Boy from Penang ....

"You see this one, so many people in the disco. How can run away?"
"Wait later I show you another one, from JB disco one, even better ...."

I've decided that I want my kids to be english educated. I do not want my kids to churn out English that's full of vocabulary mistakes. It is common for msian kids (esp a majority of chinese educated ones) to speak "manglish" (malaysian english).

Example:

It's because I didn't go to school that's why got scolded loh. You promised me, but you never bring the dvd to school right?

And the list goes on ....

I overheard the Penang boy's conversation with a caucasion teenager. Mr. caucasian teenager didn't critic, nor did he complaint, he probably figured this was the way we spoke English. Which was quite a disgrace.

No it's not your fault, Penang boy. You were never exposed to much english as a boy. The only english you spoke was in secondary class when the teacher asked, "How are you?" to which you replied "I'm fine .... loh". When the msn/mIRC wave hit, you joined the masses, engaging in chatrooms where the only language used, was English. You thought that you could improve your english then. But the only useful phrases you picked up were a/s/l?

As a young adult studying in university, your command of english improved slightly but the grammatical and pronounciation errors that etched itself to your system was near-impossible to rid. You still communicate with your peers in chinese/cantonese, which didn't help much.

You're currently eating at a sushi place, engaging in a conversation with your friend, a blue haired caucasian teenager, who listens diligently to every word from your mouth because he, (like me) knows that missing a few words would make your sentence uncomprehendable.

I hope that you get to stay here for a couple of years. Improve your english before going back, and one day when you hear someone speaking manglish on the streets.

You will understand what I felt, that winter night, when I heard the Penang boy speak ....




Disclaimer: I don't speak ascented english like a causacian, my english is not perfect either. I'm just a regular guy who doesn't want my kid to turn out like the Penang boy.


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