六月十四日生まれの私 – One A also can
题目是日语，而翻译成中文为 [6月14日诞生的我]。 为何选了这个为题目？
在上个月到日本东京度了四天的初夏之旅的时看见一本日语小说 ，日语的书名是 [六月六日生まれの天使 ]， 没看清楚小说是什么故事， 觉得这个题目有意思，而刚好今天也是自己生日，所以就借了这本小说的书名作为今天的题目。
我是属十二生肖的鸡，在上世纪的五十年代的后半期，也就是旧历法的什么酉年诞生地。一下子记不起天干是什么，没 [通胜] 在手就没去查个清楚。
活了半个世纪，每年都是一样，没什么庆祝诞生日的活动。一个人生活着也没有多和其他友人 打交道，到了诞生日也就这样一人平平静静的过着。
小时候也不庆祝阳历的6月14日的这一日卫生日，而母亲是在农历的5月17日早餐上给自己添多两粒的熟鸡蛋来纪念我的诞生。所以每年要吃两粒鸡蛋时，就知道是自己的诞生日来了。
那两粒鸡蛋就这样的脱掉蛋壳清清的吃，或沾点酱油调味。小时候应为不习惯吃熟蛋，每次都不什么愿意去吃拿两鸡蛋。到了中年，近来因饮食比较减单，又还时常到健身室锻炼， 而为了增添些蛋白质，每天都带一两粒早上准备好的熟鸡蛋和些蔬菜带去上班午饭时候吃。现在已习惯也喜爱吃煮熟的鸡蛋了。
One A also can – 又从何说起呢？
照片拍摄于1966年，地点是校园内的新建游泳池，我在念小学三年级。霹雳州怡保市的英华学校，是全州内唯一的一间半私立校，建有校园内游泳池的学校。从三年级起小学生可参加学游泳班作为课外活动。父亲因为要我学会游泳，就给报名参加。
游泳班的教练是站在小孩们左右旁的男女老师， 他们当运动游泳班教练的同时也当上了教课班的班主任。女老师的名子已经忘记了，但是那位身材魁梧的男老师一直以来都留念他。 因为除了三年级我学游泳的老师外， 到了四年级他也当了我小学四A班的班主任老师。
应为英华学校是以英文为主的学校我不晓得老师的中文姓名，但是英文姓是 Hong, 名Kok Hua。中文也许是国华，是Hong老师。老师来学校上任不久，记得他告诉我们家乡是在霹雳州西南部靠近海港的红土坎港实吊远镇。住在这一区的都是以福州方言群为多数Hong老师也应该是福州或福清人吧。
记得有一天, Hong老师为他四年级班的学生们查问他们的住址。问到我的时候， 老师说；
光权，你住家的地址是 万里望镇大马路地段15606,吗?
我就顺口的回答老师说：
也可以写为 一A。
老师学生们，听了我的回答得那么又快又直率全班大笑起来。因为这句回答［也可以写为 一A］， 用英语我是说成为：One A also can．
引起全场大笑的缘故也许是因为我的回答太顺口而这句话又简陋了吧。One A also can – 的语法， 一般上是我们称为新加坡式或马来亚式的英语。正确的英文语法因该是：It can also be One A 或 It can be One A too.
以后我的名也化为 - One A also can - 了。
过了近四十年，有一天靠近过年时，在怡保市Hong老师碰见表姐。表姐和Hong老师互相认识因为他们都一直以来从年轻到退休都在怡保的小学的教育圈当教师。Hong老师也知道我是表姐是亲戚。
多年没见，老师就问起表姐，不是有位表弟吗。
我回乡过年的那年拜访姨妈时，表姐谈起遇见Hong老师的事，说老师还记得我的那句：One A also can。
那就草草的写下这个故事 小学时候的故事，作为送给自己的一个生日礼物。。。
Postscript –
1. 六月十四日生まれの私
The title written in Japanese reads: rokugatsu jyuuyokka umareno watashi, which could be translated as : Me, born on June 14
It’s adapted from the title of a suspense novel written in Japanese, and I thought it apt to use it today.
