Singapore English

Keep it clear, keep it simple

Thirty years ago today, on Feb 27, 1979, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew called a meeting of ministers, ministers of state and senior civil servants to discuss how government papers and minutes can be written in clear, clean prose.

Singapore's GDP has grown almost sevenfold since 1979. Marina Bay didn't exist then. Changi Airport was still two years away from completion. Singapore has been transformed beyond recognition in the last 30 years. But the same, alas, cannot be said of the quality of written English, which remains recognisably the same now as it did in 1979. We reprint excerpts of Mr Lee's address to mark a melancholy anniversary.

I WANT to discuss the importance of simple, clear, written English. This is not simple. Dr Goh Keng Swee gives every officer whom he thinks is promising and whose minutes or papers are deficient in clarity, a paperback edition of Sir Ernest Gowers' The Complete Plain Words.

It presupposes that the man who attempts to read the book has reached a certain level of literary competence. The book, written words, cannot convey to you the emphasis, the importance, the urgency of things, unless the receiver is a trained reader. And in any case, human beings are never moved by written words. It is the spoken word that arouses them to action. Arthur Koestler rightly pointed out that if Adolf Hitler's speeches had been written, not spoken, the Germans would never have gone to war. Similarly, Sukarno in print did not make great sense.

The spoken language is better learnt early; then you will have fluency. However, my thesis is that the written language can be mastered at any age without much disadvantage. It is learnt fastest when your written mistakes are pointed out to you by a teacher, friend, or senior officer. That was the way I learnt.

When I was in school my compositions were marked. When my children were in school they simply got grades for their written work. Their teachers had so many essays that they never attempted to correct the compositions. This has contributed to our present deplorable situation.

I want to convince you, first, of the importance of clear, written communication; second, that you can master it, if you apply yourself.

The use of words, the choice and arrangement of words in accordance with generally accepted rules of grammar, syntax and usage, can accurately convey ideas from one mind to another. It can be mastered.

When I was a law student I learnt that every word, every sentence has three possible meanings: what the speaker intends it to mean, what the hearer understands it to mean, and what it is commonly understood to mean. So when a coded message is sent in a telegram, the sender knows what he means, the receiver knows exactly what is meant, the ordinary person reading it can make no sense of it at all.

When you write minutes or memoranda, do not write in code, so that only those privy to your thoughts can understand. Write simply so that any other officer who knows nothing of the subject can understand you. To do this, avoid confusion and give words their ordinary meanings.

Our biggest obstacle to better English is shyness. It is a psychological barrier. Nobody likes to stop and ask, 'Please, what does that mean?' or 'Please tell me, where have I gone wrong?' To pretend you know when you don't know is abysmal folly. Then we begin to take in each other's mistakes and repeat them, compounding our problems.

The facility to express yourself in a written language is yet another facet or manifestation of your ability, plus application and discipline. It is a fallacy to believe that because it is the English language, the Englishman has a natural advantage in writing it. That is not so. He has a natural advantage in speaking the language because he spoke it as a child, but not in writing it. It has nothing to do with race. You are not born with a language. You learn it.

- ST


"Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it." Buddha

"Books defy universal physical laws — they are time machines transporting us backwards and forwards to lost civilizations and futuristic worlds." Renie Garlick

" I've always worked very, very hard, and the harder I worked, the luckier I got." Alan Bond

Help or Harm

Anyone who attains a minimal level of success or even a degree of enlightenment understands that there is no true and lasting achievement without helping others and making a difference in the world around one.

While most everyone would agree on the fact that they want to help others, the act of helping another person is not as easy to identify as one might think.

Abraham Lincoln said, "The worst thing you can do for anyone you care about is anything that they can do on their own."

People who are given things, opportunities, and solutions without earning or paying for them often are harmed more than they are helped. Wealth without work, position without effort, and remedy without resource is seldom positive in the long run.

