sporeboy in delhi
About
"Some are given that chance to live on soil that is not theirs. It is in this humility you lose yourself, or discover your soul."
Sporeboy has moved to Delhi from Singapore. Come share in his little journey. Better yet, be inspired to join him. Come.
Meanwhile, Sporeboy is hatching a plan to promote the arts and build a social enterprise at the same time. Check out http://thearthack.com.
Photography at cargocollective.com/nicfoo.
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singaporeans & malay
Dear fellow Singaporeans,
According to wikipedia, Singapore’s national language is Malay. For many of us, we have sung our Malay National Anthem for at least 10 years in school. But how many of us speak our national language, Malay? Other than the 13% Malays in Singapore, do the rest of us know our national language? If not fluently at least conversationally?
I myself am embarrassed to say my Malay only allows me to order from the Malay store at Newton Circus, and politely ask for more gravy on my rice. It stops there. Perhaps I should really consider learning more. Perhaps we all should.
I was buying rice from an Indian merchant at the nearby INA Market here in Delhi. He started speaking to me in Malay. Shocked, my unconsciously replied him in Malay. And thereafter, it was downhill. He started to speak fluent Malay beyond my understanding. I had to sheepishly tell him, in my broken Malay, that not many Singaporeans speak Malay. I thanked him, grabbed my rice and left.
It could have ended there; I got what I want and that was that. But it struck me. I should know at least conversational Malay. Some may say “impractical” in our everyday lives. But history and culture is hardly about practicality, but about identity.
So when is our rather pragmatic Singapore society going to shelf practicality every once in awhile and discover/re-discover/create our culture, our identity?
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sporeboyindelhi posted this
