"Chocoholic! What happened to you? How come you're so singlish now???!?!Like this how? I was planning to ask you to be the emcee for my wedding next year since I thought your English was very good...."
This is one of the first few things my buddy, Mr Bunny, told me over the phone when I called him up just the other day. This after we lost contact for a few months.
Gosh....
If you're familiar with the hit TV series, Heroes, you would know what Peter Petrelli can do.
I think I have something comparable or at least somewhere within the line of his power, except that it has become one of my biggest weakness.
I am referring to my ability to "absorb" any accent or twang from people around me and mimic them. I definitely cannot do it at Peter's at-the-touch-your-hand kind of pace, but I think I can be quite good at it.
Within the first year of my stay here, I had already started receiving occassional comments from strangers, new acquaintances or cab drivers, that they thought I was local.
As time goes by, I do realize I'm getting better and better -- or worse and worse, depending on how you look at it.
I think the fact that in my current job I have to communicate with a large number of Singlish-speaking so-called prospects, clients rep or site staff doesn't help. Somehow speaking with the local twang I find closes the gap and any awkwardness. I dunno...
Bloody hell! (There you go... something else I've picked up from the past few months from work)
What the heck is happening to me? I don't want to be singlish, can or not?
It's not that I'm that crazy about the suggested idea to be an emcee at my friend's wedding, as I know for sure that I cannot handle it, but I sure did not spend so many years of learning English just to turn it into Singlish in less than 3 years!!!
So, I have made up my mind.
I will make the conscious effort from today onwards.
27 August 2008 is the first day of ......
"Chocoholic's Proper English Programme"
No, I'm not going to be over ambititious about the whole thing, and I don't intend to lose the ability to somewhat connect better with some of my local friends and colleagues.
My goal is to control, not to eliminate this weakness of mine (or power, as I tend to think on those days I feel HERO-ic).
So, help me God!
I think I'd take Chocoholic Nakamura as opposed to Chocoholic Petrelli, anytime anyday....
--------
I have just remembered that I did try to do something about this when I caught the earliest symptoms of my singlified-english. I went to the British Council and tried to enroll myself (in any class they would let me in). Took the placement test, and guess what? They didn't have any class for me. Out of curiousity, I suppose, the staff asked why I wanted to enroll myself, and I explained my predicament, how I was alarmed at how I seemed to have managed to pick up Singlish way too fast for my own good.
I'm quite sure they would have something for me now, but then again I remember the cost was probably enough to revamp a significant part of my wardrobe.
Hmmm.... (lightbulb moment!!!)
I suppose a cheaper way around this would be to find a native-speaker boyfriend huh?
But then of course, there is another stumbling block: How the hell am I supposed to turn myself into an SPG to catch my own angmoh?
Sigh.....I must say...there doesn't seem to be any easy way out of this dark tunnel at this point in time.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Ladies @ the gym
I'm finding the changing room at the gym to be an increasingly interesting place:
- Lady 1 to lady 2: Aiyoh... that boss of mine is such a bitch lah...everything also I must do.
- Lady 3 to lady 4: My therapist recommended me this exercise *show action*... very helpful leh... can feel much tighter now....you see this? you see?
- Lady 5 on the phone: I've had it.. it's over. He told me " I miss you" and all that, but enough is enough.
- Lady 6: Whose smelly shoes ah?
- Lady 7 lays down on the bench with a piece of towel on her face and did not budge a single inch (and fyi, air circulation is not all that great in this changing room cum shower cum toilet, if u know what I mean....)
- Lady 8 queueing for toilet: Wah so long? What are they doing inside?
- Lady 9, aka cleaning lady, picks up one of the mats from the shower rooom and starts picking up hair strands
- Lady 10 to lady 9: Did you throw away my clothes? I left them on the bench over there....
- Lady 11 to lady 12: Aiyohhh... long time no see!! *pecks exchanged* Where have you been, honey? You look great! Looks like you have lost quite a lot of weight there....
- Lady 13 walks in with with lady 14 after a class: Now that I've paid for my prata, I can go for dinner....Yay!!
- Lady 14 to lady 13: But what about the ice cream you had earlier?
And the list goes on...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Ignorance may not be a bliss....
An American ex-colleague: What?!?!?! Deep-fried butter squid?? I'm not sure I can take that, chocoholic....
Ex-boss: What are you talking about? You love calamari!
Just a funny snippet from my previous life, that came across my mind while looking at a Caucasian mother and son munching on calamari at fish& co yesterday.
Ex-boss: What are you talking about? You love calamari!
Just a funny snippet from my previous life, that came across my mind while looking at a Caucasian mother and son munching on calamari at fish& co yesterday.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Growing Pains?
Nothing is worse than having to watch your loved ones struggling without being able to do anything.
I hate feeling so helpless and small....
Anyway I found myself calling my brother on the phone out of desperation.
I could barely finish asking him if he was already asleep (since it was quite late), when I burst into tears.
(What can I say, I'm the only daughter of a super drama mama)
I knew there was nothing he could do, but I really needed to talk to him.
Somehow, now it just reminds me of my kindergarten and early primary school days.
Back in those days, I used to have problem sleeping at night and I always managed to somehow spook myself with my wandering mind.
Most of the time, the thoughts involved my biggest fear then: Death.
(It still is, I suppose)
I remember crying and climbing up to his bunk bed above mine, and insisted that he wake up and listen to my problem, while I try to squeeze words between my sobbing and sniffing.
