When I was in Perth last week, I realised that we do have many Teochews in SHC. I am a Teochew, and I only speak teochew with my parents. Today, I have not had opportunities to speak teochew with many people. My hougang gang have always told me that teochews have red "ka chng", and I believe this must be the first criteria for someone to be called a teochew.
Teochews should also be able to understand teochew jokes. I think it is fun if not memorable to view some video clips from youtube, using search words "teochew joke" or "teohew language" or "teochew show". So, knowing at least two teochew jokes, comedies or songs would be the second criteria for someone to be a teochew.
The third criteria is if one of your parents is a teochew, I also think we can classify you as a teochew. But, must have evidence.
The last criteria is the teochew clan must recognise you. I guess if you can get two teochews to certify you as a teochew, this should be good enough.
Perhaps, at the end of this year, we can have a teochew dinner for teochews. So, Let’s start by checking the backside.
Terence Seah
Hello Terence,
Yes, I have heard this about teochews having red bottoms. They say teochew nang, kahchung ang ang. Hehehe.
Also heard that teochew boys and men are Fair and Handsome while teochew girls and women are pretty and beautiful. If we look at you, then the former description is true.
I can’t claim to be teochew altho husband’s side teochew and so are children. I am Hokkien-peranakan. This makes it difficult to decide which group I can claim to be in. Are most peranakans Hokkien?.
Good to know that you all enjoyed your trip to Perth.
Geok Suan.
Hi Terence,
Ha ha ha … about Criteria of Teochew depends on Posterior being AngAng. However, not all kachung ang ang are Teochews, esp on our beaches…hehe.
Some teochew clips from youtube for viewing pleasure :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMINA-lmdCI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MktKBVHmOVk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezNxkbDNyTk&feature=related
HC
Wah pun see kaki nan.
Pak see boh siang kan.
a rhyme about myself….
Wah see sum poh
Kar koh, koh pai,
Sam poh puat lok hai.
Wow so many criteria to be a Teochew…on second thoughts, maybe I should not change ‘citizen’ better stick to my roots like Geok Suan, Hokkien-peranakan…oh ya Geok Suan, not really true that perankan’s are only Hokkien. It depends. There is also Cantonese-peranakan…
Terence, er….no offence to teochew nan hor…I also heard one like ‘teochew nan hao lian’…is it true?? Haha…me husband teochew…think so lei….Ooops! I told you already ha…no offence.
Regards,
AnneC
hi terence, i am not a teochew but a baba jst like geok suan. but i do mix with teochews, there a saying lan chow chng lai sio kamg, wondering any teochew can let me know wat tat is ? thks ha!ha! ha!
Terence
My mother is a teochew nan but my late father was a hokkien peng, that makes me chit quat ter chit quat beh. I can sing meng kar chit chang lai. And hor I was born and raised in Hougang…… so guess I can qualify without having to show my behind ya kekekekekek
Ann #4
There is a saying that teochew how lian and hokkien tua peyen….waaahhhh that makes me both how lian and tua peeyen kekekekekek
Sockie
Sengh, you listed 4 criteria to qualify as a TeoChew without however explaining how did the criterion of red butt come about. Let me make you a smarter TC ah pek from today.
Long time ago, TCs habitually dropped off everywhere and didnt wipe their butts after that. That’s finw within the confines of their homes but bcos it was a habit, they did that too when they were outside of their kampongs. The general public – esp the Kongfu yan – werent as kind/forgiving so they whacked the TCs’ backside each time after they had unloaded.
Generations through and generations after, this Shit-for-caning process continued and repeated. Now, TCs are born with this indelible red markings. But since it’s only hearsay, I need someone to prove to em.
Ooops, Sengh, pls stop it……..I dont want yr “See, i also got this ang kong kong one” I’d rather a TC ah niah show me the proof.
Terence
My mum is a true blue Teochew.My dad was a Hokkien but after he got married to my mum, he was “Teochewfied”.As far as I can remember, he spoke Teochew and only used Hokkien with his siblings and Hokkien relatives.
We used Teochew growing up, so that must make me a Teochew right?
I do know quite a few Teochew children’s rhymes. My mum used to sing them to us when we were kids and I did too, with my girls.
Regarding that cheeky saying that “Teochew nang, ka chng ang ang”, hee, I’m not about to “show proof” of that! (Blush, blush)
Any way, the “ang ang” could rhyme with “Hokkien nang” as well as any “nang” mah.
So, Sam Goh, Hou Chong and Tim Liu’s “ka chng” could well be “ang ang” too. hahaha.
Btw, the word “ka chng” translated literally means “leg hole”, which refers to something else other than the buttocks, so, Terence, I believe you will get more than what you expect if you asked to see someone’s “ka chng” hahaha. Your face would probably mirror the colour of that person’s “ka chng” or turn a shade of blue from a “bokok”.
Hahaha!!
I don’t know about the men, but the Teochew ladies are reputed to be fair and attractive. And the Serangoon/Hougang area is where the Teochews are concentrated… so… you find the lovely ladies especially among the SHCs living around there!
As for the Peranakans: They are Hokkiens in origin and come from Fukien province in China. Their cultural switch to using Malay (baba patois) and dress form of sarong kebaya occurred some 250 years ago after their early forefathers came to Malacca and subsequently Penang and Singapore.
In everything else the Peranakans kept to their Chinese culture and origin: the ancestor worship, the ceremonies and worship of deities, the men kept their queues (towchangs) and Chinese garb.
With the coming of the Portuguese and Dutch to Malacca and later, the English to the Straits Settlement, the early Peranakans quickly adapted to the foreign influences. Their command of the English language made them able to act as middlemen, civil servants and administrators. This role and influence of the Peranakans in the early 1900’s was eclipsed with the rise of nationalism and the present powers.
But the original Peranakans are a disappearing breed… with the inter-marriages to other Chinese groups, loss of cultural and religious traditions due to conversion to Christianity, and waning influence in the local political and business scene.
Enough of that… what has survived and gained renewed popularity especially with the Little Nyonya TV series is the cuisine. Peranakan food or Nyonya food is the new buzz… and many restaurants claim to serve Peranakan fare. So, talk to any Singaporean and he/she will be all excited about tasting the latest Peranakan offering!
Hello Terence
When I read abt the soo kee nan I was thinking then that we should hve a ka kee nan for teochews too….:-)
Criteria 1)….”ka chng ang ang”….I hve to check it out, hardly look at me bums but people say my ka chng very big ..which makes me shoulders look lagi smaller…:-(
Criteria 2)…teochew jokes, comedies or songs…
“tee teng chek chiak goh
ah tee woo kia
ah heah boh
ah tee sia kia, keoo tua pek
tua pek siaw lee boh nai hor
siew sar pow, kuay siam lor”…….and guess he found a good thai girl there….:-))))
Criteria 3)….both my parents are teochew. My maternal grandparents are peranakan teochews. My maternal grandma wears the sarong and the embroided kebaya top with the “krosang” and all. My hubby is Teochew too but he speaks fluent cantonese bec he lived in chinatown whn he was young.
Last criteria…..everyone who knows me speak to me in Teochew as I can’t speak other dialects..:-))
So I AM a teochew ah nia.