2. One A also can
I chose to write in Chinese, as most of the casual readings and books that I read nowadays are in Chinese. Though educated in English from primary one to Six Form and all in English, and Malay as a language subject, after all these years of self-taught Chinese, I found an urge express myself in the written Chinese.
Perhaps, it’s the mother tongue – that is the real mother tongue – Hakka – that has helped. The structure and pronunciation of this dialect is close to Mandarin, and it naturally laid the foundation to build up learning Mandarin.
I really feel sad for those Singapore Chinese families that taught their children to speak English as their mainstream childhood language from young. No wonder when the children grew up they abhor learning Mandarin, because of the simple fact that it’s such a foreign tongue, never mind if you call it "Mother’’ tongue.
For their mother tongue is English and not ‘Mandarin’, and they will have no foundation on Chinese grammar.
Oh, back to the main topic – One A also can - ?
It’s something that I blurted to my primary four class teacher Mr Hong when he asked to check my home address - if it was Lot 15606 Main Road, and I replied him that it could also be written as - One A, too.
I stood up and replied him off the cuff in Singlish - One A also can. The rely tickled the class & everyone started laughing! From that day on, One A also can - was my other pet name in school.
Basically, that’s the gist of the article & about Mr Hong still recalling the One A also can, decades later, when he met my cousin sister in Ipoh, close to a Chinese New Year some years back. My cousin sister related the story to me later.
3. Swimming lesson
The photograph was taken in 1966.
Mr Hong was the swimming teacher. I joined the class in Standard 3, to learn to swim, as swimming was not part of the primary three lessons then. The swimming lesson was in the morning, while class started in the afternoon.
Me gosh, the 9-10year old kids were real skinny then. There was not computer games, and you got to go out door to play – catching spiders, searching for tadpoles in the drains, playing marbles, and running to catch the broken kite – no wonder no extra fats.
--//
在上个月到日本东京度了四天的初夏之旅的时看见一本日语小说 ，日语的书名是 [六月六日生まれの天使 ]， 没看清楚小说是什么故事， 觉得这个题目有意思，而刚好今天也是自己生日，所以就借了这本小说的书名作为今天的题目。
我是属十二生肖的鸡，在上世纪的五十年代的后半期，也就是旧历法的什么酉年诞生地。一下子记不起天干是什么，没 [通胜] 在手就没去查个清楚。活了半个世纪，每年都是一样，没什么庆祝诞生日的活动。一个人生活着也没有多和其他友人 打交道，到了诞生日也就这样一人平平静静的过着。
小时候也不庆祝阳历的6月14日的这一日卫生日，而母亲是在农历的5月17日早餐上给自己添多两粒的熟鸡蛋来纪念我的诞生。所以每年要吃两粒鸡蛋时，就知道是自己的诞生日来了。
那两粒鸡蛋就这样的脱掉蛋壳清清的吃，或沾点酱油调味。小时候应为不习惯吃熟蛋，每次都不什么愿意去吃拿两鸡蛋。到了中年，近来因饮食比较减单，又还时常到健身室锻炼， 而为了增添些蛋白质，每天都带一两粒早上准备好的熟鸡蛋和些蔬菜带去上班午饭时候吃。现在已习惯也喜爱吃煮熟的鸡蛋了。
One A also can – 又从何说起呢？
照片拍摄于1966年，地点是校园内的新建游泳池，我在念小学三年级。霹雳州怡保市的英华学校，是全州内唯一的一间半私立校，建有校园内游泳池的学校。从三年级起小学生可参加学游泳班作为课外活动。父亲因为要我学会游泳，就给报名参加。
游泳班的教练是站在小孩们左右旁的男女老师， 他们当运动游泳班教练的同时也当上了教课班的班主任。女老师的名子已经忘记了，但是那位身材魁梧的男老师一直以来都留念他。 因为除了三年级我学游泳的老师外， 到了四年级他也当了我小学四A班的班主任老师。
应为英华学校是以英文为主的学校我不晓得老师的中文姓名，但是英文姓是 Hong, 名Kok Hua。中文也许是国华，是Hong老师。老师来学校上任不久，记得他告诉我们家乡是在霹雳州西南部靠近海港的红土坎港实吊远镇。住在这一区的都是以福州方言群为多数Hong老师也应该是福州或福清人吧。
记得有一天, Hong老师为他四年级班的学生们查问他们的住址。问到我的时候， 老师说；
光权，你住家的地址是 万里望镇大马路地段15606,吗?
