Addresses

How fast time flies! You will start noticing that, especially when you are greeted not by your name but rather your "age status". What do I mean? I shall explain a little. But first, I just want to establish a fact, so has time really moved faster than before, because it seems to crawl last time when I was still a kid, but now it seems as if it is running, perhaps time is also growing, like us, from an infant to an adult...therefore from crawling to walking, and then time is no more.

Recently, I am intrigued by how frequently I tried to remind little kids to call me "jie jie" rather than "auntie". I could still remember, it felt like it was just yesterday, when I was still so young, not just the fact that I am the youngest among all my siblings, adults would call me "xiao mei mei" or "little girl". I would then address them as "uncle" or "auntie". That was like more than 20 years ago.

As I move on in life into my teen, I began to notice that people would address me as "xiao jie" or "young lady", perhaps that is the best address ever, of course, most people I meet these days would still address me as "xiao jie". And I have also learnt especially for women, regardless of their ages or marital status, address them all as "xiao jie" would likely put a smile on their faces. So why not? Just to make someone's day brighter! Please bear this in mind.

During the "xiao jie" period, it is also likely that one may be addressed as "jie jie" or "big sister", by kids or anyone younger than you. But of course, there may be also an occasional "failure", when one is addressed as "auntie" despite the fact that she is only in her teens or twenties.

Yet for me, to be addressed as "auntie" is not that new anyway, since I was already an aunt when I was just only seven years old. Yet as time passes by, and more cakes are cut on birthdays, the thought of being addressed as auntie sounds a bit scary, especially with the hidden connotation associated with it, you know what I mean? It is especially so, when kids no longer address you as "jie jie" but "auntie", for kids do not know how to lie professionally like adults, and if any kids actually address you as "jie jie", out of the norm, it is either you really look that young, or the kids have been "well-educated" by their parents. And not to mention the fact that I am actually entering into the stage when more and more kids are addressing me as "auntie". O Papa God, help! Renew my youth like the eagle!

Anyway, just a short side track, have you ever noticed that we always call any male taxi driver "uncle" regardless of his age? There was once I was on the cab with my mom, and she actually called a much younger driver "uncle", when she herself is already in her sixties! Anyway, this is just a side track, cos it really sounds pretty amusing to me!

And yes, to all of you, "xian sheng" (young man) and "xiao jie" (young lady), may your coming week be filled with wonderful incidents that make you smile a lot, cos smile does make one look younger, though the lines on the face may also be "aggravated" at the same time. Meanwhile, have a great week ahead!

(P.S. The above was written and saved as draft several days ago as there was no illustration to go with it until today. If you have dropped by and saw no new posting from me, I was so busy that I never knew what daytime was like, I spent the night at office yesterday, and it felt as if I was there for months, working, eating, taking short "energy catching" nap all in front of my computer screen for a few days. Came back from office only this afternoon, and I actually fell asleep reading newspaper in front of a hilarious comedy, truly I was tired. Thank God for His rest and blessed sleep. And thanks for dropping by even when I missed to post.)