First Dose 第一剂

Singapore

新加坡

Finally had my first dose of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

终于接种了第一剂的辉瑞-BioNTech新冠疫苗。

Fortunately apart from a sore arm, I had no side effects.

幸运的是，除了手臂有点酸疼以外，我并没有什么副作用。

Looking forward to my second dose.

期待我的第二剂。

According to the government report, each inoculation fee for each dose is S$100.

根据政府的报告，每剂疫苗的接种费用为新币100元。

So far, one-third of Singapore’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine; a quarter has completed two dose of the vaccine.

新加坡到目前为止已经有三分之一的人口接种了至少一剂疫苗；四分之一已完成接种两剂疫苗。

P/S: All long-term residents in Singapore can get the vaccination for free.

注：所有长期居留在新加坡的人都能免费接种。

Owe 欠

Singapore

新加坡

It is Mother’s Day again.

又是母亲节。

This year Mother’s Day is particularly worrying.

今年的母亲节过得特别揪心。

It has been months since my mother was admitted to the hospital due to an emergency.

事因我妈妈突发状况而入院已个把月了。

Some time ago, her condition went back and forth, and was in and out of High Dependency Unit several times.

前些时候她的病情一度反反复复，进出重症病房几次。

Thanks to God’s blessing that my mother was able to escape danger.

多亏上苍保佑，我妈妈才得以脱离危险。

Recently the hospital had COVID-19 infectious cluster, so the hospital was locked down; I have not been able to visit my mother for a while.

最近医院爆出有冠病感染群，所以医院被封锁了；我也已经有一段时间没得探望我的妈妈了。

When we grow up, it also means that our parents are also getting old.

当我们长大时，这也意味着我们的父母也渐渐老去。

In our lifetime, we owe our parents more than anyone else.

我们这一生，欠谁都没欠父母的多。

The love of parents for their children is selfless.

父母对子女的爱是无私的。

We will not be able to repay the favors given to us by our parents during their lifetime.

我们无法偿还父母一生中给予我们的恩惠。

Parents nag at us because they love us and fear that we will be hurt.

父母唠叨我们是因为疼我们、怕我们受到伤害。

When your ears suddenly feel so quiet one day, that is the day we no longer be able to find another loving and familiar voice to nag at us.

当某一天我们的耳根突然清静时，我们再也找不回那把即慈爱又熟悉的声音来唠叨自己了。

In this world, only our parents will love us wholeheartedly without asking anything in return.

在这个世界上，只有我们的父母会全心全意地爱我们，而不会要求任何回报。

As the saying goes: The tree may crave calm but the wind will not abate, the child may desire filial piety but the parents are not around. 

古语有云：树欲静而风不止，子欲养而亲不待。

Cherish while your loved ones are still there, not wait until they are gone then sigh and regret.

要珍惜眼前人，莫待至亲离世徒感慨。

Swab Test 拭子检测

Singapore

新加坡

A cluster of COVID-19 infections appeared in the hospital visited recently.

最近所探访的医院出现了冠病感染群。

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, from May 3 to 16, government has arranged for a free swab test for visitors who had visited patients in the hospital or been to places where the infected people had visited.

为了防止感染群扩大，政府从5月3日至16日让曾经到过医院探望病人，或去过病患到过的场所的公众免费接受检测。

This swab test is not compulsory, and the relevant department only encourage members of the public who had been to the hospital from April 18 to 29 to go for the test.

这项拭子检测并不是强制性的，相关部门只是鼓励在4月18日至29日到过医院的公众前往检测。

Members of the public can go to any of the 4 regional screening centres or to any public health preparedness clinic for testing.

公众可以前往全国4个冠病区域检测中心或到提供检测服务的全科诊所接受检测。

It is indeed a great relieved to know that my swab tested negative.

得知我的拭子检测为阴性，确实让我感到很欣慰。

A Bowl Of Sorrow Noodles 一碗悲哀的面

Singapore - Tan Tock Seng Hospital (Kopitiam)

新加坡 — 陈笃生医院（咖啡店）

Recently I frequent the hospital because an elderly in the family was hospitalized.

最近频往医院跑，事因家里长辈住院了。

During this period, meals can only be settled either in the eateries in the hospital or surrounding restaurants.

这段期间餐食也就只能在医院的小食店或周围的餐饮店解决了。

I prefer noodles, so it is natural to quench my hunger with noodles.

本身偏爱面食，所以很自然的多数时间都是以面裹腹。

Encounter a bowl of weird noodles and call it a bowl of sorrow noodles.

遇到一碗奇葩的面；管它叫一碗悲哀的面。

How sorrow was it?

怎么个悲哀法呢？

Usually the soup of ban-mian (noodles) is clear, but this bowl was turbid

通常板面的汤是清澈的，但这碗却显浑浊。

Next is the egg, which is also the essence of a bowl of ban-mian.

再来是鸡蛋，也是一碗板面的精华。

A bowl of perfect ban-mian, the egg has to be intact.

一碗完美的板面，其鸡蛋是完好无损的。

The degree of boiled egg depends on the preference of the noodle-eater, and will swallow it at the appropriate time.

那鸡蛋的生熟度就看吃面人的喜好，自己在时机成熟时把它给吞了。

This bowl of ban-mian, egg was tortured till the soul was scattered and fragmented.

