This bank speaks my language

This bank wants to tell you that it has presence in many different Asean (Association of South-East Asian Nations) countries. How would you best portray that visually? Using the different languages, of course!

When you speak my language, you touch my heart. If you touch my heart, I am more likely to trust you. If you're a bank, you definitely want me to trust you with my money.

The poster says more than that. It tells me that you speak my language. The bank may be international, but the customers are not expected to speak English. The bank staff communicate in the language of that country's heart.

Great marketing.

We talk food, not politics

UNESCO has recently declared Japanese food as a cultural heritage. Hooray!

I do love Japanese food, cooked and uncooked. I know a few friends who cringe at the thought of eating raw fish. I love it! Being able to eat the fish raw tells me that it is fresh. No need for cooking.

What makes me even more proud is that Chef Li Kwok Wing recently won a contest to crown the best Japanese chef in the world! Chef Li is a China-born Singaporean, better known as Santoro. So who says Chinese and Japanese hate each other? This win proves otherwise. Chef Li is proud to be a chef of Japanese cuisine.

What am I trying to say? Food surpasses all cultural differences. No amount of national pride or poor political relations can interfere with one's love for food. With love for a certain kind of cuisine comes a love for that culture and tradition. Food is a universal language. We all love to eat!

What kind of food do you like?

Bon apetit!

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Learn Chinese, not French or German

Finally, David Cameron seems to have woken up to the fact that more of the world speaks Chinese than French or German. OK, maybe I'm biased. I speak Mandarin. I don't speak French or German. But, how likely is it for you to bump into a French- or German-speaking person outside Europe? I think there is a higher probability of chancing upon a Chinese-speaking person outside of Asia!

Since China is one of the two most populous nations of the world (the other being India where most people speak English anyway), I think we should be sitting up and paying attention to them. You agree?

Since China has decided that English is not that important in their country, I think it will be worth our while to learn Chinese. I am quite sure my Chinese friends will agree.

Have fun learning any new language!

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Write simply, be simply understood

The language of bureaucracy. Happens everywhere. Somehow, a letter from a government department must always sound "official". But, does the reader understand what the letter is saying? Not always. It depends on how "powerful" your English is, or "powder-ful", as Singaporeans put it.

Communication is not complete until the recipient understands what is being said. If the writing sounds pompous, the image I receive is "official", but if I fail to understand the content, then the writer has failed in his communication. What good will that be to anyone, especially if the message is important (like a change in electricity rates or a notice to appear in court).

To battle this bureaucrat-speak, the British government started a drive to make all UK civil servants write simply. The Singapore government is following suit. Not everyone is good at English. We just know how to use it in daily life. As long as I am understood, I don't have to spout fancy words to make myself seem important. I am happy with who I am now. As we all should be.

So, here's to writing simply to be simply understood! Hooray!

Have fun writing simple English!

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I can't push my bike across a sentence!

This road sign made me laugh. How do I push my bicycle across a safety reminder? A safety reminder is a sentence telling me to do something so that I will not be in danger. I cannot push my bicycle across a sentence!

May I suggest that the sign be reworded as:
SAFETY REMINDER:
PLEASE PUSH
BICYCLE ACROSS
Same words, different order with one added punctuation. Clear as can be.

Have fun cycling!

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You like watery eggs?

Toast, eggs and coffee or tea is quite standard breakfast food pretty much anywhere in the world. In Western countries, you may even choose how you would like your eggs cooked: sunny side up ("fried" in some places), scrambled ("crumbled" at a restaurant in Cambodia), omelette, poached. I have not heard of anyone eating hard boiled eggs for breakfast - yet!

In Singapore and Malaysia, two soft-boiled eggs for breakfast is traditional. For a while, there was a health trend going round in America, saying that soft-boiled eggs were the healthiest thing to eat for breakfast. I thought that most unusual because I have never heard of anyone eating soft-boiled eggs in the west. I am quite sure that trend has passed, as do all trends for that matter.

When I saw this sign (picture above) advertising a breakfast set of "two watery eggs", toast and coffee or tea, I had to laugh. If I did not know what soft-boiled eggs looked like, I would not be inclined to try eating "watery eggs". Just the phrase makes me think of uncooked eggs, which are watery. For that matter, it takes skill to make good soft-boiled eggs.* Not cooked long enough, the eggs are very watery and not fit for consumption.

The picture of the breakfast set shows a plate of yellow liquid with some black streaks in it. To the uninformed, that is how you eat soft-boiled eggs the Singaporean and Malaysian way. First, you knock open the eggs onto a saucer. Add some white pepper and soya sauce (the black streaks). Use a teaspoon to break open the yolks and stir the mixture around. Drink up the liquid straight from the saucer (direct to your mouth) or use the toast to mop up the egg and eat.

I was pleasantly surprised to know that my Latin American friend eats her sunny side up eggs with toast! I have had breakfast with her several times when she would use the fork to break open the yolk carefully, then dip the toast into the runny yolk to eat. Before eating, she would always apologise to the others at the table, saying that she was taught to eat that way from young. (I suppose some cultures may be offended by this.) I never thought that a culture so different from mine would share such a similarity!

Regardless of how you like your eggs, my point is that the description of the breakfast set does not make me go, "Yum! I want that for breakfast!" The stall holder should have checked with English-speaking people before putting up the sign for "watery eggs". Good copywriting does make a difference in sales.

Have fun learning English and how to eat eggs!

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*Recipe for soft-boiled eggs:
Place two uncooked eggs in a large mug.
Pour in enough boiling water to cover the eggs nicely.
Wait exactly 13 minutes.
Remove eggs from the mug, break them into a saucer, add some pepper and soya sauce, and enjoy!

Life and death in a name?

Today's post is not morbid by any means. I was inspired to write because of what I saw on the side of a van.

