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Stuff that matters
“In the situations I have witnessed, there is no divine intervention. All we have is each other. We create our own problems, and it us up to us to solve them.”
James Nachtwey, anti-war documentary photographer (1999: 469)
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(updated: February 8, 2008)
Publications
Forthcoming
David, M. K., Ngeow, Y. M, Yoong, D. (fc). Gender Stereotypes in Malaysian Parliamentary Sittings: Stereotypes and Their Implications.
Yoong, D. (2008). Mixing Them Together: Interdiscursive Elements in Contemporary Animes and Mangas. La Trobe Linguistics Working Paper.
Yoong, D. (2008). Framing Poverty in Indonesia. Journal of Poverty.
Yoong, D. (2008). Standard English and Singlish: The Clash of Language Values in Contemporary Singapore. [pending]
2007
David, M. K. and Yoong, D. (2007). Elderspeak: Deprivation of Linguistic Human Rights?. In M. K. David (ed.) Language and Human Rights. Serdang: Universiti Putra Press.
David, M. K. and Yoong, D. (2007). Code-Switching in Eldercare. In S. I. Harnisch (ed.) In Memorium Rudolfo Jacobson.
Yoong, D. (2007). Rapport Building between an Uncle and Niece in a Malaysian Chinese Family. In David, M. K. (ed.). Politeness in Malaysian Family Talk. (In press).
2006
David, M. K., Jariah Mohd Jan, Kow, Y. C. and Yoong, S. C. (2006). Function and Role of Laughter in Malaysian Women’s and Men’s Talk. Multilingua 25. ISSN 0167-8507
Yoong, D. (2006). Accommodating to the Elderly in a Malaysian Geriatric Day-Care Centre: A Discourse Analysis. Unpublished Master Dissertation. Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya.
Yoong, D. (2006). Boycotting an International Tourism Company: A Critical Discourse Perspectives. In M. K. David, H. Burhanudeen, A. N. Abdullah (eds.). The Power of Language and the Media (146-161). Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
Yoong, D. and David, M. K. (2006). Talking to Older Malaysians: A Case Study. Multilingua 25, 165-182. ISSN 0167-8507
Paper Presentations
2006
David, M. K. and Yoong, D. (2006). Applying Knowledge of Psycholinguistics in Language Teaching. Paper presented at the Universiti Sains Malaysia International Language Learning Conference (November 23-25, 2006: Batu Feringgi, Penang).
David, M. K. and Yoong, D. (2006). Constructive Communication in Marriage and the Family. Paper presented at the Marriage Philosophy Seminar (29-30 Mac 2006), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Vol.2 Paper 39 (12p.)
Yoong, D. (2007). Framing Poverty in Indonesia. Paper presented at the Discourse of Poverty Conference (July 19, 2007) at the Faculty of Sociology, La Trobe University, Australia.
In progress
Yoong, D. (in progress). Orders and Disorders of Discourse in the Dewan Rakyat during Question Time. Unpublished PhD Thesis. La Trobe University, Australia.
Academic activities
An abstract reviewer for the Eleventh Conference of the Foundation for Endangered Languages: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, "Working Together for Endangered Languages: Research Challenges and Social Impacts." University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 26-28 October 2007
... Bill Gates is seen ranting and complaining about his company's user-unfriendly website many years ago (in case you haven't got a clue what website it is, it's microsoft.com; download document here).
Ferocious attack kitten is available for adoption to any home willing to accept him.
This destructive kitty has been trained as a proud warrior and will fiercely defend your house, even against you. Well-trained since 10-weeks of age to attack anything in his presence, he will protect your family from evil things, including the following:
* insects
* other trained attack kittens
* babies
* toilet paper
* anything under a blanket
* unwanted house guests * paper bags
* floor rugs
* Chuck Norris
* Feet.
Great with children (assuming you don’t like the children). Probably best used for professional catfighting. He is housebroken, but only because he wants to be. This attack cat has trained himself to seek out his food anywhere you hide it and rip the bag open to feed himself, great for those who travel extensively. Also trained to drink water out of toilet bowls and dishwater from items in the sink. Knows how to open some doors. He will find you wherever you hide.
Neutered (trust me, you wont want to him to procreate). Has not been declawed, but you'll figure that out really fast.
Understands and responds to a variety of vulgar and profane verbal commands. Has a very soft and furry belly, like a teddy bear - however he will bite your face if you try to touch it.
Willing to accept trades. Potential adopters must have experience with trained attack-kittens... please be prepared to show scars.
For the love of God, someone please take this thing out of my house.
Friend sent me this email with an additional note: Which category do you fall into? LOL.
