Sunday 27 August 2017

Nanyang Breakfast 南洋早餐

Singapore

新加坡

Introducing the traditional breakfast of the Nanyang people.

介绍南洋人的传统早餐。

The Nanyang people in this article refers to Singaporeans and Malaysians.

本文南洋人指的是新加坡人及马来西亚人。

Typical Nanyang breakfast includes toast (spread of kaya plus a small piece of butter), soft-boiled eggs, coffee or tea.

典型南洋早餐包括烤面包(搽一层咖椰再夹一小片牛油)、半生熟鸡蛋、咖啡或茶。

Puzzled why the Nanyang traditional breakfast has toast since bread has never been the staple food of the Chinese?

困惑吧,面包从来都不是华人的主食;那为什么南洋人的传统早餐里又有面包呢?

Early Hainanese immigrants from China moved southward to earn a living as waiter on board or chef for Westerners or Westernised Paranakan families.

早期从中国南下讨生活的海南移民,因为“跑船”在船上当侍应生或在洋人和西化的土生华人家庭当厨师。

They modified the Western-style food into Nanyang taste.

他们将西式的饮食料理改良成南洋口味。

Through the Hainanese coffee shop, they convert the Western breakfast into Chinese style and popularised it.

他们通过海南咖啡店将洋人的早餐转型为中式料理并加以普及化。

The Hainanese coffee shops were originated in the last century 20's to 30's.

海南咖啡店起源于上世纪20至30年代。

After the end of World War II, some coffee shop owners gave up their businesses and went back China.

二战结束后,好些咖啡店业主放弃业务回去家乡。

In the end, the Hainanese coffee shops were gradually replaced by the Fuzhou people.

最后,那些海南咖啡店才逐渐由福州人取代。


For newcomers, here is how you eat the traditional Nanyang breakfast.

新客们,教你们怎么吃南洋传统早餐。

Put the soft-boiled eggs into the plate then add black soy sauce and pepper to season.

半生熟鸡蛋打开放进碟子里,再以黑酱油和胡椒粉来调味。

As for the toast, you can eat it with coffee or tea and with the soft-boiled eggs.

至于烤面包,你可以一口烤面包,一口咖啡或茶再一口半生熟鸡蛋。

Or dip the toast either into the soft-boiled eggs or coffee or tea.

或将烤面包沾点半生熟鸡蛋或咖啡或茶来吃。

Or dip the toast into the soft-boiled eggs and mix with coffee or tea.

或将烤面包沾点半生熟鸡蛋和咖啡或茶混着来吃。

Because the eggs are soft-boiled, so strictly speaking it should be "drink" eggs rather than "eat" eggs.

因为鸡蛋是半生熟,严格来说应该是“喝”鸡蛋多过“吃”鸡蛋。

After "drinking" the eggs, pour coffee or tea into the plate; it is to cool the drinks and not to miss the residual stain of the eggs.

“喝”鸡蛋后,把咖啡或茶倒在盛半生熟蛋的碟中;一来容易散热,二来连鸡蛋的残渍都不错过。

Reason being that in the olden days, life was hard and egg was considered as tonic, so of course not to waste even the slightest residual stain.

原因是旧时候生活困苦,鸡蛋被当成是补品所以当然不能浪费,一定要吸个精光。

Having said that, the taste of the mixture of soft-boiled eggs and coffee or tea is indeed a great enjoyment of life.

话说回来,那半生熟鸡蛋的余香和咖啡或茶一起喝进肚子里也是人生一大享受。

Remember when stirring the coffee or tea, be sure to use the teaspoon to lightly "hit" against the cup to make that "tinkling" sound; it will make it more nostalgic.

记得在搅拌咖啡或茶时,一定要用茶匙轻“撞击”杯子并发出“叮叮叮”的声响;这样才够古早味。

After breakfast, let's learn how the Nanyang people use their local language to order coffee or tea:

吃完早餐,大家来学习南洋人是怎么用本土语言来点咖啡或茶

Coffee with milk / 咖啡加奶:Kopi                                         Tea with milk / 茶加奶:Teh

Coffee with sugar / 咖啡加糖:Kopi-O                                   Tea with sugar / 茶加糖:Teh-O

Thick coffee with sugar / 浓咖啡加糖:Kopi-O-Gao               Thick tea with sugar / 加糖:Teh-O-Gao

Coffee with less sugar / 咖啡加少糖:Kopi-O-Xiu-Dai            Tea with less sugar / 加少糖:Teh-O-Xiu-Dai

Coffee with more sugar / 咖啡加多糖:Kopi-O-Ka-Dai           Tea with more sugar / 加多糖:Teh-O-Ka-Dai

Coffee with evaporated milk / 咖啡加淡奶:Kopi-C                Tea with evaporated milk / 加淡奶:Teh-C

Black Coffee / 咖啡不加奶和糖:Kopi-O-Kosong                    Black Tea / 不加奶和糖:Teh-O-Kosong

Remember the next time you visit Singapore or Malaysia, must try the Nanyang taste.