There was a funeral taking place near my home. On the side of the van was painted the name of the company: XXX Casket Company, XXX 寿板. I walked by thinking the Chinese name to be a bit puzzling.

In Chinese, "casket" is 棺材. Using the literal word "casket" in a company name may be considered crude or rude, since it refers to death, which often is a taboo subject in Chinese society. Chinese often will use a pseudonym instead, to soften the tone, yet make it sound acceptable to the grieving family. In this case, the company chose 寿板.

寿 (shou4) means life. It is often used to wish an elderly person on his birthday, wishing him a long life e.g. 寿比南山 or "May you live longer than the southern hills".
板 (ban3) means a wooden board. In this case, it refers to the wooden coffin.

What made me puzzled was the pairing of the two words meaning "life" and "coffin", signaling death. Seems like an oxymoron to me!

I got onto Google Translate and laughed even more! Google Translate gave this: 寿板 = "life board". Huh? What's that supposed to mean? I have never really trusted Google Translate to begin with. This just confirms my suspicions. Do not trust electronic translation systems. Trust the human being instead.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to learn a new language. That way, you will not have to rely on a tool or another person to translate and explain the meaning.

Start learning a new language today!

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Please say "thank you"

'Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom'- Marcel Proust

Is it so hard to say "thank you"?

I used to teach youth aged 16-25 years in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, how to work in an office. One of the lessons is being thankful. When someone does something for you, no matter how small, we should always say "thank you". Small gestures of appreciation create a positive work environment in which to work.

In the Cambodian culture, people are generally too shy to say "thank you" to those closest to them e.g. immediate family members. Since my students had yet to enter the workforce, my examples drew mainly from their home environment, so they could understand what was being taught. I raised this example frequently:

Me: If your mother gave you 100 riel (smallest denomination of currency), would you say "thank you"?
Students: No, of course not!
Me: If your mother gave you USD100, would you say "thank you"?
Students: (Laughter) But, we never say "thank you" to those who are close to us. The relationship is too close.
I will never understand their thinking.

"Thank you" is about as universal as the word "Coke". Everybody understands "thank you" in English regardless of whether you understand English or not. When said with a smile, these two small words warm the heart and send messages of love across cultural barriers.

As American Thanksgiving approaches, let's all build a culture of thankfulness. Two small words "thank you" mean so much.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! To the rest of the world, let's be thankful too!

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Is learning English not as important today?

Is English not the universally important language anymore? While many in the non-English-speaking world are frantically trying to learn English, China has decided that English is not as important as other subjects for the university admission test or 高考 as it is more commonly known. Perhaps the focus on English has led to lower grades in other subjects? Highly possible, since the Singapore Education Ministry has deemed this so, only in reverse. In Singapore, the focus on Chinese language can cause so much stress to parents and children that the latter end up scoring poorly in other subjects such as mathematics and science, subjects deemed easier than Chinese.

Granted, not everyone has a knack, talent or flair for languages (whichever word you may prefer). For some, grammar and spelling are enough to drive one crazy. For others, being able to communicate in another language sends them on a high. Whichever type of person you may or may not be, language is essential to life. Even the deaf and hearing-impaired have their own language.

Chinese in China are going everywhere around the world. Although they study English in school, most of them cannot speak a word of English. Understanding spoken English is also close to zero. China expects the world to learn Chinese instead. Much of the world agrees. After all, China is a huge market.

Whatever your view may be, the fact is that both English and Chinese are gaining popularity around the world. If you speak either language, you can easily communicate with someone somewhere in the world. If you speak both languages, even better! You can probably travel anywhere in the world and find someone who can communicate with you.

Learning English and/or Chinese may be tough, but communicating with someone and seeing his face light up just because you speak a language he understands, is most rewarding. Learn a language today!

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Test of proficiency for translators in Singapore

How accurate are translations? It varies. Everything depends on the skill of the translator and the editor. Does he know both languages well? How proficient is he in each language? Very seldom is someone equally proficient in both languages unless he has grown up speaking both equally. Even then, one language may be stronger than the other by reason of use.

I know a few friends who grew up speaking Mandarin, went to Chinese-medium schools for basic education, and have had to re-learn Mandarin as an adult. What happened? They went to university using English exclusively, worked in offices that spoke and used only English, and ended up building a family that spoke only English at home. After more than 10 years of hardly speaking or hearing Mandarin spoken, they had to almost start all over again. However, their journey is made easier because they do have the basic foundation buried somewhere in the recesses of their minds.

Just because you speak both languages, it does not mean you can translate. I do a decent job with oral translations, but my written Chinese is pathetic. All my school days I scraped through compositions in Chinese because I wrote in Chinese the way I think in English. It just does not work, nor does it make sense. Then I took Japanese classes in university. As I progressed to higher levels where we had to write essays, my Japanese teacher often did not understand what I was trying to say. Fortunately, she had studied Chinese. She told me many times that she would translate my Japanese sentence into Chinese to make sense of my work.

We have seen many instances of strange and funny translations all over the world. There are even websites dedicated to such pictures. Signs aside, translations can either make or break a deal. A wrong nuance changes the entire meaning of a sentence, and dare I say, the entire document. Accuracy is crucial in translation work.

Is there a way to assess the skills of a translator? Singapore will be instituting a test to check proficiency of translators soon.

Translators in Singapore are excited over this prospect. The test and subsequent certification will lend some credibility to their profession. However, some translation companies are sceptical. Tests can only cover so much ground. Technical language is not included. Translation is just too broad an area to be able to test accurately.

Regardless, some form of testing is better than none at all. "Lost in translation" is not funny. If I took the test, I will at least know where I stand in comparison with others in my field. I rather find out from an objective test than rely on feedback from my audience.

