If you have ever been to Singapore, you probably have heard of the term 'Singlish' before. Just like in China or Japan, every part of the country uses a different dialect other than their common language. Singlish therefore is Singapore's very own dialect we commonly use in our daily conversations.

Singlish is a creole interlanguage native to Malaysia and Singapore. It is the first language of many younger uneducated Singaporeans, especially those whose parents do not share a native language or dialect, and is the second language of nearly all the rest of the country's citizens.

The vocabulary of Singlish consists of words originating from English, Malay (mainly Bahasa Melayu rather than Indonesian), Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi. Also, elements of American and Australian slang have come through from imported television series. And in recent years, due to the fact that Mandarin is taught to most Singaporean Chinese students in school, Mandarin words have also found their way into Singlish.

If you are new to this dialect of ours, it may take some time before you get used to it. :) But once you get a hang of it, some people say that it is addictive and hard to get rid of. So to help you blend in to the Singaporean culture when you visit Singapore in the future, we will be teaching you some basic Singlish phrases to help you communicate with the local people.

When people hear you speaking Singlish, it might not only shock our fellow Singaporeans, but it will also create a sense of closeness when you use this special dialect of ours.

Some of the Singlish words include lah, leh and ah. It is to be used as a punctuation after your sentence. For example: I am going to have my lunch soon, lah! (It is to further empahasize your point.) Are we going to visit the Merlion park ah? (To be added when you ask a question) I am not free leh.

Some of the other interesting phrases include:
Singlish: Want to go Orcher walk walk see see or not?
English: Let's go shopping/sightseeing at Orchard Road.

Singlish: Dun anyhow touch here touch there leh.
English: Please don't mess with my things.

Singlish: We two fren-fren one.
English: We are close friends.

Singlish: You go take the small-small one ah!
English: Retrieve the smaller item, please.


Do give Singalish a try when you visit Singapore! :)

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Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர், Cingkappūr

Singapore, the smallest nation in the south East Asian community, is home to a vast mixture of different cultures and heritages. Singapore used to be made up of a mixture of an indigenous Malay population with a third generation Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants with intermarraiges. Along with these combination, there are also significant Eurasian and Peranakan (Straights Chinese) communities living together in harmony on our small sunny Island, Singapore. And in today's context, there are many inter-marraiges between Singaporeans and people from all over the world! Just take my family as an example. My dad is a Thai chinese while my mum is a Singaporean. It is amazing how diverse Singapore's culture can get huh? :)

Although on the surface, you may be able to differenciate our race and know the differences between the cultures and heritages, that is really not enough to explain 'Singapore'. When you really come and experience the culture we have here for yourself, I promise you that it will be a totally different experience afterall and you will not regret it.

Singapore is a city-state that possesses an intriguing blend of cuisines, arts and architecture. A cultural bridge between the East and the West, Singapore is filled with unbridled energy and exciting events. And that is what my team or editors and I will be revealing to you in the new few weeks to come. So please stay tuned for more exciting updates! :)

Plug Type

Voltage
220/440 volts

Language English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil

Population 4.3 million
Time Zone GMT +8 hours
Mobile Phones GSM 900/1800/CDMA

Visas
Foreigners holding travel documents issued by certain countries require either a Business or Social Visit visa. For more information, please visit the Singapore Immigration Web site.Visa Requirements from the Singapore Immigration Web site

Currency
The Singapore dollar is the unit of money. Like the US dollar, it is divided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies.

The Singapore dollar is available in 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 denomination banknotes.Credit cards are accepted in major hotels as well as shopping malls. Cash and travelers cheques can be exchanged in licensed exchange offices and international hotels.Here are the most recent exchange rates for some common currencies.

SGD 1.00 equals:
.66 US Dollar (USD)
1.00 Australian Dollar (AUD)
.52 Euro (EUR)
.44 British Pound (GBP)
5.11 Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
32.26 Indian Rupee (INR)
64.34 Japanese Yen (JPY)
1.17 New Zealand Dollar (NZD)

Taxes
GST is applied at the rate of 7% of value of almost all goods and services consumed in Singapore.

