A Matter of Miscommunication....

When I was teaching, we enjoyed 4 vacations a year. However, I could only make use of the December vacation to travel overseas. During the March and September holidays, there was always some kind of prorgam going on in the school. June was too busy a month, as teachers would be expected to hold some kind of camp or activities for their students. Almost every December, I would spend my Christmas in Melbourne with my second sister and family.

Hence, my sis, Ean Ean, suggested that I should open an account with the bank, so that there would no necessity to change currencies whenever I visited her. Ond day, she took me to the NZ Bank to withdraw some cash.

"How do you like your money?" asked the friendly teller.

Somewhat surprised, I replied, "Oh! I like it very much, thank you."

My sis burst out laughing. "She's asking you what denominations you would like to have Choo," sis explained.

"Oh! I see! Please give me ten and fifty dollar notes, thank you," I answered somewhat sheepishly.

On another occasion I visited my best childhood friend, Saw Hoon, who also was my classmate at Green Lane Convent Primary School. Saw Hoon was working as a matron in one of the hospitals in London. She took me to her hospital and during lunch, she took me to the canteen. On the way to the canteen, I saw a newspaper vending machine and wanted to buy some newspapers. I asked her colleague, Jane, if she had some shillings (I meant lose change of coins so that I could buy the newspapers).

Surprised, she replied, "We don't use shillings nowadays, Choo Choo. We use pounds and pence."

Saw Hoon burst out laughing and explained to Jane.

Ah! The complexities of the English Language!