Regardless of where I am in my language learning journey, there is always room for improvement. I am committed to learning languages for the rest of my life. Will you take up the challenge with me and start learning a language today?

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With Compliments or Complimentary?

This tag was attached to a bottle of drinking water placed in my hotel room. The tag let guests know that the bottle of water was already included in the room charge, different from the drinks in the refrigerator, which are chargeable.

So what's wrong with the tag? The text. It should read: "With Compliments" or "Complimentary", not "With Complimentary".

"Complimentary" means "given free to repay a favour or as an act of courtesy" (Source: The Free Dictionary by Farlex). In this case, the bottle of water is given free to hotel guests.

The hotel is rated 4-Star, with superb customer service. Yet, one small error on a seemingly insignificant item has dented my image of the hotel, at least enough for me to write this post about it.

Is English confusing? Yes. Hard to learn? Yes. Yet, no reason not to keep trying. You can do it!

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I'm a taxi driver who is learning English

Taxi drivers can either make or break your day. We need them to get places quickly, especially in a foreign place. We hope they speak and understand English. We hope they know where the place I need to go is, and how to get there in the shortest possible time. In some places, we hope they can read maps!

Taxi drivers in Singapore whose standard of English is not acceptable have to undergo English lessons. Many of them are older men who have been driving taxis for at least 20 years. The younger ones are usually retrenched white-collar workers who were unable to find jobs similar to their previous one or decided to change career in mid-life. The older drivers had chosen to make taxi-driving a lifelong career, at a time when tourists were far fewer.

Learning any language at an older age can be daunting, especially for someone who does not have high levels of education. English is no different. For many, English pronunciation is difficult. Either the listener does not understand what we are saying, or they laugh at us in the face. Taxi drivers were initially fearful of going to class. They had obviously tried for years to learn some simple English phrases but never seemed to remember them, or just tried to avoid lessons altogether. Running away does not solve the problem.

Enter the government with heavily subsidised fees for basic conversational English classes tailored specially for taxi drivers in Singapore. At the end of the class, all the drivers were so pleased with themselves. They can now express themselves fairly confidently, especially with non-Singaporeans. Overall, the programme has been a great success. Not only have taxi drivers learned something, service standards of taxi drivers has gone up. Tourists no longer need to be afraid of rogue taxi drivers taking them for a ride just to rack up the meter.

Are you afraid of learning a new language? It does take courage to open your mouth in a new language, especially when just starting out to learn. Once you get the hang of it, it will get to be lots of fun! A little bit of effort will go a long way to making new friends and learning about a new culture.

Enrich your life today! Learn a new language!

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Halloween or Hellowin?

Halloween. People around the world are caught up with horror, scaring one another, dressing up in Gothic-style costumes, children dress up in whatever their parents' think is cute and go house to house saying, "Trick or treat". I do not like Halloween. I have many friends who do not either. What should we do in response?

My Taiwanese friends came up with a great idea for their version of Halloween. They called it "Hellowin". What a great twist of the word! So creative!

They decided that since many of their friends were out doing strange things on Halloween night, why not have a party of their own? A Christian response to Halloween, calling it Hellowin.

I do not know all the details, but I can guess the rationale behind it. You see, a few of them had spent two weeks of August in Singapore. During that time, they learned how to conduct the 1MPFJ (One More Person for Jesus) campaign, to introduce their friends to Jesus. They went home very excited, wanting to implement the programme as soon as they stepped off the plane in Taiwan.

Hellowin is probably a combination of two words: "hello" and "win". "Hello. My name is ..." First I make friends with a stranger or get to know someone even better. "Win" is to "win one more person for Jesus". Put the two words together and you get Hellowin. Add some food and you get a party to make new friends, get to know your old friends better, and introduce them to your best Friend, Jesus! What a great idea!

My Taiwanese friends do not know much English. Who says they cannot get creative with the English language? Besides, a name like that will attract many of their friends of the same age group who are also learning English. What better way than to have a party?

Some of the most creative ways of using the English language have come from learners of English. They don't always get it right, but some things they say are just so "right". The message would not be as punchy if the grammar and sentence structure were correct. Let's appreciate one another's unique way of using English!

Have fun learning about another culture!

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Please tell me where I went wrong

More on butchering the English language. This time it is pronunciation.

Japanese does not have distinct "r" and "l" sounds. The Japanese speaker of English is often confused with words containing "r" or "l". This is why Halloween ends up being pronounced "Harrowing"! I have to say it is quite appropriate in this case. Halloween is a harrowing experience for everyone, apart from being scary.

Mandarin Chinese pronunciation does have "r" and "l" sounds, but depending on which part of China you or your ancestors come from, you may or may not be able to distinguish between the two. This is why many Americans make fun of Chinese people trying to speak English. "Fly lice" instead of "fried rice" is a cliche now. For the Chinese learner of English, it is not funny. It's painful.

Yesterday, my Taiwanese friend was spelling out her Facebook name so I could add her as a friend. Taiwanese have a unique way of pronouncing certain letters of the English alphabet:
"H" is pronounced as "a-chy" or almost like "itchy"
"L" is pronounced as "el-lo"
"S" is pronounced as "es-see"

For that matter, Hong Kong friends who speak little English also pronounce words containing "s" in the same unique way. For example, "strawberries" is pronounced as "see-tor-berry-see".

Enough said.

Every learner of English has his own unique way of pronouncing English words. Some of them are hilarious to the native English speaker. Should we laugh out loud at them, and risk insulting them to the face? Or should we be polite and gently correct them? Personally, I do not mind being laughed at, but please, after you have stopped laughing, tell me what the correct pronunciation should be. I am trying my best to learn your language. The last thing I need is to be made fun of publicly and not know why. Language learning is painful enough without having to suffer public humiliation in the process.

Let's be kind to one another and help each other in our language learning journey. A little encouragement goes a long way.

