漢語拼音

香港作家陶傑，對漢語拼音諸多不滿。在《曹操牛牛》一文中，他這麼寫：

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還在爭論《赤壁》，但至少已部分人漸漸開竅，就是要拍給美國人看的。。。

曹操，叫做Cao Cao，很蠢的漢語拼音，因為有八成美國觀眾，會唸成Cow Cow – 母牛母牛？另外一成會唸成Chow Chow，是北京狗的意思。。。

因此，漢語拼音是很蠢的發明，非要跟十九世紀的韋氏音標對著幹。韋妥瑪（Thomas Wade）是英國的傳教士，十九世紀當了駐中國的公使。他幾乎是英國史上第一個學懂中國話的人，把中國話用英語註了一套音標。像曹操，按韋氏音標，應該是Tsao Tsao，中國的夏朝，叫The Hsia Dynasty，姓張，叫Chang。。。

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那是陶傑的看法。我的看法稍有不同。必須知道，漢語拼音是為中國人而設，不是給講英語的人看的。所以漢語拼音不符合英語拼音不是大問題。不過大陸出版的書，往往在封面加上個漢語拼音標題，就很多此一舉。譬如我手上一本書，封面上寫著《內蒙古之旅 NEIMENGGUZHILU》。懂中文的人，必定只看漢字而不理會漢語拼音。不懂中文的人，看到了NEIMENGGUZHILU也不會明白，有啥X用？

想想看，如果李安把《臥虎藏龍》譯為WOHUCANGLONG，這齣電影在美國也不會那麼受矚目。為何中國奇瑞汽車的英文名稱是Chery而非Qirui？

漢語拼音并非不好，但它有其局限。

馬來西亞和新加坡的華人也已經全面使用漢語拼音，但我的姓氏永遠是Chew。

Day Trip to Melaka

Melaka must be one of my favorite places for excursion. I went to the historic city twice last year just to take night photos. Recently, I spent my weekend there again.

As usual, the famed Jonker Street and its surrounding area was the focus of the trip. Each time I strolled in the narrow roads of this area, I experienced something new. This time, Chinese New Year was near. I spotted a giant ‘lion head’ for lion dance performance…

My friend bought some cookies in a shop. I saw a girl making ‘pineapple tarts’ at the store front, and quickly snapped this picture…

There was a shop selling bound-feet shoes (三寸金莲). Nobody has bound feet today, so these shoes are merely for display…

I tasted, for the first time, the famous satay celup of Melaka. The more common satay Kajang is grilled. Satay celup is more like a marriage of satay Kajang and hot pot (steamboat). The food is cooked in a metal pot of boiling sauce…

Should you get an iPad?

Apple finally unveiled its highly-anticipated tablet computer on Jan 27, 2010. The new gadget has been ridiculed for its name, which sounds like high-tech tampon. Jokes aside, should you get an iPad?

Well, if money is not an issue, and if you love gadgets, then by all means get one as your new toy. Otherwise, ask yourself this question: If you already have a PC/Mac and iPhone, do you still need an iPad?

One factor to consider is typing on iPad. With iPhone, you hold the device on your left hand and type with your right hand. iPad is too big to be held with one hand, so most likely you have to place it on the table or on your laps. Here is where iPad is at disadvantage: you can adjust the angle of a notebook screen, but you can’t do so with iPad.

Another factor to consider is that iPad can’t do multi-tasking, so you can’t surf Web and listen to music at the same time. (But I won’t be surprised if Steve Jobs address this issue in future models.)

In the end, I expect iPad will be primarily used as an electronic reader, i.e. device for reading e-books. One can download e-books from Apple’s own iBookstore. Prices begin at US$12.99 for each book.

Another possibility is to use the gadget as the replacement for students’ text books. Imagine carrying an iPad instead of five or more physical books. However, in order for iPad to be widely adopted as text book replacement, its price has to come down substantially. You don’t want your kids to carry a US$499 gadget to school.

Travelers may like iPad too. They can download electronic version of Lonely Planet for reference. Of course, they must make sure that they can recharge the device along the trip. Theft is another concern. (Kikey Loo, are you interested?)

As for myself, I noted in one of my posts that I am a technology laggard. I doubt I will purchase an iPad in 2010.

My First Experience with GPS

I am a technology laggard, being slow in adopting new technology. While Kikey Loo, our London-based blogger, has been traveling around Britain with the aid of GPS device, I only recently decided to purchase a Garmin Nüvi.

Before I give my views with regard to Nüvi, let me digress a bit. Back in those days when I was in the United States, I used to download driving directions from Yahoo, and copied them on a piece of paper. Driving was easy in America. I never needed a GPS device.

Now let’s return to the Garmin. After using it for a couple of times, I have to say that I am a little bit disappointed. First of all, Yahoo (America) gave us the options of ‘shortest route’ and ‘fastest route’. Garmin doesn’t – at least not in Malaysia. (Update: Upon checking, I found that Garmin does give us the option of ‘faster time’, ‘shorter distance’ and ‘off road’, though my experience suggests that its algorithm isn’t so accurate. Plus, its search function is terribly slow.)

Secondly, as it is tough to look at Nüvi’s 4.3” screen while driving, I have to rely on voice prompt navigation. Unfortunately, the GPS unit tells me to “turn left” or “turn right” too early. If there are a few junctions adjacent to each other, I could easily make the wrong turn.

