Thursday 4 June 2015

上山不问下山人



小时候, 常听外婆说:

上山不问下山人


为什么呢?

我们不是常常喜欢问“下山人”吗?

香港好玩吗?

读文科有前途吗?

这只股票可以买进吗?


我们都是问去过香港,读文科, 和持有股票的过来人。 难到错了吗?

有了生活历练的我才慢慢明白这“上山不问下山人”的智慧。

如果你家有一老,而你又不明,不妨问一下。




36 comments:

  1. 如果决定上山了,问或不问,都无关痛痒。

    问问,多听听,无妨。也交个朋友。

    心里有数就好。

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sillyinvestor,

      那就要看问问题的你慧根有多深咯 ;)

      Delete
  2. 老哥,

    找了找,好像只能确定有命根,慧根好像......

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. 有了身活历练.. another one!

      Delete
    2. coconut,

      Thanks! Chinese never write for donkey years... Rusty. Must practice more!

      小时后 is correct. It's simplified Chinese.

      身活 is wrong. I've corrected it :)


      It is true. Kung fu don't use will depreciate one.

      Must always sharpen the saw!

      Delete
    3. 小时候, not 小时后.

      Delete
    4. coconut,

      Both are correct ;)

      Your generation it's 候; my generation it's 后.

      I can read both complex and simplified Chinese. Mighty useful when travelling to HK nd Taiwan :)

      All thanks to 金庸 novels and 龙虎门 comics!

      But I can't write in Chinese :(

      30 over years no write Chinese except spelling my name in stupid resume forms...

      My hanyu pinyin is half-pail water... Plus no spell check for Chinese characters in Blogger :(

      LOL!

      Delete
  4. 那要看是问路还是问风景。需要别人导航,爬什么山? 若问风景,何必要多此一举? 眼睛长来干啥用? :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Endrene,

      不是问路也不是问风景 ;)

      我上山,人家下山。

      方向不同;心态也不同。

      Delete
  5. Same like asking for direction. Ask the "wrong" person who thinks that he/she knows the right direction and point you to wrong place. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CW,

      I've been given wrong directions before. It wasn't fun.

      When someone asked me for directions and I not sure, I will say I not sure. No pretending that I know ;)

      In my youth, I've been known to "give advice" when I've no clue what I'm talking about... LOL!

      Delete
    2. Just last week, one old lady asked me for direction.

      Auntie. You wait har!

      I turn on GPS on my mobile phone. Launch the Maps. Key in the address and search.

      Auntie, you see there. Walk there to ......

      LOL!

      Delete
    3. CW,

      You high-tech!

      I not on the smart phone bandwagon yet...

      My 1st generation iphone is for "wayang" only.

      LOL!

      Delete
  6. This phrase very hard to decipher
    Sometimes we ask those experienced ones for advice
    So that u learn and avoid their mistakes
    Some may mislead u or discourage u because they can't do it but it doesn't mean u can't do it
    So if u think its right just do it no one understands u better than yourself

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jimmy L,

      You think why I choose this obscure Chinese saying?

      Ah ma's words just came out when I was bantering at CW's blog.

      It's definitely not found in our 2nd language Chinese class syllabuses ;)

      Took me quite a while (in years) to fully understand it!

      Delete
  7. As coconut has pointed correctly: 小时侯 and not 小时后. Simplified chinese from google: https://translate.google.com.sg/?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&client=tw-ob#zh-CN/en/%E5%B0%8F%E6%97%B6%E4%BE%AF%0AXi%C7%8Eosh%C3%AD%20h%C3%B3u
    I am not your generation's, but i have never seen 小时后 in any documents before. You could be right since I can't prove you wrong. Why am I making a fuss over a chinese vocab here? just for fun :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frugal_Daddy,

      That's because we only read documents in England! Wink.

      Both are correct:

      Complex: 小時候 (notice the 時 is different too?)

      Simplified: 小时后


      It's a bit like discussing whether cookie is right or biscuit is wrong...

      Blogger always reminds me that my spelling in England is wrong. I always use "s" instead of "z" and I add the extra "u". LOL!

      I had fun!

      See? We learn more from mistakes :)

      And the best part? It's a pleasure to say hello to you ;)

      Delete
  8. Poke further : 小时后 = an hour later:
    https://translate.google.com.sg/?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&client=tw-ob#zh-CN/en/%E5%B0%8F%E6%97%B6%E5%90%8E%0AXi%C7%8Eosh%C3%AD%20h%C3%B3u
    I read a lot of chinese comics too when I am younger (but more visual). haha. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frugal_Daddy,

      I love the template you have used for your blog ;)

      I see you have talked to that bleeding heart on your plans.

      Good to see you beefing up the philosophical or mental part of your journey. Without it, I won't be surprised you'll will move the goal posts when that time comes...

      A lot of people talk talk only. This "jump" requires the same amount of "craziness" like quitting your well paying job to start your own business.

