Deaf & dumb biker on ride around the world

Saw this biker, Vladimir Yarets Alexeevichat, at the open area near Sim Lim Square today. His bike, photos of his journey and not a few signs/flash cards were on display, together with a hat on the floor with donations from passer-bys. I read about him in The New Paper some time back, so I was sure he wasn't a con artist. His background and journey are documented in www.yarets.com

One of his flashcard says that he will be moving on to Malaysia from here.

Gotta admire his guts and spirit of adventure. Can't imagine a Singaporean going around the world in his trishaw, bike or car, leaving off the goodwill of others, what more a deaf and dumb Singaporean.

Like attracts like?

It's funny how things come in threes. I saw another funny name today in the papers, albeit as part of a sad story. It was a lady called Cinderella Wang.

With a great sense of incredulity, I did a double take, then looked again. It's really Cinderella Wang!

Much as Cinderella was my favourite fairytale as a kid, I would never dream of naming myself after the heroine.

Funny names - part 2

All these hilarious monikers keep turning up.

When my friend heard about the esteemed Hao Xiao Ming, he told me he has a name card of this chap called Xiao Ting Tong (read this in Hokkien).

It's a crazy world out there.

Another friend told me this story, which was in turn related by another friend:

As an NSF, he was at an intro briefing held by a sergeant. They took turns to shout out their names. When it came to this guy standing at a corner, they heard hardly a whisper.

The sergeant turned to him: Recruit! What is your name?
Guy in a corner: *whisper*

Sergeant: Speak up soldier! Louder!
Guy mumbles: Ee Chee Kok

Sergeant: What?! Louder!
Guy shouts: Ee Chee Kok!

And every one laughs out loud.

Poor chap, his name really takes the cake or more accurately, his manhood. That's a true story, btw. Mr Ee really should apply to work with talkingcock.com

Postscript
What would happen if Ms P---y met Mr Ee Chee Kok?

Hi, I'm Pussy. Hello! (Hands out with much enthusiasm) I'm Ee Chee Kok.

With such complementary names, surely they will get on like a house on fire.

Or maybe not. They could be let down by the lack of chemistry.
*Groan*

Funny names

I burst out laughing when I saw this today: Professor Hao Xiao Ming. Nothing against the esteemed professor, just that he professes to be Hao Xiao Ming.

If you read that it Chinese, it means "good Xiao Ming", where "Xiao Ming" is a very typical name used in my Chinese textbooks when I was still in school. Perhaps his parents wanted the babe in their arms to be a good boy and good man, hence Hao Xiao Ming.

What a name. When my dad heard about it, he remarked that in Hokkien, "Hao Xiao Ming" will sound like Ming is very hao xiao (means to exaggerate a lot and talk a lot of nonsense). What a name!

As a kid, he must have been the butt of jokes among his peers.

Which leads me to this name my colleague saw: Seah Chee Poh.

"Chee Poh! Why are you so cheapo?!"

Try placing the name western style, i.e. having the surname placed after the name. Chee Poh Seah. Now think in Singlish. ;)

Then, another friend heard of this lady from one of our neighbouring countries who called herself p---y (the informal name for a cat). I hope she didn't know what she was doing!

GMP's ghost

GMP created a fake sighting of a ghost in a lift at Raffles Place and followed that up with postings by other people on the ghosts they purportedly saw or heard, all on a website http://rafflesplaceghost.net.

After some hoohah, it was finally revealed as a viral campaign for GMP, on why you should not work late. And shortly after that, they closed down the website.

It could be all the bad comments, generally along the lines of "bo liao".

It's quite a bad hoax IMHO, bad in many ways.

Firstly, it's such a crass and cheap trick to play on peoples' fears. Some poor soul now says she doesn't dare take the lift at Raffles Place. It's also a bad branding play, both from the western and eastern perspectives, to associate a brand with ghosts (unless the company sells ghostbusting services or the likes).

Now people think of GMP and associate it with ghosts and worse -- liars. This brings to mine words like fearful, insubstantial, wispy, non substantive, cons, bad decision makers, low class, etc. I definitely do not link GMP with innovative or cutting edge.

This video by some GMP chap explaining the hoax further adds oil to the fire.

http://www.myescapeplan.com.sg/whyushouldntworklate/

Can't they find someone who can speak and enunciate properly to front the campaign? If they really can't, use flash text or a tongue in cheek letter?

After listening to him, my opinion that in no way would I use GMP's services is strengthened.

GMP sure got the eyeballs it wanted, but at what cost to its reputation?

Bad grammar in ad

Saw this ad on the MRT train some time back. I wonder what the copywriters are doing when they allow such a glaring mistake in an ad they help to produce.

"Solves hair problems quick & effectively"

The use of "quick" sounds like Singlish. Not that I'm against Singlish, which has its own syntax and structure, and is something that marks our people and gives us a common identity. (Hey you think any old ang moh can speak Singlish properly? It's not just lahs and lors hor.)

However, Singlish is unaccceptable usage in proper Singapore English and in written English, except perhaps as an ad for a Jack Neo movie.

So, to end this, the line should have been: Solves hair problems quickly & effectively.