spotted spots

Oh gosh. I spotted patches of spots on Sarah’s hands, feet and genital region some hours ago. The discovery took us by surprise as we were certain it was a simple case of the common tongue ulcers.

Now I just hope it really isn’t the hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD), although it seems so dead likely.

If the spots are still visible by tomorrow, I will send Sarah to the doctor to be diagnosed. If it is HFMD, both she and her brother Samuel would have to be quarantined at home. It would be rubbish if the childcare centre has to close for a week due to HFMD suspicions.

My missus just alerted me with another worry – pregnant women who contracted HFMD close to their delivery dates would have higher risks of infecting their newborns. Complications may arise due to the infections. Oh bother!

Life is getting more exciting as the date draws nearer – potent combinations of problems.

When will it all end? Oh my Lord.

 

decades too late

I was born a few decades too late to take advantage of the current trends in Singaporean education. The millenial generation are blessed with a lot of privileges which were unheard of to students in my time.

Firstly, there are already a couple of tertiary institutions devoted primarily to the arts such as the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Laselle College of the Arts, on top of the numerous other diploma courses devoted to non-mainstream fields in the five polytechnics. Now, there is even a sports school in Singapore – totally unheard of and perhaps even taboo in my time.

When I was a student, the educational path is rather monolithic and straightforward. If you are academically competent, society and peer pressure entails you to take the path of least resistance – law, medicine, teaching, engineering and the sciences. A career in the humanities or sports are viewed by society as less than stellar paths – choices for the less academically inclinded. Hence if you choose to be an artist, a hairstylist, a make-up artist, a writer, a photographer or even a footballer – you’re perceived as the “stupid” ones who couldn’t make it in “school”.

In the secondary schools, most students would opt for the science streams instead of the arts. I was more inclined to the arts – my forte being in English, English literature and History. Due to peer pressure, I opted for a Science combination instead. It was one of the few regrets I have in my life. I would have chosen what was good for myself instead of bowing to peer pressure.

Secondly, the arts is gaining prominence in our country these days. Nowadays, it has become less taboo and maybe even quite respectable for someone to choose the arts as a career choice. In my time, you would be laughed at if you wanted to be a fashion designer or a hairstylist.

Finally, the government is also revamping our education system. The education minister Ng Eng Hen commented recently that teachers should not be hung up on whether it is taboo to use a mix of English and Chinese to teach Chinese in schools. It could be a much more effective option for students in predominantly English-speaking homes.

Oh my goodness – if only this was even considered during my time. Statistically, I was amongst the very few students in my time who spoke only English at home. Nine out of ten Chinese students spoke Chinese at home in my time, compared to about four out of ten students who do speak Chinese at home in current times.

I can still remember the horror and the extreme boredom I had to endure during my Chinese lessons – the hours of writing strange symbols and strokes, reciting sounds and characters that I couldn’t pronounce properly and the memorization that I had to do. It doesn’t help that I did not even have a Chinese name – I was often ridiculed in school for being a disgrace to the Chinese race – a “white man” in a “yellow” man’s body!

Life was tough indeed.

 

sunday bluez

Cool blankets of wind filled our bedroom last night as the monsoon season hit us. Two weeks of cool weather had passed, making sleep a delight for tired adults and restless children.

In spite of what Nature has offered us, nothing prepared us for the bout of illness that played games with our kids. Sarah whined and moaned, tossed and turned in the night out of feverish discomfort. Thank God for panadol in such circumstances. Samuel moaned and groaned too, reasons unknown to me. It’s either his mouth ulcers or his “tummy aches”. I suspect the alleged tummy aches were nothing more than hunger pangs due to his stubborn and fickle appetite. He had missed dinners for quite a few nights already, not that we were starving him!

We decided to miss church this morning and spend the day at home. Hopefully the kids will recuperate and recover soon.

so tragic

59-year-old Brian Thomas suffered from a sleep disorder that caused him to move while still asleep, especially during episodes of dreaming.

