싱그리스의 힘

I have kept this posting in draft mode for donkey's years. Since this year "simi" (everything) also SG50, I think this posting on Singlish is appropriate to be the first post of 2015.

Let's start by explaining the meaning of the Korean slang 쩐다 or 쩔다 in English.

According to Daum dictionary, the long-winded explanation:

"감탄사로 좋은 상황, 나쁜 상황 가리지 않고 쓰며 상대방에게 적극 동의를 표하거나 놀라움을 표현할때 쓰는 말"

In short, the word can mean both “awesome” and “awful”. This slang which originated from Incheon can have direct opposite meaning depending on the situation, the tone and the body language of the speaker. This is how far I will explain the word in English as it's probably getting confusing by now. However if you know Singlish, you will know how to use it in no time. Look at the examples below and figure its meaning. Singlish explanation in bracket:


Situation: Friend late for appointment:
Expression: 와.. 너 진짜 쩔어 (Wah, you really (too much) ah)

Situation: Met a very helpful man
Expression: 와.. 저남자 쩐다 (Wah, that guy really (nice) ah)

Situation: Met a unreasonable and rude person
Expression: "아... 쩐다 진짜 (Ah, really really (like sh*t))

Situation: Had a very fun and wonderful time yesterday
Expression: 야, 우리 어제 정말 쩔지 않았냐? (Eh, yesterday really really (fun) hor?)


More Singlish expressions below. Like I used to say, it is easier to master Korean using Singlish:

bo kor leng (That's impossible)
설마

cheem ah (I have problem understanding you)
이해 못 해

don't know why ah ...
왠지...

liddat also can? (How is that possible?)
이럴 수 가?

like that lor (not really good, don't really like it)
별로야

mai blur leh (collect your mind)
정신차려

song bo? (do you enjoy it?)
좋아?

song song gao jurong (very good, very enjoyable)
되게 좋아, 끝내줘

up the lorry (die/breakdown)
죽었어 (인간) / 고장났어 (기계)

giam (stingy, can also means salty)
짜다

싱그리스 마을으로 환영합니다

행운

Lucky Book Store earned its fortune by selling school textbooks to students in the neighbourhood of Joo Chiat. In its prime, there was demand from six primary schools in the vicinity to fulfil. Subsequent relocation and closure of schools sealed its fate. Today, the only reminder of its existence is a pillar, intentionally left unrestored, that has its name painted on. Even that, the wordings are slowly fading into history.

Being lucky is to be given an opportunity. It doesn't matter how long the door was open, so long as it was open, I can never say I'm unlucky. I have been presented with many opportunities in life; I may not have made the most of them but I consider myself lucky because when everything comes to an end, I still have memory.

자라던 어린시절 동네

The blue-red flag of North Korea fluttered feebly on a flag pole inside a compound where a huge 3-storey house stood. Parked at the porch was a glossy black European full-size luxury sedan that oozed opulence. The splendid ambassador's abode betrays nothing of a hermit kingdom with rampant report of starvation (or is it a figment of the foreign media's imagination?).

The once middle-class neighbourhood I grew up in has gone high-class. Not only does it attracts diplomat, it draws in high net worth expatriates who make their home there. The neighbourhood exudes an old world charm. The streets are adorned by rows of beautifully restored peranakan-style houses. Carefully tended tropical blossoms such as frangipani and bougainvilla on the "five-foot way" added a touch of greenery and class.

The mom-and-pop provision stores which used to sell sweet flavoured "ice bag" to sweaty school kids were long gone. From afar, a caucasian lady was busy tending her potted plants outside a house which was once a provision store. The school I attended has stopped existing. There is nothing left to tell a story of my childhood except an empty piece of land. I am dislocated with the present as much as I am a stranger in my past.

Sun-loving frangipani

"Five-foot way" - five-feet wide walkway in front of old shophouses

Wild Water Plum has a sweet fragrance similar to Jasmine. The wetter it gets, the more it blooms.

개고생

지금 인도는 몇 시인지 아세요?

모르신다고요?

정답은 네 시예요. 인도네시야니까요.

참, 이제 인도네시아 하면 연무다. 심각한 문제다. 싱가포르 역사상 최악의 연무때문에 다들 개고생을 당했다. 인도네시아 산불로 생긴 짙은 스모그가 연일 하늘을 완전히 뿌옇게 뒤덮였다. 마음이 답답해도 할 수 일이 별로 없다. 전에 마스크를 써본 적이 없지만 대기오염지수가 200을 웃돌 때부터 꼭  착용해서 다녔다. 건강에 해로운 연무가 앞으로 더 지속되지 말고 빨리 사라졌으면 좋겠다.

21일 대기오염지수가 401을 기록했을 때 찍었던 기념 사진.  보시는 것처럼 멀리 떨어진 것들은 윤곽을 뚜렷하게 보일 수 없을 상태. 대기오염지수는 400을 넘으면 건강에 위험한 수준.