Have fun in your language learning!

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Don't butcher the English language!

It seems that English proficiency in Malaysia is not up to standard. A long time ago, the standard of education in Singapore and Malaysia were on par with each other, and with the rest of the world. English proficiency was high and a given, if you went to school in either of these countries.

Then, the Malaysian government decided to change the medium of instruction in schools to Malay, the national language, instead of English. Malay proficiency soared. Malaysians of every race spoke Malay fluently, but at the expense of English. Somewhere along the line, policy change made teaching of Science and Mathematics go back to English. Now, the goal is to get all Malaysian students proficient in English by 2016. Ambitious. I salute them.

I am not here to comment on a nation's education policies. All I want to say is that English is a universal language that is necessary for survival. My South African friend always said this:

We all speak one language around the world: bad English.

Funny? Maybe. True? Yes, indeed!

Regardless of what language you are learning, I suggest that you try your best to learn it as well as you can. Let's not insult any language by butchering it to unrecognisable bits in the name of "I can communicate; isn't that enough?" I respect every culture, even though I may not like every part of their culture. Language is an integral part of a culture. Let's be respectful and learn it well. The same goes with English.

Have fun learning a language! Find a package to suit you here!

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Open your mouth and speak!

My business partner and I have a contract to teach local Vietnamese staff English. The German company has hired us for three levels of English: basic, intermediate and technical English for managers. Basic and Intermediate classes have just started.

Before we even started, the Human Resource (HR) Manager explained their company's needs and what the foreign bosses expected of the staff in terms of English language skills. She also told us that the staff do not want to attend class because they think their English is good enough. Why is management forcing them to get better at something they are already good at?

Having worked among Cambodians and Vietnamese for some years, I knew the root problem. No one wants to improve. They are satisfied with the status quo. They cannot accept what the bosses are saying. "I'm good enough already. Why bother?" Well, after telling my business partner what we needed to do to make the local staff improve, he sent my comments lock, stock and barrel to the HR Manager!

The HR Manager took the carrot and stick approach by telling the staff in no uncertain terms that they were all to attend class without question. Supervisors had to give staff time off to attend class. Those who did not attend class would have their annual benefits cut completely. It worked. All the staff attended class on Day 1.

Silence from the staff for the first 15 minutes. Suddenly, the barrier broke and it was noisy for the rest of the time. Even in the Basic class, everyone tried to speak English as best as they could, mistakes and all. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. They enjoy learning English! Even the Austrian boss asked the trainer, "What happened to the staff?" Clearly, our approach was correct and effective.

You will never know how much of a language you know until you are forced to speak. Too often Asians are afraid of using their newly acquired language for fear of making mistakes and thus, making a fool of themselves. You have to die to personal pride in order to learn. Once you have made a mistake and someone corrects you, you are not likely to make the same mistake again. Lesson learned for life.

I have an uphill task trying to learn Vietnamese. I know words and phrases. From a written text, I can sometimes guess the meaning but cannot pronounce the words correctly. I am determined to learn. I have wonderful friends who are going to help me in this journey. I will be able to speak fluently someday. In the meantime, I must try to speak as often as I can. The more I try, the faster I will learn. Speaking is key to learning a language. So, get out there and open your mouth!

Have fun learning a new language!

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Finish your food!

"Make sure you finish what is on your plate!" Every child around the world has heard this too many times from his mother. Apparently, we do not always listen.

Singapore schools have just started a campaign to ensure that school children do not waste food. They have to eat everything on their plate, which more or less forces children to take only what they can eat. More importantly, it teaches children not to waste food. Children are learning. They realise that not all children have enough to eat, so don't waste anything.

My mother always told me to eat up every grain of rice on my plate because each grain represents the sweat of a farmer somewhere. A book on life in China in the 1940s talks about a lady who eats up every grain of food on her plate because she experienced the hardship of farming in her younger days. She cannot bear to see anything being thrown away.

Food wastage in China is very real. "Operation Empty Plate" started to try to curb this bad habit. Is it working? I do not know. Only time will tell if cultural traits can be changed over a generation.

I have heard this statement many times:

There is enough food to feed everyone around the world, but why are some places having so much while others are starving?

Regardless of whether you are starving or in abundance, the point remains the same: do not waste food. My late grandmother used to say that wasting food is a sin. I don't know about that, but I agree that food should not be wasted. Eat what I can. Eat enough. Do not overeat. Everything in moderation. That's my philosophy in eating.

Culture takes generations to build. Culture will take generations to change. It begins with me.

Have fun learning a new culture!

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It's not easy being a language teacher

Six English teachers won awards for creative ways of teaching the language. These teachers teach different levels of students. Some teach primary school, some secondary school and others teach at junior college level. They all use creative ways to teach the English language.

This set me thinking about how we learn languages. I have learned several languages over the years. I have been subjected to weekly karaoke sessions in Thai, sentence drills in Khmer, copying letters of the alphabet in every language, ... creative ways to teach me the language. I didn't like karaoke at all!

Some people really enjoy learning foreign languages through singing pop songs in that language. I do not. I do not even enjoy karaoke! Give me old fashioned sentence drills and grammar explanations. Those methods work best for me.

So, I'm boring. But, I learn. Honestly, the method of teaching is very important. What works well for one person may not work at all for another. My Malaysian friend got so discouraged from learning Vietnamese from the start because the teacher kept berating him for his inability to remember previous lessons. He has lived in Vietnam for more than 10 years and still cannot speak the language. His wife, on the other hand, speaks it fluently. Same teacher. Same teaching method. Different students. Different learning styles.

I salute these teachers and so many more out there who have yet to win awards. They are doing their very best to impart knowledge to their young charges. May they always be appreciated by their students, whether they win any award or not. Teachers deserve an applause and all our love and appreciation.

