Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Multiple meanings of 'sorry'

Credits: Getty Images


sor⋅ry
  /ˈsɒri, ˈsɔri/ [sor-ee, sawr-ee]
–adjective, -ri⋅er, -ri⋅est.

1. feeling regret, compunction, sympathy, pity, etc.: to be sorry to leave one's friends; to be sorry for a remark; to be sorry for someone in trouble.
2. regrettable or deplorable; unfortunate; tragic: a sorry situation; to come to a sorry end.
3. sorrowful, grieved, or sad: Was she sorry when her brother died?
4. associated with sorrow; suggestive of grief or suffering; melancholy; dismal.
5. wretched, poor, useless, or pitiful: a sorry horse.
6. (used interjectionally as a conventional apology or expression of regret): Sorry, you're misinformed. Did I bump you? Sorry.


When someone says 'sorry' to you, are they really apologising, or are they expressing their sympathy, or maybe just for the sake of mocking you?

I remembered when I took Advanced Translation last semester, there was a discussion on the meaning of 'sorry' in a particular incident involving the Americans and the Chinese. It was the incident where a Chinese pilot Wang Wei who was killed at the Chinese airbase when an American aircraft made emergency landing into the airbase and collided with Wang Wei's aircraft. The Chinese required the America authourities to apologise for their mistakes, but instead of apologising directly, there was a clear play of the word 'sorry' in the American report and the Chinese translation of the content.

Below are extracted from the 2 articles that the prof shared:
American paper reporting the words of the American authority:
"Please convey to the Chinese people and to the family of pilot Wang Wei that we are very sorry for their loss..."
Chinese paper reporting on American response:
"我们对飞行员与飞行员王伟的失踪和那架飞机坠毁深感歉意..."

For readers who have sufficient command of both languages who have noticed that their is an obvious difference in the meaning of 'sorry' expressed. People who translated the American newspaper article should obviously know enough English to understand the meaning of 'sorry' accurately. So why that mistake on purpose?

From that lesson, I learnt that sometimes, making use of the ambiguity of certain words to create a perception of the real intention of the writer could reduce if not resolve a dispute. Whatever the real intention of the writer, only matters to those who agree with the real intention.

From today's Famous Quotes:
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.
Anais Nin

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SpilLeD by b|uE at 11:52:00 pm

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Idolism - new eye candy

I know I have too many to count these days, but this guy I've liked him since he acted as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera movie. Even though half his face was covered in the movie, I was still attracted by him. His voice - so strong and powerful~!!

Not only that, he's also very charismatic and good-looking!! Graduated with a law degree with talent in acting and singing, some say that he's the next James Bond after Pierce Brosnan! Brains, talent and looks all in one, and I read he's very sociable too! How rare.

I'm so happy that he's appearing in more than one movie this season. Can't get enough of him after P.S I love you and 300!!I wanna watch BOTH - The Ugly Truth and Gamer!!

I need time!!!

Gerard Butler

('GER-ahh-rd' not 'Gah-RARD' like how the Americans pronounce this name)

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SpilLeD by b|uE at 11:35:00 pm

Monday, September 14, 2009

On the train this afternoon...

On the train this afternoon, I saw a pair of brothers sitting opposite me... I had my headphones on, but I could tell from the body language that they were very close. Even if they weren't related by blood, relationship wise, they are as good as brothers. The elder brother wore a TPJC PE shirt, I presume he's abt 18. The younger one, wore a primary school uniform. Initially, I was curious to see a TPJC student boarding the train ar Redhill, so I observed his interaction with the primary school kid next to him. With my headphones on, I had no idea what they were talking about. But the little boy was smiling so brightly that I knew it was not because of his bulging front teeth. He was enjoying the company of this elder brother. The elder brother was bending slightly to listen to his brother speak in the noisy train, devoting his attention to him. They must like each other alot. When they finally got 2 adjacent seats, the elder brother handed one side of his earpiece to his little brother. The little boy still smiling blissfully as if he's the happiest boy on the train. If not the entire train, he must be the happiest person in the crowded cabin. Kids, they're so easily satisfied.

Their sibling love is precious and rare. I wonder how they develop such close relationship. Looking at how the elder brother took care of his younger brother, (probably even went all the way from Tampines to Redhill to fetch his brother), how I wish I have someone like that for me too, or at least, hopefully I can be someone like that to someone too.

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SpilLeD by b|uE at 8:49:00 pm

Friday, September 11, 2009

Always look at the bright side of life

Credits: Getty Images


Optimism. Something I need but seriously lack. Instead of waiting for a black Tourmaline to absorb the negativity and change my perceptions in life, I decide to take a first step and start looking at the bright side. Really looking. I started with the real mundane stuff: the waiting time for bus.


This is the most frequent, necessary wait for most of us who can’t afford cars. Every morning, afternoon, evening, I have to wait in agony for the freaking bus to appear. The wait is always loooong, fearful (of being late) and even frustrating. As you can see, I always frustrate myself with the endless waiting time and become vexed and bad-tempered because of that. Indeed, the duration of wait could make or break my day.


