Monday, July 23, 2007
new words
Learned this new phrase from my good friend, Darrell. She's my Singaporean Cantonese pal. She taught me this phrase called "Sai-Meng" (literally 'sun life' in cantonese). You know, like "sai-sarm", in which you hang your clothes out to sun. "Sai-Meng" literally means hanging out your life for all to see, in other words, bragging about yourself unashamedly for all to hear. Or "how-lian" in Hokkien. E.g. "Waaah, gor gor Alvin hou zong-yi sai-meng!" (meaning "wow, that Alvin sure loves to brag about his life!"). Brilliant.
Confucian or Confusion
I wrote a letter to the Straits Times with regards to Minister Mentor's take on preserving Chinese culture recently. ST forum actually called me to verify the source and was 'considering' putting the letter up for print. They eventually didn't. Anyways, here's my article:
Minister Mentor's exhortation for Singaporean-Chinese to continually learn Mandarin and Confucian values(ST, 15 July) is heartening. However, even with greater emphasis in learning Mandarin now than thirty years ago, Singapore-Chinese children are still comparatively less aware of their roots.
Is there a lack of Mandarin knowledge in Singapore? No, the problem lies with the great prominence placed on the English language and the negation of our Chinese-Dialect heritage.
Chinese culture is not just about Confucian values and philosophy. I esteem these teachings. But being Chinese embodies the variety of Dialects found in the Chinese culture(Hakka, Teochew, etc). Renowned anthropologist, Wade Davis, describes language as "not a body of grammar or a set of words… it's a reflection of culture… it's the flesh of the human spirit". Mandarin is not indigenous to many Chinese – Dialect is.
The language we speak determines how we view our social existence. Raised in speaking only English, it's no wonder some young Singaporean-Chinese children tell me they are "English" when I asked them about their race. Many children see Mandarin as another subject or economic tool. The more educated Singaporeans speak only English to their children. Can we blame our children for being enamored by Western cultures? I fear Singapore would not be able to "ballast" western values in the coming generations.
When we cut-off Dialect, we lose our Chinese social legacy. It's ironic to find Singaporeans speaking to their family/friends in Dialect and turning to speak to their children in English. Dialect is greatly marginalized. English language is considered so superior here, that children see no need to know other Asian vernacular. In fact, most children don't even know how to say "terima-kasih"(thank-you in Malay) to their Indonesian maids.
Beyond teaching our children intellectual Chinese philosophy, simple Dialect-speaking helps identify one's roots immediately. When I started speaking Dialect to my daughter, she instinctively connected herself to our roots. Previously, Chinese culture was just head knowledge to her. Now(apart from knowing English and Mandarin), she's proud of her Hainanese and Cantonese heritage.
We've got to make that connection easier for our children. Dialect-speaking is an effective first step to learning Chinese culture. However, the preservation of culture cannot be borne by parents alone. Greater freedom and support must be given to Dialect-speaking. We need English and Mandarin in this new age, but the tradition of Dialect-speaking can help our young find a root for their future.
Minister Mentor's exhortation for Singaporean-Chinese to continually learn Mandarin and Confucian values(ST, 15 July) is heartening. However, even with greater emphasis in learning Mandarin now than thirty years ago, Singapore-Chinese children are still comparatively less aware of their roots.
Is there a lack of Mandarin knowledge in Singapore? No, the problem lies with the great prominence placed on the English language and the negation of our Chinese-Dialect heritage.
Chinese culture is not just about Confucian values and philosophy. I esteem these teachings. But being Chinese embodies the variety of Dialects found in the Chinese culture(Hakka, Teochew, etc). Renowned anthropologist, Wade Davis, describes language as "not a body of grammar or a set of words… it's a reflection of culture… it's the flesh of the human spirit". Mandarin is not indigenous to many Chinese – Dialect is.
The language we speak determines how we view our social existence. Raised in speaking only English, it's no wonder some young Singaporean-Chinese children tell me they are "English" when I asked them about their race. Many children see Mandarin as another subject or economic tool. The more educated Singaporeans speak only English to their children. Can we blame our children for being enamored by Western cultures? I fear Singapore would not be able to "ballast" western values in the coming generations.
When we cut-off Dialect, we lose our Chinese social legacy. It's ironic to find Singaporeans speaking to their family/friends in Dialect and turning to speak to their children in English. Dialect is greatly marginalized. English language is considered so superior here, that children see no need to know other Asian vernacular. In fact, most children don't even know how to say "terima-kasih"(thank-you in Malay) to their Indonesian maids.
Beyond teaching our children intellectual Chinese philosophy, simple Dialect-speaking helps identify one's roots immediately. When I started speaking Dialect to my daughter, she instinctively connected herself to our roots. Previously, Chinese culture was just head knowledge to her. Now(apart from knowing English and Mandarin), she's proud of her Hainanese and Cantonese heritage.
We've got to make that connection easier for our children. Dialect-speaking is an effective first step to learning Chinese culture. However, the preservation of culture cannot be borne by parents alone. Greater freedom and support must be given to Dialect-speaking. We need English and Mandarin in this new age, but the tradition of Dialect-speaking can help our young find a root for their future.
Monday Morning Blues
does anyone understand why we start school so darn early in Singapore? Is it necessary? The sun barely peeks out and here we are trudging to school. please someone answer me????
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)