平凡

近来心情都不错，直至刚刚。当忙完该忙的事，余下的心思如何停放？最近替人搬家总遇回同样的搬运大叔，大叔要颁我好人奖，可惜替人搬家好几回，我的家却在哪里？大叔说从我身上看到以前的他，而我听着大叔的故事，又何尝不是在对应着我的生活原则？

只是，看破究竟是逼不得已的妥协，还是源自内心的通透？

Cam-Viet Tour Photos

Ok...finally I've uploaded my 18-day tour photos onto web. I've separated it into 5 albums and uploaded to my facebook and friendster, or if you like to view all photos one shot in a slideshow, check out my picasa web album.

Why did I take such a long time? Because it required careful organizing and selection. Since there were 3 cameras taking photos, quite a lot of them are similar. Imagine there are 3000 photos with the size of about 5GB. If I don't classify the photos accordingly and delete those similar but redundant photos, it will remain as a mess inside hard disk, inhibit myself a pleasant recall of memories in the future.

Now I've deleted about 500 photos, and selected best 300 from the remaining photos. Finally a job done. Phew.

Mispronounced words

On few occasions friends like Kok Heng, Krix and my Prof Comm teacher had told me some words that are so commonly mispronounced until they seem to be the right one. I've this idea of compiling a list of mispronounced words for long and decided to do now. It's time to improve it by myself before I need to attend those expensive courses. Resources are from various forums and sites, (mainly from SG,MY,HK) for free. So powerful is Internet. Hurray!

From here, I've copied the reasons for mispronunciation.

SOME REASONS FOR WRONG PRONUNCIATION
1 Silent letters
2 Wrong stress
3 Foreign words
4 Poor articulation
5 Mother- tongue influence
6 Wrong syllable division

(If you have any mispronounced word that's not in the list, please share. :D)

Learning about wrong syllable stress is still a step too far for me, and poor articulation of pair like "n & l", "r & l" and others has too many cases, hence the list contains mispronunciation mainly caused by wrong assumption and silent letters.

You can check the correct pronunciation of any word from these sites:
1. Yourdictionary
2. Dictionary reference

There are many phonetics standards, and for my convenience, I use the one yourdictionary.com is using but not the standard used in say oxford dictionary that you may be more familiar with.

P/S: Those mispronunciations with *** in front sound very obvious.

First and foremost

*** pronunciation: pro noun′sē ā′shən (X) || prə nun′sē ā′shən (√) (sounds nan but not noun)

Can you get your pronunciation correct if you cant pronounce it correctly?
Joking :)

Second

*** their: thēə (X) || ther (√) (sounds exactly as there, not they-are!)

Those that should be pronounced as ‘ə’

correct: ko rekt′ (X) || kə rekt′ (√) (sounds kə but not ko)
#So as many words like collect, continue, compare and ec cetera. One of the obvious exception is colleague. See below.

#Also, words with co have so many different pronunciations that's worth more attention as how "company", "colleague", "committee", "cold" are pronounced differently.

broccoli: bräk′ä lē (X) || bräk′ə lē (√) (sounds kə but not ko)
introduce: in′tro doos′ (X) || in′trə doos′ (√) (sounds trə but not tro)
opportunity: äpôr too nə tē (X) || äp′ər too nə tē (√) (sounds pər but not por)
restaurant: res′tô rənt′ (X) || res′tə ränt′ (√) (no torrent please! It's te-ront/te-rənt)
*** lettuce: let′yooz (X) || let′əs (√) (sounds təs but not tyouz)

fatigue: fa tēg′ (X) || fə tēg′ (√) (sounds fə but not fae)
*** purchase: pʉr′chās (X) || pʉr′chəs (√) (don't chase please...)
perimeter: pe rim′ə tər (X) || pə rim′ə tər (√) (sounds pə but not pae)
parameter: pe rəm′ə tər (X) || pə ram′ə tər (√) (sounds pə but not pae)
spaghetti: spe get′ē (X) || spə get′ē (√) (sounds spə but not spare)

parliament: pär′li mənt (X) || pär′lə mənt (√) (sounds lə but not li)

industry: in′dus trē (X) || in′dəs trē (√) (sounds dəs but not dust)

Those that should not be pronounced as ‘ə’

archive: ə chēv′ (X) || är′kīv′ (√) (sounds r-kaif but not achieve)
colleague: kəl′ēg′ (X) || käl′ēg′ (√) (sounds ko but not kə)
entrepreneur: än′trə prə nər′ (X) || än′trə prə nʉr′ (√) (sounds nur but not ner)

Between ‘ə’ and ‘a/ae’