(Lim GS…so sad to disappoint u tho, on the pretty and beautiful…:-) My heart is but not my physical attributes…:-(((…..:-)))))
Hi Geok Suan @ #1,
Just wish to keep you posted that not all Peranakans are Hokkiens, and I’m speaking for myself, a Peranakan Teochew.
My late dad was a straits-born Peranakan chinese from Negri Sembilan, and so were both my paternal & maternal grandparents. Like what Kenneth has quoted, my dad was one who kept to local Chinese culture and origin. My mum is a true blue Peranakan, and occasionally, she still cooks authentic nyonya & teochew dishes. I’m a Peranakan Teochew Ah Nia, but yet to master good culinary skills from my mum..
Terence, being a Teochew Nan yourself, perhaps you can be the next EO in organising a dinner @ either Hung Kang or Ban Seng Teochew Restaurants, well known for their sliced goose meat, stewed cabbage with mushrooms & the sweet yam paste with pumpkin, to name a few….
Cheerio!
I am a true blue Teochew nan, cos my ancestors on both sides are Teochew all the way. But one thing I have to confess is that my ka ch’ng is not ‘ang’.
teochew rhyme i learn from my granny, only can remember first two lines…
ti theng ji jiak gor ( heaven above have one goose_)
ah tee oo bor ( younger brother got wife)
ah hia bor,……. ( elder brother dont have..wife)
sorry forgot the rest….
“ti theng ji jiak gor ( heaven above have one goose_)
ah tee oo bor ( younger brother got wife)
ah hia bor,……. ( elder brother dont have..wife)
sorry forgot the rest…. ”
Charles-W, no problem, since I os know, will complete it for you.
ti theng ji jiak gor ( heaven above have one goose_)
ah tee oo bor ( younger brother got wife)
ah hia bor,……. ( elder brother dont have..wife)
so ah hia chuli ah tee eh bor (so big bro steals younger bro’s wife)
lai ti tor (to play)
sibei bo bien lor (very no choice lor)
ah pa kua tio bak jiu jin sore (the dad sees it and his eyes turn very sore)
and ah ma starts to lor li lor sor (and the mum starts to nag)
all because neng hia tee sharing jek eh bor (all bcos 2 bros sharing 1 wife)
seh chut lai eh kia arng juah hor? (the baby born, dont know what to do with him?)
Lou beh ti tiang ng chai lor (who the father is, we dont know)
Hehe…………….
hey, why u all remember the ‘kach’ng…..red red’ thing only. Why nobody mention the famous Teochew Porridge which is loved by many and also teochew ladies who are generally the target for marriage (pretty lah…)
When u go to a typical teochew porridge stall, they will serve u 3 kinds of sauce i.e taucho, plum sauce and the vinegar/garlic sauce. Taucho goes with dry steamed fish, plum sauce goes with steamed crab/sotong & vinegar/garlic sauce goes with what food. I guess only true teochew will know.
Teochew generally r kind hearted pple and honour their words. Teochew pple out there, am I right? proud ya… hee
i m a teochew ‘ah nia’
Lilian
Yes, I remember the Teochew Porridge along Race Coast Road and another small restaurant in Pagoda Street. They serve soft shell crabs steamed and serve cold or at room temperature. You dip them in the sweet plum source….heaven. Very good for cholesterol.
Anyone knows where to find these now. I cannot wait for Terence till the end of the year.
This Teochew Poem was shared by the party visiting Perth last week.
Lau Nan Taa Xian Tua
(Old man’s Heart is the biggest )
Liak Chua Chor Koh Tua
(Catch snake to make a belt)
Sior Tee Kye Chore Pye See Swa Lai
(Younger brother’s name plate anyhow)
Soin Thian Si, Sze Wah Siang Wu chi
(Previously, it’s I who got the most money)
Kee Chuo Kek Po Li
(Build house installed with glass)
Kia Low Tow Ki Ki
(Walk the street with head slanted)
Thoi Nan Sia Mak Chi
(Eyed people with sidewards stare)
Sway Woon Kow
(During Bad spell)
Chi Ter Boh Piam Ter Kor
(Rear Sow became Boar)
Cheng Ku Chye Piam Kar More.
(Plant clives became leg hair)
Enjoy..
HC
Teochew nan, lau nan or ah Nia,
Keep coming. Hello, you cannot be Hokkien and teochew at the same time. Ok, meh, meh, lai ti tor (quickly quickly, let’s play).
Terence Seah
My parent are both Teochew, emigrated from China (Swatow province) to Singapore in the ‘50s. But Terence said must have evidence…….heheheee very easy, one fine day, I show you my birth certificate. Or else June Lim and Lina Ng could certify I am a Teochew “nan”. In the ’60s and ’70s,
Wang Sa and Yeh Fong were the famous local comedian in Singapore. They delighted people in the ’60s and ’70s with Teochew jokes. I know their famous verse: “Tee oei agah agah chiu hor”. Oh ya….people in the Hougang area all speak Teochew, I have no choice but to speak my broken Teochew when I buy my food at the hawker centre. Another specialty is the Teochew “Orh nee” (yam paste) at the Ming Kee Live Seafood Restaurant, a place to enjoy good yummy food……
Tian soo, there are many Teochew Porridge stall along upper serangoon road also. Hou Chong Lee, your Teochew Poem very “chim”, catch no ball……
Ah Nee :)
#12 Lina
Your ka’chng boey ang, you are not teochew nan, my dear.
this is a trade mark for real Teochew.
Do I qualify or not? I stayed in Hougang for donkey years and mixed with many teochew and speak perfect teochew, but my ka’chng boey ang, for obvious reasons.
I declare myself Hainan Teochew, my sister and brother-in-law are all teochew nan. I almost married a Teochew Ah Nia.
I backed out because I cannot accept the ang ka’chng. It kills the romantic prelude to love-making. Hahaha!
Tian Soo,
I remember these two teochew porridge stall which u mentioned but hv no idea where are they now. May be close shop ha ha!
Hi Ah Nee @ 19,
I like the porridge stall in Simon Rd, good, authentic and not crowded.
Your Ming Kee Seafood , is it in Macpherson Rd? If so have you tried the “Swa Garden” just a few doors away? I am very sure all the Teochew Ah Cheks will love the food there. The place looks very ‘chinky’, pink curtains and all but the Teochew uncles will recognise the cooking style straight away. Braised goose, ‘hae cho’, (liver and pork), ‘koochye pek’, ‘sio ter’, steamed pomfret, ‘hay poh’, done in different ways, and even kuay teow fried with ‘chye poh’. All de riguer in Teochew cooking.
Definitely worth a try, especially for those 60 years and older. Be warned tho’, you must book ahead.
Those Teochew gang that wants to eat Teochew food can easily go to Ban Seng in town. Easy to organise. Just arrange a time and turn up and order. If enjoyable, collect money for round 2 in “Swa Garden’. Definitely memorable, food, not the ambience.
Also recommended by Teochew Ah Ba foodie, “Ieatishootipost”.
Enjoy.
Walau ! The Teochew buzz is the latest SHC news.
…….Yes, I have heard this about Teochews having RED bottoms. They say teochew nang, kahchung ang ang.
Ah Meng,once a celebrity Orang Utan has also 2 Scarlet RED bottoms.