这碗板面，蛋却是被凌迟至魂飞魄散支离破碎。

Never expect to have the standards of Michelin or five-star restaurant in terms of colour, aroma and taste, but it did not even possess the most basic attractive hue of food.

没指望拥有米其林或五星级餐馆的色香味俱全标准，但这连食物最基本的诱人色相都没有。

It was like a bowl of abstract painting.

简直就像一碗抽象画。

Life Journey 人生旅途

Singapore

新加坡

Last week received a call from a student’s parent, one of my students chose a path of no return due to depression.

上周接到一位学生家长的电话，我的一个学生因为忧郁症选择了一条不归路。

Too shocked, still very young and in his early 20s.

太震惊，还很年轻才20出头。

When I rushed to the hospital, what reflected in my eyes was a unresponsive dead body.

赶到医院时，映入眼帘的已是一具没了反应的尸体。

Eyes could not help burst into tears. 

眼泪也不由自主的夺眶而出。

I treat every student like my own child.

我把每一个学生当自己的孩子。

Taught him for ten years.

教了他整十个年头。

He was one of the few students who was very close to me.

他是几个少数跟我很亲的学生。

From a mischievous lad to a mature young guy; the biggest transformation was to see him became more grateful.

从一个“大炮仙”的小毛头，到一个成熟的年轻小伙；间中看到他最大的蜕变就是懂得感恩。

He was also the only student who had travelled abroad with me.

他也是至今唯一一个跟过我出国旅行的学生。

What impressed me the most was the dinner he invited me to during the trip; he asked to give him a chance to thank me for teaching him over the years.

印象最深刻的是他在旅途中请我吃的晚餐；他要求让他有机会感谢我这些年对他的教诲。

I remembered when he said that he treated me as an uncle/parent figure, really felt the meaning of teaching and the pride of being a teacher.

记得当时他说把我当叔叔/父辈看待，真心的感觉到教书的意义以及身为老师的骄傲。

Every time I saw him, he appeared cheerful but did not expect that there was a terrible depression hidden behind that smile.

每次看到他都是个开朗的样子，没想到那笑容背后隐藏着可怕的忧郁症。

Everyone’s life journey is different with glory or shame.

每个人的人生旅途因荣耀或耻辱而不同。

But when the end comes before you, you have to stop; no matter how beautiful the scenery is, you cannot hold on to anything because everything just returns to nil.

但当终点来到眼前时，就要停步；尽管风光再美好，也不能依恋万事都成空。

Now that he has completed his short life journey, hope that he will become a happy angel in the pure land without pain.

如今他也完成了他人生的短暂旅途，希望他到一个没有痛苦的净土化为快乐的天使。

P/S: If you find anyone with suicidal intention, advise them to call the SOS counseling hotline 18002214444.

注：大炮仙（福建话）爱讲大话。若发现有人觉得生无可恋，建议他们拨打SOS辅导热线18002214444。

One Year On 一周年

Singapore

新加坡

Everyone has more or less accustomed to this new norm one year on the circuit breaker.

阻断措施实施一周年，大家或多或少也已经习惯这新常态。

The circuit breaker included a ban on dining in at eateries, curbs on people leaving their homes except for essential reasons, and the closure of workplaces and schools.

阻断措施包括禁止堂食、非必要原因禁止出门，以及关闭工作场所和学校。

Restrictions have since been eased gradually.

此后，限制逐步得到缓解。

With 1.05 million individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine and more than 468,000 have received their second dose and completed the full vaccination regimen.

已有105百万人接种了至少一剂疫苗，超过46万8千人已接种了第二剂疫苗并完成了完整的疫苗接种方案。

As more people are vaccinated, hopefully life will return to before the epidemic soon.

随着更多人接种了疫苗，希望很快地生活能回到疫情前。

SQ117

Singapore - Changi Airport

新加坡 — 樟宜机场

What is so special about Singapore Airlines SQ117?

新加坡航空SQ117有何特别之处?

We have to date back to March 26, 1991.

我们必须追溯到1991年3月26日。

This was the first hijacking incident in Singapore.

这是新加坡第一起劫机事故。

That year, a Singapore Airlines flight SQ117 returning from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore was held hostage by four hijackers from Pakistan.

当年一趟从吉隆坡回返新加坡的新航客机SQ117被四名来自巴基斯坦的骑劫者挟持。

There were 114 passengers and 11 crew members on board at that time.

当时机上有114名乘客和11名机组人员。

The hijacker originally asked the captain to fly to Sydney, Australia, but landed in Singapore due to insufficient fuel.

原本骑劫者要求机长飞往澳大利亚悉尼，但因为燃油不足而在新加坡降落。

The hijackers demanded the release of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari and other Pakistan People's Party members from jail.

劫机者要求释放在监狱的巴基斯坦前总理贝娜姬・布托的丈夫阿西夫・阿里・扎尔达里与其他巴基斯坦人民党成员。

The Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation stormed the plane in a 30-second sweep, killing all four hijackers with no injuries to hostages.

新加坡武装部队突击队编队以30秒的时间冲进机舱并击毙了所有四名劫机者，没有人质受伤。

Everyone on the plane was completely secured by 6.50am March 27, 1991.

飞机上所有人于1991年3月27日早上6时50分完全安全解救。