Tak Si Chek, Bei Si Shu (Read Dead Books) Part 2

I love languages. It is interesting how some phrases in a particular language can never be adequately translated into another language. Somehow, the translated version, though retaining the meaning, would somehow lose the essence and beauty of the original version. Consider "Tak si chek or bei si shu" for example. It sounds so beautiful in Hokkien and Mandarin. Direct translation is "read dead books". What? Dead books? How can books be dead.? The closest translation would be "learning by rote".

Through the years of growing up, I began to realise why "Tak si chek" has got on the nerves of many an intelligent, albeit illiterate person, like my neighbour's grandmother, whose grand-daughter, Ah Nee, was still unable to take a bus on her own to school or town at the age of 15.!

I am grateful that my beloved papa, though extremely busy, always found time to talk to his children. As I am the youngest, I followed papa almost everywhere, and hence was the most privileged amongst his five childen, to learn from him. Perhaps this is the reason why apart from being a voracious reader, I was also encouraged by papa to think through issues and not just memorise what I had learnt. This has put me in good stead and helped me in my career.

As a secretary, I shone brilliantly in my workplace, because I often came up with good suggestions for the legal firm I worked in. As a result, my boss' father, the late Lim Cheng Ean, awarded me with a bursary for my tertiary education in Canada.

I dislike the traditional method of teaching English. I remember how I used to hide story books in my text books while the teacher droned on and on with her boring lessons. I was terrified of the Geography teacher, Miss Ho, who made us learn everything by heart. It was hard to memorise things which we could not quite understand. Hence, when I became a teacher, I refused to teach in the traditional way of making students learn things by heart! My lessons had to come alive and meaningful for them, so that years after they leave school, they would still remember the literature books and interesting lessons. More importantly, to apply what they have learnt in their life, work, etc.

Now that I am a real estate agent, I am successful because I am not "tak si chek".
I will not just sell because my clients ask me to sell. Usually I would explore their reasons and help them with the best alternative. Once a client asked me to sell his property. Since there was no urgency for him, I asked him to wait for a year as I believe that prices would still go up, and he could at least make some profit. He had $430K more for his condominium which I recently sold for him.

On another occasion, a client asked me to sell his executive flat. He would only be able to break even. He thought he wanted to sell his flat so that he could transfer all the CPF monies to pay off some of the mortgage on his existing semi-detached house. I was surprised that he was renting the flat at only $1,000 when he could get at least $1,800. He and his wife brightened up, for the $1,800 would be more than enough to pay the monthly mortgage for the flat.

Yes, it would be lovely to earn some $7K to $11 for the flat if I were to sell it for the client, instead of just getting $2,600 in commissionon for the rentals. However, as an agent, I have to tread carefully, for I am dealing with clients' hard earned money. For me it would be just a difference of a few thousand dollars, but for my clients, the amount could run into hundreds of thousands. Hence, it is imperative that I give them the best professional advice. I believe in long term relationship. Our intergrity and sincerity will motivate our clients to refer cases to us.

Recently I had a bad tooth ache. I thought I would have to extract the tooth which was quite loose and badly infected, because this was what happened to me in Penang many years ago. To my surprise, my dentist, Dr. Lee, said, "Why must extract? No need lah. Will give you some antibiotics to try first. The gum should heal and firm up." True enough, my gums healed and my tooth was saved! I am glad that Dr. Lee did not "tak si check" or I would be one tooth poorer!

Ah! Dear readers, I hope you can identify yourself with my article. For those of you who have been "tak si chek", it is still not too late to change. Let the books in you become alive! :-)

Gan Chau

Tak Si Chek, Bei Si Shu (Read Dead Books)

On the whole of Saturday, I was somewhat puzzled when I did not receive a single response to my advertised office units for sale. Hence, I decided to check the Straits Times Classified Advertisements. I found that my advertisement for rent was put in the "Office for Sale" column. No wonder!

I called up the Straits Times to check the error. Straits Times always put all advertisement requests under recording, so that in the case of a dispute, the recording could be replayed to check whether it is the agent or the staff who has made the error. I told the staff that even if I had made the error, should she not have realised it too and corrected me? For how could an office unit at Prinsep/Orchard Area be sold at $4.00 per sq. ft? Even a piece of Persian carpet would be sold at more than $4.00 per sq. ft.! She apologised and said that she would check the recording.

