‘Advice’ Malaysian Parents Give

I used to believe that swallowing the seeds of fruits will cause a tree to sprout from the top of my head. As silly as it sounded, I was a gullible kid, ready to believe everything my parents had told me. And there was no way I wanted to risk going to school with a plant on my head. Of course, I eventually realised that it was their trick to get me to be careful when eating and not accidentally choking myself. But did the ‘scare tactic’ work before my common sense kicked in? Oh, heck yes.

“Finish all the rice on your plate. Else they will cry and haunt you in your dreams!”

In other words: Don't waste food!

In other words: Don't waste food!

In other words: “Hurry up and finish your meal. Don’t waste time.”

In other words: “Don’t hog every morsel of food on the dinner table. Leave some for your parents.”

In other words: “Be careful not to swallow chewing gum. It might choke you.”

In other words: “Eat your veggies because they are good for you.”

In other words: “People lay their head on pillows. Don’t be rude and make them go to sleep with a lingering scent of your butt.”

In other words: “Don’t play under the rain. You will fall sick.”

In other words: “You can hurt yourself cutting nails in the dark.”

In other words: “You can hurt yourself cutting nails in the dark.”

In other words: “It’s impolite to shake your legs in public.”

In other words: “It’s not safe to walk under a ladder. Objects may fall and hit you.”