Buggered language

This has been playing on my mind for a little while now.

Prime Minister Lee can exhort Singaporeans to speak good English as much as he wants. Guess what, PM Lee? Ain't never gonna happen.

Just the other day, I picked up a call from someone who spoke all the official languages of Singapore. Except.... you guessed it... English. I tried to explain in simple (read : broken) English that I'd transfer the call, and the woman snapped at me "you no Singaporean? then what?"

Yeah, lady, like being Singaporean is defined by the language I speak.

I've been ostracised before, once, because I have an asian face, but don't sound asian. I actually was forced to pick up the colloquialisms so I could get my shit done at work. The gaggle of girls over in HR and Admin thought I was putting on airs. And when I say don't sound asian, I don't mean I have an accent. I just don't speak Singlish.


Yes, sometimes I have a love-hate relationship with my country.