我就顺口的回答老师说：
也可以写为 一A。
老师学生们，听了我的回答得那么又快又直率全班大笑起来。因为这句回答［也可以写为 一A］， 用英语我是说成为：One A also can．
引起全场大笑的缘故也许是因为我的回答太顺口而这句话又简陋了吧。One A also can – 的语法， 一般上是我们称为新加坡式或马来亚式的英语。正确的英文语法因该是：It can also be One A 或 It can be One A too.
以后我的名也化为 - One A also can - 了。
过了近四十年，有一天靠近过年时，在怡保市Hong老师碰见表姐。表姐和Hong老师互相认识因为他们都一直以来从年轻到退休都在怡保的小学的教育圈当教师。Hong老师也知道我是表姐是亲戚。
多年没见，老师就问起表姐，不是有位表弟吗。
我回乡过年的那年拜访姨妈时，表姐谈起遇见Hong老师的事，说老师还记得我的那句：One A also can。
那就草草的写下这个故事 小学时候的故事，作为送给自己的一个生日礼物。。。
Postscript –
1. 六月十四日生まれの私
The title written in Japanese reads: rokugatsu jyuuyokka umareno watashi, which could be translated as : Me, born on June 14
It’s adapted from the title of a suspense novel written in Japanese, and I thought it apt to use it today.
2. One A also can
I chose to write in Chinese, as most of the casual readings and books that I read nowadays are in Chinese. Though educated in English from primary one to Six Form and all in English, and Malay as a language subject, after all these years of self-taught Chinese, I found an urge express myself in the written Chinese.
Perhaps, it’s the mother tongue – that is the real mother tongue – Hakka – that has helped. The structure and pronunciation of this dialect is close to Mandarin, and it naturally laid the foundation to build up learning Mandarin.
I really feel sad for those Singapore Chinese families that taught their children to speak English as their mainstream childhood language from young. No wonder when the children grew up they abhor learning Mandarin, because of the simple fact that it’s such a foreign tongue, never mind if you call it "Mother’’ tongue.
For their mother tongue is English and not ‘Mandarin’, and they will have no foundation on Chinese grammar.
Oh, back to the main topic – One A also can - ?
It’s something that I blurted to my primary four class teacher Mr Hong when he asked to check my home address - if it was Lot 15606 Main Road, and I replied him that it could also be written as - One A, too.
I stood up and replied him off the cuff in Singlish - One A also can. The rely tickled the class & everyone started laughing! From that day on, One A also can - was my other pet name in school.
Basically, that’s the gist of the article & about Mr Hong still recalling the One A also can, decades later, when he met my cousin sister in Ipoh, close to a Chinese New Year some years back. My cousin sister related the story to me later.
3. Swimming lesson
The photograph was taken in 1966.
Mr Hong was the swimming teacher. I joined the class in Standard 3, to learn to swim, as swimming was not part of the primary three lessons then. The swimming lesson was in the morning, while class started in the afternoon.
Me gosh, the 9-10year old kids were real skinny then. There was not computer games, and you got to go out door to play – catching spiders, searching for tadpoles in the drains, playing marbles, and running to catch the broken kite – no wonder no extra fats.
--//
posted by kinkonkid at 7:29 PM
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