While he and his wife Christine were sleeping in a camper van in west Wales in July last year, Brian accidentally strangled his wife to death. He was dreaming that intruders were in the van and that he attacked one of the intruders with a headlock. It was only when he woke up that he realized the “intruder” was Christine. He called the police to make a report.

Justice was honoured when the man was set free last Friday after prosecutors withdrew the case against him after holding him in custody since January this year. The judge told Brian Thomas that he bore no responsibility for the killing and described him as ”a decent man and a devoted husband.”

I had a similar experience in which I punched an individual in a dream. It turned out that I actually punched my wife instead! Even though she was moaning from the blow afterwards, thank goodness the punch was somehow “controlled” and there wasn’t any bruises on her face.

Thank goodness it was an isolated incident. Otherwise I would have to seek treatment before it’s too late.

Brian Thomas’ case was so tragic.

 

freedom is worth fighting for

Some islamic countries are pushing for a global “blasphemy law” to be put into effect. This effectively “silences” the world and prevent even justified criticism of anti-intellectual religion (I reckon it’s specifically Islam) that may hinder global progress and modernity.

The basic human right for freedom of speech will be attacked if this new law is put into effect. Every human being has a basic right to his or her own opinion – and the liberty to express it. It can be argued that irresponsible mockery of religion might be inappropriate, but what about criticism that is justified? What about the fight for freedom on behalf of people around the world who are enslaved by religious superstitution and dogma?

What about the people living in so-called “theocratic” nations who claimed to be governed by God’s laws – however barbaric and primitive God may seem to be? Where adulterers are not given a chance to atone but are stoned to death? Where gays are put to death simply because of who they are?

It becomes silly if we can’t criticise such practices just because they are part of religion?

Although religion does much good in the world today through its humanitarian work and charities, there are also much rubbish in religion that need to be dumped. Civil liberty and individual freedom is a cause worth fighting for.

 

sick parade

Although he went to the centre yesterday, Samuel came home with a few more ulcers in his mouth. It wasn’t his tummy that was causing him problems, it was his mouth.

These ulcers were dead painful, especially to young children. Hopefully it isn’t the HFMD (hand foot mouth disease) that plagues children in Singapore every now and then. I couldn’t see any other ulcers in his hands or feet.

Sarah is feeling a little feverish. But so far so good.

Thank God for my missus. She has been a tower of strength for the family, even though she is heavily pregnant with Solomon. Some of her friends would break down during this period. Prenatal depression, they’d say.

I just heard that Melvin and family caught the fever bug too, with a few ulcers to boot. Hsiang Ti’s son Rui En had a throat infection.

It’s the time of the year again…oh bother!

 

listen, listen, listen!

I just participated in a survey conducted by a Web company on behalf of the Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) in Singapore. It was probably targeted at Singaporean bloggers who at least mentioned about the movement in their blogs.

I may be an English “purist” in terms of using the language as accurately as possible (to the best of my limited knowledge, anyway) but I am not inclined to viewing language in mere utilitarian terms. I love the English language in all of its beauty, elegance and power – not just as a medium of communication. Hence nothing replaces actual job competence in the workforce, unless the job itself entails the usage of English – such as a marketing communications executive, copywriter, journalist, motivational speaker, teacher or lawyer.

To speak good English, one must be exposed to Good English, aurally. There are examples of Singaporean university graduates who are competent writers of English but just do not speak the language well. They know what “good English” is, but the habits of good speech are just not cultivated.

There are many reasons.

Many may be inclined to watching Chinese dramas and variety programmes more than the English counterparts (not that it is not good). Some may prefer to listen to Chinese radio or thrash English radio (with too much local or American slang being used) rather than stations which use good standard English. Many of us have also inculcated bad speaking habits like speaking grammatically incorrect English all the time to their family members and friends. 

Breaking the habit is difficult and troublesome. Besides, we don’t even know what good English sounds like! Hence a very useful tip that I myself have used in my own life is to…listen! Listen to good English speakers! Watch documentaries whereby good English is being used.

Immerse yourself in the English language!

