Dance like no one's watching

I was watching the blogtv.sg episode on the use of Singlish and the guest stars were (the infamous) Ris Low, Sebastian Tan and 2 angmohs whom I don’t know.  Listening to Ris Low and Sebastian Tan speaking Singlish got me thinking – are there any grammar rules when it comes to speaking Singlish?  I think there are… so here’s my personal guide to understanding and speaking proper Singlish.

Singlish can be categorised into 3 main parts as follows:

1) Singlish Vocabulary

The first is the use of an eclectic mix of words borrowed from Malay, Mandarin and a host of Chinese dialects.  In order to understand Singlish, you must first build up your Singlish vocabulary.  There’re many sites devoted to the introduction of Singlish words but for starters, you can check this site out.

2) Swopping of Nouns & Verbs/Adverbs

When a Singlish statement is delivered mainly in English, verbs and adverbs are often ignored and the noun is used instead.  For example, instead of saying, “have you eaten?”, the Singlish speaker may say, “you got eat or not?”.  Another example would be, “he’s damn drama lor” instead of “he’s very dramatic!”.

The opposite is true for a non-English word with no verb form.  These words are often anglicised by the creation of a verb form.  For example, instead of saying, “I couldn’t stop staring at her”, the Singlish speaker will say, “I couldn’t stop bio-ing her” (“bio” means to look/stare/check out).

3) Replacement of Punctuation Marks

This must be the most misunderstood part about Singlish.  Non-Singlish speakers often ask what’s the meaning/purpose of “words” or sounds such as “lah”, “leh”, “meh”, “hor”, “lor” and so on.  Many Singaporeans will tell you that these words carry no meaning but I beg to differ!  These “words” actually tell you if the speaker was making a statement, asking a question, etc.  To put it simply, you can think of these “words” as punctuation marks.  This list isn’t exhaustive but should be sufficient to illustrate my point.

“Lah” denotes ‘.’

“Leh” denotes ‘…’

“Meh” denotes ‘?’

“Hor” denotes ‘?’

“Lor” denotes ‘!’

With the above in mind, you can actually interpret what the writer/speaker is saying even without any punctuation!  Let me give you some examples:

“I don’t know which is right lah”

“I can’t make up my mind leh”

“So simple you don’t know meh”

“This colour nice hor”

“Up to you lor”

And that’s my concise guide to understanding and speaking proper Singlish.  Easy to understand hor?

P.S I don’t think Ris Low speaks Singlish… hers is a mere clumsy stringing of what she perceives to be English words.  Super cannot make it.  Cannot tahan leh…

Azure bought an iPhone recently and I must say some of the apps available are useful, e.g. the Traffic Cams app, ERP app, the Nearby Carparks app, etc. 

The photo on the left was taken by Azure using the iPhone and  I must say the image is better than what I expected, albeit it’s a little fuzzy.

Seeing Azure’s new toy made me very gian for a new gadget and I’m pleased to introduce to you, the upcoming, NOKIA X6!!  The specs are appended below for your perusal.

—————————–

GENERAL
2G Network
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

3G Network
HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 – excl. Lat. America & Brazil

Announced
2009, September

Status
Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, 4Q

SIZE
Dimensions
111 x 51 x 13.8 mm

Weight
122 g

DISPLAY
Type
TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Size
360 x 640 pixels, 3.2 inches

– Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
– Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
– Handwriting recognition
– Scratch-resistant glass surface

SOUND
Alert types
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones

Speakerphone
Yes, with stereo speakers

– 3.5 mm audio jack

MEMORY
Phonebook
Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall

Call records
Detailed, max 30 days

Internal
32GB storage, 128 MB RAM

Card slot
No

DATA
GPRS
Class 32

HSCSD
Yes

EDGE
Class 32

3G
HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps

WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology

Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0 with A2DP

Infrared port
No

USB
Yes, v2.0 microUSB

CAMERA
Primary
5 MP, 2592×1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, Dual LED flash, video light

