How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Having fun with English


Yesterday, as I was walking to town, I saw a familiar car passed by. Instead of honking me, she wound down her car window and asked, 'You go to where?' which was a direct translation from Cantonese 'lei hei pintou?'


A retired teacher used to say 'I will come and carry you afterwards.' This reminds me of signs seen outside some Chinese take-away shops in Glasgow: 'Carry out' which sounds ominous indeed. Even in Cantonese, we have problems of different meanings of certain terms used in different countries. Eg. 'Tah pau' is a common term here for unfinished food to be packed to take home, but the same term if used in Hong Kong will upset the restaurant staff instead because it means a corpse wrapped up to be taken away!

The other day, I teased a friend that instead of him 'keeping an eye on the maid' charged with looking after a newborn baby, that he would 'keep eyeing the maid' instead! This morning, we noticed a new container outside a coffee-shop meant for collecting clothing for recycling. I read the sticker with amusement: 'This pin is for used clothing'.


A guy walks into a bar in Alabama and orders a white wine.
All the hillbillies sitting around the bar look up, expecting to see some pitiful Yankee from the north.
The bartender says, "You ain't from around here, are ya?"
The guy says, "No, I'm from Canada."
The bartender says, "What do you do in Canada?"
The guy says, "I'm a taxidermist....."
The bartender says, "A what? A taxidermist? What in tarnation is a taxidermist?
Do you drive a taxi?"
"No, a taxidermist doesn't drive a taxi. I mount animals...."
The bartender grins and hollers, "It's okay boys. He's one of us..."

1 comment:

CLY said...

One of the more common phrase among school children is "Borrow me". Borrow me your book, borrow me you pen etc.This is the sad state of Malaysian English or Manglish.