Ever since the Miss Singapore World incident, I'm becoming more conscious about others' English usage. This is a Rambling post cause I only have one thing to complain.
There's this guy in my company, he's told to give a talk about some thing-y. He messed up his pronunciation, grammar and thinks that the Sun gives off sun energy. Now that's really something, considering that he's from a decent, or rather, a very ang moh junior college. So I had this debate with a friend of mine. I said there's no way he's from science faculty since he thinks there's some imaginary sun energy. But my friend says there's no way he's from arts faculty since he can speak no sh*t. Which faculty do you think he's from?
P.S. This is only one example from my company, there's plenty more, like how this guy who asked me "what is et cetera?" and i was totally stumped. For one, i never thought of what etc is since its so commonly used. Et cetera is just.. etc. Anyways this is getting to me, and it's also getting me worried about my own command of English.
If you had read the papers recently, you would have noticed the big hoo-hah about Ms Ris Low's ang moh. The chairman of the Speak Good English movement spoke up for her, saying that we don't have the right to insult/reprimand her, since most Singaporeans speak like that too.
"my bigini goes boomz" "leopard preens" "i'm studying still"
The chairman says that he hear such sentences in conversations on trains/buses etc, but frankly, I wonder which trains/buses he took. I don't really hear so much of these on the streets from Singaporeans. Sure, I guess sentences such as "i'm studying still" do pop up every so often, but I must say that most of us youngsters can speak rather fluent English. If you watched the video, you would realise that her speech is choppy, and her pronunciation is flawed. Even though she was speaking Singlish, she had to think for a while before finishing her sentences. It's like she had to process the flawed language in her head first. Isn't that really bad?
The comments for the video are many, and very few spoke up for her. It's true that most of the comments made are written in Singlish themselves (after all, how many of us would put in effort to write in perfect English on forums). However I do think that their points are valid. For the few who spoke up for her, their argument are mainly similar - they all refer back to the words of the chairman. Now, if there is only one reason why I do not watch locally produced movies (mostly produced by the same person, you know who), it is because of how they all portray Singaporean's pride in our culture, one of which includes the usage of Singlish. I am totally disgusted (not just only in Singlish of course). To keep up with the world, it is only natural that we use the language in its correct form. Having our own identity is good and all, but feeling proud about how we changed someone else's language into some weird and awful sounding "thingy" is not. We can't not fault her just because she speaks like our typical Singaporean.
Fine, how about we assume that most Singaporeans do speak Singlish (and oh at least they speak confident and fluent Singlish, not that spluttering speech she gave, i can find aunties and uncles in television interviews who are more confident than her). I think we should start remembering why we started the Speak Good English Movement. Ms Low's position is one which presents her as a role model. Is it too demanding for us to want a role model who speaks good English, or at least good enough for than the masses to look up to? With such a response to support Ms Low in the mass media, Singaporean youths would think that it is okay to speak Singlish since "Ms Ris Low speaks like that and people on the papers say that we all speak like that anyway".
As Miss Singapore World, she will soon be participating in the contest in South Africa. She will be representing Singapore. With such poor command of the language and such confidence and attitude, it will not put Singapore in good light. Can't we have some expectations of someone we are sending to represent Singapore?
I can't really stand discrimination, especially when I am part of it. I don't really understand the relationship between "short" and "run so fast" when this old f*ggot from my workplace spotted one short guy running pretty fast at a race and said "wah short guy can run so fast".
Hello?! Are you so old you're senile? Short guys can be fast and even I am faster than you, you old faggot. Oops, now I am discriminating against old people and old f*ggots. Then again you deserve it.
I just came back from Benjamin's 21st Birthday chalet. Its kinda the first one I've ever attended, though I've heard much about the hoohah about 21st birthdays. I guess it is indeed much bigger than the small birthday celebrations I always have with my friends. Afterall, my birthday is supposed to be in fact, just another day. But well, I guess 21st is different afterall. The song singing was cool, cause they rubbed whip cream on Benjamin. Lol, I wasn't part of the fun as I was the cameraman, as usual. During the fun I also saw the brotherly love Benjamin have when he hugged his brother. So sweet. Lol.
The birthday marks the end of a year and the coming of another. It signifies growth in a way so I supposed it should be important. So well done, Ben, for being a year older than me finally. Happy birthday~
If only there could be fairness in this world. But yet, the ideal is not to be, for there is no such thing.
For if there is fairness, I would be as tall as Yong Soon or Eugene.
For if there is fairness, I would be as smart as Leonard or Joshua.
For if there is fairness, I would have as smooth a skin as Chee Yong.
For if there is fairness, I would be able to run as fast as Shaggy.
For if there is fairness, I would be willing to eat as much vegetables as Shang Long.
For if there is fairness, I would be as rich as Wesley.
For if there is fairness, I would have as many offs/leaves as Jed.
For if there is fairness, I would be in 2SIG and not my current unit.
For if there is fairness, I would not be treated like a f$%^ing recruit now, 60 days from my ORD.
There is a limit to everything, my dear brainless friends. There can never be such fairness in life, in reality. You are delusional. That's why you are trapped in that disgusting hell. You won't survive in the society outside, mark my words. To seek for fairness is the folly for all men. Retreat and let things go as it should. Crave not for fame unneeded. Demand for equality unrealistic. There is no glory, there is no honor.
There is no fairness, but there is karma. You just watch.
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