Features
Geo-tagging

Video
Yes, VGA@30fps

Secondary
Yes, QCIF@15fps

FEATURES
OS
Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5

CPU
ARM 11 434 MHz processor

Messaging
SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging

Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds

Radio
Stereo FM radio with RDS

Games
Spore, D Mix Tour, Asphalt4 + downloadable

Colors
Blue on White, Red on Black

GPS
Yes, with A-GPS support; Ovi Maps 3.0

Java
Yes, MIDP 2.0

– WMV/RV/MP4/3GP video player
– MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A music player
– TV-out
– Voice command/dial
– Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
– T9
– Photo editor

BATTERY
Standard battery, Li-Ion 1320 mAh (BL-5J)

Stand-by
Up to 401 h (2G) / 420 h (3G)

Talk time
Up to 8 h 30 min (2G) / 6 h (3G)

Music play
Up to 35 h

—————————–

Can’t wait for it to come out so I can test if I can get used to the touch screen!!

Went to buy an eye cream from Kose just now and guess what I got as a free gift?

A jewellery box.  Oh well, I had to buy a sunscreen in order to meet the min. amount to get the box but it was worth it!  Woohoo!

there’s a really bitchy person in my company whom we nicknamed “Morticia” due to her close resemblance to the character in the Addam’s family.  i’ve recently crossed swords with her a couple of times due to her inability to read e-mails.

in our latest fracas this morning, she (as usual) sent a mass mail to my big boss requesting that he “help UptownGal with….”.  i wonder why she can’t address me directly since i’m also in the mailing list.  perhaps she finds it below her status to speak to a lowly employee like me.  anyway, as i already provided her minion (hereinafter known as “Uncle Fester”) with whatever she requested for last Fri, i did a mass reply to her e-mail stating that i’ve already provided what was required.  another strange thing about Morticia is that she always writes in her e-mail to “download the document” to Uncle Fester.  this stumps me time and again.  how do i download a document to Uncle Fester?  does he have a USB or firewire port sticking out of him?  or do i just stick a USB device up his ass?  *rolls eyes*.

I came across this Channel News Asia article that talked about how shower heads spread bacteria.  I did a bit more research online and found this other noteworthy article:

The Daily Telegraph today reported that a “daily shower could be hazardous”. It says that US researchers have found that showerheads are “breeding grounds for bacteria and when water is passed through them, they blast out the bugs”. One of the main microbes identified wasMycobacterium avium, which can cause respiratory infections mainly in people with a weak immune system or chronic respiratory disease.

This small study looked at the microbes in 45 showerheads from nine cities in the US. Although it did find the presence of mycobacteria and other bacteria, it did not look at whether using a shower actually increased the risk of mycobacterial or other infections. This research should not cause healthy individuals to be concerned about having showers, as the mycobacterium identified is unlikely to cause illness in people with a healthy immune system.

Mycobacteria avium is common in the environment. Further research is needed to determine whether or not showerheads are an important source of mycobacterial infection in immunocompromised individuals.

Where did the story come from?

The research was carried out by Dr Leah M Feazel and colleagues from the University of Colorado. The study was funded by the Alfred P Sloan Foundation and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. It was published in the peer-reviewed Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the US.

What kind of scientific study was this?

This cross-sectional study looked at what bacteria can be found in showerheads. The researchers say that humans come into contact with microbes on a daily basis and showerheads may be one source of these. Layers of microbes can form on the inside of the showerhead and spread as an aerosol that could be inhaled during shower use.

They say that the increasing use of showers instead of baths has been suggested as a potential cause for an increase in lung infections by a microbe called nontuberculous mycobacterium. The researchers suggest that the increase in immunocompromised individuals in the population means that identification of potential sources of infection is important.

The researchers investigated this by taking sample swabs from showerheads and looking for genetic material from different types of microbes. Swabs were taken of the insides of 45 showerheads from nine cities in the US. Samples were taken two or three times over a period of two to 12 months from some showerheads, to determine whether the types of microbes found changed over time. Samples of the water feeding into showers were also taken at 12 sites. The researchers also took samples of the aerosols created during shower use by running three different showers for 20 minutes unoccupied and then sampling the air and testing for microbes.