I would tell him how I couldn't sleep, how I was worried about our next life, after we die and supposedly go through reincarnation.
I told him how I didn't want to be anyone else's kid. How I wanted to be Mom & Dad's kid, how I wanted to be his sister again.
I think I remember at one point he told me noone can guarantee that.
And I asked him if there was a way I could look everyone up then.
I don't recall any conclusion from the discussion, but I recall he let me sleep beside him coz I was too upset to go back to sleep.
I was once the youngest kid in our English tuition class.
I cried once when an older girl in the class made fun of me.
I don't remember exactly what my brother said to me but he sat next to me while I sobbed away.
(By the way, he didn't want to take the class but my mom forced him to go with me as I was really keen to learn English and I was a bit young compared to the rest of the kids)
My brother was always the (somewhat) rebellious smart kid. I was the (somewhat) obedient average student.
He was the popular kid. I was the fat outcast.
As we grew up, slowly but somewhat surely, one tiny step at a time, I tried my best to get out of his shadow.
I was the typical younger sibling, trying to avoid being referred to as so-and-so's sister.
But I suppose as I grow older, I'm only beginning to learn to appreciate how I can just be someone's kid sister.
Just hope he doesn't see this blog.
His head is big enough as it is. It sort of runs in the family, you see....
I hate feeling so helpless and small....
Anyway I found myself calling my brother on the phone out of desperation.
I could barely finish asking him if he was already asleep (since it was quite late), when I burst into tears.
(What can I say, I'm the only daughter of a super drama mama)
I knew there was nothing he could do, but I really needed to talk to him.
Somehow, now it just reminds me of my kindergarten and early primary school days.
Back in those days, I used to have problem sleeping at night and I always managed to somehow spook myself with my wandering mind.
Most of the time, the thoughts involved my biggest fear then: Death.
(It still is, I suppose)
I remember crying and climbing up to his bunk bed above mine, and insisted that he wake up and listen to my problem, while I try to squeeze words between my sobbing and sniffing.
I would tell him how I couldn't sleep, how I was worried about our next life, after we die and supposedly go through reincarnation.
I told him how I didn't want to be anyone else's kid. How I wanted to be Mom & Dad's kid, how I wanted to be his sister again.
I think I remember at one point he told me noone can guarantee that.
And I asked him if there was a way I could look everyone up then.
I don't recall any conclusion from the discussion, but I recall he let me sleep beside him coz I was too upset to go back to sleep.
I was once the youngest kid in our English tuition class.
I cried once when an older girl in the class made fun of me.
I don't remember exactly what my brother said to me but he sat next to me while I sobbed away.
(By the way, he didn't want to take the class but my mom forced him to go with me as I was really keen to learn English and I was a bit young compared to the rest of the kids)
My brother was always the (somewhat) rebellious smart kid. I was the (somewhat) obedient average student.
He was the popular kid. I was the fat outcast.
As we grew up, slowly but somewhat surely, one tiny step at a time, I tried my best to get out of his shadow.
I was the typical younger sibling, trying to avoid being referred to as so-and-so's sister.
But I suppose as I grow older, I'm only beginning to learn to appreciate how I can just be someone's kid sister.
Just hope he doesn't see this blog.
His head is big enough as it is. It sort of runs in the family, you see....
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
I'm officially in love....
Meet my new love:
When he finally was more comfortable in front of the camera:
Gosh! I wish I was half as sleek and as slim as my new baby.
But I suppose old flame dies hard. I cannot bear to trade in my ex, one of the rare gifts my brother got for me.
I don't think it'll fetch that much in the market anyway, considering how fast the market moves, so I decided to just keep it for sentimental reason.
Yea.. the sucker me does have an issue with letting go and moving on with life.
The 5-year old Dell notebook I'm using this very second is a living proof of how "stubborn" I can get, when I decided to be. I told myself when I spent my then one month salary on this thing, that I would make sure I squeeze at least 5 years out of this thing.
Guess what? It will be our 5th anniversary in 3 months!!
I suppose most people really don't plan for their divorce..., but what can I say?
I need to make sure at least some parts of my life does move on....
^_^
O well...
suppose I'd better go take a "nap".... only have a few hours till another day starts @ work.
As I was telling a friend earlier: Just gonna take it one blow at a time. One day at a time. One breath at a time.
Sin of the day: Spent over $100 on CDs. Bloody hell! What was I thinking?
(Cover needed as he was still a bit camera shy)
Now, side by side with my ex:
When he finally was more comfortable in front of the camera:
Gosh! I wish I was half as sleek and as slim as my new baby.
But I suppose old flame dies hard. I cannot bear to trade in my ex, one of the rare gifts my brother got for me.
I don't think it'll fetch that much in the market anyway, considering how fast the market moves, so I decided to just keep it for sentimental reason.
Yea.. the sucker me does have an issue with letting go and moving on with life.
The 5-year old Dell notebook I'm using this very second is a living proof of how "stubborn" I can get, when I decided to be. I told myself when I spent my then one month salary on this thing, that I would make sure I squeeze at least 5 years out of this thing.
Guess what? It will be our 5th anniversary in 3 months!!
I suppose most people really don't plan for their divorce..., but what can I say?
I need to make sure at least some parts of my life does move on....
^_^
O well...
suppose I'd better go take a "nap".... only have a few hours till another day starts @ work.
As I was telling a friend earlier: Just gonna take it one blow at a time. One day at a time. One breath at a time.
Sin of the day: Spent over $100 on CDs. Bloody hell! What was I thinking?
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