Listen to BBC Radio. Watch the BBC World Service if you have cable TV.  Listen to broadcasters like Jeremy Paxman and Martin Bashir. Listen to novelists Salman Rushdie and Jeffrey Archer speak – watch some of their interviews on the Web. Listen to politicians like Tony Blair and David Cameron. Listen to our very own MM Lee or PM Lee for examples of good English. Listen to Suzanne Jung on Channel News Asia.

Another very useful tip is to practice reading aloud.  Read The Straits Times, the Bible or any book that catches your fancy. Read aloud storybooks to your children before they go to bed. Read, read, read!

 

straight as hell

I used to wonder if I was gay. But as fate would have it, I get sexually aroused only by visions of the feminine kind, mingled with boobs and pussies rather than the phallic sceptre of manhood.

It was probably due to my fascination with masculine beauty. The topics of most straight guys would involve sports, gadgets and women, but I would rather talk about feelings, thoughts and yes you guess it right – men.

I would rather watch Manhunt International than Miss Universe. I would rather admire the ripped physique of a buffed up Brad Pitt and listen to the sexy timbre of Sean Connery than sneak a peek at some hollywood bombshell in her birthday suit. Of course, I don’t get turned on by looking at Brad Pitt – I don’t find him “hot” in  the girly sense. I just admire the masculine form.

No wonder I gelled in better with the girls than with the boys while in college. While most blokes would shy away from “sharing their real selves” to another, I was comfortable with my own feelings and my problems. I had no qualms about sharing my problems and being transparent with my fellow friends.

No wonder the girls used to think I was gay while in school.

After one wife, two kids and counting – I believe I’m as straight as hell. =)

 

the english problem in malaysia

In a country that is as multiracial and multicultural as Malaysia, it is almost racial and national bigotry to put Bahasa Malaysia on the pedestal at the expense of the lingua franca of the world – the English language.

My jaws almost popped out when I read in the Straits Times about this Malaysian bloke called Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi. He is the Deputy Education minister of Malaysia. He laments about the usage of English in the private sector, stating that this might cause the continual demise of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language. He encourages the use of Malay at all times. He also claimed that whenever he received a letter written in English, he would return it back and would only read and respond to it when it is re-written in Malay.

This is a bit silly.

As a matter of fact, the national language of Singapore is Malay as well – our national anthem is in “malay”. But thank goodness the other races are not “forced” into learning the language. English is still the official business language of Singapore. Our bilingual policy allows us to study our “mother tongues” as a second language, may it be mandarin, malay or tamil.

That is a wise move. Oh, how I love Singapore for that.

The Malaysian authorities had already scrapped the idea of using English to teach subjects like Mathematics and Science (and I thought that was utterly ridiculous) – and now this??

My one-time encounter in Johor Bahru (as mentioned in one of my previous posts) had already sealed the fate for me in my impression of Malaysia and its appalling standards of English. The common man on the streets of Singapore can at least understand a simple sentence of English, even if he can’t reply in proper sentences!

The minister mentioned countries like Japan and South Korea as models that Malaysia can follow – these countries pride in the use of their national languages. But he missed out one important fact. Those countries are “monoracial” countries, if there’s such a word. The vast majority are Japanese and Koreans, respectively. They are not as multicultural or multiracial as Malaysia or Singapore, for that matter.

Even homogenous China is already expending tremendous efforts in brushing up on English. It is still the undisputed offical language of the world.

For the sake of modernity and progress, Malaysians should fight for their right to use the English language at work. They can continue to speak malay if they want at home.

Thank God I’m born in Singapore.

 

it’s just fiction

I haven’t watched the movie “2012″ yet, but I heard that there were some spectacular scenes involving mass carnage and destruction, including the destruction of the Vatican, the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil and the blowing up of some mosques.

I don’t know why there is a debate going on in Indonesia regarding this film – it’s only fiction! For goodness’ sake, regardless of what you believe about the end of the world, “2012″ is just a work of fiction! It may run contrary to your own religious beliefs, but so what?

Despite my sympathetic feelings towards moderate Islam, it is absurd that Islamic authorites are constantly bothered about how the media is portraying their religion. Take the notorious Danish cartoons for instance. The mass riots and violence that ensued are ridiculous!

