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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Singaporeans' Heart Language - Uniquely Singaporean

My Singaporean Chinese friend has lived in China for 10 years. She was educated in English, spoke Cantonese at home, and studied Mandarin in school as a second language. We converse with each other in English, with some Mandarin and Cantonese thrown in, when we can't find a good-enough word in English to describe what we want to say.

After 10 years in a foreign land, her heart language has changed. She said she's more comfortable talking to God in Chinese, which is closer to her heart language, than in English, which was her heart language before!

Strangely enough, the first time we met, we spoke to each other in Mandarin. We were complete strangers thrown together to share a room at a conference because the organiser had mixed up my room assignment. I assumed she was from Mainland China. She didn't know what to make of me. When I said I was from Singapore, she replied, "Oh, I'm from Singapore too!" Then, we immediately switched to speaking English!

Why would we suddenly switch to speaking English when we were perfectly fine conversing in Mandarin? I don't think either of us has an answer. Having grown up in Singapore, I guess we are just used to using English or "Singlish" daily. Maybe our real heart language is not English, but "Singlish"!

For me, I talk to God in whatever language that first comes to my mind. Sometimes, I start in English and end up in Mandarin, or Indonesian. Some days I wonder if I can ever talk solely in 1 language for an extended period of time. I have too many languages in my head. I use whatever word comes to mind, especially when I know the listener understands that language too. Perhaps it makes my life more colourful, but it could drive other people crazy. I have too many friends who communicate in sentences made up of words from different languages. We don't even realise what we're doing. It's just natural for us. Thankfully, we all understand each other perfectly well.

So, what is my heart language? I don't know anymore. I'm happy to communicate in any language that you and I understand. Most importantly, my God understands what I'm trying to say.

Enrich your life today! Learn a new language!

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Eating some kinds of food bring wealth

Braised pork trotters Braised pork trotters. My favourite food. Actually, I like pork trotters cooked in different ways: boiled in soup, Filipino style crispy pata, German pork knuckles, etc.

Crispy Pata I had dinner with a Lao young man and two teenagers (one male and one female) from China. The teen from China observed the Lao man as he was eating braised pork trotters. Then he said, "In Guangzhou, every family must eat this dish for Chinese New Year. You know why? What does a pig do with his trotters? Dig around in the ground, right? So Cantonese (people from Guangzhou) believe that if you eat pork trotters, you will find wealth, like the pig digging in the mud." The Lao man stopped eating to shake the hand of the China teen. He was so pleased to know that someone had just wished him prosperity!

I learned something new that night. I am a Cantonese. My father's family is pure Cantonese. We never ate pork trotters during Chinese New Year. The most auspicious food served was the pancreas of the pig because in the Cantonese play of words, the word for pancreas sounds like 旺财顺利 or great wealth smoothly flowing in. Even then, only my dad, being the eldest son, got to eat it because it's a very small piece. So much for sharing of wealth.

Well, if you don't eat pork, then this dish is definitely not for you. It doesn't mean you won't be wealthy. The only definite thing about eating pork trotters is raising your bad cholesterol level and possibly getting a heart attack from all that fat consumed! Of course, that depends on which culture you come from.

Ultimately, just enjoy the cross-cultural experience. Learn a new language and be able to share the best of your culture with a new friend!

Here's to enjoying food of different cultures!

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Tonal languages - breeze or bane?

Are you tone deaf, or think you might be?  Really, tonal languages are not that hard to master.  

I'm no language expert, but I can tell you how many tones these languages have:
Mandarin - 4 tones
Thai - 5 tones
Cantonese - 9 tones
Vietnamese - 8 or 9 tones, depending on whom you ask

I'm not tone deaf, but Vietnamese is a really tough language to learn!  I can manage words, order food, count from 1 to 10, bargain a bit when shopping, and overall, get by without being cheated, esp since I look like a Vietnamese.

I may be a Cantonese, but sometimes my tones and inflections still get mixed up.  I definitely don't get enough speaking and listening practice.  Reading is completely out for me.  I read and type in Mandarin, not Cantonese!  Cantonese is a strictly oral language for me.

My very strict Thai teacher, Mr Kim Song, taught me how to speak proper Thai clearly. He drilled me over and over again until I got the sounds right.  For that, I am eternally grateful.  I may speak Thai slowly, but I've got the right accent.  It was so hard, though!  

I learned Thai as an adult and managed to function quite well in the language, being able to follow meetings, church services, and conversations without problem. 

Tones?  They're a breeze only after you've put in sweat and effort to get them right.  Bane?  Only in your mind.  Get down and cracking, if you really want to learn a language.  Nothing comes easy, but the rewards are immeasurable.