Nothing gets more SOAS than this

No, this is not a picture from my private collection. This was a picture which was part of the exhibition that is currently in display in the SOAS library.

And in true SOAS fashion: someone posted this picture on the SOAS FB group, saying that if these have been white children it would have been a case of child pornography, but because they are black it is somehow permissible. And predictably people started adding their views - how this is an epitome of Orientalism - White people selectively portraying non-White people as savage, raw, sexual, the "other" etc - and SOAS grads with rose-tinted glasses bemoaning how the standards of SOAS have fallen and how current students are apathetic to something like this which would have caused an uproar back when SOAS was a reputable institution, etc etc.

I do love SOAS and the intellectual discussions, but sometimes I am tired of how extreme some of these views are and how everything has to be seen through  the post colonial lens of Orientalism and regarded as exploitation by the white people. I know I'll be publicly lynched for this - and this blog post will serve as evidence that I am no better than the white people imposing their ideologies on the world.

"Oh, Southeast Asian Studies - Vietnamese to be exact."

Back in those days where FASS students chose 3 subjects in our first year and then later major in 2 out of these 3, it is customary when you meet a fellow FASS student for the first time to inquire about what his subjects are. And when it is obvious that the two of you share one of these majors (let's say you are in the same lecture or tutorial for an advanced class which only majors of that subject take), the inquiry process becomes easier because you only have to ask what is the other subject that he is majoring in.

When my potential project mate (when you sit next to someone for the first tutorial of the term, there is a good chance that you will end up doing a project with him. The amount of strategy involved in getting into a good project group deserves a dedicated separate post) said the above to me, I could barely contain my horror. (I have become far better at containing my horror after teaching for six years) Southeast Asian Studies? Yes I know this department existed - I saw it in the faculty handbook - but you mean there are actually people who major in it? They are like, only marginally better than the South Asian Studies (a new department set up when I was in first year - and after four years I don't think I met anyone who was from South Asian studies)?

I am rather ashamed that I used to have such a patronizing view towards Southeast Asia. I suspect many Singaporeans share this mentality. From young, we have all heard relatives or friends telling us horror stories of the level of civility and the state of hygiene in our neighbouring countries. And finally when your parents bring you there for the first time you get to experience it for yourself. Interesting countries and cultures, for sure, for undeniably DIFFERENT from Singapore. And by different, we usually mean INFERIOR.

I started backpacking in 2005 - and it should come as no surprise to anyone who knew me that my first destination was Japan. Followed by China, UK(London, Stonehenge, Cambridge, Bath), France (more or less just Paris), more of Japan, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, more of Japan, Turkey, and then some more of Japan. The distance between your backpacking destination and your home is directly proportional to the amount of bragging rights and street cred that you get. My first (only?) backpacking buddy whom I charged headlong into Japan with was hopelessly obsessed with Southeast Asia - having done a number of YEP (Has this term been made totally oblivious by the term OCIP?) - having visited Myanmar and Laos (of course, Thailand and Vietnam too, without saying, but there is a significant difference in exotic level). I might have made some dismissive comments back then, something along the lines of - "Southeast Asia? Sure, when I am old and cannot tahan long plane rides anymore I will go travelling in Southeast Asia."

For some reason I cannot remember, I went to Cambodia with him in Dec 2009. The fact that the Angkor Wat, a UNESCO site,  is found within its confines, makes this a country deserving of consideration, even if I still wasn't particularly inclined towards Southeast Asia. I won't say that the Cambodia trip drastically transformed my view of Southeast Asia, but it certainly planted a seed in me, especially the fact that I knew next to nothing about how the Khmer Rouge (of course I have HEARD about it, I am a GP CHER you know. But it felt like something as mythical and enigmatic as the Southeast Asian Department in FASS in the year 2001) came about despite Cambodia being barely two hours away from Singapore.