*** analysis: a nəl′ə sis (X) || ə nal′ə sis (√) (sounds er-nae but not ae-ner)
*** awry: äl'ri (X) || ə rī′ (√) (sounds e-rye but not a-ri)
*** baton: bā′ tən (X) || bə tän′ (√) (don't pronounce bae-ten because of bacon)
***calender: kəlen dər (X) || kal′ən dər (√) (sounds k-lən but not kə-land)
*** lavender: läv′en dər (X) || lav′ən dər (√) (same with calender)

Those that should be pronounced as ‘a/ae/e’

*** bury: bur′ē (X) || ber′ē (√) (Yes, sounds exactly like berry)
*** deluge: di′lärj (X) || del′yooj′ (√) (sounds dae-liuch but not di-large)
gamma gäm′ä (X) || gam′ə (√) (sounds gae-me but not gaa-maa)
sarcastic: sär käs′tik (X) || sär kas′tik (√) (sounds kaes but not kas)

presentation: prē zent tā′shən (X) || prez′ən tā′shən (√) (sounds prae-sənt but not pri-sent)
precedence: pris′i dəns (X) || pres′ə dəns (√) (sounds prae- but not pri)
preferable: prif′ər ə bəl (X) || pref′ər ə bəl (√) (sounds prae- but not pri)
irreparable: i ri per′ rə bəl (X) || i rep′ə rə bəl (√) (doesn't sounds as repair)

Those that should not be pronounced as ‘a/ae’

altar: al′ tär (X) || ôl′tər (√) (sounds all-ter but not L-tar)
chamber: cham′bər (X) || chām′bər (√) (sounds cheim but not chaem)

Those that should be pronounced as ‘i’

*** granite: grana′it (X) || gran′it (√) (sounds nit but not nait as in nite)
market: mär′ket (X) || mär′kit (√) (sounds kit but not keat)
*** spinach: spin′ach (X) || spin′ich (√) (yes, the 'a' sounds 'i' but not 'a')
women: woo' mən (X) || wim′in (√) (sounds wi but not woo, woo is for woman)
deviant: dē′vī ənt (X) || dē′vē ənt (√) (sounds ve-ian but not vai-ian)

Those that should be pronounced as ‘O/ä’

knowledge: nōl′ij (X) || näl′ij (√) (sounds kn-all but not know)

Confusion of "ao"

*** clause: klaoz (X) || klôz (√) (this one specially for Eddie, LOL)
drought: drôut (X) || drout (√) (sounds drao-t but not dro-t)
lounge: lônch (X) || lounj (√) (sounds laon but not lon)

Words of double vowels

*** liaise: lī əz′ (X) || lē āz′ (√) (sounds li-ace but not lie-es)
hierarchy: hī′rär′kē (X) || hī′ər är′kē (√) (sounds higher-archy but not high-archy)

coalition : kō′ lish′ən (X) || kō′ə lish′ən (√) (please don't skip 'a')
*** oasis: ō ä′sis (X) || ō ā′sis (√) (sounds ay but not a)

*** flour: flä (X) || flour (√) (sounds flao-er but not fla)
*** flower: flouwʉr (X) || flour (√) (same pronunciation as flour, no w sound)
*** zoology: zoo l′ə jē (X) || zō äl′ə jē (√) (just doesn't sound like zoo)

language: laŋ′gweich (X) || laŋ′gwij (√) (sounds gwi but not gwei)
tuition: tyoo sh′ən (X) || tyoo i sh′ən (√) (please don't skip 'i')
suite: soot (X) || swēt (√) (sounds sweet but not suit)

Alphabet d which sounds j

procedure: prō sē′dir (X) || prō sē′jər (√) (sounds jər but not deer)
schedule: ske′dyool (X) || ske′jool (√) (sounds jool but not dyool)
education: ed'yoo kā′shən (X) || ej′oo kā′shən (√) (sounds joo but not dyoo)

Poor articulation (f & th, s & z)

path: puf (X) || path (√) (sounds pae-f not paa-f)
pleasure: plesh′ər (X) || plezh′ər (√) (it's not s but z)
pressure: prezh'ər (X) || presh′ər (√) (it's not z but s, @.@)

Dropping of r sound in double r words

library: lībər′ē (X) || lī′brer′ē (√) (double r sounds)
February: feb′ər′ē (X) || feb′roo er′ē (√) (same)

Silent letters

debt: debt (X)|| det (√) (silent b)
doubt: doubt (X)|| dout (√) (silent b)
climb: klīmb (X)|| klīm (√) (silent b)

yatch: yätch (X)|| yät (√) (silent ch)

Wednesday: wenʉrs dā (X) || wenz′dā (√) (silent d, it's wence-day!)

