the two contractors that came to treat and varnish my parquet floor were from malaysia. it was so obvious from their malaysia-accented mandarin. and it was awkward for me when they addressed me as "wu1-zhu3" (owner of the house). and after the 1-day experience with the varnishing work, it came as no surprise to note that they also look like inhalant addicts - very thin (almost anorexic), very pale, long ruffled hair... frankly, i felt rather uncomfortable to have them walk in and out of the house. they looked like they could hold me hostage anytime! luckily i had sapphie my dog with me... erm... not that she could do anything la! haha!
as for the two guys painting the house, they were obviously singaporeans. both looked very beng but very very nice chatty people. physically, one of them was very jock. 45yrs old and had tinted hair. the other one was more uncle-like, also in his 40s. both spoke with me in mandarin and hokkien. and one thing very singaporean came out - our common national service (ns) background. it was interesting how we clicked once we spoke of ns. they would go on and on about how they were considered hokkien peng (slang for "soldiers with little/ no formal education. usually perceived as uncouth in their behaviour") and the difficult times they went through during their ns days! guess this is something that binds all singaporeans regardless of social status. and of cos, one thing they said that made them my friend instantly - "oh, you looked so young, no more than 35 yrs old"... heh heh... of cos i quickly added - "constant exercise certainly does wonders" - to which they quickly agreed! damned it! saying the right words to me (at anytime) will make you my friend instantly! (i am such a slut! ha ha!) of cos, when i related this to my bee bee, his eyes rolled so hard it almost dropped off his eye socket! well.. for the record, both of them are straight. the jock one was beaming with pride when he spoke of his 6-month old daughter and he went on and on about how cute she was...
oh, even as i type this post, the two of them are chatting about life and their friends. and typical of two bengs chatting, they sound like they are fighting. all the expletives, all the crude-sounding hokkien terms... well, crude, yet in a way, endearing... very hokkien, very singaporean. very kah-kee lang (of the same kind/ of the same clan).
heh heh...
as for the two guys painting the house, they were obviously singaporeans. both looked very beng but very very nice chatty people. physically, one of them was very jock. 45yrs old and had tinted hair. the other one was more uncle-like, also in his 40s. both spoke with me in mandarin and hokkien. and one thing very singaporean came out - our common national service (ns) background. it was interesting how we clicked once we spoke of ns. they would go on and on about how they were considered hokkien peng (slang for "soldiers with little/ no formal education. usually perceived as uncouth in their behaviour") and the difficult times they went through during their ns days! guess this is something that binds all singaporeans regardless of social status. and of cos, one thing they said that made them my friend instantly - "oh, you looked so young, no more than 35 yrs old"... heh heh... of cos i quickly added - "constant exercise certainly does wonders" - to which they quickly agreed! damned it! saying the right words to me (at anytime) will make you my friend instantly! (i am such a slut! ha ha!) of cos, when i related this to my bee bee, his eyes rolled so hard it almost dropped off his eye socket! well.. for the record, both of them are straight. the jock one was beaming with pride when he spoke of his 6-month old daughter and he went on and on about how cute she was...
oh, even as i type this post, the two of them are chatting about life and their friends. and typical of two bengs chatting, they sound like they are fighting. all the expletives, all the crude-sounding hokkien terms... well, crude, yet in a way, endearing... very hokkien, very singaporean. very kah-kee lang (of the same kind/ of the same clan).
heh heh...
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