If anyone knows where the original source is located, do kindly inform me. :P
Today, in Malaysia, there is no longer just the Chinese. Along the way, the chinese people divided beyond dialects and religious faith. We now have denomination within the Chinese. The major three groups are Regular, Cina, and Ah Beng.
The Regular group is the minority, making up less than 20% of the Chinese people. This group has the following characteristics:
1. Speaks English as the first language. 2. Thinks the world owes them a living. 3. Uses the internet more than the other two groups combined. 4. Loves the iPod and/or IKEA. 5. Watches one or more of the following TV series: "Sex and the City", "Friends", or "CSI". 6. Thinks that the Regular group is way larger than it is and makes fun of the other groups, particularly the Ah Beng groups. Why? Because it's fun. 7. Is arty-farty and places lots of emphasis on pronunciation - knows how to correctly enunciate 'croissant'. 8. Uses 'Hey', 'Yo' or 'Wassup' as the standard greeting with the occasional 'dude', 'cool', 'crap' and 'hell' thrown in. 9. Eats pig trotters, not 'chu kiok' and takes watercress soup, not 'sai yong choi thong'.
Recent studies have also shown that there is a growing splinter group within the Regular group known as the CPWTTANC groups. (CPWTTANC is short for Chinese People Who Think They Are Not Chinese.) This growing subgroup are considered elitist by some and are found making statements like "I wish I were in the U.S." or "This never happened when I was studying in Australia." They also tend to speak with an unidentifiable accent.
The women may also prefer to date white men from foreign countries with the excuse that local men just "don't understand me" and have the secret desire to be taken away to the U.S. to live in a sitcom.
The second Chinese group, Cina makes up approximately 55% of the Chinese community. (Cina is derived from the Malay word Cina which means Chinese and is pronounced "chee-na". And you will have to say it in a condescending tone for effect.)
This group is considered mainstream and contributes to the numbers that reflect development in the country. They are the masses in context of the Chinese community. In other words, if you want to sell something to the masses of Chinese people, the Cina is it.
The Cina are identified by the following traits:
1. Speaks Mandarin or Cantonese as the first language. 2. Generally quiet, selft-effacing, and obliging but are actually shrewd and calculative. 3. Sees Taiwan as the place to be. 4. More likely to forward chain email to people in their address book. 5. Goes to Halo Café or Wow Wow Café BY CHOICE at least three times a year. 6. Has Astro hardwired to Wah Lai Toi. 7. Calls a music video an MTV instead of music video. 8. Knows all the dim sum dishes by name. 9. Seventy percent of lighting at home generated by flourescent lights. 10. Sucks fish bones.
The Last group is known as the Ah Bengs. This term was probably made up by the Regulars in the early 80s during the cultural invasion that saw the mass import of music and movies from countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and to some extent, Japan. This phenomenon saw the more open-minded and runaway members of the Cina group defect into Ah Bengs and its feminine equivalent, Ah Lian. They just took their Alan Tam and Anita Mui a little too seriously.
Perhaps the most made-fun-of group not only by its own Chinese people but by people of other races, the Ah Bengs is often seen as people living on the edge and has more flamboyant tastes. One may identify the Ah Beng by these tell-tale signs:
1. Built-in visual self-defense mechanism that keeps people away from them. 2. Have enough amplifiers in their one car to power speakers for six cars. 3. Hair not in their original colour. 4. Volume of voice is automatically five decibels higher than everyone else. 5. Excessive use of the phrase "Kan Ni Na Bu Ciao Chee Bai". (Although, to be fair, some members of the Regular group have been reported to use the phrase on a daily basis as well.) 6. Once a fan of one of the following groups: Vengaboys, Dr Bombay, Aqua, or the Cheeky Girls. 7. Their Proton car does not look like a Proton car due to modifications. 8. For the Ah Lians, have at least one bag fashioned after a furry animal complete with the head. 9. Accessories must be in 6 different colours, at least - from bracelets, necklaces, earrings, belt, socks, quasi-gloves, platform shoes - yup, Ah Bengs and Ah Lians alike. 10. Think they are NOT Ah Bengs and Ah Lians.
For more information on the symbolisms used in this clip, click here.
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On a serious note, I have to cut my internet surfing. These days, my rss reader has been flooded with links: On average, I go through about 900 links every single day! From news (e.g. Reuters, AP, the Star) to blogs, to Reddit, it's an insane (yet captivating) venture! It usually takes me the whole day to cover all of them. The internet is bleedy amazing! It's brimming with juicy details! So, I offer my apologies for not leaving comments in blogs. :/
