Turuti Masaku.
What does that mean, eh? ; )
So ko nak wat ape?
Over breakfast today with my brother & father, the topic of languages came up. My brother related an incident when he was chatting on MIRC, and he saw the sentence "so ko nak wat ape" typed out on the general-discussion screen. His first reaction was that it must be the Thai students in the uni having a chat. He then realized, that that text was in a language that's native to the country south of thailand's border; tanah air-nyer, Malaysia.
Spend 5 minutes watching Hitz.fm Chat-tv and you are bound to be amused, confused & rather concerned. What language is being spoken? It's hard to know.
I'm far from being an etymologist, but I am aware that languages go through processes of change over time; they evolve, they grow. It is intriguing to consider however the impact of communication technology on the development of languages. Our need for quick access, speedy replies, the use of a minimum number of letters to convey a message: all of this surely has an effect on the "evolution" of languages. What is this impact? Am I right to call it 'evolution' or this is now a process of 'de-evolution'?
Over our Bru-coffees & nasi lemak, we proposed that in years to come, we would communicate with each other using the most basic sounds, the fewest number of letters & digits. After all, this might perhaps be the most efficient way to get our messages across when using the numerous communication-gadgets that are available.
So, consider this: Children will be born with what we now consider to be fully-developed language skills & large vocabularies (they'll speak in full sentences, using presently-accepted grammatical rules, with an "advanced" vocabulary), and as they grow, this will progressively diminish - a process that will not just be accepted, but also encouraged.
In the future, you'll have parents of children complaining about the 'slow-learners' in the family, who still use full sentences & haven't mastered the art of a concise-vocab & effective communication.
Note: "so ko nak wat ape" =(direct translation)= "so, kamu-orang hendak buat apa?"
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23.
From a note to myself, that I wrote in the middle of the night, exactly 6 months ago:
"Growing up is realizing that: Life isn't going to show up with a welcome basket. Basket's cost alot. You are not always going to have money. Friends leave. Life choices are not mcqs, rather are open ended. Picking your battles is crucial. One must learn to put aside pride & ask for help. Making mistakes isn't the end of life. Comfort zones can be glass cages. You have to pay taxes. Organizing money & paying your bills are things you need to learn to do. No more naps till after retirement."
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A way of being
"to love. to be loved. to never forget your own insignificance. to never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. to seek joy in the saddest place. to pursue beauty to its lair. to never simplify what is complicated and complicate what is simple. to respect strength, never power. above all, to watch. to try and understand. to never look away. and never, never, to forget."- Arundhati Roy
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Take Note
Hello - please note that all pictures posted here belong to me, unless otherwise stated. So, if for whatever reason you'd like to use them, do let me know. And use appropriate citations - nothing short of APA style, please! ; )
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Cereal Inspiration
"The landscape of the quaint town was changed by the ubiquitous rivulets that formed after the deluge, and the pugnacious townsmen reacted in an insolent way when they saw this."
The words that have been italicized were randomly generated over several weeks, as part of a breakfast-game that we played at camp. One morning, over cereal, I suddenly thought of these words, and a sentence formed itself in my head. Those words must have been playing up there for a bit. huh.
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Good Vibrations
The feel of really clean teeth: $20.00
A saved trip to the dentist: $300.00
The look on your sister's face when you trick her into thinking that's your vibrator: Priceless.
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