Apr 6, 2018, 10:48 AM

To: gupta @ a-university.sg
Subject: Inquiry about Research Opportunity
Dear Prof. Gupta,

I am a Year 2 Material Science and Engineering undergraduate. I am interested in the research opportunity available at your Biomedical Engineering lab during the vacation next month.

I find biomaterials a fascinating field and would like to take this opportunity to learn more. May I meet you sometime next week to discuss further some of the main studies carried out in your lab?

Thank you. I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Jonathan LIM

—

    After scanning through the few lines in the formally worded email for any typo mistakes for the third time, Jonathan gingerly clicks on the “Send” button. There are a few projects under Professor Gupta that Jonathan is keen about, and he hopes that the email he just wrote has adequately conveyed his enthusiasm in a polite and professional tone. After all, clear communication with proper English, as he is taught during his career preparation classes, is expected in the working world. He would not want to sabotage his future employment chances, especially under an increasingly competitive climate.
    With the email settled, Jonathan returns to work on his unfinished materials science assignment. It is not long before his mobile phone starts vibrating as his Chinese Malaysian friend, Chun, text messages him.

—

11:01 AM > Bro, makan¹?

Where? < 11:02 AM

11:02 AM > Arts?

Ok < 11:02 AM
I’m at Engg. Be there in 15 min < 11:02 AM

11:03 AM > Ok
11:04 AM > I wait for u near the Japanese stall

—

    Jonathan puts the mobile phone away and begins packing his belongings into his laptop bag. He and Chun first met at an elective class during their freshman year. Chun, whose major is Business Administration, gained an interest in Political Science and had enrolled for the introductory module, which Jonathan took up in the same semester as well. It was during the first tutorial class when Chun asked if he could sit at the empty seat next to Jonathan. Over time, the two found common interests through their casual chats, where they often conversed heartily with a mix of colloquial English, Mandarin, and simple bits of Malay. They soon became friends and continued to keep in touch, even one year on.
    It is close to half past eleven when Jonathan reaches the crowded canteen. However, it does not take him long to spot his friend as Chun is already waving at him from his seat. He waves back, smiling, and makes his way through the growing lunch crowd. “Sorry, excuse me,” he says whenever he has to squeeze past people.
     “Crowded as usual,” Chun speaks while waiting for Jonathan, who finally reaches their table, to place his bag down on the empty seat next to his. “What’re you getting?”
     “Hmm, maybe chicken briyani²,” Jonathan replies as he takes his wallet out from the back pocket of his jeans. “You?”
     “Salmon don³,” Chun rises from his seat and glances at the Japanese food stall in front of them.
     “Want any drink? I can help you buy later.”
     “Orange juice, less ice,” Chun pulls two two-dollar notes from his wallet and places them in Jonathan’s open palm. “Thanks, bro.”
     “No problem.”
     Both of them then walk away from their seats to get their lunch. As Jonathan gets in line patiently in front of the Indian food stall, he can hear various people relaying their orders to the respective stall owners nearby. “Could I get one chicken bulgogi⁴ set?” “Mee goreng⁵, please.” “我要一碗炸酱面加锅贴，谢谢。⁶”
     The faculty canteen is abuzz with students and staff talking to one another. Most of them speak English but different mother tongues can also be heard. Friends would talk with one another using the language they share most comfortably within their circles. Although Jonathan does not understand every language he hears spoken in his vicinity, he feels at home. This is the multiracial and multilingual society that he is familiar with growing up in Singapore.
     After buying his lunch and drinks, Jonathan returns to the table where he and Chun have placed their bags earlier. As they begin to dig in, the two friends chat about their classes, course mates, and professors, occasionally talking about the times when they totally catch no ball⁷ during lectures, and pointing out how some modules make them go “wah⁸, can die⁹ sia¹⁰”.
     Once they finish their lunch, Jonathan and Chun return their used utensils to one of the tray-return stands, and then part to head to their next lectures. And later in the evening, done with the lectures of the day, Jonathan heads back home.

—

    “我的囝仔到厝了，隔日再閣講¹¹。 嗯，好，拜拜¹²。” The woman, in her early fifties, hooks the handset back to the base of the telephone and looks towards the front door where her son has just stepped through.
     “媽¹³，” Jonathan nods and greets his mother after closing and locking the door grille. Unlike he who studies at English-based schools since young, his mother has only studied at Chinese schools where all subjects, except English, were taught in Mandarin. Due to her eventual weak grasp of the English language, Jonathan’s mother can only comfortably communicate with others using Mandarin or Hokkien. The latter, however, is what Jonathan’s mother prefers when she is speaking with her immediate family members. It was the only language her own parents knew and used; it reminds her of home.
     “食饱未¹⁴？”
     “嗯，食饱了¹⁵。” Jonathan smiles, nodding. With both of his parents constantly conversing with one another in Hokkien, it is inevitable that he picks up the dialect as well. While he may not have the most accurate pronunciation, he likes to speak Hokkien at home. It is like their family language, bonding them together.
     After chatting a bit about how the day went, Jonathan bids goodnight to his mother and heads to his bedroom to rest. The last thought on his mind before he drifts off to sleep was how strange it is that using different languages can remind him of the various identities he holds — as a student, a Chinese Singaporean, and a child from a Hokkien family. Perhaps the connections between language and his life are deeper than he realized.

–

¹ eat (Malay). In-context: Do you want to have lunch together?
² Singaporean version of biryani, a mixed spiced rice dish served with meat (Singapore English)
³ short for donburi 丼: Bowl (Japanese). In-context: salmon don is a food dish where the salmon slice is placed on the rice.
⁴ 불고기: “Bul” is fire and “gogi” is meat (Korean). In-context: Chicken bulgogi refers to Korean marinated grilled chicken.
⁵ “Mee” is noodles while “goreng” means stir-fry (Malay and Indonesian). In-context: A fried noodle dish commonly found in Southeast Asia.
⁶ I want one bowl of noodles with soy bean paste, and potstickers, thank you. (Mandarin)
⁷ direct translation of the Hokkien phrase 掠无球 lia̍h bô kiû, which means “do not understand” (Singapore English).
⁸ A form of exclamation with the same use as the Chinese word 哇 wa (Singapore English)
⁹ for expressing fatigue (Singapore English). In-context: the module is really challenging in terms of difficulty or workload.
¹⁰ a form of exclamation placed at the end of a sentence for emphasis (Singapore English).
¹¹ My son just got home. Let's talk again tomorrow. (Hokkien dialect) A/N: Many thanks to Xiao Lin for proofreading this sentence.
¹² Alright, bye-bye. (Hokkien dialect)
¹³ mother (Hokkien dialect)
¹⁴ Have you had dinner? (Hokkien dialect)
¹⁵ Yes, I've eaten. (Hokkien dialect)