What's in a name? Quite a lot

If i write that my name is Chan and I am Chiuchow you can tell several things about me. You will know my name and the part of China where I have family roots. But you can also guess that I am from Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong.

If I wrote that I am Chen and of Chaozhou origin, you could tell that I have the same Chinese name and ancestral area, but you could also tell that I am from the mainland, since I write in Pinyin. And if I wrote that I am Tan and Teochew, you could tell it's the same name and place again, but you might guess I am probably from a place such as Singapore or Thailand where the spelling reflects the local pronunciation.

The strange thing about this feature of our culture is that people who read Chinese will miss this information. They will see the name, and that will be that. But if they see Wu, Ng or Goh, they will be able to guess this is someone from the mainland, Hong Kong or Southeast Asia, respectively. It can be quite specific.

Oei is probably from Indonesia, and Vong from Macau (they are both Wong to us). Non-Chinese readers can actually know more than someone looking only at the Chinese.

There is an alternative to writing names as they are pronounced. If you use Chinese on your Hong Kong identity card, a dedicated number represents each character of your name. Even if you are a Tran from Vietnam or a Chin from the Philippines, you are actually 7115, like me.

By Bernard Charnwut Chan. Source: The Standard, Hong Kong

圆规 ...

陈伟联 - 圆规
专辑：走唱陈伟联
作词人：小寒 作曲人：陈伟联


风有淡淡的咸味
是寂寞在捣鬼
唆使我们爱掉眼泪
人们总不会嫌累
车窗里 看星坠毁
听着叫回忆的音轨
我握着话筒不睡
不想到天亮才追悔
这个距离是你唯一能够给
给我的依偎
还以为 要为爱情的花蕾
建一座堡垒
就能够和世界对垒
却把我反锁在外头低徊
你的防卫 就像一个圆规
怕犯规 忘了谁
设定我 爱你的范围
不能进只能退 远远看你的美

我握着话筒不睡
不想到天亮才追悔
这个距离是你唯一能够给
给我的依偎
还以为 要为爱情的花蕾
建一座堡垒
就能够和世界对垒
却把我反锁在外头低徊
你的防卫 就像一个圆规
怕犯规 忘了谁
设定我 爱你的范围
不能进只能退 远远看你的美
还以为 要为爱情建一座堡垒
就能够和世界对垒
却把我反锁在外头低徊
你的防卫 就像一个圆规
怕犯规 忘了谁
设定我 爱你的范围
远远看你的美
我也只能退 远远看你

Yesterday ...

The Beatles - Yesterday

Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly,
I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Why she
Had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say.
I said,
Something wrong, now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday,
Love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Why she
Had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say.
I said,
Something wrong, now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday,
Love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.

分手總要在雨天 ...

張學友 - 分手總要在雨天
曲︰片山圭司
詞︰陳少琪
編︰盧東尼


晨曦细雨重临在这大地
人孤孤单单躲避
转身刹那在这熟识的路旁
察觉身后路人是你
如一套戏重逢在这旧地
而彼此不知怎预备
一些叹气跟一串慰问
和随便说一些赞美
为何你眼光年月未变
思忆怎么要再返旧年
你说要走的一晚
连绵夜雨也似这天
总要在雨天逃避某段从前
但雨点偏偏促使这样遇见
总要在雨天人便挂念从前
在痛哭拥抱告别后从没再见
而一个我言词渐觉乏味
人不知怎么躲避
终於看见在这热识的路旁
那个他静静凝望你
而一个你重离别这旧地
临走的一刻亲近地
轻轻送我多真挚慰问
犹如逝去当天语气

伴 ...

