Here is a sample below:
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A history of Singapore in 50 objectsChicken rice - 1950s onwards |
Monday, November 18, 2013
A history of Singapore in 50 objects
Some of you may have read the book "A History of the World in 100 Objects". Now here is a link that reveals a history of Singapore in 50 objects. Though not as detailed as the Neil MacGregor's book, it is still fascinating especially for Singaporeans to see what lies behind each object. This list comes at the appropriate time in the run-up to Singapore's 50th National Day in 2015.
Here is a sample below:
Here is a sample below:
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Songs sung in English (Not Really) - Adriano Celentano - PRISENCOLINENSINAINCIUSOL (1974)
Adriano Celentano - PRISENCOLINENSINAINCIUSOL (1974)
Instead, pick a language you don't know, but can roughly approximate what it sounds like when spoken. Then, "speak" it, making up a nonsense version of that language as you go along. Now, take your "words" and put it to music which you think is appropriate for that language's culture. If you do it well, you'll end up with a song which to a native speaker is gibberish, but to someone who doesn't know the language sounds like it could be real.
You don't have to take my word for it, because it's been done. That's what "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is. It's a song, from Italy, 1972. You can watch the video (and listen to it), below.
PRISENCOLINENSINAINCIUSOL (1974)
The song is, intentionally, nonsense. The words aren't words but simply a collection of meaningless sounds intended to resemble what non-English speakers hear when they hear English. The sounds are so random that the singer, Adriano Celentano, did not even write the lyrics down -- he simply ad-libbed his best fake English while recording.
Despite the fact that the words aren't actual words, the song was incredibly popular in Italy and in other parts of Europe, cracking the top 10 on the Italian, Belgian, French, and Dutch charts (peaking at #1 overall in Italy) and hitting number 46 in Germany. Perhaps the listeners didn't know that the words were made up. Perhaps they didn't care. The song was catchy, regardless, and as any American non-Korean speaker can testify (think Gangnam Style), sometimes the "words" don't matter all that much.
That said, while the lyrics are nonsense (and not really "lyrics"), the purpose of the song isn't. NPR caught up with Celentano in late 2012, forty years after the song came out, and apparently, his goal was to "break down language barriers and inspire people to communicate more." Those are NPR's words, though -- Celentano never learned to speak real English, and the interview needed to be conducted through a translator.
Source: Dan Lewis
Seriously, don't even try to pronounce that.
Instead, pick a language you don't know, but can roughly approximate what it sounds like when spoken. Then, "speak" it, making up a nonsense version of that language as you go along. Now, take your "words" and put it to music which you think is appropriate for that language's culture. If you do it well, you'll end up with a song which to a native speaker is gibberish, but to someone who doesn't know the language sounds like it could be real.
You don't have to take my word for it, because it's been done. That's what "Prisencolinensinainciusol" is. It's a song, from Italy, 1972. You can watch the video (and listen to it), below.
The song is, intentionally, nonsense. The words aren't words but simply a collection of meaningless sounds intended to resemble what non-English speakers hear when they hear English. The sounds are so random that the singer, Adriano Celentano, did not even write the lyrics down -- he simply ad-libbed his best fake English while recording.
Despite the fact that the words aren't actual words, the song was incredibly popular in Italy and in other parts of Europe, cracking the top 10 on the Italian, Belgian, French, and Dutch charts (peaking at #1 overall in Italy) and hitting number 46 in Germany. Perhaps the listeners didn't know that the words were made up. Perhaps they didn't care. The song was catchy, regardless, and as any American non-Korean speaker can testify (think Gangnam Style), sometimes the "words" don't matter all that much.
That said, while the lyrics are nonsense (and not really "lyrics"), the purpose of the song isn't. NPR caught up with Celentano in late 2012, forty years after the song came out, and apparently, his goal was to "break down language barriers and inspire people to communicate more." Those are NPR's words, though -- Celentano never learned to speak real English, and the interview needed to be conducted through a translator.
