方言可爱 方物有趣（1）

遇到一无锡人就问他无锡话是否说：“Ngou 俚无锡宁！”他太太在旁边说：“是的，是的。” 下次见到他太坐聊得很开心，原来她也是苏州出生的，不过在上海长大。太坐说话是典型的上海式风快，也特别滑稽（幽默的意思）。问他们怎么称呼，说我们夫妇俩都是单名容易叫，在家就互通大名款曲。 笑问他有无宋美岭似的互称“蜜糖”，“达令”之类，太坐立马用上海式普通话惊呼：“啊约哦，肉麻死啦，我鸡皮疙瘩都要起来了。”

可是婆婆大人来府上小住，听到夫妇如此称呼对方深为不满，问媳妇道：“怎么可以这样，哪有对自己的丈夫直呼大名的！” 那婆婆怎么称呼公公呢？婆婆叫公公“老不死”。 江南一带好像还流行这一类称呼。比如我妈妈叫我爸爸：“老东西”，“老鬃生（动物的意思）” “老头子”，“土包子”，“老不死”。我爸爸回称我妈妈“老甲鱼（妈妈最爱吃的菜，甲鱼炖肉拢松）”， “史家佬”， “老东西”。 其实父母都挺看年轻的，父亲一直到过世前脸上都少见皱纹。他们互相叫老不死，北方人听起来可能会觉得“这不是在诅咒人吗？”。在江南人来说，这表示两人之间无嫌隙。这种昵称，表达的含义是和字面上相反的。

“老东西”=你老，我也接受你。

“老不死”= 老而不死，好。

“老鬃生”=名字叫贱了，好活。

夫妻之间叫大名反而被认为是互相缺少亲昵。 其实在美国，家人生气时也点大名。

下起预告：南方外省及北方话的可爱。本人生长于南方，欢迎大家提供南北各个省份的可爱土话，不胜感激。

Watch the Comedy Alone in New York

 很抱歉，我打中文字实在太慢，所以才写英文。还只有笔记本电脑在身旁才可以打我喜爱的中文。

日记大意是说我一人在纽约看喜剧，下定决心要交一些纽约的朋友。还提到纽约人的乐观主动，和我打招呼开玩笑不怕陌生。

看这出戏的人不管是单身，在爱恋中，还是已婚，老年，都可以在这出戏里找到你生活中的一点细节对照，一个典型片断。音乐和演唱都不怎么样，就是台词对话很幽默。懂得美国俚语多一些呢，就会觉得更幽默。4位演员客窜不同年龄的人物，表情动作非常绝活。

After walked out the UN tour, I went to see a Broadway comedy alone. The show is called: “I love you, you are perfect. Now Change.” The tickets seller lifted his eyebrow: and trying to understand my lonely situation. “Single ticket?” I was like “yah”. In the midst of paying for it, he saw a woman behind me speaking one question to me. Then ticket seller said again: “Is she your friend?” “No. why? (Pause).... is it odd for someone to see a show alone?” He smiled: “Give me a call. I’ll go with you.” 大笑而去。心想：got to make some NY friends here!

Walked a couple of long blocks on the 43rd street, my feet were really hurt. I thought about women New Yorkers’ biggest pain must be the feet pain, not the heartache described in “Sex and City” of being a 35 years old single. Eventually I made it earlier in that small theater. Sat down in a corner and put my head on that lovely dirty wall, I fell into sleep. It's been a long day in this city.

The announcement woke me up: “Dear audience, we love you, you are perfect. Now if your cell phone is on, our love will be changed. ”

The show compiled and exaggerated pieces of life together from the dating pain, married, parenting, to the coping with the death of spouses. Everybody could easily relate to the stories and scene.   One scene was about a metropolitan couple who started their journey of dating for about two months until the point of having sex together. They bumped into each other after break up while the women companied with her dog and the men had already moved on to another female.  (How fickle our modern LOVE is!) One the other hand there was a funky looking woman sat aside the dating table with a nerd man in his synthetic shirt. With two hands supporting her breasts the women sighed: “I wish that I’am a babe!” The synthetic men sighed: “I wish that I am a stud!”

Another creation in the show was a new field for a lawyer who got rich by help couple to sue the partner’s disappointed love-making.

The singing and the musicals were not impressive to me, what is incredible was that expressions by the four actors and actresses. The lines are quite funny and you’d hope to understand more of the American slang.  

After the show I walked alone in that long long 43^rd blocks. “Hi.  Sweetie. How are you doing? ” out cried was an Italian-looking man. I looked around and found nobody was at the 10 feet circle. So I figured out the man was talking to me. Hum… New York men do not hesitate to talk to strange girls. I had this similars experience  in Spain nine years ago. Pittsburghers are never like that. I simply waved at him.

 Seacoast

Since Iamwei wrote about our touring experience so well in his journal, I can only add a few points here:  Joe’s touching hands and smile, the meeting room where different countries discuss Economic issues, the art exhibition, and the library.

 From the entrance to the individual meeting rooms, wherever Joe smiles and pats the guards’ shoulders, “Open sesame!” the UN door is wide open to reveal its treasures to four of Joe’s strange Chinese friends.  Literally we are just strangers who met a few minutes ago for the purpose of touring this best spot in New York City. What makes the guards entrust us to let sit on the Secretary General’s seat on the giant round shaped King?Arthur knights table in the deep heart of the organization? The rest of the touring population is not permitted to that seating. What made Joe trust us in his heart? Looking at Joe’s smile, I was wondering whether it is his diplomacy or it is the reflection of a crystal clear heart?

 The answer lies on a piece of a Japanese artist’s painting in the UN exhibition.  There was a Chinese photographer’s black and white mountain-view composition displayed with a Japanese artist’s subconscious painting in UN.  Joe mentioned the exhibition had drawn both Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers’ attention and speech. It is perhaps one of the diplomatic ways to soften the recent China-Japan dispute upon the Japanese WWII ceremonials.   Joe likes a particular piece of painting that contains a “clear brook” on the background of blue-greenish “forest”. I did not see the brook or forest. To me, it was an oil painting with cooling color, quiet tune, plain texture, and simple dimension with heavy influence of oriental arts such as the woodcut prints. It is symbolic and subconscious. Joe’s comment enabled me to see the spiritual water in what was otherwise a blue mood expression.  

Joe kindly offered the additional trip to the Economic room, thanks Joe and big bow.  Looking around the big hollowed room, I was curious about the decision-making process among so many countries’ representatives. It turned out people make general agreements in cafeterias, restaurants, etc. before coming into this meeting room. No wonder diplomatic people like Joe are so well rounded. Standing by him I was imaging myself sitting in this room to participate the Economics discussion.

 The only regret I have for the UN trip is the giant library building I was curious about. It occupies one entire side of the UN rectangle plaza. I would have been very interested to see different libraries and have been dreaming about built one once I get rich.  Yet Joe had spent two hours and half for us. What more favor can I ask from this kind gentleman? Besides, It opens only to the UN staff and diplomacy. Joe, what book collections do you have in there? What is the architecture specialty in there?  ….