And then I began to encounter more and more Southeast Asian Scholars. Of course 07S02 had many Malaysian and Indonesian scholars and it has never escaped me that they were relatively more well-informed than the Singaporean students. The influx of ASEAN scholars with the announcement of the new SAJC Hall, together with SSP/HSP classes and the greater number of 4H2 students, suddenly made the ASEAN students even more prominent. Then I taught 11S18, 11S17 and 12S18, and began to come into much closer contact with them, especially my 34th AHOF and the other Thai scholars. The seed planted in me during the Cambodian trip began to grow. And finally I made my way to Bangkok and Ayutthaya in Thailand, and then Hanoi, Halong and Sapa in Northern Vietnam.

Although I would love to proclaim that I am not as pragmatic-minded as my fellow countrymen, I have to admit that my choice of course for my Masters program was one which was underlined by such worldly concerns. I want to do something I am interested in (languages and cultures) but yet provides me with a decent opportunity to line my bank account. Hey, I was about to leave a stable well-paying job into an unknown universe fraught with uncertainty, don't judge me! On hindsight, I will definitely have taken a MA degree in Southeast Asian studies instead of Translation Studies (even though I do not regret doing this - it has been an eye-opening course which broadened my perspectives significantly too), but thankfully the fact that I am in an institution like SOAS allowed me to pursue my new found interest.

I audited classes in Southeast Asian Literature and Cultural Sociology. I got my hands on the reading list for the Postcolonial Southeast Asian Film classes which clashed with my compulsory Translation classes. I took Vietnamese at the Language Centre (Oh yes - there were enough students for the second part of the course to continue thankfully - starting next week!), continued my skype Thai lessons, and borrowed all kinds of books about Southeast Asia from the amazing library that SOAS has. And next week onwards I will have a real Cikgu teaching me Malay, and learning Chinese from me in return, both of which I am very excited about.

So what is it about Southeast Asia that has captured my undivided attention? That will be in another post, and hopefully this time it will not stay as a draft for more than a week. =p

与方块字的不解之缘

自中学毕业以后，就再也没有上过华文课， 也不再提笔写方块字了。曾经对汉语那么执著， 那么喜爱的我，竟然选择在高中不继续修读华文，而且整个改变过程一点都不扭捏， 从来不曾彷徨过，这一点回想起来还真有一点难以置信。 中学时期许久不见的朋友及同学，大概没有人会相信我不但在大学读的是英文的荣誉学位，甚至当了六年的英文老师（还可以昂然挺胸地说我是英文老师中的佼佼者，教的是令许多人止步的General Paper!) 。 这也称得上是曲折离奇的故事吧？

“春风雨化千秋业，浩气薪传圣母心。” 这么荡气回肠的一副对联，就挂在海星学府的大门。我是九三年开始在海星中学就读的，虽然当时华文的风气早已远不如从前，但我还是象搭上了最后一班列车似的，赶在华文风气还没完全没落之前，从学府里零零碎碎，点点滴滴不堪回首的记忆中，感受了一下华校 的气息。詹任存，苏君英，翁凉平老师当然功不可没，几位不曾放弃用方块字写作的学长及同学们的风范，也一直对我影响深远。高级华文成绩名列前茅固然不在话下，选修中华文学，在散文创作比赛中得奖数次，在百胜楼的书店里流连忘返，当时我确实认为，我这辈子应该是跟方块字脱离不了关系了。

“传薪阁”。淡初语言特选课程特别教室书卷味颇浓的名字，意外地竟无法对我产生任何作用。我记得当时还有着年少无知的血气方刚，觉得新加坡教育制度的中文水平太低，修读华文真的是一点意义也没有，深信即使不继续读下去，单靠我本身日常生活中与中文及中华文化的接触也就够了。 把华文放下以后，转眼就是十六年。这十六年里，当然偶尔还是会阅读中文书刊，但毕竟对中文还是逐渐生疏了。这期间我好像也不曾有过任何后悔或遗憾，尤其在圣初执教的时候，更是慢慢接受了许多新加坡人不会用中文的事实，久而久之也就习以为常。

十六年后又会选上翻译这门学科，可能的确我和方块字之间的情分未了。十六年前在文学课里学过的枯燥乏味的文学史，又以活灵活现的方式重新在我眼前上演。而我也没想到，我再一 次执著于遣词用字，再一次感叹于字里行间， 再一次沉醉于咬文嚼字，竟是在与炎黄子孙沾不上边的英国首都伦敦。

而这一次的重逢是意味着一段致死不渝的坚贞，还是暗示着另一次有缘无份的别离？我现在也说不准，但至少我会珍惜当下的久后重逢，细数当日被遗忘的情怀。

Halong Bay

Waiting for my night train to Sapa ... making use of the opportunity to write this entry.