On Monday I think, I suddenly have the urge to be positive! Of course, a perfect start really helped. That day, I didn’t wait for the bus at all!! First, I arrived at the bus stop just in time to see Bus 81 slow to a stop. Later on, I arrived at Kovan mrt in time to see the mrt decelerate and open the door!


Any NUS student who go to school by NEL knows that the wait for Bus 10 could make our neck grow as long as a giraffe’s. I tried cursing and swearing for 30 mins while waiting for that bus. On this fateful day, I didn’t wait for it at all! It was right at the bus stop when I reached and even though I have to run for it, it was still totally amazing that I waited 0mins. Of course, everything was bright and beautiful that day. I was so LUCKY that day 


Subsequently, waiting for bus becomes decreasing vexing because I kept telling myself that it would come eventually and enjoyed the wait with a book or my Zen instead. Focus on knowing that the bus would come rather than questioning when it will come makes the wait seem shorter and more bearable. Because the wait for my transport still make or break my day, the rest of my day feels brighter and better and more smooth-sailing than before. I’m starting to feel a change in me 

SpilLeD by b|uE at 1:11:00 am

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Unclenching your fist

Credits: Getty Images



"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist"

Quoted from Indira Gandhi, this quote which appeared in my quote of the day column reflected some thoughts that I have for the past few days.

'Shaking hands' symbolises acceptance while 'clenched fists' represents enclosing yourself, harbouring on negative thoughts and not being able to let go. Indeed, this thorn in my flesh had been there for months and despite my best efforts to ignore it, it was always there to bug me, to remind me of the unbearable memories.

Forgiveness is what this sentence is about, according to my interpretation. In order to embrace yourself and others, you have to first relief yourself of troubles and worries.

Someone from that past incident asked me for my forgiveness sometime ago. At that point of time, I was incapable of giving. Forgive and forget. I could only disguise the latter as the former and hopefully the someone will stop bothering me.

'Time heals all wounds,' Shung had said. I didn't believe. Now I did. I don't think that someone cared about receiving this forgiveness anymore but to me, and I don't care if he does.

This post is just an announcement sort of, to myself, that I am ready to unclench my fist and shake hands with myself again.

Three cheers to this momentous step, and maybe after this, I can bear for my hair to be long again. :)

SpilLeD by b|uE at 1:15:00 am

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

妈妈煮的菜

趁着放假，妈妈为我们烹煮了晚餐。
以前总是嫌弃她的厨艺， 认为她没有新意。
但是，相隔许久，再次吃到她为我们准备的家常菜，反而觉得格外温馨。
原来，难得的东西真得非常珍贵。妈妈的家常菜其实非常美味。
虽然没有食欲，但是还想把菜吃完。

无比窝心~

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SpilLeD by b|uE at 10:30:00 pm

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

My Short Hair

I know I should be studying and preparing for my lecture tomorrow. But my hand seemed to have a mind of its own. My photo album on FB reminded me that I have been snipping my hair shorter and shorter since last June. I've tried in total, 5 different styles!

Right now, as my weighty hair, stuffy scalp and heavy head, bothers me, I find myself browsing for the next hairstyle.

I love having short hair. Low maintenance and conditioning. I just have to ruffle my hair with some wax when I want some kind of style, or simply with water to keep it volumised. I don't even have to comb my hair.

But the irritation comes when hair starts to grow and slowly goes out of shape, and the messiness no longer look stylish, but untidy. As my hair starts to weigh my head down, as my scalp become stuffy, as my shoulder starts to feel the burden of supporting the new weight, I know I need a haircut.

What is bothersome is also my monthly visits to the salon. It's costly and time-consuming! If only I can find a good one just at my doorstep. Still, the short hairstyles seem to appeal to me more. Any good and affordable stylist to recommend?



Totally random, but I love the leathery smell of my new sofa :)

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SpilLeD by b|uE at 10:51:00 pm

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Best Teachers' Day gift

1st September, Teachers' Day. I think I might have understood what teachers mean when they say that the best teachers' day gifts are the students' good grades.

Today is the best teachers' day I ever had, I'd say.
Peng passed her Math for the first time during this Preliminary exam and hit her first 70 marks for her Chinese paper :P
Even though the other papers weren't that great~ I am very satisfied with her improvement! I told her that, as a form of encouragement and that these was the best teachers' day gift I had. Of course I didn't forget to remind her that this is not the time to celebrate yet.

Things were optimistic at Nig's and Xav's side as well. Nig improved his Eng and Chi and even topped his class. Xav did not bad for Science and Chinese. Hopefully they do well for the other papers.

The results, made me far happier than the pencil holders that they gave me.
I'm not praising myself. It was really the happiness and sense of satisfaction that I felt when I see that their hard work paid off, and that my reprimanding and tutoring seemed to have some effect on them.

Of course, it'd be best if they can produce this results for PSLE <3>

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SpilLeD by b|uE at 8:13:00 pm