Doesn’t Ah Meng “qualify” to be an ancestor of the
Teo Chew nan? Hee Hee! Just joking!
I used to have a close Teo chew classmate .
Whenever, I was invited to have lunch /dinner in their shophouse it is ALWAYS porridge (chak mui mui )with all kinds of sour plums, black ,red,yellow and other preserved vegetables with little meat.
Is this the normal diet of a Teo chew Nan?
I am curious to know. Can anyone enlightened me.
Terence,
I remember a Teochew rhyme.
Oi ah oi,
Oi be lai chi koi (grind the rice to feed the chicken)
Chi koi keo kog keh(rear the chicken to lay eggs)
Chi kow lai bui meh (have a dog to bark at night)
Chi ah hia ah che lor che chair(Have older brother and sister to go to school)
Chi a Terence poong nang meh(Have Terence for people to scold)
Hee hee.
Terence,
Here’s another one, but I forgot how it ends.
Ti oh oh ( Sky is dark)
Ker soong pou ( Went to check out the field)
Soong dio li her tau chua bow (Caught the fish marrying a wife)
Koo kia teng, (Tortoise holding a lantern)
Pi pak kow (Turtle beating the drum)
Hou sing kia chai kee (Fly waving a flag?)
Boong kia poong ta ti (Fruitfly blowing a trumpet)
Chang hoi chow lai hor ( Field crab came to pay respect?)
Kap kow pi pow tor ( Frog carrying a sack)
Forgot the rest. Does anyone know the ending?
Terence
I remember my maternal grandmother eating porridge with “ow num”, “kong chai”, kiam chai”, “hoo joo”, “kiam neng”.
I recollect vividly, the “ah pek” with his spread of pickled stuff on a push cart parked in the market. It was one of the most popular stalls.
I still steam my fish with sour plum, but the fish has to be very, very fresh.
Aiyo, all this memory makes me hungry. Am going to get myself a Milo. Hahaha.
Hi Terence,
I am a typical Teochew Ah Muay too. Both my parents are Teochew. I would like to recommend some good Teochew Restarants:-
Liang Kee at Robertson Quay, Ah Orh at Bt Merah, Huat Kee at Amoy Street, Lee Kee at Mosque St., Hung Kang at North Canal Road, Mong Hing at Beach Road, Tai Seng Restaurant, Ban Heng, etc…
Recall an occasion years ago when I visited an aunt who just got married into the family and was asked
“Tor a koon buay?” and I went Uhhhh???!!!
It was really hilarious when I asked her “Ah Kim, wah a tor mana a koon?” I had thought she was asking if my stomach is sleeping when she had asked if I’m hungry!
……well, I’m not a Teochew and can you guess my dialect?
Hi Mary at #24
This rhyme seems like a Hokkien version which is a favourite of my mum’s but not mine for obvious reasons. The Hokkien version of the last two lines reads:
Chi how seh yang lau beh
Chi cha wah pak lang meh
Hi Terence,
I believe I fall under Criteria3 to be a Teochew or at least a partial one.
Although I am a Canto-Chew (having the best of both worlds and loving it) but my mom and my maternal grandparents are Teochews and share the same surname as you – Seah.
Going by Tim’s (#7) hearsay, I supposed I would have to whack myself on the behind then ???
Kind Regards,
Genet
aka a diluted Teochew Ah Nia
Hi Lee Ah Nee #19
Veronique of your cycling group is very good with that poem alth she is a Hokkien.
She is very tickled each time she recites it so pls don’t ask her while cycling hor.
Hi June Lim, Mary Chan & Thomas Goh
Loves those poems. Any more? Maybe Idioms too?
Hi Tim#14
Your version is unique. Very creative haha.
Here is a short one (unfriendly though):
Chew Sar Lau ( 3rd Tide)
Chup P’oei Chwee (18th Water)
Lait Ah [so & so] ker chor Chwee Qui (catch [so & so] to be a water devil)
HC
Teochew Kways deserves special mention esp. Soon Kway and Koo Chye Kway. These 2 are good as a meal by themselves. The main filling for Soon Kway is Bamboo Shoots and for Koo Chye kway is chives. I do not know of any place serving / selling good kways but where found in the market, the soon kways are filled with turnip instead and the kway skin is rather starchy, perhaps modified owing to commercial considerations.
Many years ago, I recalled having to help my mum with the tedious process of grinding the rice into a paste to make the kway skin. Lots of work involved but then nothing beats a good home-made Kway..yum.
Ah, maybe I shall attempt to learn how to make Soon Kway this year. Any pointers ?
Teochew braised shark fins soup is no longer in vogue with the young because of environmental concerns. I do enjoy shark fins soup but would gladly give it up too.
HC
“I remember my…………“ow num”, “kong chai”, kiam chai”, “hoo joo”, “kiam neng”.
Well, these names dont sound great for bfs, esp kong chai which seems to tell me he’s stupid, and the 2 kiam ones which to the cantonese suggest saltiness & wetness i.e. humsup.
“I recollect vividly, the “ah pek”……spread…..on a push cart……….I still steam…….Aiyo, all this memory makes me hungry.”
Well, faced with such temptation, not only women will steam and feel hungry, men too altho, for me, not when he’s an ah pek.
Hehe, Mary-C, like you more and more for being so candid.
Genet, I dont think you can see yr butt as well as another pair of eyes looking at it. So chances are, it’s already red like ang koo kueh. Since we’re butties, I will do you a favour of examining it and then tell you whether you can be authenticated as a Teochew.
Haha, Hou Chong, you spoke of Soon Kway and Koo Chye Kway. and asked for pointers on their making. Let me help you.
Cut and open up the koo chye. If one chive is too small, join several together which will be used to wrap the minced bamboo shoots…..and hey presto, sooner than soon, you have created the world’s first Teochew delicacy Soon Koo Kway.
Start a franchise and attract with a more catchy name that will easily roll off the lips as “Mr Lee’s KKK” (Koo Koo Kway).
Hehe……………..
Hi everyone,
I am arranging a dinner for 10(max) in Swa Garden, next Friday, Apr 24th. Meet at Swa Garden at 7.30pm or for those who do not drive, at the Aljunied MRT at 7.15pm.
Menu-wise, we will decide by consensus at the dinner. Price-wise, depends on the menu, but no suckling pig.
For those who are undecided, you can visit the food blog “ieatishootipost.sg”. It was reviewed there before.
Sorry Terence if I interrupted your post, but I thot, since this is a small diversion, I hope to be excused.
Cheers
Hou Chong.
Idioms? See if I can remember any. What about these? Are they idioms?
“Chio kou chwee lee lee” (Smile widely?)
” Kua kow kim dang dang “(all decorated with gold?)
” Poo huay” (raise fire = angry)
” ti ti hue” ( round and round = confusing)
” ka chng chio” (backside itchy = trouble maker)
” chwee chio chio” ( mouth itchy = ” )
“puah chwee chwee, kay lai bu kwee” ( this is uttered when someone breaks something on an auspicious occasion)
” buang ser joo ee” ( wishing you good luck in everything you wish for )
” tai kiak li chi” ( this is uttered when something bad is said)
“sai goo lor mung guek” ( buffalo dreaming of the moon = dreaming of something that is unattainable)
” huay siow” ( crazy over someone)
” goo kia em pak hou” ( calf who doesn’t recognise tiger)
“tong tong hee” ( shaking everywhere =flirtatious)
” hiao ni ni” ( flirtatious)
” deng chong wang” (become educated?)