Source: Dan Lewis
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Paper Planes
Arrowhead
Quite the tricky 3rd step with its multiple folds. Seems to fly well indoors with a dip - might have potential for longest flight. Such a design should allow for dips, loops and stalling.
Quite the tricky 3rd step with its multiple folds. Seems to fly well indoors with a dip - might have potential for longest flight. Such a design should allow for dips, loops and stalling.
Food
Shark's Fin - Substitutes
I has always intrigued me what is it about Shark Fin soup that it patrons clamour for it. It is
certainly not the shark fin which is virtually tasteless. I heard of some substitutes like the angel hair pumpkin which collapses into delicate strands when it is cooked. It has an appealing texture, crisp and succulent. However, it lacks the mouthfeel of shark's fin.
A better facsimile would be sweet potato noodles called dang myun (Korean) or Gan Shu Fen (Chinese) sold in Yue Hwa. Once it is boiled, it turns transparent and take on a gelatinous, springy resiliency very reminiscent of shark's fin.
The Broth
It is made of chicken, pork, han adn sometimes tried scallop simmered very slowly for a long time (6 hours typically) to extract their essences.
Red vinegar
Those sold in supermarkets may just be artifically coloured rather than with the traditional red yeast rice. You can actually make your own -
1st step: Infuse naturally brewed rice vinegar (Japanese brand preferred)
2nd step: Add a spoonful of red yeast rice (Chinese dried good shop) for several minutes until it is coloured to your satisfaction.
3rd step: Strain it and bring it to a full boil to kill the yeast adn sweeten it with light brown sugar or yellow rock sugar.
4th step: Store in a clean bottle in the fridge. It keeps indefinitely.
I has always intrigued me what is it about Shark Fin soup that it patrons clamour for it. It is
certainly not the shark fin which is virtually tasteless. I heard of some substitutes like the angel hair pumpkin which collapses into delicate strands when it is cooked. It has an appealing texture, crisp and succulent. However, it lacks the mouthfeel of shark's fin.
A better facsimile would be sweet potato noodles called dang myun (Korean) or Gan Shu Fen (Chinese) sold in Yue Hwa. Once it is boiled, it turns transparent and take on a gelatinous, springy resiliency very reminiscent of shark's fin.
The Broth
It is made of chicken, pork, han adn sometimes tried scallop simmered very slowly for a long time (6 hours typically) to extract their essences.
Red vinegar
Those sold in supermarkets may just be artifically coloured rather than with the traditional red yeast rice. You can actually make your own -
1st step: Infuse naturally brewed rice vinegar (Japanese brand preferred)
2nd step: Add a spoonful of red yeast rice (Chinese dried good shop) for several minutes until it is coloured to your satisfaction.
3rd step: Strain it and bring it to a full boil to kill the yeast adn sweeten it with light brown sugar or yellow rock sugar.
4th step: Store in a clean bottle in the fridge. It keeps indefinitely.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Visit to SPH News Centre at Toa Payoh
The participants of the Learning Journey to the News Centre had the privilege of having Peter Khoo talking to us about "Transforming a Newspaper Company - Beyond Prints, Beyond Boundaries.
I learned that my generation is known as the digital immigrants whereas our pupils are Digital natives.
Peter Khoo shared about how he grew up in Circuit Road in a 2-room flat shared with 15 other cousins. He was a Saint Andrew's boy and even a Lion City cupper, a contemporary of Fandi Ahmad.
He shared about he loved to write and actually wrote articles which he would post at the back of the classroom for his friends to read.
He shared about how the Internet Business model based on being free was not viable. The mobile phone was used as a comparison to show that people would not think twice about using it despite the cost of using it. Five cents for an sms, etc
The results of the survey to assess where people in Singapore and Malaysia obtained the news from
Singapore (2006) - 1st Newspaper 2nd TV 3rd Internet
Malaysia (2004) - 1st Internet 2nd Newspaper 3rd TV
This shows the changes made in the understanding and consumption of Media
An interesting point to note is the Internet has reopend old wounds in the tense racial ties in Malaysia. Makes you wonder about whether technology actually advances society.