The majority of lottery winners are in worse financial condition five years after their winning number is called than they were before playing the lottery. They suffer a much higher divorce rate and instance of drug abuse and alcoholism.

At some point in life, all mature people learn that action shave consequences -- either good or bad. The sooner we can learn this lesson, the more productive and peaceful life we will have.

If you shelter a child from all consequences of their decisions, you may protect them temporarily from a few bumps or scrapes. Unfortunately, you may relegate them to making a poor decision during a life or death situation. We all need to learn that the stove is hot--one time--the hard way. From then on, we are cautious around stoves and begin to consider the consequences of other decisions.

Any study of successful people in our society will reveal a disproportionate number of underprivileged immigrants achieving great success in a relatively short period of time.

There is nothing innate about financial struggles, language barriers and cultural challenges that make people succeed. It is simply that enduring problems and overcoming barriers is a habit that, once learned, carries over into every area of our lives.

That person that turned you down for help may have done you the greatest favor of all. Self-reliance and independence are critical parts of succeeding in life.

All of us have received a hand up at one time or another, and hopefully have offered the same to those coming along behind us; but it is important to be sure that we are helping and not harming those that we care about.

As you go through your day today, look for ways to assist others, and eliminate any harm you're doing by trying to help in ways that people can perform on their own.

- Jim Stovall (adapted)

"Through adversity and life's challenges I am made stronger for having had overcome and worked through each particular hardship. I remind myself that on the other side of every single challenge which stands before me, I have within me, though it may be hidden deep, the necessary ingredients to overcome and thrive." Jim Stovall

"Any rough patch that you're going through right now will smooth out to a tiny wrinkle by the day's end, so you shouldn't waste too much time worrying about things. Turn your thoughts to tomorrow, when all of this will be over and things will be so much better. You can't have a good day every day, but you can certainly choose to focus on positive things instead of negative ones. And if the only positive thing in your life right now is hope, then so be it."

"Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty." Stephen King


"The money I have is in direct proportion to the value I've given to others. The more I give of myself, incredibly, the more economic power comes my way." Tod Barnhart

Billionaire wishes to donate wealth

Bias for Targeted Action

What are you doing? What are you studying? What's your objective?

Geoffrey James's business perspectives (adapted).

1) Any business activity that can’t be measured quantitatively and objectively is a waste of resources.
2) The point of commerce is to generate profitable revenue, so all measurements should tie back to sales.
3) Everyone’s compensation should be tied to their ability to help sales generate profitable revenue.
4) Employees who object to being measured quantitatively and objectively are running a scam.
5) Effective marketing are activities that can be objectively and quantitatively measured that make it easier and quicker for sales to take place.


Brand Management
1st - Confidence
2nd – Quality
3rd – Service
4th – Selection
5th – Price

"I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and again, each hour, each day, every day, until the words become a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I can condition my mind to perform every act necessary for my success. With these words, I can condition my mind to meet every challenge." Og Mandino, author and motivational speaker (1923 - 1996)

"Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; men come to be builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the harp. In the same way, by doing just acts we come to be just: By doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doing brave acts, we become brave." Aristotle, Greek Philosopher (384 BC – 322 BC)

"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible." Orison Swett Marden
1850-1924, Author

"Action makes more fortune than caution." Luc DeClapiers

Assessment

"Assessment is often described as having two purposes: one lies in measuring someone's performance to communicate it to the outside world; the other in helping the student to learn. The NUS, and many academics who study assessment, argue that there is currently too much emphasis on the former at the expense of the latter." Rebecca Attwood Adapted


NATIONAL UNION OF STUDENTS' PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT, UK.

1. Should be for learning, not simply of learning
This positions assessment at the heart of learning rather than it serving as a simple add-on at the end of the process.

2. Should be reliable, valid, fair and consistent
It is crucial for staff, students and employers to have confidence in the assessment processes and their outcomes.

