the dee lam that was never meant to be

Something very funny happened today. Hahaha. But before I start, just a definition:

dee lam = hokkien for mattress

My mother, who can't speak Mandarin, received a call today on her mobile phone from a delivery guy announcing the arrival of a dee lam at our house. In fact, he was already in the vicinity and wanted to make sure my mother was at home. My mum thought he was mad because she definitely didn't order a mattress! She hung up and refused to pick up his call when he rang a second time because she "didn't want to waste money on a nuisance call" (she uses a top-up card for her mobile phone).

Three hours later, I heard knocks on my house door and found a family of three - neighbours apparently - with the father carrying a huge hamper. Someone had delivered a hamper to us while we were not home to receive it so the guy left it with our neighbours. So clever.

I went looking for my mum, telling her that her broker sent her a hamper. She paused for a while, hands full of soap from washing clothes, and said: "Oh! So this is the dee lam??? Goodness!!! Why did that guy call me to say he was sending a dee lam??? It is not a mattress what."

I thought for a while before the truth dawned on me and I couldn't stop laughing afterwards. The guy had meant 礼蓝 (li lan)!!! That's what a hamper is called in Mandarin lah, mother!!!

That poor delivery guy too. He kept calling my mum's broker to get him to check with my mum if she did receive the hamper. And the broker called our house close to 11pm. Must be one stressed delivery guy!