evening: ēvəniŋ (X) || ēv′niŋ (√) (silent e)
vegetable: veji′tə bəl (X) || vej′tə bəl (√) (silent e)
avalanche: av′ə lanche′ (X) || av′ə lanch′ (√) (silent e)
lambaste: lam bāst′ə (X) || lam bāst′ (√) (silent e, sounds lambeist)

shepherd: shep h′ərd (X) || shep′ərd (√) (silent h)

mischievous: mis′chi vəs (X) || mis′chə vəs (√) (silent i)
medicine: med'isən (X) || med′ə sən; Brit med′sən (if i does sound, it sounds de but not di)

almond: ä′lmənd (X) || ä′mənd (√) (silent l)
salmon: salm′ən (X) || sam′ən (√) (silent l)


isle: īsle (X) || īl (√) (silent s)
debris: də brē′z (X) || də brē′ (silent s)

rapport: ra pôr′t (X) || ra pôr′ (√) (silent t)
listen: lis′tən (X) || lis′ən (√) (silent t)
often: ôf′ tən (X) || ôf′ən (√) (silent t)
soften: sôf′ tən (X) || sôf′ən (√) (silent t)
fasten: fas′tən (X) || fas′ən (√) (silent t)
hasten: hās′tən (X) || hās′ən (√) (silent t)

sword: swôrd (X) || sôrd (√) (silent w)
prowess: prou′wəs (X) || prou′is (√) (silent w)
coward: kou′wərd (X) || kou′ərd (√) (silent w)

Foreign words (I think so?)

cliché: klee shā′ (√) (sounds shay)
sachet: sa chet (X) || sa shā′ (√) (sounds shay but not chet)
grand prix: (it's a french word gron-pre, not grand-prix!)
lingirie: län′zhə rā′ (√) (not linger-ie!)
rendezvous : rän′dā voo (√) (not ren-de-vous!)
parque: pär kwə (X) || pär kā′ (√) (sounds kay)
plateau: pla too′ (X) || pla tō′ (√) (sounds to but not two)

Wrong syllable division

backache: bak′āk′ (sounds backeik, not back | eik)

When I browsed different forums, I often came across heated debates over why should we improve our pronunciation. I do not want to drag myself into this meaningless debate. Choice. If you need to improve it and you want to, do it. If you don't need to, don't bother about it. Life will be easier if we don't enforce our thoughts onto others without empathy.

I am afraid I can't rectify all mistakes too, and hence I put it here to serve as my future reference, and also for your reference.

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble but not you,
On hiccough, through, lough and thorough.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead--it's said like bed, not bead.
For goodness's sake, don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat:
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose -
Just look them up - and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart.
Come, come, I've hardly made a start.

A dreadful language? Man alive,
I'd mastered it when I was five.

P/S: These sites may also be useful for you.
1. 100 most often mispronounced words - your dictionary.

2. Mind your language from - channelnews asia.

3. A compilation by Lafemmefatale - play park forum.

4. 双语桥 - RSI

5. Common mispronunciation - Putera

6. Importance of correct pronunciation - Cari

7. Got to pronounce these right - HKU

8. *pdf file - Glossary of words commonly mispronounced by HK students - HK VTC

晚霞

今天的夕阳晚霞很是壮美。

Top Gamer

I bet you have never seen such gamer in MRT. Incredible.

钊记面家-鸡饭

上次和甲霖经过时就想试一试，今天去人力部办手续后刚好是中午，又刚好路过，这一次绝不放过了。虽然知道是面家，不过吃饭比较饱，所以还是叫了碟鸡饭。

牛车水克罗士街上段
Chinatown Upper Cross St

鸡肉并不是我吃过的鸡饭里最嫩滑的，但是厚厚的肉配以浓重的酱汁，另有一番滋味，吃下去很满足。鸡汤也很香浓。比一般的鸡饭好吃，值得推荐。

店面有点像怡保旧街场那种旧店铺，而且店员大都讲粤语，让我仿佛有种回到故乡的感觉。既然自称面家，面应该也不差，下次再去尝！

Nice foods!

早上搬家后，来一块开胃的番茄印度煎饼(Tomoto Prata )挺不错。

地点：问霆辉。Nee Soon Camp 附近的Mamak。
Venue: Ask Teng Hooi. Mamak near Nee Soon Camp.

炎热下午走了五公里后，来碟绿茶雪花冰真冰凉！

地点：味香园 - 牛车水登婆街
Venue: Chinatown Temple Street's Wei Xiang Yuan Desserts

但总共走了十公里后，还要去到老远的勿洛吃美食，如果不好吃我就“费事”放上来了。因为是晚上的关系，用相机手机拍出来的效果不好，所以就不放食物的照片了。有兴趣的话，自己去尝一尝。呵呵。

地点：勿洛Block85，从勿洛地铁站出来搭222号巴士第五站下。

Venue: Bedok Block 85, take bus 222 outside MRT and alight at the 5th stop.