What were the results of the study?

The researchers found that the showerheads contained between two and 29 varieties of microbe, and the exact type varied between sites. The types of microbes found at each site tended to stay the same, but the proportions fluctuated over time. The bacteria in the showerheads included bacteria found in water and soil.

Overall, the most common bacteria found in the showerheads were mycobacteria, mainlyMycobacteria gordonae and Mycobacteria avium. The latter can infect humans, mainly those who are immunocompromised (called an opportunistic infection), and those with HIV or AIDS are particularly at risk.

These mycobacteria were also found in the water samples, but were about 100 times more common in the showerhead swabs. Mycobacteria avium was identified in one in five showerhead samples, and accounted for an average of 32% of the microbes found in these samples.

As well as mycobacteria, there are other microbes that can be found in water and soil and are associated with respiratory disease in humans, such as staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria, but these were less common. Very few of the samples contained the microbe that causes Legionnaire’s disease (Legionella pneumophila), which accounted for only about 0.05% of the microbes identified.

When the researchers tested the aerosols created by running the showers, they found that the aerosols contained microbes representative of the water being fed into the shower, rather than the microbes living inside the showerhead.

Mycobacteria were only identified in public water system-fed showerheads, and not in well-water-fed showerheads. The researchers thought this could be because mycobacteria are resistant to chlorine that is used to treat public water sources.

What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results?

The researchers conclude that, “showerheads may present a significant potential exposure to aerosolised microbes, including documented opportunistic pathogens”. They say, “the health risk associated with showerhead microbiota needs investigation in persons with compromised immune or pulmonary systems”.

What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study?

These findings should not cause undue alarm as humans are constantly exposed to microbes. The authors of the study point out that indoor air usually has about a million bacteria per cubic metre, and tap water at least ten million bacteria per litre. Mycobacterium avium is one of several largely unavoidable bacteria known to occur in water, and particularly in hot water supplies and aerosolised water, such as fountains. Many of these bacteria are not harmful to humans, and our bodies’ defences are capable of protecting us from those that are harmful.

There is the possibility that the microbes identified could infect people whose immune systems are compromised, but it is not clear from this study how common such shower-related infections might be. Further researcher will be needed to determine whether showers do increase the risk of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection.

There are a number of points to note:

• Samples were taken from 45 showerheads in nine cities in the US. The results from this small sample may not be representative of all showerheads across the US or in other countries.
• Contrary to what is implied by some of the news reports, the Mycobacteria avium from the showerheads was not found in the aerosol produced by the shower, which would reduce the likelihood of it being inhaled. The researchers suggest that this may be because the mycobacteria are released in the very start of the shower and then diluted as the shower progresses; further tests would be needed to determine if this is the case.
• The study did not test whether the microbes found would also be present in other water taps.

Links To The Headlines

Daily shower could be hazardous. The Daily Telegraph, September 15 2009

How clean is your shower head? The peril lurking in your cubicle could be bad for your health. Daily Mail, September 15 2009

Taking showers ‘can make you ill’. BBC News, September 15 2009

Shower heads harbour germs that cause lung disease, study finds. The Times, September 15 2009

Links To Science

Feazel LM, Baumgartner LK, Peterson KL, et al. Opportunistic pathogens enriched in showerhead biofilms. PNAS 2009; Published online before print September 14

Pictures from Practice Sessions 1 & 2.

The vintage cars again…

Renault – practising for another “crashgate”?

The pink sunset was pretty.

Sigh… will have to say goodbye to my office building soon…

Booze Queen & me

As the sun sets…

Our dinner stop

She’s not called Booze Queen for nothing…

Sights from around the track

Brawn GP

Up and coming Force India

Williams (Nakajima)

Ferrari

McLaren (Hamilton!!!)

Williams (Rosberg!!!)