Hey, this is good for me! It’s been ages since I’ve used or heard these phrases. I’m sure more will come to mind.
Charles,
tio chew ah hia, count me in for the dinner.
Aiyoh, Tim Liu.
You had me in stitches with your #33. You are the “hum sup low” as usual, taking things out of context, but hee, I enjoy your humour, weird though it may be.
Hou Chong
I remember that “Chew Sar Lau…” Hee hee.
I jus remembered a teowchew lullaby…”ong ya ong, ong kim kong…..”. Will write down later during my lunch time or tonite…those who know, can pose it…I can’t remember the full song…:-)))
Daisy Yeo
#29
“wah liak boh kew leh” What do those lines mean? Can translate please?
Lilian Chua #21
Do you know the saying,
“Tan, Lim, Chua, ti eh take chek pua”?
Ah Nee
You don’t have to worry. Your Teochew “kio” is detectable even in your English, hehe. The typical Teochew ah muay.
Jennifer Lim
Have I met you yet? So you are another “ka ki nang”. That makes one more.
Good morning………
Hi Charles C, Ming Kee Seafood Restaurant that I mentioned is at Macpherson Road. I intend to dine there next Sat and at the same time, I will reccee the “Swa Garden” you recommended. But why only Teochew “Ah Cheks” & “Ah Peks” love to eat there? Hehehee…..Teochew “Ah Nia” can try this special cuisine or not………
About Ban Seng Teochew Restaurant, my grandfather-in-law and my father-in-law used to celebrate their yearly birthday there in the 80s & 90s. The restaurant served very fresh Pomfret Fish, tasty Sharks Fin Soup & superb Fish Maw Soup. We stop patronized the restaurant after both my in laws had gone to “heaven” and since then the restaurant has moved to the current venue at The Riverwalk. But a few years back, we celebrated my father’s birthday there and I found that the food is not as nice & authentic as before and is a bit pricey. Another place worth trying is “Teochew Garden Restaurant” at The Concourse, Beach road. They have set menu ranging from $300 -$ 400 per table. I would recommend the 24 hrs “Alisan” Teochew porridge stall along upper serangoon road though it is a little expensive and crowded on weekends. Many MJ players went there for supper after their session end.
Since the H.K Best soup restaurant closed its business and we didn’t get to eat, why not organize a dining trip to a Teochew Restaurant…….heheheeee ……over to you, Terence!
Ah Nee
Oh June Lim.
I remember that, but that’s all I can recollect. Please do write the rest down. I want to relearn it….hopefully for my grand children, hehe.
Wow! Hou Chong, good to see that suddenly you become so active in this forum all because of the Teochew tales and the aftermath of our Perth trip.
My impression of you evolved from a serious professor to a humorous Teochew Ah Chek and also “Lau Chwee”. Hope you still remember this term given by Patrick to all of us.
Ya lor! being a Hokkien pien, I got to learn the poem by hard and memorized every word but when I recited the poem in front of you guys I also injected some actions which tickled me. Coupled with the inaccurate pronunciation made me looked like a clown each time when I recited the poem.
How come you modified the poem huh? I thought it should be lau HCLee Taa Xian Tua?
So this Saturday if you guys see a wobbling cyclist in front, you know who hor?
Keep laughing……………….
When we recite this poem my rich grandaunt who lived next door use to get very cross with us.
Ti oh oh (Sky is dark)
Kio ki hoe chia tan ah goa(Take an umbrella to wait for aunt)
Ah goa wu chi um chor kio(Aunt has money but does not want to take the sedan chair)
Puah kao ka ch’ng nor piak tow(Landed up with mud on backside)
Hum sup low translates to ‘ter kor pek’. Haha!
Steven #24, That light breakfast porridge is only in the mornings. Lunch and dinner will have meat and fish. Guess in the olden days ppl are very frugal and that is why they become rich!
As a child, I grow up in a rough neighbourhood. We kids were referred to as ‘See Nang Kia’ or ‘Pu Bor Kia’.
I never learn to use those terms, not because they are vulgar but because I cannot make sense out of them.
If parents call their children ‘See Nang Kia’. aren’t they referring to themselve.
When father call his son ‘Pu Bor Kia’ it is appropriate, but there is no need to announce it in public repeatedly unless he is not sure of himself.
Any scholar out there care to help me understand.
Steven, my father love to eat porridge with all the salty egg & fish, “hoo joo” preserved “kong chye”, “kiam chye” “chye poh”, black “kah na” for breakfast. I hate all these, and I have educate them not to eat such salty & sour food often, not a healthy choice.
Hou Chong, my mother is also good at making all the Teochew kueh like “Soon Kueh”, “Orh Kueh”, “Koo Chye Kueh” & “Poon kueh”. YONG Teochew kueh stall along upper serangoon road is also another place where you can buy all these superb Teochew kueh. Last week, Lina & Suzhang bought some delicious “Soon Kueh” & “Orh Kueh” from a stall in Toa Payoh and is much cheaper than YONG Teochew kueh stall.
Veronique, please recite Hou Chong’s poem for me this Sat at EC cycling, really curious to hear how it sounds like….can or not?
Mary C, wow! your Teochew is so much better than me. Next time, you speak Teochew to me, ok.
Ah Nee
Tian Soo, my mother scolded my naughty brother “zhi kia”. And my father always said “Pu Bor” to anyone who annoyed him. When I made my mother angry, she scolded me “………”, I don’t want to say….hahahaaaaa…..
Ah Nee
Ah Nee, your name is very ‘teochew’, like
Ah Bah, Ah Ter, Ah Goo, Ah Qui, Ah Kow.
The equivalent for our Shc friends will be
Ah Tim, Ah Suan, Ah Nique, Ah Cheng.
Oui, ah Char, you ah ah ah so much, wait huh, ANee sticks her toe into yr mouth and you ah ah ah the nasi lemak alamak then you know ahhh………….
Threads like this is invigorating and it has to be kar chng Sengh who can think of it………….
Just to share, not Teochew rhyme but it happened in Hougang:
1. A Teochew Ah Pek wondered off from home and lost in PayaLebar, when a policeman tried to help by asking where he lives, the answer: ah pek si nia gong. No, he is not taking advantage but telling the road name of his home address.
2. A hokkien called from downstair to conform his teochew friend’s present b4 he arrived at his doorstep but can’t find him when the mother opened the door. Asked where the friend is, the answer: yi toh ek pae. ‘eh peng'(downstair)? how come? Then, his friend appears from the kitchen.
Know the answer?
Hi Joyce
1) Ah Pek stays in Upper Serangoon.
2) yi toh ek pae – He is in the bathroom.
Heard this type of slang from my late mother-in-law.