Appreciate your language teacher today!

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Learn Chinese for better job prospects

Mr Wang is a Chinese Muslim from Yunnan, China. He went to Kelantan, northern Malaysia, to study Arabic. At the end of his course of studies, he landed himself a job in a local Muslim school in Kelantan, teaching Chinese and Arabic to school children.

Kelantan's population is mostly Malay, yet they have the highest number of Malay students learning Chinese, compared with any other state in Malaysia. Why the interest in Chinese and not English? Better job prospects. English is already taught in the school, even though the government is trying to raise the standard of English education across the country. Lao parents in the the countryside are sending their children to Chinese lessons. China is an economic power to be contended with. Everyone's attention is drawn to China today.

Approximately one-sixth of the world's population lives in China, not counting all the Chinese diaspora spread across the globe. Granted, many overseas Chinese no longer speak Chinese or adhere to Chinese traditions. Yet, we cannot deny that China is a huge market that must be taken seriously. What better way than to begin by learning the language at a young age? Kelantan Malay parents have foresight. Kelantan Malay children have Chinese friends. They chatter in Chinese, without thinking about what race they belong to. What better way to promote race relations than by learning the language?

Do you speak Chinese? Get started today! Learning a language is a lot of fun!

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"Cake" just doesn't describe it

My friend posted this link on Facebook showing drawings of all the different kinds of pastries that we eat here in Singapore. The drawings were so real that it made me want to eat some! Problem is, they're all full of carbohydrates and all the stuff that makes you fat.

Diet aside, what struck me was the choice of a title: "Kueh", which is the Hokkien (Fujian dialect of China) and Malay pronunciation for cake in English. Kueh can be savory or sweet, depending on what kind of kueh it is. "Kueh" is a generic term for a pastry or confection, which may or may not resemble a western cake. In fact, most kueh are not baked. They are either steamed or fried.

In Vietnamese, all "cakes" are called "banh". In Khmer, "cakes" are known as "num". In Thai, it is "khanom". Again, in all these languages, what is being described isn't really a cake in the western sense. It is a generic term for a pastry of some kind.

If you ask an Asian to describe in English what the pastry is like, he will probably start off by saying, "Well, it is some sort of cake." The problem is "cake" just doesn't describe the kind of food it really is. Lost in translation? Absolutely. Is there a better word? I can't think of any.

My solution? Either you learn the language or just enjoy eating the "cake". I opt to do both!

Have fun eating and learning!

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Brandy coffee anyone?

A Malaysian coffee lover shared this real conversation he had in Seoul.

Me: what coffee is this?

Mr Korean Cafe Owner: brandy

Me: whoa! That's cool. Never had that before. (takes a sip)

Me to Sung Kim (Korean friend): I don't taste brandy...

Sung: I think he said "blending".

Me to Cafe Owner: How's business?

Cafe Owner: Thank you.

=_= end of conversation

Have fun with languages over a cup of coffee!

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Finished vs Complete

The difference

To explain the difference between the word "COMPLETE" and "FINISHED"...!! * Some people also say there's no difference, but apparently there is: When you marry the right woman, you're COMPLETE. But when you marry the wrong woman, you're FINISHED. When your wife catches you with another woman, you're... COMPLETELY FINISHED! .. And when your wife likes shopping so much, you're... FINISHED COMPLETELY...!!!

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Hotel Arrival this way

Shouldn't this sign read "Hotel Entrance"? I was amused at the English. This is a four-star hotel, managed by Singaporeans, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I would assume the English would be better.

Well, my friend who speaks fluent Vietnamese enlightened me: translation problem. Ha! That's the culprit!

Funny English. Happens everywhere.

Have fun with a new language!

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Reinforce bilingual education at home

There has been quite a bit of news on bilingual education in Singapore recently, more specifically, on the learning of the "mother tongue". What is the "mother tongue"? It is defined as the language a mother uses to speak to her children, which is usually her native language, not necessarily the national language. Some people will refer to this language as the "heart language".

If both parents come from different language groups, then the mother's native tongue will be taken as the "mother tongue", not the father's language. I assume this is because in the first few years of a child's life, the primary caregiver would be the mother, rather than the father.

Many children in Singapore are better at English than their mother tongue, partly because the medium of instruction in schools is English. Hence, the Ministry of Education is pushing for parents to read to their children in their home language, rather than in English. But why the push for bilingualism in Singapore?

The more languages you know, the easier it is for you to communicate cross-culturally. The world is shrinking as far as the working world is concerned. The average person will come into contact with people of different languages and cultures. To develop a good working relationship, it will help greatly if both sides at least try to learn a bit of the other's language and culture. After all, if you speak my language, you touch my heart.

Want to touch someone's heart? Start learning a new language! You'll gain more than just someone's heart; you'll make your life so much richer!

Have fun learning a language!

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"I prefer to talk to God in my own language"

Approximately every one in four residents of Singapore is a non-citizen. Non-citizens come from many parts of the world. They come here to work, many doing jobs that no citizen wants to do. Then there are those who come to offer their expertise, like the Spanish-speaking Christians featured in this article.

Most foreigners living and working in Singapore can speak English fairly well. English may not be their first language, but they can function comfortably in English on a daily basis. However, when it comes to matters of faith, they would much rather attend a place of worship that speaks their "heart language".

Churches in Singapore have responded positively by opening new services in various languages as the need arises. Trinity Christian Centre, the church featured in this article, is one of the few that have a Spanish service. The African service at Cornerstone Community Church is in English, but the style of service is typically African, to suit all the Africans from different parts of the continent.

The beauty of all this diversity is that each one is worshipping God in his own heart language and style, which gives him a brief moment of being "at home" away from home. It is a place where they can be themselves and not have to explain to anyone why they speak or behave in a certain way. Living overseas is not easy. Little touches like this help relieve homesickness.