      Exchange certainty with uncertainties - and throw in unsolicited well-meaning advice - without a strong philosophical or mental anchor, you'll dither...


      P.S. My little spelling mistake is a little microcosm of real life. When pointed out by coconut I made a mistake, I gratefully verified again and cheerfully admitted my mistake.

      But I stood firm on 小时后 ;)

      How many weak-willed executives have we seen capitulated at the meeting table when they were right but for the fact that the majority out-voted them?

      There is a time to be the willow, and there is a time to be the giant oak ;)

      Delete
  9. Hello, SMOL, your post actually inspired me to share with my wife about the caterpillar and butterfly story , in many versions. I will share with my infant when she can appreciate it future. I actually read your blog very frequently. thanks for visiting my blog and give your comments here! I am still fine tuning "my style".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frugal_Daddy,

      Have fun discovering your "style"!

      You are totally free to explore if you are not writing for pageviews ;)


      Wise choice of nick for a married man!

      Sugar_daddy would attract more pageviews; but the Mrs will be looking at you with a queer eye...

      LOL!

      Delete
    2. Page views is not important. However, if it is 300+ for 6 months, it does need some motivation to write in a more frequent manner. I can't be talking to myself excessively. haha.

      Frugal Daddy and Singapore Man of Leisure. Seems like a whole wide different world just by nick. It is a great pleasure chatting and will start conversation more somewhere. cheers!

      Delete
    3. Frugal_Daddy,

      That's the fun part of blogging for me - the interactions!

      I can write more in the comments section than the actual post!?

      LOL!

      If no one chats with me here, I'll go to the butterfly's tavern or the fisherman's cove to chat (troll) with them.

      I flexible. If the mountains don't come; I go to them ;)

      Delete
  10. 是小时候~
    后的繁体字并不是候哦。。
    字所要表达的意思完全不同。

    还有最后一句,应该是
    不妨问一下。(no harm in asking)

    其实一直有看你的部落格,但是我的英文不好,不好意思留言。
    但既然这篇是以华文书写,就“很好意思”留言了,哈哈哈
    你的观点都很有趣,也发人深思,看事情的角度也不同。



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. bk,

      哈哈! 我终于见到了黄河了。。。

      谢谢你的提醒,错误已经被更正!


      嘻嘻。 我是用笑傲江湖的心态来写部落格的。 逍遥自在,快人快语。

      欢迎在我的英文贴子用 singlish 或华语和我交谈。

      我贵在交流和接戳武艺 ;)

      我不卖膏药!

      放心。 有话敢敢讲。 我有金钟罩铁布衫 - 脸皮够厚!

      Delete
  11. 上山人得懂上山原因!
    道听途说者靠运气,有智慧有经验有计划,才能上山不问下山人!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Frugal_Daddy and coconut,

    Third time's the charm!

    I hereby unreservedly apologise to you both.

    You were right; I was wrong :(

    I don't know what I was thinking...

    I think it's time I go buy a Chinese dictionary liao...

    Ha ha!


    The positive side is I got to know 3 readers who didn't give up on me!

    That's what I meant when I say I've received more than I give by blogging ;)

    Like in trading, never let a mistake go to waste!

    My written Chinese has improved a bit this week. Imagine if I had stuck with England and remained in my comfort zone...

    At 48 years young, I'm still learning :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. There are unintentional and intentional mistakes. I have huge tolerance for unintentional mistakes for others. It take courage to admit mistakes. Good ones. However, i like what you say earlier, many weak-minded executive are usually over-right when majority revoke them. In this instance, it is not about right and wrong anymore, it could be more a matter of rice bowl and being high in EQ? It will be best if you can be stand corrected and still get everyone agreement. haha. I still do unbelievable mistakes from time to time which i can't explain either. human...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frugal_Daddy,

      Seeking consensus can be viewed as lack of leadership in Anglo-Saxon corporate culture, while highly valued in Japanese and Scandinavian work culture...

      Yes, it takes EQ and wisdom to know when to bend and when to stand tall ;)

      They don't teach this in school but it's everywhere in Literature and History!

      LOL!

      Delete
  14. wah lao, after so many days you finally found the correct one, haha, you forgot where i came from...

    but still, being an england educated, your chinese i must say pretty good liao.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. coconut,

      I know. I'm got eyes no see tarzan :(

      This trait of mine has helped me a lot in my past corporate life .

      Imagine if I had amended my typo "blindly" based on faith even though I've no clue where and why?

      Now even though I've looked like a fool, I'm pretty sure I'll not make the same mistake EVER again.

      I now know WHERE and HOW I got it wrong ;)


      My spoken Cheena is more powderful. I can speak with a fake Mainland accent. My first year back in Singapore, the NTUC auntie refused to believe I'm from Singapore...

      LOL!

      Delete
  15. Smol,

    You must have drunk too much 茅台酒 during your Shanghai stint. This made you look like less Singaporean.

    Ben

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben,

      I can speak Mandarin with a fake Mainland China accent. Don't play, play!

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...