Notices by Chunshek :HomestarRunning: (chunshek@prettyaweso.me)

@ccshan @skinnylatte
I have only ever heard of the term being used in the sense of (literally) sexual harassment, or more often (figuratively) taking advantage of someone else.

I have never heard of it referring to consensual touching or groping.

@skinnylatte
I think most of us who grew up in a "city state" don't think about it. Infrastructure is always there and always maintained because a city state simply cannot exist without it.

It's only after you move out of the city when you realize that even a little missing piece or a little disrepair in infrastructure can be hugely inconvenient.

@skinnylatte
Growing up in Hong Kong, I never understood the meaning of the Cantonese word 貴刁 – what's so 貴 (expensive) or 刁 (obstinate) about cheap-and-cheerful rice noodles?

It wasn't until I moved to Taiwan when I realized that word was just a phonetic approximation of the Hokkien/Teochew 粿條 (kué-tiâu)!

@skinnylatte
While there may not be much written literature in Teochew, there was plenty of written Hokkien, an adjacent language to Teochew, in the form of Pe̍h-ōe-jī (白話字).

@revndm
You might find it particularly interesting, since Pe̍h-ōe-jī was developed by Western missionaries in the 19th century to promote literacy in Southeast Asia. Taiwan's first newspaper, "Tâi-oân-hú-siâⁿ Kàu-hōe-pò" (Taiwan Prefecture City Church News), was published in Pe̍h-ōe-jī.

@skinnylatte
We didn't know it back then. But that movie was near the end of the golden age of Cantonese movies! 🥲

@skinnylatte
I got my pack of 湯圓 rice balls :TangYuan: ready to go tonight!

What's your favorite filling?

You might think of Lunar New Year as the biggest Chinese holiday, but us Cantonese have a saying 冬大過年 – the Winter (Solstice) is bigger than the (Lunar New) Year.

The whole extended family would gather for an elaborate meal. There is no gifting tradition, no tribute to deities, no red pockets, not much in terms of holiday greetings either. Just a hearty repast in the company of loved ones.

No matter what you celebrate this time of year, I wish you a Peaceful Solstice!

冬至平安

I challenge you, Brits and Americans alike, to prove your knowledge of "proper" spelling of English words from your respective homes.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/10/think-you-know-the-differences-between-uk-and-us-spelling-take-our-quiz

#Introduction post for my own Mastodon instance!

• I’m a 43-year-old jack-of-all-trades.
• I grew up in #HongKong, lived in the #US. My partner of 14 years and I moved to #Taiwan in 2020.
• We are “parents” to two elderly dogs.
• I have worked in journalism, finance, L&D, and now EdTech.
• I speak 6 #languages, and have dabbled in many others.
• Things I will nerd out about: #Unicode, #typography, #typhoons.
• I am a person of faith, but not a fan of organized religions.
• I type in #Dvorak.