How To Stay Safe - From Children's View

The recent case of a 15 year old being murdered, has made me extremely worried about my girls. (What is this world coming to?)

I went on to share with the girls some of safety measure they could take to prevent themselves from being a victim. Just to make sure they understand it, their writing project yesterday was to write about How To Stay Safe.





One thing still missing from their list, that is to keep their parents informed wherever they go. I have to continue to drill that.

And mind their spelling, they don't use spell check like us adults on the PC/phone/tablets.

(Zaria still have a very vague understanding of what rape is, but Zara knows what happen in a rape, and she said it's too disgusting to write it down in her journal.)

The Pros And Cons Of Being Bilingual

My parents sent my siblings to English missionary schools for 12 years (except my youngest sister who went to Chinese primary school and later moved on to missionary school), where as I went to Chinese primary school and then Chinese Independent school for secondary education.

I spent most of my schooling days speaking Cantonese (thanks to TVB and KL culture), and then when I started work, it was almost English all the way. For the last 6- 7 years I'm conversing more in Mandarin since I have to work with Taiwanese and mainland Chinese, speak to the girls' school teachers.

The first thing that gauge what is the language that you are strong in would be what language do your brain think in? Mine? English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Even when I pray, I use more than one language in my conversation with God.

So there, I seem to have an advantage over my siblings, and some co-workers who don't speak Chinese, or mothers who can't help their Chinese school going children with homework because they never learnt Chinese. But... I find there are some disadvantages too. Here is what I think are the Pros and Cons of being bilingual.

Pros
1. I have a wider range of books to read and reference. For someone who likes to read, cook and bake, this is really great!
2. I can guide the girls in their school work.
3. My Chinese speaking colleagues warm up to me faster, and tell me things that they won't tell the English speaking colleagues (at least not until they warm up to them).
4. I can read Chinese menus, Chinese sign boards in restaurants, it helps even locally.
5. I have no problem reading Chinese notice from school, or communicating to teachers in the girls' school.
6. I can google in Chinese. When it's related to Chinese herbs, Chinese places, Chinese recipe

Cons
1. I'm never very proficient in either language. Sometimes knowing how to say something in English but not Chinese, and vice versa.
2. Because of 1, it sometimes takes a moment longer for me to form a sentence in either language, occasionally even having to use Google or Phone Apps to help.
3. I'm never as eloquent as a native speaker. Even Zara speaks better English than me now, she use words more efficiently and effectively. I'm always in awe of those who can say/write something so well or beautifully, while I may sound so crude and unpolished.
4. I have the feeling that people are less tolerant of your Grammatical mistakes or mispronunciation of words ("Neh, she's from Chinese school, that's why.")

For those of you who are bilingual, do you feel the same?

Fist Fighting - By The Girls

The girls although love each other and enjoy each other's company very much, they are also always bickering over the smallest issues. Lately, they have even started fist fighting!

One day, it was because Zara drew a picture of Zaria kissing someone. *POW* Zaria gave Zara a punch, and then Zara punched back, and then the punching began, until I intervened. So as a punishment, they had to write 20 lines "I shall not fight (with my sister) anymore." in Chinese.


As if they learnt.

Another day, Zara tickled Zaria when Zaria was doing a handstand on the sofa (which is forbidden); to retaliate, Zaria put her hand into Zara's pants and started tickling Zara's buttocks. Zara of course didn't like it, and started beating Zaria, and Zaria fought back; it was PUNCH PUNCH BEAT BEAT until I intervened. Again, they have to write 20 lines "I shall not fight (with my sister) anymore." in Chinese. Sigh.

Here are their comic strips capturing the 'moment'.




o.O" (And they said I'm mean for punishing them!）

Do your kids fist fight with each other too?