Let's Just Chat

I have been wondering abit. After having written my blog in Chinese
for a few years now, and reading my internet feed mostly in Chinese
since last year, can I still write something decent in English?

There. One long gramatically correct sentence. DONE~

I better practise more. But man, this is really kind of rusty.

Even though it is sooo much easier to think and type in English, now I
have to translate my thoughts into English first. I need to practise.

For what if round the corner next week or month I run into trouble with
bank fees again? My dear Banks, you guys are my main motivation to
retain my English writing skills. So that I can claw money back from your
careless hands due to your careless operations!

Just lately, a reputed offshore bank sent a letter to my husband,
asking for his late brother's car hire purchase instalments to be repaid soon, or
be prepared to receive their legal letter.

What's atrocious was, the car had already been towed back and sold off by the bank a
couple months back. That, after my husband informed them of his brother's death.
And they agreed to settle the hire purchase agreement that way.

Now, they sent a letter to chase for payment.

It only says one thing. Something went wrong with their internal procedures.
The case was not closed internally.

The bank may not be ashamed, for god knows they might have done this many times. Oops.
But to the deceased relatives, it can be quite a harrowing experience.
To be still grieving and instead of comfort, have people come knocking on your
door for "debts unsettled." The insensitivity of it all.

I did not need to write in. The husband settled it by himself.
Calling up people and trying to reason things out. They somehow insisted they were right,
so he left them to sort it out on their own.

With these erm, "grass bags" (Chinese :草包： good-for-nothing) working in banks,
who supposedly take care of our finances, I thought I had better be oiling my language
so we do not need to rely on lawyers for simple cases.

Because writing and communicating is a coveted skill.

Words are powerful.

And I have that power.

So I shall not lose it.

But I probably am not going to save the world. Just protecting abit of my own interest. That's all.

I spent my school years majoring in Maths and Science. Later Accounting.
But when I work as a stay-at-home-mom, I realise the most important of
all the subjects is language. English and Chinese.

Science subjects train our minds to be nimble and clear.
Language helps us express ourselves. It clothes our minds.

If you speak or write clear and well, people hear you.
If you do not, all the knowledge or ideas in you evaporates into thin air as you speak.

This is why, I am very concerned with my children's language education.

I used to have a mildly autistic classmate in primary school. He was
good in his studies and went on to clinch top in History for his "A" levels.
But when we met, he was doing temp job in my company. Disadvantaged,
probably due to a difficulty in communicating.

I also remember lecturers in school, whom, after a term doing
their subjects, sometimes you still couldn't make out what they say in their strong
accents or bad English.

So to me, communication skills - writing, reading, listening, speaking are very important.

More so in today's world. Where most of the ideas are communicated via writing.

Probably what I can learn is to write less pointedly when I am in English mode.
So sorry if I come accross as bitchy in English...you already know what it had been mainly
used for in the past years - complaints letters..hahahaha