Today is a most unusual day, this Wednesday, September 11, 2024 as you shall soon see. It began very early, about 3 am. Waking up at that time was necessary in order for me to send a wire transfer money to my trusty Computer Guru. You see World Clock tells me that Eastern United States is 12 hours behind my Malaysian hours. I was able to connect, being a Chase Private Client does have its advantages, that is for sure. Mission accomplished!!!
Do not think I went back to sleep – offered Fajr prayer in a timely fashion. On the way to the Breakfast Buffet stopped at Reception to ask for assistance.
Me: Please help me say thank you in Malay.
He: Of Course. Shall I write it for you.
Me: Yes please.
Armed with the words term kasih I sent a WhatsApp message.in answer to this question.
He: How do you say thank you in Malay.
Me: Terima Kasih, Terima Kasih, Terima Kasih, Is this some kind of strange test you are putting me through so early in the morning. Bye for now,
A laughing response and then a message
He: Well done! I am proud of you. See you can speak other languages.
Me: Thank you for your confidence in me.
I am extremely stubborn, and I do admit that it is a failing, if not a sin. I do not feel confident speaking other languages and so stubbornly refuse to learn. I understand FINALLY, the importance of learning the language (or in this case the dialect) of where one is living. I have stubbornly refused to do so – needed this special encouragement to do so. I have made the commitment to make Malaysia My Second Home – therefore needed a big push, I got one. Will do. Speaking the Penang dialect is not that difficult – it is not like Arabic.
This man also speaks French. I have a large French vocabulary so occasionally I will speak French with him. Who said you can not teach old dogs new tricks. Hahaha
You cannot teach old dogs new tricks is an idiom used to say that a person who is old or is used to doing things in a certain way cannot learn or does not want to learn a new way. That is definitely me – I do not want to learn a new way. it refers to peoples’ stubbornness to learn new things when they are already set in their ways. They’re able to learn, but sometimes they simply don’t want to.
This man did have some help. I spoke of an amazing woman yesterday. (She does not have a nickname as yet.) We were talking over breakfast surrounded with other Malaysian people. They suddenly began speaking their language. She explained that English was their formal language, or the work setting but when they feel comfortable and intimate with others they speak their dialect – not Malay exactly. That was extra motivation.
“It seems like a conspiracy,” I laughingly write. It cannot be, they have not met, they do not know one another. The poor guy did need some help – she alone could not have done it either.
Getting back to dogs briefly. A question: Is it too late to teach my dog new tricks?
Answer:There’s no such thing as a dog too old to train and with reward based training methods, you can really enrich their life. It’s a common misconception that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Modern dog training methods are suitable for canine companions at any stage of their life.
Learning to speak this Malay dialect will enrich my life, I am sure. I must think of a reward system. Hahaha The poor man.
Then it was down for Breakfast Buffet Number one which consisted of fruit, orange juice, coffee and old fashioned rice pudding – absolutely delicious.
Back to the room, did some writing – but back to the Breakfast Buffet for Break Number 2 because I promised to make my soon to be famous Alexis Malay eggs for the Powers That Be. Arrived, just in time for the Presidential Debates – honest to goodness. It was a joke – send off a text.
Me: I am laughing at the two clowns, It is pathetic. I made a reel of the breakfast buffet with the Presidential Debates on TV.
He: Oh dear, good entertainment those debates.
With the help of one of the chefs made and served my Malay eggs to Ben Hur and a Master Chef, Mr. Lee. King Ong was in a meeting but said he will partake of my cuisine tomorrow.
Then back to my room, where I will be in hiding all day. There are not one, not two but 500 men from India in this hotel today. I will avoid the congestion, the crowded elevators etc etc etc.
I have snacks and non alcoholic beer – I will be fine.
Sent off a text message.
Me: I feel like a maiden in the tower of my Scottish castle safe from the ‘mogul’ hordes, speaking with my mustache free butler.
In the past we had this exchange of words (in English)
He: I just read your email Your Highness, Well if you do decide to to buy it and turn it into a royal stay and I need to be your royal butler I will have to grow a moustache.
Me: No need for the mustache. They tickle
If I do purchase a Scottish castle there will be a need for a butler – apparently I will draw up a contract – he is insisting on multiple coffee breaks with free coffee, no sugar Who knows??
I had sent a photograph of myself with my face painted as the Scottish flag.
Me: Scottish loyalty. When I get into something I really get into something. Anything worth doing is with overdoing. Do not know the author of that saying.
He: Oh my God Allah and the Holy Spirit William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. It is funny but more amazing than anything. I love it.
So clearly having long distance fun , with this man. I attempted to send an Instagram reel to him.. He was unable to download it, here is what is said.
Instagram bores, irritates, sometimes soothes and sometimes inspires. A Oprah Winfrey reel inspired. She spoke of a poem she received for her fiftieth birthday from Maya Angelou, my hero and inspiration. The poem was called Continue. “ I hope you continue to astonish the mean world with your acts of kindness. I hope that gratitude will be the pillow on which you kneel every night.” Oprah eloquently vowed: “I will continue to astonish the mean world with my acts kindness. I will continue to live in the space of gratitude and move and have my being in all that is God . To God be the Glory. “
That is SO inspirational. I shall pretend that Maya sent Continue to me and will adopt this as my raison d’être, In French, raison d’etre literally means “reason for being,” and in English it means about the same. Someone’s raison d’être is the most important thing to them.
The language guy referred to in the second paragraph speaks French/ Spanish/English and Indonesian. I listened to the Google French pronunciation guy which enabled me to learn how to pronounce the expression. Next time I talk to him I shall dazzle him with my fine French.
But is this fair? He cannot download a reel and he does not read this blog. This is known as inequity. Inequity is lack of fairness or justice. And I used to be a lawyer. There is something wrong with this picture. More later.
Photographs will include a television in the breakfast buffet playing the Presidential Debate. There is also a photograph of a sign that I have been asking be put up in the breakfast buffet asking that croissants not be put in the toaster as it could start a fire. I made this request on an almost weekly basis to various personal over a period of four months. The requested sign n appeared. Two days later it was gone. Yet again, there is something wrong with this picutre. Oh well, when a fire starts I can just say: “I told you so.” At the moment, I have given up.
I love the expression “hissy fit” It is a sudden period of uncontrolled and silly anger like a child’s. I am capable of throwing a hissy fit but it is not exactly astonishing a mean world with acts of kindness.” A “hissy fit” connotes immaturity, but not quite on the level of a tantrum—a toddler might throw a tantrum, a surly teenager might throw a hissy fit, and a grouchy middle-aged man might throw a rant.”I am not a man so I guess I cannot rant.
Oh yes.. also the photo of my face painted as the Scottish flag.
