? I often had, as it was quite often showing live pictures from various parts of Germany, where I lived for 8 years as a boy. I used to enjoy seeing Europe-live, being so far away in Asia. I switched on the Sky travel tv channel today and my heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw Hong-Kong-live.It would have been about 9pm on Friday night, and I imagined the multitudes of people in TST and all of the Gweilos in Lan Kwai Fong and the people I know in the Old China.I could see ferries on the harbour-were you on a ferry at 9pm on Friday?, if you were I was watching you!
I am pretty sure they don't have one trained on the Mersey, but I was in Travalgar square in the summer-Did you see me?
As in Hong Kong 'World Live' is only shown on the hour for a few minutes, shame really as I think I could quite happily watch a channel with just that on it all the time.
Well, it has now been pretty much 3 months since I was last in a pub.My parents are moving back to the UK next week and will be living in Southport.I am looking forward to visiting them and going to the pub, as there is no way that I will go to any around here on the Wirral.
I applied for a job in the jobcentre this week, I'll let you know how I get on.
Chinese lessons are going well, it is actually not as difficult as I thought it would be to read and write.
I am hoping that the price of chicken starts to plummet as bird flu panic spreads .It doesn't matter if something is safe to eat or not, people are just paranoid about food. They keep on mentioning the fact that 140 people have died from HN51 , what they don't say is that all of those people handled live birds, and that is over a 7 year period.I seem to remember that Bird Flu first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997/98, or maybe a bit later. I bet you 140 people have died from eating bananas since 1997.
One of my favourite programmes on Tv in Hong Kong was the World Live that used to come on after the news or weather on TVB or ATV.I used to enjoy watching it with Joseph, who would say "Have you been there Daddy"? I often had, as it was quite often showing live pictures from various parts of Germany, where I lived for 8 years as a boy. I used to enjoy seeing Europe-live, being so far away in Asia. I switched on the Sky travel tv channel today and my heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw Hong-Kong-live.It would have been about 9pm on Friday night, and I imagined the multitudes of people in TST and all of the Gweilos in Lan Kwai Fong and the people I know in the Old China.I could see ferries on the harbour-were you on a ferry at 9pm on Friday?, if you were I was watching you!
I am pretty sure they don't have one trained on the Mersey, but I was in Travalgar square in the summer-Did you see me?
As in Hong Kong 'World Live' is only shown on the hour for a few minutes, shame really as I think I could quite happily watch a channel with just that on it all the time.
Well, it has now been pretty much 3 months since I was last in a pub.My parents are moving back to the UK next week and will be living in Southport.I am looking forward to visiting them and going to the pub, as there is no way that I will go to any around here on the Wirral.
I applied for a job in the jobcentre this week, I'll let you know how I get on.
Chinese lessons are going well, it is actually not as difficult as I thought it would be to read and write.
I am hoping that the price of chicken starts to plummet as bird flu panic spreads .It doesn't matter if something is safe to eat or not, people are just paranoid about food. They keep on mentioning the fact that 140 people have died from HN51 , what they don't say is that all of those people handled live birds, and that is over a 7 year period.I seem to remember that Bird Flu first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997/98, or maybe a bit later. I bet you 140 people have died from eating bananas since 1997.
i'd hate to be a chicken
The biggest news here at the moment is the arrival of bird flu-HN51 to be exact. Of course panic seems to be the order of the day.Strange really,considering that the sight of a live chicken around here would promt the same reaction as seeing ET.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
squirrel
Well it is that time of year here where winter clothes need to be bought, heating bills go up and the nights are rapidly drawing in.
We went to China town last week and bought enough rice for the winter. I bought a new jacket, as my teacher's suit jacket was not doing the job anymore.
I also got cable TV installed , if we have to stay inside we may as well have 150 channels of shit to watch rather than 4. The first frost is due tonight, we don't have central heating, but i'm sure it wont be that bad.
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