Have you been able to overcome culture shock? Do you appreciate being with your fellow countrymen every now and then? Crossing cultures is not easy, but little touches like this make a world of difference.

Have fun crossing the cultural divide!

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Don't insult my family name!

Janice Worth was a New Yorker, used to White American culture until she married a Hawaiian. She moved to Hawaii and embraced a new culture such that is has become her own. She may not be Hawaiian, but she has adopted Hawaiian culture and all that it represents, including her husband's family name, Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele (35 characters, in case you are wondering).

Janice may now be a widow, but she stubbornly refuses to give up her Hawaiian family name. She said, "Over the last 22 years I have seen Hawaii being bulldozed and the culture of Hawaii being trampled upon and this policeman treated my name as if it is some mumbo jumbo." I don't blame her one bit for being so upset. Names represent individuals, families and a whole culture. You can't make fun of someone's name and expect to get away with it. Someone, somewhere is going to get insulted.

What is the problem? Her family name is too long to fit into her driver's license! Either a few letters at the end get left out, or as the policeman (mentioned above) suggested, revert to her maiden name. She was hurt, hurt enough to take her case to the local television station. That put pressure on the Hawaii Department of Transportation, who is now working hard to rectify the problem. How many other Hawaiians and Polynesians are similarly affected but have not spoken up?

I fully sympathise with Janice. A few years ago I was on a conference call with colleagues of different nationalities in different parts of the world, none of them Asian. They were talking about a mutual friend who had registered for a conference under her maiden name, which no one knew because she always used her married name. Since her full maiden name sounded more like an alliteration, everyone thought it was a big joke and carried on for several minutes laughing at her name. I tried very hard to get a word in to explain, but no one was listening. I was upset. It was not my name, but she was my fellow countryman. I felt trampled upon by all these non-Asians. They were making fun of Chinese culture! Of course I was adamant!

How protective are you of your culture and heritage? I can't say that I am, unless ... until you start trampling on it. I meet many people of different nationalities in my course of work. I do my best to ask questions and try to learn about their culture and language. I am very particular that the pronunciation must be correct, not skewed to my accent. I respect their culture and language. My new friend will appreciate that. I'm here to make friends for the long haul, not trample on them at the first meeting.

Whichever culture you come from, whatever language you speak, let's endeavour to cross our cultural barrier. Make new friends. Fill this world with love for one another!

Have fun learning another language and culture!

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Excuse me I am sorry

Are you confused on when to use "Excuse Me" and when to use "I am sorry"? You should not, but many do, especially non-native speakers of English.

Here are some practical examples in English:

"Excuse Me": If someone is blocking my way and I need to get to the other side, I will say to the person "Excuse me, may I get through, please?" A simple "excuse me" will also tell him that he's in my way and should move aside.

"I am sorry" is used when I have done something wrong and need to apologise. It can also be used if I cannot help someone who has asked me a question. For example, if someone asks me for directions and I don't know where the place is, I would answer, "I'm sorry, but I don't know where that is."

My Filipino friend +Lloyd Estrada was in Istanbul and wrote this post about his experience.

I had a good laugh. As I read his blog post, I realised what the "problem" was. I do not know any Turkish, but I suspect that in Turkish, both "excuse me" and "sorry" are the same word. I made this conclusion because in Thai and Khmer, that is the case. In Thai ขอโทษ and Khmer សុំទោស is used to get someone's attention, or to apologise for a mistake made.

To someone who speaks English fairly well, the use of "sorry, you need a shirt" is quite funny, probably also a little strange. As with learning any language, we are bound to make mistakes. We must not be afraid to make a fool of ourselves. It is a very good way to learn quickly. Be yourself. As long as we're being understood, whatever brand of English you may speak is perfectly acceptable. Correct grammar will help along the way.

Have fun with languages!

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Knowing English is still important

After so many years of pushing aside English as the main medium of instruction in schools, Malaysia is trying to reverse the tide of poor English. The first step is to re-train the teachers who are not proficient in English.

This is an uphill task. English is not an easy language to master. My friend is trying for a certificate to teach English as a second language. She is despairing now because she has completely forgotten all the grammar rules. Yes, her English is good. Yes, she uses English daily. But to explain what the rules are and how they work is another story altogether.

While much of world today speaks Chinese, English is still widely used anywhere in the world. In fact, most Chinese from China want to learn English. Many of them speak very well, with little trace of a Chinese accent. Much of the information over the internet today is in English. Being able to speak, read and write English is a very useful skill to have. We cannot run away from this fact.

I wish the Malaysian Education Ministry all the best in their endeavours to bring the standard of English in the schools back to where it used to be and maybe even better.

If you can read and understand this blog post, then you do have a good grasp of English. Why not add Chinese to your stable of working languages?

Happy learning!

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Speak Mandarin drive in China? Yes!

Many Chinese in China cannot speak Mandarin, or at least speak well enough to be understood. Surprising? Maybe to those who do not know much about China.

The fact is that there are 56 official tribal groups in China who are not of the majority Han race. Out of those 56 tribes, each has many sub-divisions, which adds to many more tribes, each one having their own language. Add to that the number of ethnic Han dialects or languages like Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Hockchew, Hing Hwa, Shanghainese, Sichuan language, etc. That's a lot of different languages for one huge country!

It should not be surprising, then, that many Chinese citizens do not speak the national language Mandarin well enough to function in everyday life. While Singapore has been running the Speak Mandarin Campaign for years to get Singaporeans to brush up on Mandarin (which is a second or third language to most), here is China, the exporter of Mandarin, having to conduct a Speak Mandarin drive for their own citizens! Ironic? Maybe. Real? Yes.

You don't have to be Chinese to speak Mandarin. Start learning today!