3. Should consist of effective and constructive feedback
Effective feedback on assessment is a crucial aspect of assessment processes and a key feature of enhancing the learning process.

4. Should be innovative and have the capacity to inspire and motivate
Formative assessment practices have the potential to inspire and motivate, and this aspect can be captured by innovative approaches, including those making use of new technology.

5. Should measure understanding and application, rather than technique and memory
Assessments need to have a holistic approach that transcends the particular method being used; only this will truly test and reflect levels of learning.

6. Should be conducted throughout the course, rather than being positioned as a final event. Positioning assessment as an integral part of the course helps facilitate continuous learning.

7. Should develop key skills such as peer and reflective assessment
Not only do such mechanisms allow students to receive extra feedback on work beyond that of their tutor, they also help develop the key skill of self-reflection.

8. Should be central to staff development and teaching strategies, and frequently reviewed
Assessment processes must be innovative and responsive to learners' needs, and as such they need to be central to staff development and teaching strategies.

9. Should be of a manageable amount for both tutors and students
While assessment should be placed in a central role in learning, for it to be effective neither tutor nor student should be overburdened.

10. Should encourage dialogue between students and their tutors and students and their peers (Mutual Goals)
It is important that students and staff share the same definitions and ideas around standards. This can be fostered by increased dialogue and engagement.

"'Fitness for purpose' - To give them the maximum opportunity to perform you want to provide a wide variety of opportunities. Somebody who is not terribly good at writing essays may be very good at presenting a paper or doing a project. The more kinds of assessment you use, the more you get a proper picture of what the student can really do." Patricia Broadfoot

They say that we live in an A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) society and that we are bombarded with: ==> so much advertising ==> so many refined foods ==> and literally thousands TV channels, it is not surprising that more and more people are turning out to have ADD than ever before...

"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing." Michael E. Gerber

Being Happy

The path to happiness
No money? No marry

Count your blessings
With the economy in bad shape, it may be time to take stock of the other things in your life that you can be happy about, like having friends, family and being in good health.

'Reflect on what really matters and re-chart your course to one that will bring joy, meaning and fulfilment to your life,' said life coach Kenny Toh.

Money can't buy happiness
Material ambitions can sometimes be our downfall in building a happy life, as a bigger income can often lead to more desires and expectations.

Thus, our overall happiness may not increase by much even as we get richer, said psychotherapist Stephen Lew.

His advice: Engage in more meaningful activities like bonding with family and friends, or pursuing charity work.

Avoid 'toxic' people
Ms Zaibun Siraj, author of the book, Zany, Zeal, Zest And Zing: The Z Way To Happiness, said that it is best to avoid those who may bring you down with their persistently negative attitudes.

Conversely, happiness is infectious so one can find joy in both spreading and receiving it.

Show gratitude and appreciation
Mr Lew also advised people to keep a diary consisting purely of the happy events in their lives.

This may seem hard at first but it can bring about reflection and acknowledgement of the good things in one's life.

Another easy way to feel happy, he added, is to write a letter of appreciation to someone close to you, to thank them for who they are and what they have done for your life.

Keep things in perspective
The key to happiness, said psychiatrist Adrian Wang, is balancing your expectations with the reality of your situation and your own perception of things.

Keeping things in perspective, in this sense, is essential to maintaining high spirits.

For instance, losing your job does not mean that you are a total failure, as your career is only one part of your whole life, said Dr Wang.

- ST


"It boils down to thinking and coping strategies. Happy people are able to problem-solve instead of dwelling on the negatives." Dr Adrian Wang

Xuan Mai

Authentically Vietnamese. Beauty queen turned spy and now chef.

LINING the walls of a Vietnamese restaurant in Bangkok are newspaper clippings trumpeting the owner's illustrious past as an FBI agent.

And yet some of 58-year-old Vietnamese-American Meyung Robson's customers still think the former spook is in deep cover.

"Many people suggest that I'm working undercover as a restaurant owner. But once I quit (the FBI), I quit," says the owner of Xuan Mai restaurant.