Cheers
Alicia
Hello Ah Tim,
My office phone ring ring just a while ago………I picked up, and I heard Suzhang kept laughing non-stop for 5 mins..still cannot talk and keep laughing…..its all your fault lah. Now my colleagues is asking me what so funny…hahahaaaa….I also cannot stop laughing……
Ah Nee
Hi Hi Alicia, you score 100. You must’ve learnt alot from your in-law
Cheers
Aiyah, ANee, it’s all the fault of Charlie the chacha Wee who char all up to a boil. Btw, wonder what his dialect is………he looks like a Mongolian to me, not least, Genghis Khan also liked to ah ah ah a lot like tarzan with jane holding him on the bottom & swinging like a pendulum……….
Hi Ah Nee,
I remembered my father used to use the word “Pu Bor’ whenever he gets angry. And, dont be offended, my mum used to say “Chau Chee” behind the backs of my girl friends who come to the house. I get really embarassed and I dont agree with my mum for using such vulgar words, but since she was my mum, I just had to nod my head along. Guess today, and hopefully our generation has got a little more finese.
It’s nice of everybody to share your teochew exposure, but stay cool, even if some words sound vulgar to you. Be patient, we should meet sometime, have a cup of tea, and share all the teochew vulgarities we know. HC Lee has lead us to some interesting youtube sites with teochew jokes. Practise them, you need it when we meet.
Terence Seah
Terence, that’s it…hahahaaaa….that is the “word” my mother used to scold me and the gals at home.
Aiyo! These Teochew poem is very hard for me to understand, let alone recite the words. Hmmmm…let me try this one: “tee kor liang, tee kor chor” …”tee kor hor, tee kor por”. It means “you follow the one that is better” …correct or not huh? :)
Ah Nee
Wah!…i read this thread, very funny with all the dialects written..i tried to read it..& my colleagues just laughed…must be funny!…especially “teochew nang, kahchung ang ang”. to me, it ryme so well..hehehe.
Lina say her’s not,June’s..i donno..but for sure ahnee’s not…cos i seen when we went hotspring bath in Korea last time!…ooppss!..sori “orh nee”…yam paste? :)
Mary Chan #41
My surname is one listed, definitely I’ve heard ” Tan, Lim, Chua, ti eh take chek pua”.
Chong Lee #32
Ya, Teochew are famous for their ‘kways’ too. Remember the pink colored ‘pun kway?’. Too much effort to prepare them the traditional way & there’s no demand.
Those were the good old days where everything is home made, unlike now, most things are factory made.
There’s a stall in Toa Payoh selling good ‘khoo chai kweh’ but the queue is too long for my liking.
Terence,
“pu bor”, ‘chau chee” not in fashion anymore.
Now it’s ‘wah lau’, universal usage
Lina #47, Steven #24
Lina is right, teochew eats light watery porridge for breakfast with all sorts of salted stuff.
Besides food, share with you some teochew traditions like wedding and 4 types of gold, ang pows. When teochew girl gets married, they usually leave home before the sun rises. Ang pow is usally $12 or $24.
Anyone knows the reason?
My mom loves to say…”suay chee”” and “chow lok”….:-)))
OK lullaby time…
ong ya ong
ong kim kong
kim kong kia
cho lau tia
ah boon ah bu lai tah hia
tah pu pu
chee ter tua kueh goo
ng goo say bei kia
bei kia say kim koo
kim koo long long ee
ah sia tak cher who kuay kee
(something like that, tho some sentences I dont understand:-)))
Another good teochew restaurant is Chuan Le at Beo Crescent.
Hou Chong Lee ….yes, grinding the rice…I used to do that for my maternal grandma whn I was young. There is this round cylindrical stone with a wooden handle at the side to move the stone on a flat slab of stone. You put rice into the hole in the cylindrical stone and you grind the rice. Every now and then got to add water. The grinded rice flour is put into a bag, on which u leave the cylindrical stone, to squeeze out the water. Next day, my grandma makes poon kuey skin with it. My grandma is a great cook. Every chinese new year, lots of people queue up for her chinese new year goodies (loveletters, “lek tau ko””, pineapple tarts, the agar agar in the rabbit mould…lots more.
Mary at #40
Chi how seh yang lau beh (bring a son up to take care of the father)
Chi cha wah pak lang meh (bring a daughter up for others to scold)
Figure this out.
When Ah Tim reached home after work,his Malay neighbour said to him, I just sent your grandfather to hospital. He told me to pass you this message. He kept saying this word “Kong”. I reckon that he said it 16 times. But I couldn’t quite understand what he was telling me. What was he trying to say?
kong kong kong kong
kong kong kong kong
kong kong kong kong
kong kong kong kong
Can you decipher what he said? Your interpretation, please.
Thomas :))
Ka lau meng chng, pek buay ki (fell off bed unable to pick myself up)
Ciao ka mak chup lau mua koi liao (laugh till tears flood the street).
The contribution of comments in this post is so hilarious. Chin Hor Sng (fun)! Goodness! The Px Bxx phrase does go hand-in-hand with the Teochew Ah Cheks. My father, grandpa and uncles used it all the time when they were angry.
So true, every time I tell someone that I am a Teochew, it’s always a sing-song response, Teochew nan ka-chng ang ang. Wonder how that derived.
According to my birth certificate, I am a Teochew nan, but by Terence’s standard. I would have failed miserably :-(
Am still struggling with the dialect.
I joke about myself as one Teochew who is not from Swatow or Swabuay, but Swa-leng-tang. Teochew wuay, phuet lai phuet ki, phuet buay lai (can’t manage to speak Teochew). Aha, bet many Teochews here don’t know what I am talking about, sio li si .
Albeit, at home we still eat a lot of porridge. especially lunch, less the unhealthy kiam kahna, kiam bua-ki (salted tiny crabs) and kiam sotong kia (salted squids). These days, it’s a more healthy diet consisting steamed peh-tor or steamed flower crabs eaten with sliced ginger in mashed toucho. I love and miss the kiamchye/sour plum duck soup which my father used to cook. Also, the Teochew pink & white poon kuey, koochye kuey which my late grandma made. In particular the koochye kuey, it’s almost “extinct” now.
Here’s one cute Teochew song, Man Kar Chit Chang Lai ?????, which I wish to delicate to all fellow Teochew nan. Sockie ah niah #6, mai mai lai cho ah. Enjoy…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ct9tjFYSI
Hi Thomas!
Kong Kong (Grandfather) kong kong (giddy)
Kong (tin) kong (hit) Kong Kong (Grandfather)
Kong Kong ( Grandfather) kong (said) kong (tin)
kong (hit) Kong Kong (Grandfather)
Kong Kong (Grandfather ) kong kong (giddy)
Hahaha, my Teochew is so bad that my comment is now under moderation…
Hi All
The last “Soo Kee” posting already make me so confused ..now with all the “kong kong” here & there … I give up – Meow Meow – please explain all the “kong Kong” when we meet , ok.
karen
Hello Gingko Ah Nia @ #70,
Of course, I do understand your Teochew Pinyin, “Ler xia liao boi pai leh”!
“Wa nan da Teochew whey, hor mo ? ~ Ler di xi hu oi lim ko pi neh”? Wa tan ler kai tiang whey ~ ki tik ka kot wa huh”….
Hi Hou-Chong Ah Hiah @ #17,
“Ler kai Teochew Whey xia liao boi pai hor?
Tang ler kwey lai Singapore, wa lai ang bai jiak chek tern, puey liang puey juak, ki tik hor?
