Grandma's Tales

Current Song in Head: That chinese song singing about grandpa and grandma's love story, don't know what its called...

Paid a visit to my grandma on Friday. Its been a long time since I last met her and the first time I met her since I started work. Anyway, was talking to her about work and life in general, then she started telling me some interesting stories of herself when she was young.

Well, when she was a wee girl, no more than 7, she was enrolled into an English education based school by her father. However, being poor in her English and with a strong preference in Chinese, to say that grandma didn't fair too well in her mid year exams would be an understatement.

When her dad came to know of her results, he demanded her to explain what was wrong and grandma told her dad that she didn't want to study in an English education based school and wanted to go to a Chinese school instead. Her dad was furious, and he asked her to go and enroll in a Chinese school herself. And she decided to do just that, even at the tender age of 7. When I was 7, I probably had trouble wiping my own arse. Haha... Times certainly has changed.

So the next day, after another torturous day at the English school, grandma went to the Chinese school after lessons. She met the principal of the Chinese school and requested for a transfer.

"But why do you want a transfer? The school you're in now is a very good school," the principal reasoned, indicating the English school's uniform that she was still wearing.

"I don't like English," my grandma said,"I cannot understand what the teacher says and so I can't learn everything else."

Seeing that my grandma is pretty insistence in entering her school, the principal relented and asked,"What's your name, girl?"

"Lim Eng," grandma replied.

"Thats a short name," the principal said. "How about I give you my last name? I'll call you Lim Hui Eng, ok?"

Being a kid, my grandma accepted it graciously and from then on, she is called Lim Hui Eng. Interesting huh? But thats not the end of it.

When told that her school fees is going to cost $1, she felt it was a little steep. In those days, a dollar is worth pretty much. So my grandma asked if there was a discount, saying that her dad is a hawker. And indeed, she got her bargain, so her school fees was reduced to 50 cents (no, not that black rapper). Too bad I haven't got her bargaining genes, I know shite about bargaining. In fact, all salesmen probably wished that every customer is like me.

Alrighty, thats enough grandma tales for the day. Good night!