Come on, I am not offended when the Da Vinci Code was released some years back(although some conservative evangelical Christians were, for some reason). Or when South Park took potshots at Jesus Christ. Come on, more than any other religious character, Jesus Christ has been the target of insults, caricature, misrepresentation and ridicule in the press for donkey years! Christians do no start burning flags, blowing up places and screaming for the death penalty! It’s just nutty.

Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion – and has the basic human right to express it, albeit in a responsible manner. But please, there’s no need to take offense at contradictory opinions!

That’s childish.

 

skinny catwalk models

Standards of feminine beauty can be very strange these days. They may not be as wierd as that of primitive tribes and certain subcultures along the fringes of contemporary society, but bewildering they still are.

If the girls paraded on America’s Next Top Model is anything to go by, I will rather look at Hugh Jackman!

These young girls are so skinny they look more like convent school girls than real women! The fashion industry is rather paedophilic to be so enamoured by sickly looking schoolboys and girls. Some of the lasses may be rather leggy, but I will pick a voluptious lady anytime! Real women have all the right curves, not flat like men!

Oh please…to all the young girls out there – be slim, not skinny! Don’t be influenced by such American rubbish and the silly culture of being skinny! It is not sexy! It is not attractive!

Many of them are not even pretty to begin with!

Constipated.

 

sexiest man 2009

The title of the “Sexiest Man Alive 2009″ goes to…

JOHNNY DEPP!?

I don’t dispute with the gods about this bloke and his charm – Depp is one dead attractive specimen of a man – considering the remarkable plethora of films under his belt. I like his geeky black spectacles and his beard…but can he really top the deliciously hot Hugh Jackman? Or the suave George Clooney? Or the epitome of youthful virility, Brad Pitt?

Anyway since I’m straight, I should ask either my missus or my gay pals for an opinion.

 

the great divide

“We have really everything in common with America nowadays except of course, language.”

- Oscar Wilde

 

intonation and pronunciation

Speaking good English consists of not only grammatically sound sentences but also properly pronounced words. You can be grammatically perfect in your sentences, but with a poor pronunciation of the words, the fluency of the language is still hindered.

In fact, you will give a very bad impression of yourself in a professional setting if you constantly pronounce and enunciate your words poorly. Take for example the Miss Singapore contestant Ris Low. She sparked a nationwide controversy due to her “Singlish” but I reckon it’s not just local colloqualisms. When she appeared on blogTV some weeks back, she was speaking proper English. Her sentences were grammatically sound. It was her pronunciation that was the problem! She just couldn’t enunciate the words properly, resulting in a very “chinese” sound – as though she was a chinese-educated speaker of English.

Now, how do you learn to pronounce English words? Is there a “standard” way of pronunciation that we can follow?

As a matter of fact, we do.

I am not sure about the current trends, but when I was in school, I wasn’t taught phonetics nor the phonemic symbols. It is actually one of the fundamentals of learning English, apart from the 26 letters in the alphabet. Although there are 26 letters in our alphabet, there are actually about 44 sounds in English. The “sounds” are denoted by the phonemic symbols.

You can see them in any exhaustive dictionary, such as the Oxford’s or the Cambridge’s. The phonemic symbols usually follow after the description of the word. These symbols show how the word is actually pronounced. Studying phonetics will equip you with the tools for good pronunciation.

Of course, depending on the dictionary – either general American or general British (received pronunciation) phonetics is taught. Singaporeans will do well if we stick to the British. Besides, standard Singaporean English is close phonically to the standard British accent as it is a non-rhotic accent as well.

There is no need to sound like a native English speaker – the rule of thumb is to be able to speak to be understood. If you can communicate with any English-speaking caucasian and be understood perfectly well – you’re doing okay. =)

I may be controversial here, but here’s my personal opinion. If you actually strictly adhere to the English phonetics, you WILL sound like you’re speaking with an accent – not that you’re ”faking” one, but it’s simply an issue of good pronunciation.

