Countdown to the new year and random stuff

[elusivek]

It was a boring day today.

Tomorrow is the "last" day of the lunar year, so we get to leave work by 4pm. Some companies get the afternoon off outright. But that's something like an unwritten rule. Companies are not obliged to let you have an early release, but it's something that's done. With the caveat that "as long as you have completed the day's tasks and it will not affect the company's work". So most of the Admin or desk people get to leave early. Operations people will have to work their full shifts, because, well, they are Operations.

It also rained early this morning, and had a constant drizzle throughout the day. This reminds me of a post topic I've always wanted to write but don't have enough material to write, so I'll just mesh it up here.

A light rain is called a drizzle, right? Growing up, my Dad said nizzle or neezle. So, back in school, it I was wrong a few times when writing essays or compositions.

Also, the word "taught" (and caught, and naught, etc). Now I know how to read it, but my Mom would pronounce the last "ught" like the end of "torch". Probably because of the work "teach", so when my Mom used the word she'd say something like "taurch". I had been affected for a while and pronounced those words like that until a teacher put me straight.

But then again, there were times that, because this is a predominantly Chinese-city, and English is practically ESL for everyone, there have been cases when it was that my English was too advanced for the teachers. Like I remember one time in primary 2 or 3, we were talking about the weather, and the teacher asked us what to do when it's hot. So I answered "you wear clothes with short sleeves." Ms. Carmen, bless her, did not understand me. "I don't understand what you are saying," and marked me as wrong. Some 30 years later, let me let out a very passionate WTF! For my past self.

So, I did speak English growing up (the one common language between Dad and Mom) but English was also a second (or even a third) language for the both of them. So there were certain terminology or pronunciations or word usage that probably isn't 100% correct.

That certainly also came up when I was in University. In my first year, I had an Australian Chinese lady that had said that my English was way too advanced for the course, so I got an easy A that year.

But then in my second year, it was an American lady who seemed to hate my guts and was always nitpicking at every word I used, as if, "you think you're so good? I'll prove you are not good." So I didn't know how to pronounce the word aisle. I went a very direct way and read it as "ai-sel" (well, now I know it's like "isle"). Also the word "intern". So there's an internship, and there's an "intern", now I know that. But when I didn't know that, I was thinking of, there's training, and there's trainee, so it's "internee". I got a C for English that year.

In my third year, it was a Malay woman, and she was nice enough. We chatted a lot about books. I managed an A again. Lastly in the fourth year, it was that Australian Chinese lady again, again an easy A.

I still think that American woman hated my guts. You can see in my 4 years of University, if I As for 3 years, it's an anomaly that I got a C, so yeah. Easy. I can hate that woman back LOL. I don't even recall her name.

... talking about remembering names... as I was walking out of the company via the staff entrance earlier today, someone looked at me and actually called me out by name, "oh... Katherina! You are working here? I'm going to the canteen for lunch!" Maybe she saw that I didn't quite recognize her, so she took off her mask... but... even without the mask, I don't know who she is!! But she was able to call me by my long name! (Ever since joining the "working world", people will either just call me Kat for short, or pronounce it as some form of Katherine or Kathryn)... so she must be someone from.... way way waaaaayyyy back then... but WHO IS SHE!??? I'm slightly leaning towards, one of my teachers in primary school. Maybe Miss Wendy. But I can't be sure. I just very coolly said hello and nodded at her and left, but internally, I'm having a riot inside. Who!? Who!? Who!? It can't have been a school teacher. I have nothing against croupiers and dealers, but usually to work as a dealer (the casino kind, not the drug kind) kind of carries a connotation that either 1) You're desperate for cash, or 2) You didn't finish school or are just high school graduate, because requirements to be a dealer are rather basic, but the salary is high, comparing to other jobs that have the same requirement.

I know there are cases where it's the person's personality, like my Mom had a work colleague, double bachelors major and all that, but apparently wasn't happy, ever, working as a teacher, and switched jobs to be a dealer and was very much happier. I don't deny that. But it is a rather weird jump from a respectable job as a teacher to a dealer. I'm not judging. I just mean, as a teacher (and i do mean back then) you have a stable work hours, whereas as a dealer you have to go on shift and work at all weird hours of the day.

This is a can of worms I'm opening. I better shut up. Once again, I'm not disparaging the work of dealers/croupiers. It's just with the social connotation it has here in Macau, it's weird. IF that lady IS this Ms. Wendy I'm thinking that she is. Probably knows me from somewhere else... but I really just couldn't recognize her...