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Does your boss call you at crazy hours?

What is the work culture in your country like? Does your boss expect you to be reachable at all hours of the day or night, even on weekends and holidays? Smartphones and tablets seem to control our lives now, both work and personal. It is the same everywhere in the world, both developed and under-developed.

When I read this article, I cheered! Germany is doing something about the ridiculous work culture! Yay! It is now illegal for bosses to call employees at some crazy hour outside of work hours. Germans can actually have a life now.

Now, will the rest of the world follow suit?

What do you do to combat this unhealthy stress?

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Is Chinese taking over as the universal language?

Is Mandarin becoming the universal language over English? Maybe not yet, but much of the world does speak Mandarin, especially considering that China's population is already one-sixth of the world. That does not include all the Chinese diaspora all over the world!

This article tells us that Lao villagers may not have much money, but education is a priority. What is more important is that, to the average Lao parent, learning Mandarin is more important than learning English. Considering what a great influence China has on Lao economy, what Lao parents are doing is probably wise. After all, China is a huge market both domestically and internationally.

A Malaysian businessman in Vietnam told me that he sent his children to a Taiwanese international school and gave them extra lessons in English. He felt that English and Mandarin (or Chinese) were essential to their ability to succeed in life. Today, his son is studying in America and his daughter has just completed her time in Europe. She is also learning French.

Every parent wants the best education for his children. In today's fast-changing and fast-moving global economy, it looks likely that Chinese is catching up with English as the universal language of the business world. Thousands in China attend classes to learn English. Chinese students are all over the world in the quest to get ahead.

In South Korea alone, there are 80,000 students from China studying there. A Chinese pastor living in Seoul commented that sometimes he thought he was in China, rather than in South Korea. All around him he would hear Chinese being spoken.

While knowing one language is good, being bilingual or even multilingual is even better. Effective communication is a fact of life. We all want to avoid misunderstandings. Being able to communicate in another language helps cut down the risk of miscommunication. Knowing Chinese will help you communicate with much of the world! Why not start learning Chinese today?

You can find many different packages to learn Mandarin here.

Have fun learning Chinese!

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Revive ancient art and craft skills, celebrate culture

Art and craft are an integral part of a culture. Even poor mountainous tribes have beautiful clothes, jewelry and musical instruments. Here's an ancient Chinese craft that is little known and is now being slowly revived.

The craftsman embeds a kingfisher's feather into a setting of gold. I've never seen a picture like that, but I am sure it is stunning.

What craft in your culture do you celebrate? Share it with us!

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Body language - our daily communication tool

Is body language considered a proper language? Not officially, I suppose, but we all "speak" it without even realising that we are sending a message!

Here's an example of how body language worked effectively.

"Remember, we speak with our voices but communicate with our bodies. You have just seven seconds to make a positive first impression." - Dr Seow Bee Leng, "More than you can say" (CATS Recruit, 13 Aug 2013)

What message are we communicating today? Let it be positive!

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Miss Communication, Miss Understanding

The English is not perfect, but the message conveyed more than makes up for the less than perfect spelling and grammar. In any language, let's be careful what we say!

Have fun learning another language!

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Chinese is an ancient language

The Chinese language is an ancient language. The discovery of Chinese classical literature written on bamboo strips shows that Chinese writing has existed for thousands of years.

Learn an ancient language today! Learn Chinese! Find a suitable package here.

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Typo errors and poor building maintenance = poor image

I wrote about poor customer service some time ago. This photo is from the slimming centre I visited. While waiting for the Consultant, I spotted this unprofessional advertising on the wall.

What do I mean? Typo errors unchecked destroy any kind of professional service you may offer. It shows lack of attention to detail. I circled the errors in red.* The errors are so basic that even a child will be able to spot the errors and offer the correct answers. I wonder if the fact that the staff are more proficient in Mandarin than English, then no one will bother proficient in Mandarin than checking the English text in detail. "Most of the customers don't speak English anyway." Wrong move! Minor details that are overlooked damage your image and reputation.

The same applies to this uncovered vent in the consultation room. What I saw through the hole was clean. Good building management. However, I felt unsafe sitting directly under that uncovered vent. I kept wondering if anything was going to fall on my head!

Some cultures just do not pay attention to detail.

Learn a language, learn a culture!

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*Typo errors and corrections:
"i" should be "I"
"Iam" should be "I am"
"All Thanks" should be "All thanks"
"friendly staffs!." should be "friendly staff!"

Transparent Language Online Vietnamese - great way to learn!

Transparent Language Online is an entirely interactive, entirely online language learning package. Over 100 languages are available, including English as a Second Language. I tried the Vietnamese lessons under the seven-day free trial offer. It is an intense package, but I learned basic phrases that I can use when I visit the country.

If you're a beginner like me, the software recommends that you begin with the Essentials lessons. I did not complete the lessons in this section. However, the software keeps track of your progress, picking up from where you left off the last time you logged in. It also shows you how far along you are in each lesson so that you know how much more you have to go before completing that section, in case you have to do something else at a certain time.

The Essentials section covers, speaking, reading and spelling. While you do not have to learn to write Vietnamese with all the symbols, you do need to learn how to operate the onscreen keyboard. When I first started, I did not know there was an onscreen keyboard. I simply typed in the letters and symbols on my laptop keyboard. What I typed looked exactly the same as the given text, but I was marked "incorrect" every single time. This was a major frustration to me. It would not let me go and never gave me any help to tell me where I had gone wrong. To move on in the lesson, I simply clicked "Accept as Correct" for each one.

The speaking section was fun. First you hear the phrase spoken by a native speaker, then you click a button to record your own voice. The soundwave graph will show you how close or far off you are with the original. I can't interpret the soundwave, neither do I know how to make my pronunciation look like the original. But at least I could move onto the next phrase as I chose to.

