Culture: Singlish
Forever Singlish
We don't care: we like to speak it leh; When we end with lor, hor, lah, People say our English kana-sai Why do they care? Hard core kaypoh- Bo dai chi cho. It got rhythm- like when you say Who pass urine in the lift? Chau si! Aiyah; Chau Ah Lian; Chau Ah Beng; Chau Buaya; Chau Ah Kua; Chau Mamak; Chau kayu; Chau Goondu- Who else? It got reason- like when the secretary say You hold on arh, he's on another line; So you wait for him to finish- wah piang, talk So long, boey tahan, some more I kena Scolding from boss for wasting time. We say sorrysorrysorry to make sure we are: So pai say, we have to repeat two, three times; Then say excuse! When we overtake or cut in- Only once. Short cuts must be short and sweet, If sometimes we cannot cheat, so chia lat No lubang; so teruk. Kiasu cannot lose, Kiasi cannot die; machiam machiam words We also try. Proper English? So lecheh, So correct, so actsy for what? Wah lau, Already got your meaning before you finish! Vegetable Aimal, Mineral, Abstract: It makes all this rojak, chickenfeed. Hands all over the place; poke here, touch there, Growing only like a samseng kia. People cannot control, also cannot compare. No class Singlish here to stay, No big shot can have his way With how people talk, what people say. Rules are rules: our bo chap mouth refuse To listen, follow or to choose. - Leong Liew Geok, from Women Without Men, 2000
Picture taken from: http://travvelsized.com/tag/singlish/
Perhaps the most enduring of Singapore's heritage is the local creolet "Singlish". For a long time, the government had tried to encourage the use of proper English in a bid to eradicate Singlish. This poem captures perfectly the defiance of the locals as they preserve their culture. The poet adamantly puts across stanza after stanza of Singlish, ending aggressively with 'no class Singlish here to stay', deriding the modernists who try to eradicate Singlish.
Culture is always in danger of being eroded by globalization and modernization. As seen from the many cases in Singapore, places of heritage are always at risk of being torn down to make way for modern development. One famous example here is the National Library. When it was demolished, hundreds of people mourned the loss of a historical landmark, and bought memorabilia like bricks used in the construction of the building in a bid to remember the historical site. Even today, there is always an ongoing struggle between conservationists and the government over historical landmarks, such as Bukit Brown, a cemetary more than a century old.
Singlish also faces the same challenges in its bid for survival. Many of the educated are derisive of the dialect, choosing to speak proper English. However, despite that, a majority of people continue to speak the dialect, mixing in snippets of other dialects and languages such as Malay, Mandarin, Hokkien and Cantonese. After all, 'no big shot can have his way'. The poem demonstrates how language can contribute to identity, an example of which is the way Singaporeans like to label themselves as 'kiasu', which literally means being afraid to lose.
Despite this, recent tourism campaigns have incorporated Singlish as part of the place identity of Singapore, and as commemoration of Singapore's culture as part of the island-nation's 50th year golden Jubilee. This can be viewed as an optimistic sign that perhaps a large part of our heritage may endure for generations to come.
What To Do:
Keep a ear out for conversations amongst locals and the traces of Singlish used in shops. Many tourist shops now carry trinkets with Singlish words on them as well as explanations of their meanings. This is a great way to get more in touch with an intrinsic part of local culture here.
Read More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singlish
http://travvelsized.com/tag/singlish/