黄小琥 - 伴
作词：姚若龙
作曲：于晓光、李伟菘


如果 命运可以订做
如果 有另一次选择
我想我 还是会 把手让你紧握
快乐地陪你去坎坷

就算 你有天变落魄
就算 你老得不能动
我想我 还是会 挽着你看日落
你的心疼在泪光中

嘴巴上 彼此嫌麻烦
眼神中 关怀那么满
没说爱 却早已认定一辈子的伴
在人前 从来不浪漫
在心中 却总为对方打算
最懂的人最暖的伴

就算 我以后变罗嗦
就算 我老了有病痛
我想你 还是会 照顾我到最后
隐藏脆弱不眠不休

嘴巴上 彼此嫌麻烦
眼神中 关怀那么满
没说爱 却早已认定一辈子的伴
在人前 从来不浪漫
在心中 却总为对方打算
最懂的人最暖的伴

嘴巴上 彼此嫌麻烦
眼神中 关怀那么满
没说爱 却早已认定一辈子的伴
在人前 从来不浪漫
在心中 却总为对方打算
最懂的人最暖的伴

没有辛酸 没有遗憾
什么是陪伴 什么是心安
你是答案

团圆饭

我刚刚才与分別身处在3个不同地方的大哥、二哥和姐姐通过电话，向他们確定甚么时候会回 家吃团圆饭以及想要吃的菜色，毕竟这可是我们一家人在一年之中最重视的一顿晚餐，当然马虎不得。

其实，小时候，一家人住在一起，天天一起吃饭，因此，我常以为全家人可以坐下来一起吃顿团圆 饭，是那么地理所当然的。一直到后来，当兄姐们都陆续到外地深造、工作后，才发现到一家人能够在一起吃顿饭是很难得、很幸福的，也开始慢慢地懂得珍惜除夕 夜的那顿晚餐。

我的家都是在大年除夕的晚上围炉，而我们所用的火锅，可是名副其实的“火”锅，因为它 可是靠火炭来生火的。我们一家人从当天中午时分起，就开始准备火锅的材料，动手製作自家品牌的鱼丸、肉丸、熬制上汤等。我家的那两老常常为了要怎么准备食 材而斗嘴，有时候叫旁人听了都感到啼笑皆非，可是他们却似乎乐在其中，也许这就是他俩做了几十年夫妻的一种沟通方式吧！

別忘了要回家吃团圆饭呀！

每逢吃火锅时，全家最忙的就是妈妈，因为她总是忙进忙出地添加火炭，可是，她从来没有半句怨 言，她的脸上始终掛那满足的笑容。心疼妈妈忙得不可开交，所以我们买了好几个不同款式的电插式火锅送给她，可是，她始终坚持用回火炭火锅，她说火炭煮出来 的东西特別好吃。我们这些做儿女的，只好换个方式疼惜她，轮流“煽风点火”，扮演“添火炭使者”的角色了！

一家人聚在一起，吃同一锅菜，分享彼此的一切，感恩过去，期许未来──我常在想，团圆饭的意义 不就是那么地简单却又那么地深远吗？

因此，不管你多忙，记得今年一定要回家吃顿团圆饭哦！

摘自 《星洲日报/副刊》

Heaven Knows ...

Artist: Rick Price

She's always on my mind
From the time I wake up 'til I close my eyes
She's everywhere I go
She's all I know

And though she's so far away
It just keeps gettin' stronger everyday
And even now she's gone
I'm still holding on
So tell me where do I start
'Cause it's breaking my heart
Don't wanna let her go

Maybe my love will come back some day
Only heaven knows
And maybe our hearts will find a way
Only heaven knows
And all I can do is hope and pray
'Cause heaven knows

My friends keep tellin' me
That if you really love her
You've gotta set her free
And if she returns in kind
I'll know she's mine
So tell me where do I start
'Cause it's breakin' my heart
Don't wanna let her go

Maybe my love will come back some day
Only heaven knows
And maybe our hearts will find a way
Only heaven knows
And all I can do is hope and pray
'Cause heaven knows

Why I live in despair
'Cause wide awake or dreaming
I know she's never there
And all this time I act so brave
I'm shaking inside
Why does it hurt me so

Maybe my love will come back some day
Only heaven knows
And maybe our hearts will find a way
Only heaven knows
And all I can do is hope and pray

Maybe my love will come back some day
Only heaven knows
And maybe our hearts will find a way
Only heaven knows
And all I can do is hope and pray
'Cause heaven knows
Heaven knows
Heaven knows