english?


this picture is titled '- tea party,' funny how different it meant to the two parties. as im chewing on my peanut buttered toast, i am scribbling couple things out of interest. small but sure differences. miraculous that one can understand one another sometimes using languages. i suppose that's why sometimes we fail and people turn their backs on others/ ignore/ be unkind/ ruthless. sigh.

nutella vs. peanut butter
bitters at room temp vs. ice cold lager
cold rooms vs. 32nd floor roasting rooms
credit card with smart-chips vs. without
spotify vs. no more spotify *damn
pissed (drunk) vs. pissed (angry)
chips vs. fries
crisps vs. chips
indian vs. whatevers on toronto streets
tea vs. dinner
loo vs. bathroom
fag vs. cig
supper (wee bit snack before bed) vs. supper (dinner)
biscuit vs. cookie
chemist vs. pharmacist
dust bin vs. garbage bin
ground floor vs. first floor
sweets vs. candy
tin vs. can
rubbish vs. trash
'you alright?' vs. 'how goes?'

but i was thinking (after the initial 'publishing')- despite of all these 'finer' differences of the world, there are room for compassion, which can easily override the most stretched gaps. as rare as it is, true communication often does not depend on words but of the individuals- each thoughts and expressions being open and linked, like the poles that holds the cables to compose a beautiful suspension bridge. and without the flexibility, such bridge cannot withstand the variables of life- whether it be acute stress, weather or a BOMB (joking or not).

these small language differences actually brought many laughters and silliness. especially the last one. it would typically go something like this:

s: you alright?
c: i thought so- why? is something wrong?
s: i meant- you ok?
c: ya- hmm, should i not be?
s: no, no, things seems okay-
c: (then whats the matter?!?)
s: (damned american english)

only because i was used to the pre-context from north america: 'you alright' somehow included feeling of a concern, that something isnt exactly right. because something is NOT right, you would ask- as a rhetoric. and well, the brits thought differently: it was just a passing greeting, just to see how one is, really. took a while, that one. and it still makes me laugh.

english or not, perhaps what im missing (and miss even more as time goes on) is the possible closeness of human connection. the immediate communication and ease of expression, in person. it is difficult to foresee how some random things such as water (the good sized puddle called atlantic), or a face on a coin (the queen who refuses to grant me the right to work), along with small linguistic discrepancies (once you throw in things like french, it gets even more complicated) could have such profound effect on one's direction. a small tangent.

so in plain english, i am thinking aloud. i know that because of where everyone is, i will always be missing people wherever i am (i think it would be logistically impossible to get everyone i know together ever...), and that i should be thankful for these souls' generosities, sharing their lives and time with me (which i am).

it is hard missing people. but it is also a joy when one is with such company. cannot have just one side of the coin- arrival and departure is inevitably paired. so while i chew on this bittersweet concept, love to you all. feel free to translate it to any language you would like. including a side-eye-glances or a simple 'hello.' or a simple wag of tails, as puppies do.

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