LIFE’S FULL OF JOKES!

William Shakespeare once said, “The world is a stage.” Sam Leong now say, “Life is full of jokes!” And.…. it is a great thing to have in our lives! After all it has also been accepted that laughter is the best medicine! Jokes make us laugh!

To prove my point, I shall share with all of you some of my observations in my own life and that of people that I have the privilege to come into contact with.

My famous “tai pau” (Cantonese for “Big Buns”) experience is a joke that has become well-known among the Bahau community and the Metropolitan Bi-lingual Toastmasters Club.. This happened some years ago, when I was in a little town in the south of Peninsula Malaysia, when I asked the lady barber who was washing a friend’s hair where can I find the famous “tai pau”, I was embarrassed to be told that Tai Pau wasn’t working on the day.

Another incidence in my life was when one of my friends told me that marriage is a 3-ring circus – engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering! BTW, his wife was Melody. She was a real cute lady. One day, while riding as passengers in their car, her husband, Molly and I were made to push it to the road side because the engine stopped. We subsequently found out that the petrol ran out. So we asked if she checked her petrol meter regular. She said yes, very often. When she left home, the tank has enough petrol. So we said how is it so? She said the meter was at “E” and that was “enough!” We were amazed and asked her, then what does “F” represent? She said “Finish.!” Believe me, this actually happened! Now you know why my friend said that marriage is a 3-ring circus!

Yet, another friend, who during his 50th wedding anniversary (golden anniversary), in his speech, said that on the day (4th July) that America got its independence, he lost his! He got married! And how did it last 50 years? Well he said that he was always deaf to his wife's nagging while the wife was blind to his mischiefs! Also, both of them were so busy that when his wife was in town, he was out of town and vice versa. Sometimes, they catch up with each other when they met at the airport! But…… they brought up 3 wonderful children who are very successful!

Over the last weekend, I was reading the Street Section of the Sunday Times. I was amazed that almost everyone that appeared in the Event page was either a Dato’ or a Datin. It made me recall a friend of mine whose wife is a Datuk, relating to me an incidence when he greeted a Dato’ friend of his at a function and how half of those seated on the table turned to respond to him.

All of us know that the rate of divorce has increased tremendously in Malaysia. In the US, it is one in every two marriages. This helps me recall why hurricanes are always named after women, Katrina, Ike, Sophia, etc. They always come wet and wild, and when they leave, they take along your cars and houses! Those were the days when the marriage vow was “till death do us part.” Today, it’s “till debt do us part.” How sad?

Finally, let me share with you why I find children adoring. There was this little boy who told me that he didn’t like history. When I asked him why, he said that his history teacher told his class that history was all about what had happened in the past. The little boy clarified that there is no future in history! He preferred a bright future for himself instead of what had passed.

Also, there was this teacher who asked one of her student why she was doing her arithmetic on the floor. She replied that her teacher told her not to use the table.

Well, isn’t life full of jokes?

Cheers!