Singlish

By nature a multicultural country, Singapore struggles to identify and promote a united national identity. This why every school day starts with the singing of the national anthem, the raising of the flag, and the recitation of the pledge:

We, the citizens of Singapore
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society,
based on justice and equality,
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity
and progress for our nation.

The government wants its people to feel connected and invested in the success of their country. So it would seem likely, then, that a creole unique to Singapore would be a source of pride and celebration. Yet Singlish, a combination of English with Hokkien, Malay, and Tamil words, and spoken by most Singaporeans on a day-to-day basis, is surprisingly controversial.

Common Singlish-isms include adding "lah" onto the end of every sentence, saying "can" for yes, and exclaiming "aiyah!" whenever shocked or slightly concerned (as in "oh dear!"). For example:

Me: "The humanities photocopier is broken again."
Singaporean teacher: "Aiyah!"
Me: "Can I use the photocopier in the math department?"
Singaporean teacher: "Can, lah."

So what's the controversy? Singaporeans worry foreigners can't understand them. The fear is that when they find themselves in professional and/or international situations, young Singaporeans will not know how to adjust their language to their context, and will therefore fail in the workforce (keeping in mind that Singapore is entirely dependent on international business and trade). The most recent incarnation of this concern came in the form of Ris Low - winner of the 2009 Miss Singapore World contest. When she won the competition a few weeks ago, the Singaporean media was flooded with articles, debates, and letters expressing their concern that she would be representing Singapore internationally. Why? Because she speaks in Singlish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F74FZfdSJY - I actually find that though her accent is strong, she's not using that many Singlish terms, and I don't have a problem understanding her... have I been here too long?). Though some were proud of her unique Singaporean speech, many were outraged, and the question of Singlish was brought to everyone's attention yet again.

This is why, at least in part, I am here - to help my students learn an internationally acceptable English (well, in theory...). As an English teacher, part of me believes in learning how to express yourself clearly, both in writing and orally, and I hope to help my students develop these skills. Simultaneously, I believe that language is powerfully connected to identity, and the colonial overtones of telling students to stop speaking their local dialect makes me, to say the least, uncomfortable... So where do I lie on the Singlish debate? As of now: undecided, lah.

Some other Singlish terms I have learned:

Auntie: name given to all older women
Ang Moh: used to refer to Caucasians (I have heard varying opinions as to whether its meant to be derogatory... I think it depends on context)
Kaki: assistant
Kiasu: afraid to lose (as in students who are worried about failing, or people who line up really early for a sale at a store)
Play Play: please
Wah Lau: what the hell
Wayang: when someone talks and talks and doesn't stop

10 Things I Hate About Singapore/Asia

1) Packaging: Every product imaginable (though especially food) is wrapped in multiple layers of extra-strength plastic. Try struggling for minutes on end to open... well, anything. Wasteful AND annoying.

2) Crowds/Slow-Movers: There are people everywhere, and they are always walking painfully slowly. To make matters worse, no one gets out of the way. EVER. On the sidewalk, on the escalator, getting off the escalator, on the MRT, in the grocery store, everywhere. Being polite is the worst strategy - you find yourself waiting several minutes to cross to that other grocery aisle, because you were nice to that one little old lady... Big mistake. 20 other slow walkers will follow in her path.

3) Expensive Alcohol: I'm not a big drinker, but at the end of a long week, it's nice to go for a pint... That is, until you realise it cost you 15$.

4) Heat/Sweating: Requires no explanation.

5) Bad Coffee: I have yet to find a good cup of coffee. It is very popular here to drink instant tea/coffee, which I find awful but have resorted to in times of need (ie every morning when I have to get to school at 7am). (I was never a big coffee drinker, until I spent the summer making it as a job - if you are in Toronto, go to Madeleine's at Bathurst and Dupont - amazing coffee and delicious pie. Just be warned that your caffeine stardards will be raised to an unfortunate and unrealistic standard).

6) Durian: This tropical fruit is popular here, and can be found in many grocery/fruit stores. There is also durian ice cream, durian desserts.... the works. The only problem - it stinks. I mean, literally, really, stinks. In fact, it's banned from public transportation (see image above). Personally, I am a strong advocate for banning it on the whole.

7) Gender Roles: The traditional understanding of gender roles and the family unit is still going strong here, and as an outsider I often find it incredibly frustrating to see the ways in which boys and girls are talked to about their bodies, their choices, and their futures (1 example: all boys do 2 years of national service at the age of 18. There are no requirements for women).

8) Products made for me/my body: I cannot for the life of me find shampoo for "fine" hair. Also, clothing in general is made for Asian women's bodies. I realise this is a major generalisation, but on average most women here are tiny, both in height and in weight. I am not used to being told that most stores don't carry "my kind of sizes." Does not tend to be a major self esteem booster.

9) Being stared at/Not being able to blend in: I realise nothing can be done about this, but sometimes, I wish I looked like everybody else just for a day. Some people go out of their way not to sit next to me on the MRT (subway). Once, I made some small children cry when I tried to wave and smile at them. Another time, I walked around with a huge black mark on my forehead. I am so used to being looked at that I didn't even realise it til I caught my reflection in a window a couple hours later... Smooth.

10) Bureaucracy/Never ending rules and regulations: There is literally nothing that can be done on this island without a photocopy of your passport and your Foreign Identification Number/Work Pass. This week, my boss wanted to take for a birthday lunch. However, she had to ask permission for us to leave school a 1/2 hour early (after classes ended, but before teachers are supposed to leave). She was denied. Yes, she is a head of department.

Disclaimer:
1) Don't worry, I don't hate it here, I'm having fun, and I'm glad to be here! But when you're immersed into a new culture, there are bound to be things that are hard to process and accept. I thought I would share some struggles as well as some successes.
2) I thought about whether some of my above comments might be interpreted as racist and/or culturally insensitive. It is quite possible that at least some of them are. I constantly try to be aware of my biases, and I know I can't walk around putting my own values on everything I see and do. Still, it is inevitable that I process my experiences through my own particular lens. This balance is a constant struggle for me, and I hope that what I wrote above will be understood as it was intended - a somewhat humorous list of things I am struggling with. All I can do is try my best to accept what I see, and hope that someday I will also be able to understand it as well. Reflection over.