the ah lian posting.

I discover new things each day I go to work.

So today I just happened to turn behind and saw this A4 sized paper that says, "Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Ah Bengs".

Steven Covey is an Ang Moh, like Shep lidat, but only that one is the heaven and the latter is the floor. Covey is the author of a famous book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (Highly Effective meaning Successful). As the name, "Ah bengs", in the first title mentioned suggests, these habits are simply adaptations of some Hokkien phrases.

Let's see the 7 habits:

Habit No 1:
Be Pro-Active
Kin ka kin chiew (fast leg fast hand)

Habit No 2:
Begin with the End In Mind
Ooh tao ooh buay (have head, have tail)

Habit No 3:
First Things First
Chik hung chik hung lai – Ban bai lai (one thing at a time, slow and steady);
or Cho tao seng (do first)

Habit No 4:
Think Win-Win
Long chong ai yarh (want to win in everything)

Habit No 5:
Seek to Understand Rather Than to Be Understood
Cho lang ai eh beng pek (you must be understanding)

Habit No 6:
Synergise
Tai kay ai hup chop (all must co-operate)

Habit No 7:
Sharpen the Saw
Toh bua lai lai (make the knife sharp)

Isn't it more than true? HAHA.
So let us just continue using our Hokkien Language even though it sounds chor lor and whenever you first learn it, it will always be the vulgarities, but the phraseologies are what make successful people.

Of course, we should not neglect our other language - English. Why don't we just learn them together?

So let us look at the different types of Singlish:

Basilect ("Singlish") "Dis guy Singrish si beh powderful wan. Hoh seh liao lah! Damn steady wan la!"

Mesolect "Dis guy Singlish damn powerful one leh."

Acrolect ("Standard") "This person's Singlish is very good."

adapted from wikipedia

Let's look at some examples:

1. Hor

(/hɔ̃ˇ/), from Hokkien and Cantonese, also spelled horh, is used to ask for the listener's attention and consent/support/agreement:

• This shopping centre very nice horh. — This shopping centre is very nice isn't it?

2. Siah

/sjɑ̀/, also spelled sia, is used to express envy and for emphasis. The term "siah" is derived from Hokkien which consists of two words 'si' (literrally die) and 'ah' (a form of exclamation).

• He very solid siah. — He's damn capable.
• Wahlau, heng siah. — Goodness me (=Wahlau)! That was a close shave (=heng)!

Alright I shan't go on, otherwise I tell you hor it'll be endless one lei..

See here for more.

"Cho lang ai eh beng pek", Wa ai kih koon liao.. good nite.