Ha ha ha, I see Karen now thow kong kong liao
Charles #34
I am a chit quat ter(Hokkien Ter), chit quat beh(Teochew beh), so can attend the dinner or not huh?
Tian Soon #48
Heard of the phrases being used but never think twice about it…….. now I begin to see the funny side of it ;0)
Sockie
Wow so many comments on this post today from #31 to #73 (at 12.30am). Looks like Teochews have a lot to share. Incidentally, there is half a million teochews in S’pore making up 21% of all Chinese here.
Tim#33 – brilliant idea TQ. I will start making SKK to be called KKK tomorrow so that my customers don’t have to TKK ie Tung Koo Koo or worse TKO .
Mary#35 – good collection TQ. Ever heard of “chiak see koi tern” (eat dead chicken’s intestine). This is to describe someone who argue endlessly…rather crude but clever.
Lee Ah Nee#49 – TQ for recommendations. I have visited most stalls incl Yong. Wished the hawkers wld put some bamboo shoots fillings in their SK though.
Veronique #46 – I had to change the words to the poem or else, my diet will be changed to porridge and black beans. Tis Sat. wear lots of protective gears eg M. Jackson gloves, baby pampers etc before reciting the Poem while cycling hor. Tell others that the poem originated from Mary Lee ok, she is so talented. BTW, your mail box is not accepting mails, pls contact Kristine to retrieve some pixs from me.
Lilian Chua #62 Khoo Chai ie Chives is rich in vit A and C and is known to lower blood pressure. The plants grew abundantly and they repells garden pest. Chives fried with egg is also nice to eat with porridge.
June Lim#67 Yes the process of grinding the rice is back breaking. Haven’t learned the art of complaining at that age and so just go round and round merrily…haha.
SueChan#72 Teochew Ah Nia, ler kai Teochew cheng cheam, wah piam hoi,..”Jiak chek tern, puey liang puey juak” – long zeong oei zie.
Would be nice to hear from any of you regarding teochew customs and ways, anything cultural or just unique practices within your family, in relation to marriage ceremonies, new year festivities and any other special events or occasions.
HC
On the morning of my birthday, my mum would give me a bowl of sweet noodle soup and 2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast. I was not told the significance but enjoyed the meal just the same. The eggs perhaps represent the origination of life and the noodle, long life. The sweet soup, well, was it to sweeten my life, sweeten my dialogue, sweeten my looks or a sweet start to a new year? Gosh, many years have since passed w/out the sweet noodle soup on that special day. Must not miss it this year – need some help on some front, esp upfront.
HC
Yes yes, the mee suah and 2 hard boiled eggs in sugar water on birthdays. Me too, many many birthdays hve passed without that bowl of mee suah tng…:-) Almost forgot abt it!!
“On…….my birthday, my mum would give me…..2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast.. ….The eggs perhaps represent the origination of life………….”
The egg would have either come from a hen, a duck or a turtle so if that signifies your origination then it must have taken a very revolutionary evolution for you to become one who looks like us. Congratulations !
Seriously, the custom diversity inherent in each dialect, their unique nuances, would be lost forever, even for as lofty an ideal as unifying the Chinese as one people, if the common language spoken by the bourgeois or blue-blooded Mandarins is given the one and only decree to survive. Like it or not, there’s no equivalent in Mandarin for “lau chee”, “knn”, “ccb”, “lppl”………but that wont make our children more refined and less vulgar.
To me, to have only 1 Chinese language spoken as a common dialect is to give all other dialects honed and perfected over time, a TKO which is sad and regrettable.
HAHAHAHA
All the Teochew nang. Charles has now become Ah Char!
Catherine Ho’s various versions of “kong kong” was so hilarious. Yes, said with the right intonation, they all have different meanings.
Hou Chong. June Lim
Oh I remember the noodles with egg and sweet broth! Haven’t had that for umpteen years! But my paternal grandmother, who was Hokkien also had this very same practice.
When we ate the noodles, we were told not to bite them into sections but to get the whole strand into the mouth first, so as to have a long life, hahaha.
BTW have you heard of “chut huay ng” literally translated as getting out of garden (getting out of adolescene-hood). I remembered that Teochew kids have to go through this proces. I think this practice is almost abosolute already.
Ah Nee,
Ah Teochew muay, oi sai. Nang lai da Teochew way.
Ler chiak pa buay?
Yes, I remember the crude words, but if we girls ever tried using them, woe behold! Such double standards. Parents could use them on us, but we were not allowed to utter them.
Tim,
Talking about turtle eggs brings back another memory. There used to be a Malay man who would bring a bag of cooked turtle eggs to our doorstep. Turtle eggs are very yummy and feel sandy. Pity, they are now not available. Anyone knows where to get some?
Jennifer Lim
Yes I remember “chut huay hng”. I used to wonder what “huay hng”? “Huay hng” means “garden” right?
What did they have to do, can you remember?
Gingko
“kiam bua kee”! I used to love them as a kid, but when I discovered later that they were actually RAW pickled crabs, I got very grossed out and never ate them again. Same for “chin chia loh” . Seem so unhygienic to store the “bua kee” in little earthen pots unsealed.
Good morning……..
Wow! This Teochew thread is getting more interesting & exciting!!!! Now we are in the Teochew culture & tradition.
Lilian, That’s true….I know Teochew “Ah Nia” have to leave her home before the sun rises on the wedding day. But, why “ang pow” is usually $12 or $24???
June & Hou Chong, I also help my mother in the grinding of the rice…in order to make the Teochew kueh. Now that I recalled, how come I am the one always do the grinding….
where are my sisters?
Hello Cat Ho, Thomas made everyone “kong kong” including me. You are not Teochew and yet so clever, can solve the 16 x “kong”.
Let me see….how many Teochew “Ah Nia” we have?
Mary Chan, Sue Chan, Gingko Tay, Sock Cheng , June Lim, Lilian Chua, Lina Ng, Jennifer Lim, Joyce Tan…oh ya where is our bubbly sweet Hougang “Ah Nia”, Mary Lee(Perth)? :)
Ah Nee
Hou Chong
Never heard of “chiak see koi tern” but have heard of “tern tee” which means “long winded.
A few more:
“chi chi chor chor” ( hither and tither?)
“chia pa ka oing” (too free after having eaten)
“png tung” (rice bin = stupid)
“ze dai” ( book knowledge)
“kow mia kwee” ( literal translation is “bad life devil”)
“mm sar mm si” (neither here nor there?)
Hee, so many phrases are popping up! This is fun.
All Teochew nang
This reminds me of “Ng Chia Keng” of the Golden network on the Redifussion, “da pek way” (“talking white words”)
Anyone remember that? I was a kid then and didn’t quite understand most of what he said, but my parents used to enjoy his programme.
Lim Tian Soo # 48
In effect they were actually scolding themselves for producing such kids, don’t you think? Kind of stupid of them huh? Hahaha.
Lilian, Ah Nee
Yes, I remember having to get up at 4 am to get ready for my wedding. I had to be out of the house by 9 am, I think.
Why 12 or 24 dollars, I have no idea.
Oh yes, one more ghastly tradition that I totally refused to do. When I got married, my older sister was still single, so the “buay nang puah” said I had to hang up a pair of black trousers and walk under them! My older sister had to go out of the house during the wedding too! Such cruelty!
