it will be kou-chan's first christmas and he will be experiencing it kiwi-style; in other words, lots of BBQs in the garden, sipping vinos outside in the sun (err, dad will be sipping those vinos; kou-chan can stick to his breast milk!), and lazy days at the beach.
even though my parents know we are coming back, they have decided that they can't wait any longer to meet their first grandson so are flying over to hong kong now as i type this.
gotta pick them up tomorrow morning at 6am... god that's early!
the other day while talking to mum on the phone i asked her what she wants kou-chan to call her. she was very direct in saying that she doesn't wanna be called "grandma" as she's not that old yet (she's late 50s). she doesn't wanna be called "nana" either as that's what i call my grandmother.
so want do you wanna be called?
to which she replied...
"chichi"
...
now it' my job to make sure that kou-chan is bilingual in both english and japanese and one day it's gonna be quite embarrassing when he asks me why he calls his grandmother chichi, which actually means "boobs/tits" in japanese.
before i even had time to explain this predicament to my mum i could hear laughter in the background.
turns out that my sister's boyfriend who is spanish was there and was explaining to my dad that "chichi" means something kinda rude in spanish too.
in español "chichi" is slang for a certain part of the female body (hint: ▼)
my poor
but she really wanted to be called chichi (taken from her name) so we have suggested she go for chicchi.
it's a bit hard to explain the double "c" sound in english, but instead of saying "chi-chi" as two words you kinda put a pause between the two.
anyway, in japanese it doesn't sound like the word for "tits" so fingers crossed in works.
my dad on the other hand has gone for "popa", which is safe in english and japanese.
thank god for that.
don't know if i will have time to update my blog while chicchi and popa are here, but i'll be back so don't forget about me!
9 comments:
Oh gosh, that's inadvertently hilarious. Your poor mom! I'm glad there was a suitable compromise.
(Either that or Poppa & Poppa's Wife? Okay, maybe that's too much of a mouthful. Hehe.)
haha! this made me laugh!
hope you have a good time with your parents :)
you'll survive getting up at 6 a.m. you have a baby, so i can't imagine you're getting much sleep anyway! lol
I think you can become a writer, this post is so funny and entertaining to read.
oh dear! hahaha, this made me laugh too.
chicchi and popa sound cute ;)
have a wonderful time with your parents!
haha, nice one.
But you know, chichi is a great name to call! I love it! :D
They are going to adore Kou-chan so much.
目に入れれも痛くないって言うでしょ？
Have a great time with your parents! :)
And going back to NZ foe xmas sounds so nice!!! :D
Chichi is "father" (more so than tits/boobs to our mind). So in any case it's cool you guys have settled on chicchi. That's so cute. My niece and nephew call their grandma "bahba" and grandpa "giigi." But I won't let them call me "obachan." No way.
I hope you guys are having a wonderful family time in Hong Kong!
Oh my gosh, this made me laugh. :))
She could stick with momma to suit popa right? ;-)
Oh, the oddities of language. Yessir.
On a side note, how's the book Middlesex so far? I've heard of the story, and I love his other book (Virgin Suicides), and am considering getting this one. Do tell if it's worth it. :)
HAHAHA loved the post! I hope the new name works out, although "chichi" could also mean "dad" in Japanese. But still... I guess the spanish meaning is enough to cancel that nickname out.
I love how words/phrases could mean different things in different languages... how fascinating.
hahaha! hilarious! your mom sounds so sweet! I love it when people call their parents and grandparents unconventional things, and I am glad you were able to find a compromise!
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