크리스마스 선물

My Christmas's present this year - Pentax K-5 II DSLR. It is not a full frame DSLR but still an awesome camera with awesome picture quality. Its low light sensitivity is mind-blowing. I like that it can operate at extremely low temperature, down to -10°C. Will have that check out soon, meanwhile, some pictures from my night out with my new camera. (Click image to enlarge.)

Double Helix bridge

Avalon - floating South Crystal Pavilion of the Marina Bay Sands

The Fullerton Bay Hotel

살고 있는 곳

A famous quote from the Korean movie "Architecture 101" - "자기가 살고 있는 곳에 대해 애정을 가지고 이해를 시작하는 것, 이게 바로 건축학개론의 시작입니다."(When you begin to understand and have feeling for the place you live in, that's the start of architecture 101.)

I don't think this quote applies only to architecture students, it is applicable to everyone. We should all understand and develop feeling for the place where we live, work, play, interact and love. What eventually comes out of it is beauty - the beauty of our living space.

There was a time when building was built to last.

Building with curved corner is rare these days.

Bird cage is now an ornamental piece. The birds are free at last.

What was once a wooden staircase inside a house is reused as part of a decor.

A pot of green plant is all that is required to liven up a run-down back alley.

Behind the spalled concrete wall is a new owner.

The shop has seen better days. Tri-circle lock and the teal green paint are so 70s.

The once ubiquitous hand-made mailbox is moving into history. 

The glory days of books and prints are over or are they?

Be a vintage but don't fade into history.

노 콤멘트

Foreign friends have two views of my country. One, it is very clean. Second, it is very strict. I usually have no comment. There is always a conflict of interest when you comment on something you have vested interest in. Epimenides should know better not to say, "All Cretans are liars." when he was a Cretan.

Here are some not-very-new pictures of a city state where dreams come alive only after it is asleep. When dreams are sweet, very few people would want to wake up.

싱그리스 교실

Perhaps, if Singaporeans are taught Korean with Singlish, most of them will find learning Korean a cinch. Well, that's just my opinion. Below are 20 common Singlish expressions which I have had found their Korean equivalents. Who say you can't learn foreign language with Singlish.

Harlow (Hello)
안녕

Siao liao (It's crazy)
미쳤어

Huat ah (...)
대박

Shiok (...)
시원해

How ah? (What should I do?)
어떡해?

Wah lau (Oh my dear)
아이구

Buay tahan (I can't stand it)
더 이상 못 참아

Why lidat? (What's wrong with you)
왜 그래?

Siam (Please give way)
비켜

Kong simi? (What are you talking about?)
무슨 소리야?

Sure or not? (Really?)
정말?

All your fault (You are to blame)
너 탓이야

I blanjar you (The treat is on me)
한턱 쏠게

Where got (You got it wrong)
아니거든

Jialat liao (I am in deep trouble)
큰 일났다

Bak chew tak stamp (Ignorant)
눈이 어두워

Kam siah (Thank you)
고마워

Bo bian or lan lan (There is nothing you can do about it)
할 수 없지뭐

Don’t pray pray (It's serious stuff)
장난 아니야

Anyhow also can (Have it your way)
마음대로 해

Don't ask me where this place is. It's a secret, shhh~~

우리의 자랑

Samulnori performance

People who have come in contact with Korean culture will most likely have seen a samulnori performance before. What many people are not aware is samulnori does not have a very long history. In fact, it was a South Korean ensemble, established in February 1978, going by the group name 'Samul Nori' which brought the word into being and popularised it.

Samulnori has its origin in 'gut' (굿, shaman rituals). Unlike samulnori which employs only four percussion instrument, 'gut' employs many more. In olden days, performing in a 'gut' was not something people took pride in. You probably cannot imagine that a culture which Koreans are proud of now was once a thing of shame.

The unglamorous past of samulnori reminds me of the fate of Singlish. Singapore is a young country with not much exquisite culture to boast about. Despite the lack of rich inheritance, in less than fifty years of nation building, a language which we call 'Singlish' (Singapore-English) is slowly taking root in the society and becoming the de-facto language of conversation between locals. Just like samulnori in its earlier days of formation, some part of the society maintains the view that Singlish is poor English and not something to be proud about.

In my opinion, the evolution of Singlish is an inevitable course of history. One day, many hundred years later, it will eventually become a beautiful language. Even now, Singlish can be considered a very 'powderful' (powerful) language. A person's feeling and emotion can easily and effectively be conveyed without the need to invoke difficult words and long expression. To give a glimpse of the richness of the language, see the examples below:

1. Can lah
2. Can lor
3. Can meh?
4. Can ah?
5. Can leh
6. Can wor
7. Can liao
7. Can or not
8. Can means can
9. You the can

I am not about to explain what all that means for it will probably take a long time. Anyway, I see the beauty of the language in its conciseness or should I say 'no-frill'. A simple 'can' word can take on different meanings when used in different combinations. In case you find Singlish interesting, please enrol yourselves for an immersion course, in Singapore of course. Get ready to be 'awed'.