Then, there was the umbrella. What did it signify?
Terence,
“chor ni bo sia” (why no sound?)from you? Did you ever have to “chut huay hng”? What did they do to you? Did they do anything drastic to you, like circumcise you? Hahaha.
Daisy Yeo #60
Thanks for the transalation. :-)
June Lim #65
I remember that rhyme now, but still can’t get the meaning correct. When we get together, you must recite it to me so I can get the meanings right, ok?
Thanks for writing it down.
Alicia Soh,
Didn’t know you spoke Teochew. Welcome to the Teochew clan.
Actually, my Teochew is also a little bit “out”, a mix of Hokkien tones, hehe. Some people say, a little bit “huai”
Dear Teochew Friends,
Reckon I’m able to answer why the red packet has to be either $12 or $24 dollars. Understood from my mum that the red packet is usually given as a small token in even numbers from $8 – $24, and this signifies that the bride is married off in marital bliss (so-called “soon soon li li” in Teochew)!
As regards to the umbrella, this is to mark a new beginning for the newly-weds, with the bride’s mum or aunt having to walk & shield her as they walk towards the bridegroom’s car. Likewise, the umbrella is also used to shield the bride against any ‘evil spirits’ that may trespass at early hours….
Hope that clarifies, and meanwhile I will try to get more myths & facts from my mum and aunt, to contribute more to this forum.
Cheers!
Gingko #71 Cos the moderator cannot tell if those words can or cannot be published. We are confusing them. Got lots of 4 letter words!
There is this one whereby you look at each individual fingerprint. You only consider the ones with a complete cirle and give a meaning to every one of them. It starts from one to 10:
cik lor cik wei wei
nor lor chau ka pueh (2 lor likes to wander about)
sa lor wu bi chiak (3 lor got rice to eat)
si lor wu bi chuei (4 lor got rice to cook – same meaning lah)
ngo lor wu cang ch’ng
lak lor pek sing th’ng (6 lor very kau pek) haha!
cik lor cik yak yak
poik lor chor kik chiak (8 lor become beggar)
gao lor gao wa wa
chak lor chor ah kua (10 lor become judge, not gigolo ah!)
Aiyoh! Very difficult to explain! Some of which I don’t even know the meaning. I think some of you are better at this. Have fun.
Yes, “chut huay ng” is a Teochew tradition practise by our granny & mother. On that auspicious “chut huay ng” day (like Lilian said it means “getting out of adolescene-hood”), my mother made me put on everything NEW. First thing in the early morning, I bathed with “huay chui” (flower water), then I put on my red “samfoo”, red “char kiat” (wooden clog shoe), red handkerchief…..everything red, no wonder Norlinda said “Teochew nang, ka chng ang ang”… to her, it rhyme so well. Apa macam, so stupid right! What to do? Must be obedient to our parent lor? Nowsaday, we don’t practice this anymore, oh my goodness……
Ah Nee
Oh ya..continue…..I am not allow to step out of the house on that auspicious “chut huay ng” day. But hor…I peep peep thru my house window to see if any handsome guys pass by…hahahaaaa…… :)
Ah Nee
Mary Chan…I still can’t get used to “hearing” u speak teochew..:-))) remember I used to say u remind me of the english lady with cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other…:-)))
Yes the “chut huay hng”. I had it and I was so embarrased that day. That is the day u are deemed a “big” girl, no more “noh kia” (small child). Relatives were invited and there were presents too. Can’t remember if there was red char kiat or red handkerchief. Celebration included a trip to a temple with my grandma. And ended with dearest grandma throwing 12 scrunched up pieces of paper between my legs (me standing with legs apart) …!!! The furthest 2 pcs were taken and opened up, and the nos. to bet on “chap jee kee”..:-))))
Terence…u started this post, now I can’t concentrate on my work…the “sim chay chay” (heart wild wild) wanting to go into forum to read the comments.
Sue Chan
Wow, you are more knowledgeable about the teochew traditions than I am!
I thought you were a Hokkien, a Peranakan. Now I understand the significance of the umbrella and the 12 and 24 dollars.
Thanks :-)
Lina Ng
I remember that rhyme! Don’t know if there’s any truth in it though, but we had fun checking out everyone’s fingers.
Funny, I don’t seem to have any “lors”. So how? Hahaha.
Ah Nee
Wah, you had to do all that? I didn’t. Guess my parents were not that traditional after all.
June Lim,
I still have a cup in one hand and a book in the other, though less frequently nowadays, with so much distractions around, hehe. ;-)
To be honest, I haven’t spoken much Teochew in the past 20 odd years, more Hokkien but mostly in English, to the detriment of my dialects. So, when you hear me speak Teochew, please don’t laugh at my “kngio” ok?
Your rendition of what your grand ma did is so hilarious! Chap jee kee from between your legs! Hahaha.
Btw, is “chut huay hng” before or after the first menstruation? How do they determine when it is for boys? After their first ejaculation? Hahaha. Oops sorry for being naughty, hehe.
Haha, this thread is getting more ludicrous and crazier with each posting…
Mary-C, did you hear Hou Chong calling you from inside the bag of eggs yr Malay friend carried? Heee, the theory of orgination.
12 and 14 are numbers similar to our infamous 08, 24 (of the 1960s) or Macau’s 14K, or the sio nghee wo, sio koon tong, the bamboo united (unrelated to manchester united). Go thru what yr grandmas had left behind, you might (if you’re as lucky as Sue-C who found the Penguin’s umbrella) find a white fan or even Hong 7 Kong’s beat dog stick there.
“…..u remind me of the english lady with cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other……” That was her 1950 version.
Today’s version “….a spore ah sor clearing tea cups with one hand and a broom in the other……”
Finally,
“…….is “chut huay hng” before or after the first menstruation? How do they determine when it is for boys? ”
Of cos it’s none of the above and how can you forget since it announced the arrival of menopause…and you actually paused a few times to tell us how sad you were.
For boys? No big deal lah and Steven-C has it everyday like a chut chut train…. you can check it out with him anytime.
Hi Mary
This post is very addictive.
Being a Hokkien, I thought speaking Teochew means speaking
in a singing tone! My late MIL remarked that I am ‘huan cheng’ – think it is something no good. She spoke Teochew and I replied in Hokkein. She called one of her son-in-law
‘Ah Char” and I improved it with an English name, Mr Wood.
So difficult to remember the words like ‘bed’ and dining table’ sounds alike, kar phuan (bolster) chzat chwee hu (vacuum flask)pong pail (fire crackers) arh neh,quay neh, kut neh. Words like share and help sounded vulgar and funny to me.
SIL Wedding – Before the sky turns bright, my SIL have to wear her wedding gown standing in a big circular low base rattan container.Her mother will have say all the nice words in front of her and asked her to take ‘chap ji kee’ I find this very amusing. MIL will tell me ‘more suaw tah way'(keep quiet)
Got to go for lunch now.
Alicia
Hallo Ah Nee!
I’m not Teochew by birth but brought up by a typical Teochew mother!(She’s from China!) Can’t tahan her Teochew proverbs mostly got double meaning.
