gissy truly sux.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Hmm. I noticed something.

When the second and third generation dies off, Singapore's remaining population may not speak dialects at all. At the most, it'll be 15% who will continue to speak dialects.

That's horrible.

We should make an effort to speak them, learn them while we can.

Not everyone of around my age nowadays can converse effectively in a dialect. We should learn.

And today, I was talking to my grandma.

She's really old.. Probably may not survive beyond, say, 5 years? I really don't know.

Sad, but ya. She asked me if I wanted a necklace.

Then I said no, cause I don't use them and they're such hassles.

Then she said that I could just put it on and leave it there, no committment attached.

I wanted to explain to her that it doesn't usually match my clothes, but didn't know how to say it in Cantonese, so I just kept quiet.

Then she went on by saying that all her grandchildren have one and she's not biased. And she said something along the lines of.. If she dies, I'll have something to keep from her.

My first thoughts were:

Then all the more I wouldn't want it. When my cat Bacon died, his picture was on my handphone background and I never changed it ever since then.. Until I got a new phone. And then I told myself it was time to let go. He died when in September 2005. I changed my phone just a month or two or three ago.

The point is. If my grandma gives me a necklace and I wear it like how I used to wear this particular chain around my neck 24/7, when she dies.. When will I ever take it off? I probably won't dare. I'll feel as though I'm not doing her justice if I take it off. So no. I won't want a necklace.

Then I wondered.. Cantonese. It's the only thing she'll leave behind with me. Okay, my aunts and all had a part in teaching me Cantonese, but my grandma was the main person.

So when she dies, I should. I SHOULD make an effort to practise Cantonese. Maybe even teach Hung. Learn from Chin Ho and Cheng Hung and Wyntrice and Melissa and my ex-Chinese teacher. I'm sure a lot of them know. No harm asking here and there. Then teach. Teach Wai Wan and Cai Xiang. Cai Xiang seems quite okay with learning it. Wai wan is EAGER to learn it. Or so I think.

Hmm.

darkness falls at 7:09 PM