Hainanese Poem

I don’t know why I’m blogging so much about my mum these few days. Maybe it’s because she went to Segamat for 10 days, and I didn’t see her, so it’s probably some kind of masochistic thing.

NO-lah.. Seriously we get along very well.

This is a poem/rhyme that she told me before that the Hainanese sing:
(Word of caution: I’m not a Hainanese and I don’t speak Hainanese, so some intonation may be wrong)

"Gie kui kui, hu kia sui

Boh kia bah, boh kia kui

Neh kia low poh boh hui mui."

Translation:

Late in the night, going back home
Not afraid of cats, not afraid of ghosts
Just afraid that the wife will not open the door

She also said that they don’t like cats. It’s bad luck. Another poem to go with it;

"Kueh lai kiang

Gao lai bu

Bah lai nao sau too."

Translation:

When the chicken come, you become poor
When the dog comes, you get wealthy
When the cat comes, you wear a straw hat (meaning you become a beggar)