Month: March 2010

Lunch with Pastor Ed

Last week, I had lunch with Pastor Ed from Christian Life Center. I visited the church service on Sunday, it was a pretty small congregation and everyone was quite friendly. The pastor said hi to me and asked me to contact him as he’d love to have lunch with me to know more about Singapore. And thus, later that day, I sent him and email and arranged for lunch with him. He was very kind to pick me up at my college, and we ate at Woodstock Pizza.

It was a pretty casual conversation, and we talked about various things, from family, to church life, and to school. It was nice to talk to a local pastor and share my experiences that I have in Singapore, and also a bit about the Singapore church scene. I also showed him the Destined To Reign book, as well as shared with him the various churches that I’ve visited in the Santa Cruz area. He also shared with me the demographics of his church.

I also found out that he is going Catalyst Conference as well. Awesome! Elisha, Dixon and I are volunteering as ushers for the conference in April, and we are hoping to meet Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin! Looking forward to that.

Birthday in California

And so here it comes and goes. I didn’t really plan for any celebration. But my NUS friends here are awesome. Just before midnight, nik and zoe claimed that they want to cook maggi mee. I was about to sleep early that night but I decided to stay up longer to finish my work. Just after midnight, they called me and said they are at my door. Before I opened, I smelled something amiss. Then I was pleasantly surprised: they were at my door, with two slices of cake, lighted up with candles. I’ve never been surprised in such a manner before on my birthday I think! They also brought some GAP clothes for me! =)

Before that, I webcamed with my CG mates back in Singapore, who are having devo. It was pretty cool to have long-distance devo, and penny joined us through vsee too. After I closed with prayer, they sang happy birthday to me over the webcam. so sweet.

It was lessons as usual, and after a wonderful project meeting with the lecturer, I took a bus down to the beach for a jog. It was a really sunny and cloudless day, and the sky and sea were blue. It was a joy to listen to Passion Awakening, jogging along the cliffs beside the beach, looking at the birds, pelicans, dogs playing in the sand, other people jogging, sitting on the benches, and many people surfing in the sea. It was beautiful.

Intervarsity at Kairos was testimony night, and I got reminded of letting go, and letting God.

American English vs Singaporean English

A comparison between the way English is used in USA and in Singapore. Not an exhaustive list, shall update whenever I think of more!

American English Comments / Meaning Singlish
Greeting: How’s it going? What’s the ‘it’? Life?Usual reply: “Good!” Oei!
Greeting: What’s up? The ceiling? The sky? No.Usual reply: “Not much” What you doing?
Have a good one! What’s ‘one’? Synonymous with ‘day’. Have a nice day?
What’s the deal? Similar to What’s up? or What’s happening? Si-mi?
Let’s bounce! Let’s leave from this place. Let’s go!
Scoot over to the left Move slightly over to the left to let someone/something pass Siam lah! / Move leh!
Bus your table Clear your table after eating Auntie! Come here pls!
After a food order: To go? Takeaway
After a food order: For here? Having here
Road sign: Do not pass No overtaking
Road sign: Yield Give Way
Metro Bus A form of public tranport SBS Bus
Subway MRT
Highway / Freeway / Interstate Expressway
Traffic light sign: Left turn yield on green When light turns green and you are turning, give way to opposing traffic
Water Pronounced as “Wall-der”. If you say “Wa-ter” in some restaurants, the waiter will not understand you. Pronounced as “Wa-ter”
Flour Pronounced like “flower” Pronounced as “flar”
Cowell College Pronounced as “Cowl” Pronounced as “Co – well”
Class Modules are termed as classes. Module is pronounced is “mod-dool” and not “mod-due” Module
College College is used interchangebly with university most of the time University
Orange Chicken Sweet and Sour Chicken
Bok Choy Chinese Cabbage Xiao 白菜
Jello Jelly Dessert Jelly/Agar Agar
Hot Sauce Tabasco Sauce Tabasco
Sriracha Sauce / Rooster/Cock Sauce Thai Garlic Chilli Sauce Chilli Sauce
“Stop Requested” lights up when you pull the string on the bus “Bus Stopping” lights up when you press the bell
E-con Short for Economics Econs
Spot me some? Borrow/Give me some [money, food, etc.] Gimme some? Can I kope some?
Sidewalk The path beside the road for pedestrians Pedestrian Path
Parking Lot/Garage/Structure Car Park/Multi-Storey Car Park
Block A measure of distance between traffic junctions e.g. the building is 3 blocks away In contrast, blocks refer to HDB flats e.g. I stay in Block 155.
Legit Slang for awesomely authentic/real and good TOK KONG: Hokkien term meaning “superb” or “top of the line”. (from TalkingCock.com)

Some other favorite words: Sweet! For sure?! Awesome!