Introduction: "Lore" as in folklore... from pensive ruminations on a trip down memory lane. Safire vs. Lee: "You tinpot tyrant!" It does have a certain ring to it. Mr LKY defended Harry Lee in his self-serving memoirs -- which reminded me of a stand-up comic's opening line: "My life is an open book, only I have a few pages stuck together." (Rapturous applause). So, I am musing on Singapore's past, present and future -- and Life's lessons on the human condition; no memoirs for me, thank you.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Just words or advertising?
For my sins, I took up residence some years back in a one-room rental HDB flat. One evening, from one of the adjoining flats, this fairly loud lady's lament came across the corridor: "Why you say I am a good lay?" (Loosely translated from the Hokkien: "An-chuah lu kong wa chin-ho kan?")
The message was clear enough -- since I am Teochew and Hokkien is akin to the Teochew dialect. She went on berating the other person, most likely a man, for some time. It was only later, putting two and two together, I concluded that she was advertising!
A couple of days later the lady's younger sister, no older than 13, knocked on my door and I let her in -- the neighbourly thing to do. I also had a young lady visitor. The younger girl wasted no time in an effort to find out about me and my visitor. Pointing to the visitor, she said in English: "She your what, ah?" You get the picture?
(To be continued)
The message was clear enough -- since I am Teochew and Hokkien is akin to the Teochew dialect. She went on berating the other person, most likely a man, for some time. It was only later, putting two and two together, I concluded that she was advertising!
A couple of days later the lady's younger sister, no older than 13, knocked on my door and I let her in -- the neighbourly thing to do. I also had a young lady visitor. The younger girl wasted no time in an effort to find out about me and my visitor. Pointing to the visitor, she said in English: "She your what, ah?" You get the picture?
(To be continued)
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