Pointing at the framed articles from American, French, Japanese and Thai newspapers and magazines, Robson continues: "If I'm undercover, I would not – you know – show off."

Asked why she displayed her clippings, she replies, "I'm proud of my past (as a FBI agent)." Her past reads like a best-seller memoirs.

Robson, the daughter of a three star general who was second-in command of the South Vietnamese army, was Miss Saigon in 1970.
On the afternoon of April 29, 1975, a day before the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese army, her family – carrying only US$60 – fled the city via a South Vietnam navy ship for the US.

"We went from the sky (a privileged existence in American-backed Saigon) to the bottom (refugees picking strawberries in New York)," she relates.

In 1984, she became the FBI's first Vietnamese-American special agent.

She went through a 16-week training programme, and to pass she had to score 85% in 10 exams (including firing 8,000 live rounds).

Although she is not generous with anecdotes of her undercover days, Robson did show me a photograph of her masquerading as a refugee. It was amazing to see the beauty queen transformed into a downtrodden immigrant.

In 1999, Robson was posted to Bangkok, working at the FBI legal attache office at the US Embassy.

Her two biggest achievements as an agent are assisting in the capture of two fugitives in the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list – a Vietnamese-American murderer who fled to Vietnam and an American paedophile who jumped bail when he was arrested in Bangkok.

On Christmas night in 2005, Robson – after retiring from the FBI – opened Xuan Mai (which is named after her daughter).

The plan was for her to be a silent investor while her Vietnamese friend, a professional chef, took charge of the kitchen.

"On opening night we had a huge fight (it had been simmering for three months because she disagreed with the chef's preference for MSG and artificial colouring) and I was left to cook the ten dishes on our original menu,"she says.

It turned out to be "a totally happy accident" of how she became a chef.

Robson taught herself Vietnamese cuisine. And she does not use a recipe book. "I have a gift of taste. I can even remember the taste of dishes that I ate when I was 10," she says.

Back in the 70s, her family who "entertained a lot" had two full-time chefs. "I grew up watching the chefs prepare the dishes and, somehow, I can cook the dishes from memory," she says.

Since her debut three years ago as a Vietnamese cook, numerous Thai publications have named her as one of Bangkok's top chefs. She credits her accolades to her philosophy of serving authentic Vietnamese dishes.

Is her restaurant popular because she is an ex-FBI agent or is it her cooking?

"At first customers come because of the write-ups. For some reason – I did not plan it – this formula of 'ex=beauty queen + ex-FBI agent + chef' works," she says.

"FBI is a catchword. But if you cook junk, trust me, they will not come back."

Asked if she had used her FBI skills in running her restaurant, Robson says: "Profiling? It is fun to watch people."

How? "It is a trick of the trade, so I can't tell you," she replies, giggling. Who do you profile – your staff or your customers?

"My customers," she says, quickly adding “sometimes so that I can serve them better”.

"What other FBI skills have you found useful as a restaurateur?" I query.

"No, I can't tell you," she says. Probably if she did, she would have to shoot me.

How to get there: Take the Skytrain (BTS) to Nana station. Walk up to Sukhumvit Soi 13. From there you can either walk to the restaurant (which is located close to the end of the soi) or take a motorbike taxi (10 - 15 baht).
Open: Tuesday-Thursday & Sunday 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 22:00;
Friday & Saturday 11:00 - 10:30, 17:00 - 24:00
Skytrain: Nana
Contact: +66 (0)2 251 8389

Cash accepted only.

by Philip Golingai, The Star (adapted)


Trung Nguyen Coffee
02-34 to 35
Liang Court Shopping Centre Level 2
River Valley Road
Tel: 6837-2480
Open daily: 9am to 11pm


"Venture all; see what fate brings." Vietnamese Proverb

Mind Your Language

"Ordinary Person; Extraordinary Passion"