Since time was running out on me for the trial period, I moved on quickly to the Byki Quick Start. This was fun and painless. The only downside was the slow download of each lesson. It began with speaking and reading, but there was no recording of my voice. Flashcards helped me recognise phrases and prompted me to mark myself correct or not. If I didn't know a word, I simply clicked "enter" to move on. The software will come back to the phrase after a few other phrases. The word would keep repeating several times even though I had gotten it correct a few times. Repetition is the mother of learning, I suppose.

The spelling section in Byki Quick Start was a lot of fun. The English word on a flashcard will be shown. Then you type the phrase in Vietnamese. A set of five letters will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click on the correct letter and the next set of letters will appear. If you choose the wrong letter, you have to start all over again from the beginning of that phrase. It is infinitely easier than the Essentials spelling section. I felt that I was learning quickly even if I did not know the alphabet at all. It was a matter of recognition, rather than understanding how the words are formed.

In all the lessons that I tried, there was never any explanation of the Vietnamese alphabet or the symbols. The first lesson began with phrases such as "How are you?", "Hello", "My name is ...", etc. I still don't know what the different symbols mean, where they should be placed, how they should be written, which letters have symbols and which do not. Based on the pronunciation of the phrases, I can guess that the symbols tell me what kind of sound I should make, but no explanation can be found anywhere.

What I found strange was the stock photos to accompany the flash cards. Since I was learning Vietnamese, I thought the people in the pictures should be locals. They are not. All the people shown are Caucasians, obviously stock photos. It may not change the quality of the lesson, but I think small touches do enhance the learning process.

While Transparent Language Online is an online package that allows you to learn at your own pace, it is intense. When you buy the package, you buy it by month, six months or a year. Given the time limit of your purchase, you may feel pressured to keep at it every day so as not to waste your money. In that sense, it is a good learning package. Besides, you do learn a lot. However, you may find this stressful, as I did.

Overall, it is a good package to learn a language. While it is not as expensive as Rosetta Stone, it does cater to the learner who can read and write, not a small child. The lessons are systematic and build on one another. It is fun and engaging at every step. I definitely recommend this package.

Have fun learning a new language!

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Xinyao music, uniquely Singaporean

Language is an integral part of our culture and who we are. Singaporean songwriter Liang Wern Fook wrote this song sometime ago but was slapped a ban because some of the lyrics were sung in Hokkien and Cantonese, not a pure Mandarin song. What a blow to a very successful songwriter! Those were the days of the Speak Mandarin Campaign. No dialects were allowed in public broadcasts, only Mandarin. Then, dialects were said to erode the learning of Mandarin. So many years later, this song has been revived and given a second chance, as a movie soundtrack, no less. The music genre, 新瑶 or xinyao, is uniquely Singaporean. How so? Only if you appreciate such music. The tunes are folksy, down-to-earth and singable by anyone. This song 麻雀衔竹枝 (Ma Que Xian Zhu Zhi) with no English title tells the story of how the average Singaporean Chinese grew up. Everyone can relate to the story. You may not understand Chinese, but I think you will enjoy the tune. It brings back memories of old Singapore and how many of us grew up, when life was simpler and more carefree. Music crosses cultural boundaries. Yet music is a language of its own that speaks directly to the heart without words. Learn Mandarin and you'll be able to appreciate the song even more! Pick up a package today! Fun Language Tools

Learn dialect, connect with the older generation

There must be something about speaking the language of our ancestors that makes us feel complete. Is a language only about communicating with another person, or is there more to it?

I wrote about young people wanting to revive Chinese dialects in Singapore. Some time back, I had commented on an article about the language of our ancestors being able to touch our hearts. Today's article is about a young man who started making children's picture books for two Chinese dialects (Hokkien and Cantonese) that are commonly spoken in Singapore. What started as a fun learning experience for his nephew, it has now become a small business of sorts. Anyone wanting to learn those dialects would have fun learning. After all, who doesn't like feeling like a child all over again?

What tickled me the most was the name of his website: Sibey Nostalgic. "Sibey" in Hokkien is an expression to mean "extremely". It is as colloquial as you can get. It's also very appropriate since the site sells books to teach you Hokkien, Cantonese and Teochew.

The best part about the books is not that they are available, but that you need to connect with someone who speaks the language fluently to learn the proper pronunciation. This is not a self-tutoring package. Instead, it is a family building, inter-generational package. Both children and adults can have fun with it. After all, language learning is meant to be fun!

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Revive Chinese dialects, find my roots

Chinese dialects (or languages native to specific regions of China) are fast becoming lost languages. In China, the nationwide promotion of Mandarin has caused a generation of young adults who cannot speak the language of their grandparents and ancestors, unless their parents have made an effort to preserve the language at home by speaking it to their children.

In Singapore, the push for "Mandarin as a Second Language" in schools and the "Speak Mandarin Campaign" has almost wiped out dialects among a younger generation of Chinese citizens. Those born in the 1960s and earlier grew up with either Chinese or English education. The Chinese-educated maintained their ability to speak dialects. Those of us who went to English-medium schools ended up largely monolingual i.e. can only speak English and nothing else. I was that way until I was forced to learn other languages for survival. Today, I am an ardent advocate of multi-lingualism.

Now a handful of young adults are trying to revive the learning of dialects, even if only spoken. After all, all Chinese languages use the same writing. Why? Perhaps this generation realises that something is missing from their lives. They've lost the language of their ancestors, making them a generation of Chinese with a missing link in their identity. While the older generation is still alive, there is still a chance of saving and reviving Chinese dialects. Good for these young ladies. May they succeed in their endeavour.

If you don't have a language of your ancestors, you can still benefit from learning another language. It will open up a whole new world to you! Find a package to fit your needs and learning style today!

Happy learning!

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