That was what I expected my 'O' Level English Oral Examiner would ask. And I would probably reply : "Konichiwa, Watashi... Drummer-san - Ogenki desu ka?" Nah, that's too informal =p
He's Japanese.
"No?! Far from that as a matter of fact"
"He probably speaks better English than Japanese."
"You mean, HE holds a Ph.D in English Language?!"
"And he teaches the gifted class in Dunman High School."
What would he be doing in Singapore then? And even so, it would probably be more lucrative if he taught Japanese.
My very first vivid impressions of his physical features - He's really short...no, really - perhaps that's what makes him so popular amongst my female classmates in such a short span of time - "He's so cute!" He came with a slingbag, you would probably think he's a door-to-door salesman selling...
RAMEN.
That's right! He had a bowl of Japanese Instant Ramen in his hands the first day he came, for his lunch (We students agree unanimously that apparently instant noodles is even better than our canteen food) . Of course I din get a chance to hear him speak a word. Not until the time where he had to hear ME speak.
Fortunately/Unfortunately, he was to be my main examiner - ie. the one popping the questions & scrutinizing my pronunciation, the size of my vocabulary bank, articulation, fluency, etc...; and of course, the one who will decide which lucky number I'd get ( upon 40).
As my turn approached, I was preparing to greet him as politely as a Japanese would; bowing slowly & saying "Konichiwa" before I began , then bowing profusely after I'm done to thank (or probably apologise) repeatedly - like a Japanese would. =p
Far Cry.
Before I could say "Konichiwa", he greeted me first - in English of course; in the most prominent American slang I've ever heard from a non-American. "Ah...that explains his Ph. D, so he was educated in America..." Before I could recover from my shock, he promptly asked me for my Identification Card. (Mind you, he din go "I/C pls?!" Like how most cinema ushers would impolitely demand for ...)
He gave the instruction to begin. And it was at that instant where I thought my inspiration came by. Having a Japanese; a foreigner where English is not a first language in his country, speak flawlessly with such professionalism - that kinda woke me up.. I mean - Moreover, as a Singaporean whose first language is English..Frankly speaking, I felt a lil' ashamed. And it was at that instant where I felt determined to speak as...well, flawlessly as he could - at least for that moment alone =p
Rather challenging, intriguing questions for the conversation topics. If you're fortunate, you can speak a whole essay out. If you're not, you can only simply answer the questions & give no comments about it. It happens maybe because you probably did not give a thought, or come across that kinda scenerio(s) before.
Through this interesting but short encounter I've had with this esteemed educator, I gain inspiration from his life story. He was able to break his barrier of being stereotyped as a foreigner who is not able to muster & manipulate other languauges as well as those who already have ; of living with a stigma cast from the rest of the world..
Alas, he has come thus far in his passion of imparting to others, the most important skill & tool of basic communication - Language.
Passion & Interest:
With that added driving force as an equal complement to your sweat & blood; your humble efforts, we can also strive to be transcendent; to overcome all the barriers we may face in our daily lifes - be it personal, communal; as an individual, a community or society, & as one people.
FYI - The first question was: "Describe a time when you experienced loneliness"
The last question is a rather taboo subject in Singapore - yet it is happening in reality.If the examiner was a politician or govt officer, and if the personal, but honest opinions & views proves to be disturbing to the patriotic them...
Anybody wants a shot at guessing the last question?
Arigato Gozaimasu! Konya to raishu tanoshinde kudasai. =p
God Bless & Take Care~!
Peace Be With You.
"Omnia Vincit Amour - Love Conquers All"
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1 comment:
Hmmm … barring the possibility of a subsequent conversation with the said external examiner – which seems unlikely, given the professional distance that they keep – your conclusion that ‘(H)e was able to break his barrier of being stereotyped as a foreigner who is not able to muster & manipulate other languauges(sic) as well as those who already have’ may well be very far from the truth. You see, it seems to me that there is a great likelihood that he may be a Japanese American, an offspring of first or even second generation immigrants. You might find, to your disappointment, that he may not be able to speak Japanese at all! Oddly, you may discover that English is far less foreign to him than it might be to you. Odd, but not unlike those ethnic Indians and Chinese in Singapore who cannot speak the mother tongue of their parents or grandparents.
Yes, English is the ‘first’ language in Singapore. However, is English most Singaporeans’ mother tongue?
If you’re ethnically Asian, you’ll find many native speakers of English abroad wonder, when they meet you, ‘He (She) was able to break his(her) barrier of being stereotyped as a foreigner who is not able to muster & manipulate other languauges(sic) as well as those who already have’!
Language, culture and identity make strange bedfellows indeed.
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