 As for intonation and speech style, one extremely useful tip is the art of imitation. I have always been a believer in imitation as an excellent method of learning. Even in writing fictional prose or poetry, imitating a favourite author is a very good way to start. It will allow you to recognise good styles when you see one. Along the way, when you learn to improvise and modify, you will acquire your own voice and style.

Similarly, if you want to acquire a fluent speech style as well as intonations that are similar to a native speaker, choose one native speaker whom you admire or enjoy listening to. He/she can be a radio or TV personality, a news broadcaster or an actor. Be exposed to his speeches, his shows, his speech style and pattern.

The more you listen, the more you will “catch” the speech patterns, the more you will learn, the more you will speak better!

 

two and three’s a crowd

My missus is at home today and will be till the end of the week. She took three days medical leave as she has been feeling very tired lately. Her tummy is the size of a basketball and a half now.

I am still hoping Solomon will not come out too soon – give me yet more time to get mentally prepared for this third addition to the family.

Samuel is also home today as he was down with a fever last evening. He didn’t have his dinner last night but has since drunk his milk in the morning, which is a good sign.

No peace and quiet now. Sigh.

 

singapura hurrah!

The latest from Channel News Asia – the Singapore Lions have regained their second spot in Group E after edging out Thailand 1-0 through a brilliant header by Aleksander Duric through a corner kick in the first half. The Asian Cup 2011 qualifier 2nd-leg match was played hours ago at 7.30pm Singapore time in Bangkok, Thailand.

It is peculiar that Singapore fares better without all the home support, and without the match shown “live” on the tellie. It irks me that I could not watch the match “live”, but what the heck – victory is ours to savour!

I hope I will be able to sleep well tonight!

 

the top four

The scintillating quartet of Singapore Idol Season 3 have already been unveiled. The top four are: Sezairi Sezali, Sylvia Ratonel, Charles Wong and Tabitha Nauser.

Faizal Isa was the latest contestant voted out of the competition. Despite his good looks and amazing popularity throughout the competition, I guess his vocals could only bring him thus far and the votes tallied have proved correct.

The other weak performance was Charles Wong’s, who was becoming more predictable with each successive performance. Admittedly, his forte appears to be in the acoustic ballad genre. He might be the next casualty, if not careful.

My bet is still Sezairi Sezali – my personal favourite idol of 2009.

 

expressive development

“There is no such thing as a demise of language. Language changes, language moves in a different direction, language evolves all the time. Where a lot of people see deterioration, I see expressive development.”

- David Crystal

 

singlish again

With all that talk about Singlish being a substandard form of English and the many Singaporeans who speak ill of it, it is a delight to listen to a comment made by one of the world’s foremost linguists, Professor David Crystal.

On Newsnight (a BBC news programme) on the 9th of June 2009, a brief interview was shown of David Crystal. Jeremy Paxman was commenting on the fragmentation of the English language whereby different territories may not even understand one another even though the inhabitants are speaking the same language. Prof. Crystal responded by affirming the veracity of the comment. He also added that for most parts, two levels of English can be observed. He provided the example of Singapore, where he said, “Go to Singapore for instance, where you’ll hear standard English spoken, more or less the same sort of thing you and I are using now.” Isn’t this a positive remark made on our standard of spoken English by a foreigner?

Anyway, he continued, “But you’ll also hear on the streets of Singapore a local variety of English – Singlish…and that you and I would not understand. So people are becoming more multi-dialectal in their own language if you like. Standard English is the glue that binds all these varieties together, but at a local level, expressions of identity comes with local dialects.”  

In the above case, Prof. Crystal labels Singlish as a form of English dialect, which is similar to other English dialects like Estuary, Cockney, Liverpudlian, Scottish, Welsh, modern Received Pronunciation, London, Indian English, American English, etc with their local slangs and colloqualisms.

There isn’t a hint that he sees Singlish as a substandard form of English, just a local variety.

 

new word

I just learnt a new word today.

“Cewebrity”.

This is one of those words that are birthed because of technology, such as “google”, “netizen”, “spam”, etc.

It refers to someone who is only or mostly famous through their presence on the Internet. A web celebrity.

Examples of cewebrities are star bloggers, youtube musicians, etc.