서점

The sweet scent of wood greeted me as I entered. I couldn't tell if it came from the books or the unvanished wooden bookselves. It was no ordinary shop as I soon discovered. Be it the vintage stationery set, the old typewriters that lined the stairs or the unsold literary publications that are still awaiting buyers after decades, everything indicates that it doesn't belong in the present. It made me wonder if there is really such thing as time travel. Taking away the fantasy part, it is like a bookshop that has closed its door in the 1980s, gone dormant for decades, only to reopen with everything intact. In some way, it is a time capsule, a shop caught in a time warp. If you like the feeling of travelling back in time, pay it a visit and no, the books are actually not old.

P.S. I paid fully for the book shown, no discount or whatsoever. Anyway, I can't remember the last time I bought an English book. It must have been years.


It was said that a cat lives on the 2nd level of the bookshop. His name is Cake. During the day, people can only hear his purring but he is nowhere to be seen. He only appears during the night after the shop has close for the day. In a world where he has no natural enemy, he treats the rubber bands as his enemy. He loves to jump on them and imagines shredding them into hundreds of pieces with his sharp claws. A once lonely cat, it was said that he found a new playmate recently. Good Cake.

Call me Cake. This is my secret playground. [Thanks S.M.]

불꽃놀이

Sunset view of Kallang River

Night view of buildings at Marina, downtown business district

Finally, the fireworks display started after an hour of waiting

Not a good place to watch fireworks but at least it was not crowded

Fireworks display lasted for only 5 minutes and all was over

국경일

Happy 45th Birthday, Singapore. I am proud to be Singaporean because I am bilingual and speak Singlish. Singapore, huat ah!

Flags and banners at the spectator stand at the Padang

난초(蘭草)

Orchids at the International Horticulture Exhibition, Goyang's Lake Park

I used to think that Singapore was the leading orchid cultivator in the world. We even had a hybrid orchid species made our national flower. Export of orchid flowers used to a be a darling of Singapore's economy but not anymore. They have since fallen out of favour due to drop in export sales.

팝콘

(Note: Popcorn Noraebang has closed down since 11 Sep 2010)

Popcorn and more

There is a new noraebang in town. It is tucked away in one of the old shophouses in the quaint Arab Street. "Popcorn Noraebang" as it is called, is probably the best place now to get your fix of the latest Korean songs. Song like "Lupin" and "Oh!" were already in their song list. However, you may not have much luck if you try to search for song as recent as "Run Devil Run".

Another improvement at the place is they have done away with those crappy scenery videos and movie cuts. Original music videos are now used though there is one thing you need to be told: the music video is not the original MV for the song. For example, when "Oh!" by SNSD came on, the video shown was that by Son Dambi and After School in "Amoled".

As you enter the noraebang, the first thing you will notice is a popcorn-making machine. So you see, they don't call popcorn noraebang for nothing. As for the room, it is clean and bright with simple furnishing and a big LCD TV. Popcorn is on the house but you will have to pay $33 an hour for the use of facility.

We were hoping that there would be "service" (extra free singing time) like what they do in Korea but no luck as the place was quite pack with crowd despite opening not long ago. More information about the place below:

Popcorn on the house

Colourful LED lights in this tamborine will light up when you hit it. The snack menu is under the tamborine. Snack prices range from $10 to $80.

New remote controller

Newly-minted song list

Popcorn Noraebang (팝콘 노래방)
Address: 122 Arab Street S199817
Telephone: 6293-5833
Operating Hours: Daily 1pm-3am

How to get there: Take MRT to Bugis Station. Exit from the station and walk about 7 minutes in the direction of Arab Street. The noraebang's entrance is not on the main street; it is in a small alley. Nevertheless, you will still see a signboard on the main street to direct you.

The above signboard can be seen along Arab street. Turn into the alley below this signboard to get to the entrance.

Popcorn Noraebang is on the 2nd floor of the shophouse.

고요함

This is an ordinary picture of a park in a housing estate. What I like about the place is its openness, free space and tranquility, all of which I cannot find back home. Perhaps, they were once there before, but not now. Home has become overcrowded and the population has just tipped the scales at 5 million. 6.5 million is supposedly the intended target. Meanwhile, we are expected to bear with the overcrowding for the sake of continued economy growth. I am quite sure I will get used to it if I endure long enough, but the fact remains, it will be a sad outcome - success has become its own enemy.

깊은 사고

In Seoul, I can easily hop onto the metro and escape to almost anywhere in Gyeonggi Province. Remote towns where passengers are few and far between are also served by metro.

In Singapore, you cannot justify for a MRT station if the area is not built up. Built up area is not a loose term, in fact, there is a specific definition for it. If our government's way of reasoning is applied in Korea, many metro stations in Gyeonggi Province would not have existed in the first place.

The real issue is about whether decent profit margin or public convenience and quality of life is of greater importance. Depending on your value system, both arguments hold.