记得下次来新加坡或马来西亚时,一定要尝一下南洋滋味。

Wednesday 9 August 2017

Singapore 新加坡

Singapore

新加坡

Singapore is 52 years old today.

新加坡今天52岁了!

As a nation, 52 years old is still very young!

作为一个国家,52岁还是很年轻!

Singapore's National Anthem 新加坡国歌

"Majulah Singapura" (Onward Singapore) was composed in 1958 by the late Encik Zubir Said.

“Majulah Singapura” (前进吧,新加坡)是在1958年由已故 Zubir Said 先生所创作。

National Anthem Lyrics: (Original in Malay)

Mari kita rakyat Singapura
Sama-sama menuju bahagia
Cita-cita kita yang mulia
Berjaya Singapura
Marilah kita bersatu
Dengan semangat yang baru
Semua kita berseru
Majulah Singapura
Majulah Singapura

National Anthem Lyrics: (English)

Come, fellow Singaporeans
Let us progress towards happiness together
May our noble aspiration bring
Singapore success
Come, let us unite
In a new spirit
Let our voices soar as one
Onward Singapore
Onward Singapore

国歌歌词:

来吧,新加坡人民,
让我们共同向幸福迈进;
我们崇高的理想,
要使新加坡成功。
来吧,让我们以新的精神,
团结在一起;
我们齐声欢呼:
前进吧,新加坡!
前进吧,新加坡!


Singapore's National Flag 新加坡国旗

Dr Toh Chin Chye, then Deputy Prime Minister, was placed in charge of a committee to create a new flag in 1959.

在1959年,由当时的副总理杜进财博士负责一个委员会创造一面国旗。

Dr Toh had firm ideas about the design of the flag.

杜博士对于国旗的设计持有坚定的理念。

There were to be five stars which stand for the five core principles of democracy, justice, peace, progress and equality.

五颗星代表民主、正义、和平、进步和平等的五项核心原则。

A crescent moon serves to signify Singapore's status as a young nation.

新月代表新加坡是个年轻的国家。

The flag has two equal horizontal sections, red above white.

旗面分上红下白。

Red stands for universal brotherhood and equality of man.

红色代表兄弟情谊和人类平等。

White symbolises pervading and everlasting purity and virtue.

白色象征普及和永恒的纯洁与美德。

Singapore's National Pledge 新加坡国家信约

After the separation from Malaysia, Singapore's Ministry of Education mooted the idea of a pledge to inculcate national consciousness and patriotism in school.

脱离马来西亚后,新加坡教育部酝酿在学校灌输国家意识和爱国精神。

From August 1966 onwards, students began reciting the National Pledge before the start of each school day.

从1966年8月起,学生在每日上课前需宣读国家信约。

We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society,
base on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity
and progress for our nation.

我们是新加坡公民,
誓愿不分种族、言语、宗教:团结一致,
建设公正平等的民主社会,
并为实现国家之幸福、繁荣与进步、共同努力。

Happy 52nd Birthday Singapore!

新加坡52岁生日快乐!

Proud to be Singaporean!

生为新加坡人而自豪!

Tuesday 8 August 2017

ASEAN 亚细安

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN was created on 8 August 1967.

东南亚国家联盟或亚细安成立于1967年8月8日。

The initial five countries were Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand when their foreign ministers signed the ASEAN Declaration.

最初的五个国家是印度尼西亚,马来西亚,菲律宾,新加坡和泰国,当时他们的外交部长签署了亚细安宣言。

Its principal aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and sociocultural evolution among its members.

其主要目标包括加快经济增长,社会进步和社会文化演变。

The protection of regional stability and the provision of a mechanism for member countries to resolve differences peacefully.

保护区域稳定,并为成员国和平解决分歧提供机制。

ASEAN grew when Brunei became its sixth member on 7 January 1984.

1984年1月7日,文莱成为亚细安第六个成员国。


The old emblem had a design that represented a bundle of rice stalks, coloured brown, with the word 'asean' at the bottom.

旧徽的设计以一捆棕色稻米为代表,并在底部写上“asean”。

Vietnam became ASEAN seventh member on 28 July 1995.

越南于1995年7月28日成为亚细安第七个成员国。

On 23 July 1997, Laos and Myanmar became ASEAN eighth and ninth member.

1997年7月23日,老挝和缅甸成为亚细安第八和第九个成员国。

Cambodia became ASEAN tenth member on 30 April 1999.

1999年4月30日,柬埔寨成为亚细安第十个成员国。


The colours of the new emblem - blue, red, white and yellow - represent the main colours of the state crests of all the ASEAN Member States.

新徽的颜色 - 蓝、红、白和黄 - 代表所有亚细安成员国国家的主要颜色。

The blue represents peace and stability.

蓝色代表和平与稳定。

Red depicts courage and dynamism.

红色描绘了勇气和活力。

White shows purity and yellow symbolises prosperity.

白色表示纯洁及黄色象征繁荣。

Today ASEAN celebrates its 50th anniversary.

今天亚细安庆祝成立五十周年。