What’s more, the fear of theft implies that I will keep the device at home most of the time.

So, should I simply sell away my Garmin and revert to using Google Maps? Unfortunately, that may not be a good option either. I once downloaded directions to Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur. Google Maps told me to turn into Jalan Syed Putra. Somehow, I couldn’t locate the road. The problem of driving in Malaysia is that the road signs are either too small, hidden behind trees, or absent altogether.

I am still trying to figure out the best way to navigate around this country…

也谈简繁体字

最近简、繁体字之争在网上烧的火热，我也忍不住要发表意见。。。

简体字、繁体字，孰好孰坏，我说不上。简体字的优点在于易学易写。我平时写字也以简体字为主，但写自己的姓名却永远都用繁体字。电脑打字则视情形而定，简繁皆用。至于看书嘛，说来好笑，我偏爱繁体字书，原因是简体字书白色部分太多。

很多人认为香港既已回归中国，港人改用简体字是必然之势。我因学摄影而上香港的论坛，却觉得很多港人还是排斥简体字。有的说简体字『睇唔慣』（看不习惯），安装软体选繁体版。有的甚至还把简体字和中国大陆联想在一起。其中一名论坛会员这么说：『見到簡體字可信度馬上打個5折！』这前英国殖民地的人民，只怕不会太快拥抱简体字。

上文提到，简体字的一个优点在于容易书写。但随着中文电脑日益普及，它的优势是否已削弱了呢？

Clueless Malaysian Leaders

As a business student, I have learned that vision is important in mapping a company’s direction and ensuring future success. Many companies have their vision statements (in addition to mission statements).

From Wikipedia:

A vision statement outlines what the organization wants to be, or how it wants the world in which it operates to be. In concentrates on the future. It is a source of inspiration. It provides clear-decision making criteria.

Likewise, the government of a country should have its vision. In 1980s, when the controversial Dr Mahathir was elected the prime minister, he had a vision to make Malaysia a developed nation by 2020. The current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib paraphrases his own vision into two words – 1 Malaysia. While his vision is a wholesome one, it comes four decades too late. Malaysia experienced a bloody racial riot way back in 1969.

And the government is clueless about economy. In 1980s and early 1990s, Malaysia transformed itself from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing one. In late 1990s, however, Malaysia lost the edge to China, which has since become the world’s factory. Until today, the country still hasn’t found a new economic model. Former Prime Minister Abdullah told us to ‘go back to farm’. Agriculture is not bad if we know how to do it the high-tech way. However, I am afraid our farms are not advanced enough.

If Malaysia’s leaders lack vision, their counterparts in Beijing are visionary. Take, for example, China’s bet on clean tech. The Middle Kingdom has the world’s fastest train running from Wuhan to Guangzhou. It is building the world’s largest solar power plant in Inner Mongolia. BYD, the Warren Buffet-backed car maker, was the first company to launch electric vehicles. Beijing’s obsession with clean tech can be explained by the need to reduce pollution, but there are financial incentives too. China is already an important solar panel exporting county, and it wants to be a leader in high speed rail and electric vehicles too.

Back to our country: Malaysia is a tropical nation with ample sunlight. First Solar, the American company which builds the solar power plant in Inner Mongolia, has a factory in Malaysia’s Kulim Hi-tech Park. Why has the government not looked seriously into promoting solar power yet?

Traffic Light

Above: The Way to Heaven


Malaysia has some traffic lights which work in a ‘non-standard’ way. That is: the green light flashes a few times before the yellow light comes on.

Once upon a time, in the city of Ipoh, the abusive police officers issued tickets to motorists who crossed a junction when the yellow light was lit. The obedient Malaysians accepted this as a valid traffic offence. Or they got off lightly by bribing the men in uniform. To help motorists escape fine, the Public Works Department of Malaysia devised a new traffic light system with flashing green light.

In ‘standard’ system, green light means ‘go’, yellow light means ‘prepare to stop’, and red light means ‘stop’. In the non-standard system, however, flashing green light takes on the role of yellow light, while yellow light gives the same message as red light.

Actually, the Public Works Department can install two-set lights without the yellow lamp. That would lower the cost as well as reduce maintenance works. Isn’t that a brilliant idea?

Singapore’s Cosplay Café

One of Japan’s pop cultures which has gained popularity throughout Asia is cosplay – short for costume play. Cosplay fans dress themselves like characters in manga, anime and computer games.

An offshoot of cosplay is cosplay cafés, in which waitresses often dress in French maid outfits. When patrons enter a ‘maid café’, the waitresses would greet them with “Okaerinasaimase goshujinsama”, which means “Welcome home, master!”

Singapore’s A87 Café & Bar is one cosplay restaurant which draws ideas from Japan. Its waitresses dress in angel outfits rather than French maid outfits. The most interesting thing about this café is – for $1 per bite – you can be hand-fed by the waitresses!

Photo by The Straits Time

I have learned that Starbucks doesn’t just sell coffee, or even service. Rather, it sells experience. A87 is another example of experience business.

I know, some of you would see this as gender-discrimination. I personally would feel uneasy being hand-fed…

Guys, do you like to be hand-fed by teenage angels?

Link: Akibanana