It was I who made the mistake. However, loudly and clearly, I had said $4.00 per sq. ft. and the staff repeated after me. Yet it did not occur to her that the customer had made an error. Should Straits Times not teach or train their staff to understand what they are taking down and to be a little more vigilant? Or are their staff expected to be just like robots, repeating after the customers and not really understanding what they have written down.? I shared this incident with an elderly friend, and she sighed, "Aiya.....what do you expect.... today's youngsters tend to tak si chek....memorise and memorise just to get As for examinations, yet cannot exercise initiative or creativity!"

Or does Straits Times find so much security with the recording to justify who is right and who is wrong? I too would not like the staff to make a mistake and pay for the mistake out of her own pocket. Advertising costs are quite expensive, and the onus should be on Straits Times to invest in staff training and retraining. Or to recruit more staff, for obviously the staff is under strain of work. Any agent would tell you of the the long waiting time to get through the phone, especially on Thursdays and Fridays.

I remember this elderly neighbour of mine in Jelutong Village. She always sighed and scolded her eldest grandaughter, "What's the point of being the top girl in your class, Ah Nee. At 15, you still don't know how to take a bus to school or to town.
Don't just "tak si chek". Be a little more street wise, girl."

As usual, history always repeats itself. However, I am glad that the Ministry of Education has realised this, and is now making attempts to encourage students not to
just learn by rote, but to be more innovative and creative.

There is still hope. :-)

Good Humour Versus Bullying!

Yesterday, I read with dismay, how some British tourists taunted and robbed our old Trishaw Uncle in the New Paper. When I see or hear of people abusing little children or elderly people, my "Dracula fangs" will appear!

I was in a taxi when I read the article, and shared with the taxi driver the story. "It's a crime not to pay. Nothing is free in this world", declared the indiginant taxi driver." "I hope the government brings back those tourists and put them behind bars so that we can drive home the message that no one can get off scot free with his evil deed."

Yes, it looks like a trivial matter to those heartless tourists who even claim that things have gone out of proportion. Ask them to put themselves in the elderly trishaw rider's shoes. Three full grown British men must put themselves on a trishaw and even laughed and taunted at the 67 year old man by writing in their blog, "The slowest taxi in South East Asia.". When they alighted, the poor old trishaw man asked them for the $10 fare. "Just give him $5," one of them suggested flippantly. At the end they just walked off without paying a single cent." Yet they had the audacity to put the whole episode on YouTube, and blatantly feigned surprise at the uproar of many a thinking and compassionate local netizen. If these three British do not consider this as bullying, then what is it? Has Britain degenerated so much that her people could not differentiate what is good humour and what is bullying?

Compare these three British with my compassionate Canadian classmate. In 1980, one of our Literature professors, Dr. Parker, showed us some slides on his South East Asian Tour. There was a slide on some trishaw riders. I was surprised when Jim, one of my classmates, asked me more about life in Malaysia. He said that trishaws should be taken off the streets, as it is inhuman to use leg power when motors are already in operation. I explained to him that though it was backward and outdated, nevertheless trishaw riders needed the job. I then told him how I used to take trishaws to school everyday. After I had learnt to ride the bicycle in Secondary One, I managed to persuade the trishaw uncle to let me try his vehicle. "No! No! No! Dangerous!" he declared. However, after much persuasion he relented one evening after school. "Wow! Not so easy after all, uncle" I replied. "Mm....must make sure I don't get any fatter so that it will be easier for you to send me to school", I said, much to his amusement. I stopped taking the trishaw in Secondary Three, after I became more skilful on the bicycle. However, I never forgot the poor trishaw rider and looked him up now and then. "Uncle, I save money by cycling. So here is half for you, and half for my papa."

Through the interview with other trishaw riders, we learnt that most tourists pay up, but some try to get away without paying by saying that they had left their money in the hotel. They disappeared, leaving the poor trishaw rider, empty handed and filled with heart aches.

Did the three British tourists think that they could get off scot free because an old man of 67 would be in a vulnerable position to fight them, verbally and physically? Or did they think they could claim they could not communicate with the old man because he could not speak English? What could we do to prevent such episodes and help our trishaw riders.?

I suggest that a rule must be made for tourists to pay in advance before they take the trishaw. The maximum number of passengers should be limited to two. If a passenger is huge, horizontally as well as vertically, then it is safer for him to take the trishaw alone. It is inhuman as well as dangerous to overload the trishaw. Can you imagine the amount of strength needed to pedal the vehicle and how dangerous it could be especially when going up a slope.? The trishaw could overturn!!!

I like the way river taxis are being operated. Buy your ticket and queue up! Perhaps the Tourist Promotion Board could have a brainstorm on how to improve the situation to help our trishaw riders, many of whom are elderly. Most of them have had hard lives; we do not need the likes of the three British tourists to make their lives harder.

Gan Chau