烧鱼！Sting ray!
地点/Venue: Chan BBQ, Stall #01-258

肉挫面！| Mee Ba Cok!
地点/Venue: Stall #01-07

烧鸡翅！| Chicken wing!
地点/Venue: Stall #01-53

Malaysian Passport Renewal in Singapore

Where: Malaysian High Commission @ 301 Jervois Road
When: 8am -1130am (Submission) || 2:30pm - 4:15pm (Collection)
How: Read caibin's comment at worm's perspective (Thanks Kap Lam for finding me this info before we went. :) )
Efficiency: High, one day

We went at Tuesday by taking the earliest 199 bus, reached there around late 7. I got the pass number of I-15, finished the application by 9am, came back to take at late 2, got it at 3 plus. So few additional hints are:

1. The electronic form of IM.42 can be obtained at this site.

2. Go there early, with 3 serving counters and efficiency of 5 minutes per application, the high commission can process about 100 application per day. That's the reason why the pass in guard house is limited.

3. Bring along PR/employment pass/student pass. We didn't know this but luckily we always bring along with us.

4. There's a photo taking and photocopy machine.

5. After submission, you can collect at another day.

Officers there are very friendly, one officer even started the conversation with me.

Officer: Emak kamu Chinese? (Are your mother Chinese?)
Me: Ya.
Officer: Bapa juga? (Your father also?)
Me: Ya.
Officer: Jadi mengapa rambut kamu kerinting? (Then why your hair is curly?)
... @.@ +.+ -_-
（FYI, curly hair is the dominant gene)

I finally understood why my US visa application needs longer time to process.

家庭与性格

家庭，是温暖的泉源。这是大家普遍接受的形象，但有两件事促使我去认真客观地去思考“家庭”这概念。第一件事，在香港中文大学上某堂社会学课时，其中一篇论文里有提到：“家庭，可以是天堂，可以是地狱”。第二件事，在南洋理工大学听李远哲的演讲，其中他提到小时候因为比年长的姐姐更聪慧所以招致姐姐的恶意妒忌。家庭，不完全是温暖的泉源，它带来更多复杂的影响。或许，在打破了所谓的形象后，你才会想到“家家有本难念的经”，包括自家。但是，有谁愿意破坏原本的形象去接受不完美呢？

不如意的家庭事件常在报纸里出现，但总是距离我们好遥远，因为我们并不缺乏父母的关爱。但能感受到爱和温暖并不代表他们所带来的影响就完全正确。一来人并不完美，因而不会带来完美的影响；二来每一种性格都有特有的强点和缺陷。

一个人的性格，究竟有多少源自于父母和家庭？诚然，性格也受学校和朋友的影响，但因为家庭从小影响至深，所以许多从小就培养起的性格，往往是与家庭有关。哪怕长大后许多行为有了改变，内心里潜藏的性格多由家庭塑造。

家庭的影响，不仅仅限于直接正面的（勤劳的父亲教出勤劳的儿子），抑或直接负面的（勤劳的父亲教出懒惰的儿子），而更多于间接无定的。在同一个家庭环境里，我倾向于相信很少会有同样性格的兄弟姐妹。但若从各自的兄弟姐妹观察，又总会发觉即便是不同的性格也与家庭影响有很深的联系。或许家庭环境就好似外在刺激，内在天性好似个别元素，同样的刺激会和不同元素产生不同的化学作用。

问题是，没有哪对父母可以针对子女不同的天性给予不同的影响，因为奔波劳碌赚钱养家都已经够他们头大了。因而，尽管难以接受，但我们不能逃避承认：每个人的性格都有缺陷。相较于别人的弱点，人更难认识自己的弱点，也更难去探索自己的性格与家庭环境有什么关系。

我很喜欢和母亲讨论究竟我的性格是怎么形成的，至今仍在摸索中。因为存在的不一定是合理的，从小养成的性格是外在刺激产生的化学作用，并不一定就是最好的。唯有通过自我的醒觉和探索，正确看待家庭给自己性格带来的影响，内化自己能接受的，排斥自己所厌恶的，才能算是做自己主人的。。。第一步。

注：大家别误会我为文的用意，我其实是对性格如何形成和受什么影响有极大的兴趣。

Charging voltage

I didn't know that there are different charging voltages for the cell phone charger since they have the same ports, if not for BK's reminder.

It would be dangerous to charge my 3.7V cell phone battery with say 5V charger, as it may result in explosion. Lesson learnt.

P/S: Btw, don't tell others that I graduated from NTU School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and my FYP project was DC-DC converter.