SPH is the fifth largest Media group in the world - a little fact that is overlooked by its distractors - Temesek Holdings 1% - The foreigh ownership exceeds 50%
Operation Margin for SPH is around 35%
How to leverage user-generated platform e.g. STOMP
Class application - Hook them with something as well as teach the content that they need to know and learn
Legal point - Newspaper are liable when they report slander between two parties that proves to be inacurrate but on the Internet, it would not be liable if it remains unedited.
The mypaper has possibilities with its bilingual content
Human interest cannot be quelled
Human interest drives everything
It's about relevance.
I learned that my generation is known as the digital immigrants whereas our pupils are Digital natives.
Peter Khoo shared about how he grew up in Circuit Road in a 2-room flat shared with 15 other cousins. He was a Saint Andrew's boy and even a Lion City cupper, a contemporary of Fandi Ahmad.
He shared about he loved to write and actually wrote articles which he would post at the back of the classroom for his friends to read.
He shared about how the Internet Business model based on being free was not viable. The mobile phone was used as a comparison to show that people would not think twice about using it despite the cost of using it. Five cents for an sms, etc
The results of the survey to assess where people in Singapore and Malaysia obtained the news from
Singapore (2006) - 1st Newspaper 2nd TV 3rd Internet
Malaysia (2004) - 1st Internet 2nd Newspaper 3rd TV
This shows the changes made in the understanding and consumption of Media
An interesting point to note is the Internet has reopend old wounds in the tense racial ties in Malaysia. Makes you wonder about whether technology actually advances society.
SPH is the fifth largest Media group in the world - a little fact that is overlooked by its distractors - Temesek Holdings 1% - The foreigh ownership exceeds 50%
Operation Margin for SPH is around 35%
How to leverage user-generated platform e.g. STOMP
Class application - Hook them with something as well as teach the content that they need to know and learn
Legal point - Newspaper are liable when they report slander between two parties that proves to be inacurrate but on the Internet, it would not be liable if it remains unedited.
The mypaper has possibilities with its bilingual content
Human interest cannot be quelled
Human interest drives everything
It's about relevance.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Destination Imagination - Instant Challenge
Instant Challenge (25 Sept)
The task-based challenge would appealto boys where the teams are to find ways with the items provided to mow down figurines set about 1 to 1.5 metres away. One group actually come up with a catapult idea and Calvin, a team member seeing the ineffectiveness of the projectiles fashioned an oversized paper bullet as thick as a finger. It did the job of knocking down 4 out of the 40 figurines at the target area.
The task-based challenge would appealto boys where the teams are to find ways with the items provided to mow down figurines set about 1 to 1.5 metres away. One group actually come up with a catapult idea and Calvin, a team member seeing the ineffectiveness of the projectiles fashioned an oversized paper bullet as thick as a finger. It did the job of knocking down 4 out of the 40 figurines at the target area.
Movie - Patriot
Patriot
Some quotable quotes.
I am not a child.
You are my child
Major Jean Villeneuve: Are you sure this is the right place to recruit for a Militia?
Benjamin Martin: [shouts] God save King George! [Music stops and the pub regulars pull out their guns and begin throwing stuff at them. The two men run outside and shut the door behind them]
Benjamin Martin: I think we came to the right place!
Reverend Oliver: A shepherd must tend his flock... And at times, fight off the wolves. (Why Christians need to fight)
Benjamin Martin: Aim small, miss small.
Some quotable quotes.
I am not a child.
You are my child
Major Jean Villeneuve: Are you sure this is the right place to recruit for a Militia?
Benjamin Martin: [shouts] God save King George! [Music stops and the pub regulars pull out their guns and begin throwing stuff at them. The two men run outside and shut the door behind them]
Benjamin Martin: I think we came to the right place!
Reverend Oliver: A shepherd must tend his flock... And at times, fight off the wolves. (Why Christians need to fight)
Benjamin Martin: Aim small, miss small.
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