Good grief.  I just heard the ultimate story about how cheapskate some people can be!  When Bouncy’s boss bought a new handphone a couple of months ago, he threw his old phone into the dustbin.  When Bouncy found out, she actually retrieved the handphone, and sold it!  To top it off, she had the cheek to boast to her boss about what she did – and she kept the money.  Like WTH man!  How cheapskate can one get!  Despite all her talk about being "atas" and classy, she is one low down cheapskate money grabbing bitch.

Reproduced from CNA site:

SINGAPORE: The 2009 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will be Williams’ driver Kazuki Nakajima’s biggest test to date, as the 24-year-old battles to keep his place alongside team-mate Nico Rosberg.
The Japanese driver has yet to score any points in 13 races this season, and talk in the paddock is that the British racing outfit are looking to replace Nakajima with Germany’s Nico Hulkenburg for 2010.
While he seemed unfazed by the speculation, Nakajima knows a good showing here, and in the final three races, is crucial to his future in Formula 1.
Speaking to Today after a visit to the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) office at One Raffles Quay with RBS ambassador Sir Jackie Stewart on Wednesday, Nakajima said: "Nothing has been said yet and I hope to stay in the team … maybe that will not happen, but I don’t think this will be my last time in Singapore and I’m confident I’ll be back next year.
"The most important thing now is to get a result and show my performance.
"Our car is strong here as it’s a street track with the highest downforce level of all the tracks. Also, Singapore is similar to Monaco, and we were strong there."
It was good for Rosberg at least, who finished sixth in Monaco, while Nakajima came in 15th, the last of the cars remaining on track.
During the visit to RBS, Nakajima and Stewart presented a cheque for $17,000 to humanitarian charity, Mercy Relief. The money was raised by the bank’s staff in Singapore via a raffle draw, which was done in conjunction with the Grand Prix.
Nakajima will be the only Asian on the grid for Sunday’s race.
From next season, the Asian continent will feature seven Grands Prix after the addition of Korea, which will make it 19 races in the 2010 calendar.
Nakajima, who is looking forward to racing in front of his home fans at the Japanese Grand Prix on October 4, is not surprised at Formula 1’s expansion in Asia.
"Basically, Formula 1 need new markets and this shows that the sport is finding more funds outside of Europe, and that’s good," he said. "It makes life easier for me as there are more races closer to my country, and the culture in most Asian countries is similar."
The sport made a huge breakthrough when Lewis Hamilton became the first black world champion last year.
Hamilton told Today just before the Italian Grand Prix in Monza that Formula 1 would eventually see an Asian champion, and Nakajima thinks it will happen in the next 10 years.
"It is a possibility, but we have to set up a good base and teach young drivers the finer points of racing, just like it is done in Japan," he said.
"Racing is not a fair sport in some ways … It’s difficult because you need the budget to compete. But if people have talent, they manage to find some way to get into the cockpit of a Formula 1 car."
Ironically, Nakajima was referring to 22-year-old Hulkenburg, the driver tipped to take over his drive at Williams.
He said: "Nico Hulkenburg is a good example. He obviously has got talent and he managed to climb up by showing speed and finding someone to back him." – TODAY

This is the hole that joins the master bedroom to the 2nd bedroom.

The contractors broke one of the lights… lucky we weren’t intending to retain any of them.

Here’s a pic of the living room and balcony.

We find strange things in the flat everytime we pop down to inspect – like this TV remote control.  We don’t even have a TV in the flat!  Where did this remote control come from?!?!

Ah… that will eventually be used as part of our toilet bi-fold doors.

The sliding windows at the balcony were one of the first things that got done.

The pic isn’t very clear unfortunately but that’s a pseudo-marble looking tile we’re using for our living & dining areas.

Our master bdrm toilet floor tiles.

Not sure what tiles these are but hey!  It’s from my ancestral hometown, Guangdong!  😛

Sorry for rather frivolous posts recently but my boss went on a 2-week holiday so I’ve been kinda busy in office to process any serious thoughts.  Anyway, while doing an online search on various hairstyles with fringe, I came across this website with hairstyles for ladies with short, medium and long hair.  I thought it was cool.  Here’s the link in case anyone’s interested.