Halong Bay was gorgeous. Despite my initial trepidation with signing up with a tour group, the group was actually pretty fun. There are a couple from Sydney, another couple from France, two Spanish friends travelling together, a group of 8 Irish students, and then (the only representatives from Asia) - a Taiwanese lady and me. There were two Japanese ladies on the bus journey to Halong with us, but they were on a day trip and joined a different group once we reached Halong City - much to my disappointment!

The Irish were rather boisterous and rude (but then it is probably because they are young college students rather than because they are Irish =p), but everyone else was great company. Of course everyone was sharing about their experiences in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, exchanging travel tips and recommending must-try-food. As usual, the Europeans couldn't understand why the Taiwanese lady or me are only travelling for 10 days and 7 days respectively ("So where are you going other than Vietnam? ... No? ... Flying back? ... Erm...I see...) while they are spending 2 - 4 weeks in the region.

Since touring Halong Bay largely involves sitting on the ship and getting various rocks pointed out to you, there was a lot of chatting involved. Just lying on the deck or on a reclining chair, enjoying the sun, the wind, the stars and the gorgeous view. It complete redefines what lepak means. Oh did some kayaking around the bay too (Canoeing  courses in Maris Stella prove to be so useful 17 years later). That and with all the trekking around the hills in the days to come means one thing - I exercise the most when I am backpacking in  another country lol.

Deafening car horns

I am no longer a teacher.

And I am in Hanoi right now. I am hungry and haven't eaten my dinner. But I feel obliged to type this post to fulfill my promise, even if it is to a monkey who will embrace his primitive roots in the jungles of Brunei soon.

My smartphone is too smart - keeps assuming I understand Vietnamese just because I am in Vietnam. The interface of my blog is all in Vietnamese now which does not help.

Well now that i am no longer a teacher and can actually talk about things outside of school - hopefully i will be able to revive this blog successfully. Hopefully this Hanoi trip can be a good start!

There are certainly a lot more Chinese and Koreans in Japan now. The main tourist areas commonly provide help in japanese, english, chinese and korean. Lots of adverts for chinese schools n lessons. But i am surprised that at the public bath i was at - there are more Chinese than Japanese.

And they are conspicious. Talking blatantly and loudly. Squeezing water from their towels on the floor directly. Making inappropriate jokes. Basically doing everything that will make a local squeal. Sure enough a japanese man near me was muttering under his breath and showing his disapproval.

I was so scared that they will talk to me in Chinese- forcing me to reply and give the game away. And the locals will then think i am an equally hopeless foreigner and associate me with them. Luckily they did not.

I did notice a Chinese speaking man who was also annoyed by these ill behaved Chinese. Turned out that he was Taiwanese lol. And then the taiwanese and the singaporean start talking to each other- and the japanese are probably none the wiser and think we are the same group as the Chinese. Ah the irony.

In japan!!

Here is something for someone who faithfully checks my blog even though i have not updated in months. And this poor person doesnt have whatsapp so i cannot talk to him with my free wifi in the hostel.

Past two days was more or less just orientating David to kyoto and tokyo - not the most exciting thing since i have been there so many times. Although dipping into an outdoor hot spring in the cold winter night spells SHIOK despite being surrounded by naked japanese men - both young and old, attractive and not. Of course onsens play an important part in any japan trip that i am involved in - and the one in my hotel in kyoto is just a boring plain one compared to the more exotic ones that i will be going to in the next few days, but still.

Now i am in fukuoka - kyushu, southern most of the four main islands, closer to Seoul than Tokyo, the starting point of my kyushu trip. And thanks to the easy access to free wifi nowadays i am spending more time on my ipad than my psp which was such a faithful companion on earlier trips. Which is also why i can blog about this on my ipad instead of fighting with other ppl at the hostel internet terminals or hunting down internet cafes. I am a digital

Age traveller!