Tipping
Generally, there is a 10% service charge added to the bill. If this charge is not included, then it is appropriate to tip the waiter 10% or whatever you feel is appropriate. Tipping taxi drivers is not customary, and is, in fact, discouraged.

Business Hours
Bank Hours9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday9:30 to 11:30, SaturdayOffice Hours9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday9 am to 1 pm , SaturdayShop HoursShops are generally open from 10 am to 9 pm Monday through Saturday. Most shops are open on Sundays.

Public Health
Medical facilities in Singapore are of high standard. Tap water in the hotel is potable and if desired, may be boiled prior to consumption using the facilities provided in-room. Bottled water is also provided, compliments of the hotel.

Dressing in Singapore
Given Singapore’s tropical climate, lightweight summer clothing is generally sufficient. A suit is appropriate when conducting business. Some restaurants may require a jacket, otherwise smart, casual clothing will suffice.

Weather
Located just north of the equator, Singapore enjoys warm to hot temperatures all year round. With rainy seasons along the year.

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Posted by: Bow

Labels: Home

Thank you! :)

Posted by: Bow

Labels: Home

Today I will be telling everyone about the heritage and culture of the Peranakan Museum! I think very little people in Singapore are aware that there is actually a Peranakan Museum in Singapore that showcases their unique heritage and culture. If you aren't sure about the Peranakan culture, let me give you some interesting information and facts first!


Peranakans are the descendants of the very early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have partially adopted Malay customs in an effort to be assimilated into the local communities. In short, they are used to describe Indonesian Chinese! Peranakan males are called Babas while Peranakan females are called Nyonyas. Sounds interesting right?

Peranakans originally came from Malacca but came down to Singapore gradually after the years. Now, let me tell you what the Peranakan Museum is all about! The museum houses the world’s finest and most comprehensive collection of Peranakan artifacts that you can hardly find now! The Peranakan Museum presents a Southeast Asian-wide view of Peranakan culture. Its rich material legacy and heritage are enhanced by state-of-the-art display technology, coupled with educational interactives for the young. This Museum not only caters to adults but has facilities to make it more interesting for youths and children too! Young and old will be fascinated by this unique culture too.

There are several galleries in the Museum. What makes it interesting is that the galleries have different themes for visitors to explore! Some of the themes are origins of the Peranakan culture, how the Peranakans conduct their weddings, the religion of Peranakans, Nyonyas and the public life of Peranakans! Sounds interesting isn't it? I was most captivated by the wedding gallery! It is really different from Chinese or Western customs. The wedding is an elaborate twelve day affair that is lavish and magnificent! You can also learn more about the wedding rituals that the Peranakans conduct during the wedding such as the exchanging of gifts between families. I was also interested in the food and feasting gallery where you get to see their dining customs and cuisine. The exhibits are enough to make my mouth water! You also can get to see the porcelain food ware used by the Peranakans which are really exquisite and unique. One more interesting part of the Museum is that there are special exhibition galleries that change their themes every few months.

The Peranakan Museum is located at 39 Armenian Street. You can either take a train down to City hall MRT station and walk 10 mins there or take these buses: 7, 14, 16, 36, 97, 124, 131, 147, 162, 166, 174, 501 Express, 511 Express, 77, 167, 171, 190, 700, 700A and 857

The Museum is opened from 1pm to 7pm on Mondays and 9.30am to 7pm on Tuesdays to Saturday (till 9pm on Fridays) Tickets to the Museum is priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizen. There are also guided tours if you need them available in Chinese, English and Japanese. Do visit the Museum as it showcases this very unique culture! You can benefit alot from learning more about this new heritage and culture. I have learnt more about this culture too! I'm sure you will be captivated when you enter this Peranakan world.


★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I give the Peranakan Musuem FOUR out of five stars! I feel that the place really is great to learn more about something that is unqiue and different, the Peranakan culture! Currently on Television, it is airing a serial drama about Peranakans and watching the show reminds me of the Museum! The culture is really very special and intriging. I strongly recommend you to visit this place now!

Posted by: Joan










Photo Credits:
http://www.peranakanmuseum.sg

Labels: Culture, Heritage