What's in an accent?

On the BBC today was a programme about 'extreme persuasion'. In it was the story of Gavin Bain, a Scots lad who teamed up with his college mate to pretend to be an American rap act. And they succeeded wildly, for two whole years! You can read an account on the Guardian website.

One of the ironies in the sad story is that they could not get their foot in the door being authentic, that is, Scottish. When they auditioned at a competition in their natural accents, they were laughed off the stage. Just acting and sounding American effected a total change in people's reactions.

Being a Peranakan has brought its share of identity issues for me. Chinese skin, Chinese name, but speak poor Chinese. Speak Baba Malay, but not colloquial Bahasa, and don't look Malay. People don't know where to place me, mentally. Earlier in life, I wasn't so sure, either. Now I know who I am - though I still don't really fit.

Being minority; not mainstream; not easy.

Asian Diaspora - More or Less Chinese

I just watched the first episode of this documentary on CNA today - great interviews with writer Amy Tan, architect Ma Yansong, mezzo-soprano Cao Zheng, and others.

I really liked hearing how the interviewees talked about how they related to being Chinese - taking the best of both sides, or appreciating it more after some event in life.

Being Peranakan, I don't consider myself ethnically Chinese; 'racially' perhaps, but not culturally. Yet I would say that there is certainly a clear heritage and link to some aspects of being Chinese.

Most people in Singapore, seeing my face or name, expect me to be or behave like I'm Chinese, and are dismissive, even offended, when I don't meet their expectations - such as my speaking to them in English, or hearing my poor spoken Chinese when I do try.

In a similar way, I also felt that the Chinese language was forced on me in school, because of my 'race'. Yet it has never been my mother tongue; neither my parents nor three of my grandparents spoke Mandarin. Only my maternal grandfather, like Lim Boon Keng, appreciated the Chinese language and heritage in a significant way.

Thus, my basic reaction is to reject anything that might reinforce others' labelling of me as 'Chinese'.

Yet, apart from the pressures and expectations of others, I realize that, yes, I have clear Chinese roots - and I shouldn't deny them.

4711

When my son had a runny nose, my mother recommended that my wife buy 4711 cologne. I found it strange she would bring up such an 'unmedicinal' solution.

Anyway, the scent, and how my wife tied a knot in the corner of a clean nappy, also brought back memories of childhood. I remember my grandmother having a bottle of 4711 on her dresser among all the knick-knacks. As a boy I loved to look at all the things berator-ator on my grandmother's and mother's dressing tables. And once in a while, take the cap off the 4711 and steal a sniff...

Reminiscents

The other night (or was it morning) I came down the stairs and I thought I got a whiff of bawang goreng. Maybe it was my mum frying it earlier, in the kitchen. You know how some smells just hang around... durian, belachan...

Anyway the smell is one that calls back memories. These days, you get bawang goreng in hawker food (like today's fish porridge), but it's virtually always the commercial type (and then?) The bawang goreng we have at home is different. It's thinly sliced, so painstakingly, then oh-so-slowly stir-fried over a low, low fire, till it turns a light brown. You can't fry it till it's just right because it will still brown after it's removed from the fire, it's so hot. And all the while, a most delicious aroma fills the kitchen (and the house). Simple, yet so fragrant, and unmatched by anything you get outside.

I wonder what other smells are so evocative for me...

Ingat tak...

Was just browsing my new Baba Malay dictionary (written by Gwee Thian Hock) this evening. I find memories there, how my grandmother or other family and family friends used to say certain things. One thing my Malaysian BM-educated wife and I have discussions about is the Peranakan pronunciation: toksa instead of tak usah (tak perlu is more commonly used?), pi instead of pergi, semonyet instead of sebunyi, apsair instead of apa pasal... Sad that we don't have the family environment where all this is common, everyday language. Nowadays we only throw in the Baba Malay on occasions when we have (usually older) true-blue Peranakans visiting.

The end

In Singapore there are the Peranakan Association and the Gunong Sayang Association, both dedicated to Peranakan activities. I've been to some of the Gunong Sayang plays with G T Lye invariably the anchor for those productions. Also the band was invariably some Malay guys which I always thought a bit unusual.

Anyway, thinking about it, my grandparents' generation were the ones to really use all those proverbs, idioms and sayings naturally. My parents' generation are the ones to understand them, but only use normal Baba Malay fluently. My generation, in Singapore at least, don't really understand the idioms and proverbs, probably understand normal Baba Malay, but can't speak it so fluently (depends on family background, skarang semua champor/chelop). My children's generation? The end. Close chapter.

I think, looking at the websites of the above associations, maybe there's hope yet. But I and my family (father & mother's sides) aren't members, so the language and culture will probably die out by the next generation.

Terketok

Firstly gua mo chakap 'Welcome!' sama U.Lee dengan Nyonyapenang, kamsia lu dua datang bacha gua mia rantings. And, minta maaf/ampon kalu gua mia bahasa koyak... Sini tak manyak orang chakap Melayu, let alone Baba Malay. Unlike Malaysia.

U.Lee mentioned the idea of 'terketok', which is a pretty common experience I think we've heard of, if not experienced personally. Well, I think it's always a surprising experience, though I would expect it to be a pleasant one. In U.Lee's imaginary? scenario, maybe it would be less than totally pleasant...

Mention of Happy World and the other 'World' parks rings some dusty, rusty bells. These were the places spoken of by my mama and those of her generation. Less by my parents and their peers. I guess these days one would talk of the latest trendy pubs or clubs for entertainment and nightlife. Not my thing lah. At night all I want to do is sleep...

Yah, siapa tau, mengkali kalu kita chakap-chakap lebeh, somehow terketok. Gua mia mak born in Melaka. Her mother too if I remember right. Kukong gua still there. My father's mother has links to the Khoo Kongsi in Penang. Lagi gua mia bini china gerk, pure Hokkien, tapi dia orang Malaysia, so dia mia BM aisehman tentu first-class.

Oh ya, last gua mo clarify: gua chakap 300%, itu mo ikot the manner of speaking yang gua ingat, bila orang mo emphasize something. Gua mia Baba 'heritage' boleh trace about 7 generations back to Malacca, at least for my paternal grandfather's side. I'm happy to know my many links to Malaysia :)