Sometimes, when I spoke to my colleagues, they’ll day my
Teochew proverbs very “chim”
Tah Teochew way si jing pek (speaking teochew is very white). We must find a way to meet up and enjoy speaking in Teochew. It will be hilarious, hearing one another speak in the teochew we can reminder.
So far, I read many can qualify criteria two.
Now, we need some judges to review criteria one. I think one way is to put your mobile phone behind you, press the camera button and send the digital picture to approved judges. If it turns out to be “ang ang”, then one criteria met. Sue Chan, JuneL or Ah Nee, Lillian or Eileen and MaryC, do you want to be judges?
Please send your digital buttocks to terences@silverhairsclub.com. I shall compile them, and send to our approving judges.
Terence Seah
Hi Terence!
Another Teochew song:-
“Ti theng ji lek chia”
Ti air gwee chi chair
Wu nan bo bow
Wu nan bo cut gia
Wu nan bo mo
Wu nan bo cut gia”
There’s a star in the sky
on earth there’s a school
There’re people who have no hair
There’re people who have too much
There’re people who have no wife
But there’re some who have more!
Something to lighten up your day……..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OixHzVAFbS0
hougang kia
Hi Mary Chan,
Did your mother request for si tiam kim (four kinds of jewellery) as part of your dowry ?
Hi Hi me again…:-)…”chum, wah bo sim cho kang” (I got no heart to work:-)))
End of the year hor…how abt get the place where the 1st D & D was held and we hold our dialect grups gatherings there, with a buffet meal? :-)). With sit down meal, u can only talk among those around the table.
One corner of the room, the Teochew nang..another corner, the SooKee nan, another corner the Kong Fu yan, another corner the Hokkien nan, rest in the centre…:-))..That occasion, strictly dialect speaking only. We can yak among our own dialect grup and any “intruders” would hve to speak our dialect!!! how abt that?
Lilian Chua @ #64
Teochew marriage customs, this is interesting…
The four points of gold (si dian jin or si diam kim???) is part of a Teochew bride’s betrothal gift from her parents-in-law and is compulsory. It consists of a pair of earrings, a necklace, a pendant or ring, and a bangle/bracelet. Symbolizes appreciation and love from the in-laws for the bride, and sound financial standing of the groom who will provide well for his bride’s future.
In a Teochew wedding, it was (is?) customary for the groom to “fetch” his bride at her house just after daybreak but before sunrise, like 5.00am. This was to avoid “white events”, like funerals which, in the olden days, were set off in the mornings. Nowadays, geomancy, auspicious dates and times are more prevalent.
Hi #97 Ah Nee & #99 June Lim,
I have been through the same sentiments as you both – chut huay hng when I was 15 years old.
Anyone know how to play Teochew Si Sek (four colours cards)? I can play tua ji (25 cards).
Sue Ah Niah #72, ler hor mor? Joi xia joi xia, wa kai teochew whey xi jot au, ler teo zi ka zi ka. Jiak teh lim ko pi, bo boon toi, sui si sui si…
Mary @ #85,
Those were the days, luc tuc jiak, luc tuc tua. Simple food, simple joy. No one complained about diarrhoea or food poisoning. Ask me now, I won’t even lay a finger on it, but I do know the Thais crush these (shell, eyes. juice & all) into their famous Papaya salad.
Ah June, “chum leow”……wah meh si bo sim cho kang….(cannot concentrate on my work)……later we talk about wedding (si dian jin or si diam kim ???), “tum phew” (potty), “suan see” (double happiness word), roast pig and more………..
Ah Nee
“Ha na Ah Nee, teo meh Terence ah seah kia” (ya lah, must scold master Terence::-)
Jenniferlim…I can play the “si sek pai”…whn I small girl, always had to hold the cards for my grandma and her kakis whn they need to go “pan jeo”…:-)). Almost evry afternoon, her gang will come round to our house to play the cards. Anyone who needs to go “pan jeo” will call me…”muay ah muay, kar ah mah toi pai jit ya” (small girl, come see ah ma’s cards for a while)….and u know lah, all old ladies…so u can guess how often I need to hold the cards…:-))))
Hi June Lim,
I was doing the same for my grandmother too. They call me muay kia. Shall we get few more teochew ah nia and we form kaki to play si sek pai?
“Anyone who needs to go “pan jeo” will call me…”muay ah muay, kar ah mah toi pai jit ya” (small girl, come see ah ma’s cards for a while)….”
Now, I also feel like pan jeo so…………
“Muay ah muay, kar ah pek toi kk chiau hoe….” (small girl, come see ah pek’s &%%#&&%#@ for as long as you like).
Btw, I too think it’s a great idea that we gather according to our creed and clans (and for those who dont speak our dialects like Nor, they too can come for the fun and choose to sit with whoever) and see who can convert who to renounce his/her dialect for another. Imagine Sengh speaking cantonese from hougang to little india and finally end up selling rojak at geylang serai as he tells everyone “ng sai gang, orr ke lo jak sek jo ng wui lai si keh…..”
Dear Mary #101,
“Miang Kek Ki”, Ah Niah…at least we are all able to learn from each other more of our Teochew culture by exchange of knowledge, tiok bor?
To share a little more, my nephew just “chut huay hern” last year. One can easily detect the sudden change in a boy’s voicebox, to a rather ‘hoarse’, husky sound. My sis-in-law bought him a new set of clothes e.g. new pants, brief, T-shirt, shoes & socks, and a handkerchief. Next, she prepared a herbal soup known as “??” ~ “Tian Qi”, for him to drink, to expel the ‘bad qi’ or any internal injuries he may’ve sustained during his childhood days. To add on, he’s supposed to stay INDOORS on that particular day. The only difference is that girls will take the “???”, and be given a new set of clothes + that wooden “char kiak”, of course.
Dear Gingko,
“Ler xia liao, wa oi heoh tiah” ~~ tan wa kia email/ka tiang whey kot ler hor!
AhNee@98..
Alamak u peeping tom not long enough lah…u didnt see AhSeng,AhChar,AhTim & AhJuan(DonJuan) pretend playing goli so attract your attention meh?…hehe
Alicia@106..
arg neh,quay neh,kut neh…apa neh?..tell me when we go hiking next time neh! ;)
JuneLim@112…
Not a bad idea at all!..but hor if all the true blue ‘nan’ get the corners..then me..so lonely…,just bcos wah amah is tau cho nan, wah papa is malai nan,I have to sit centre ah?..apa macam?..haha
Gingko@115..
Jiak teh lim ko pi is it eat tea,drink coffee?..very chim leh..wah tau tia leow!
AhSeng!…
You susah lah…we very busy with this thread..all work tak jadi…hmmm..better siam!
Hello all the teochew nan, here is a riddle for you solve
Sua teng chit tu chow
Chow err nor huet lau
Lau err nor kee teng
Teng err chit teow leng
Leng err chi kai kut
Chit chiat lee herr chow buy chut
And the answer is ……….
Sockie
Dear Terence Ah Hiah,
“Bor Moon Toi”, I can assist you as one of the judges…
Just email me if you need any clarifications…”Tang ler cheah wa chek tern Teochew Muay”, hor mo?
Nor & June, I can’t help laughing…..its all Ah Seng’s fault. Nor, I add on for you…”wah kai peng yu is teo chew nan”. I welcome you to join the Teochew clan…… :)
Ah Nee
Sockie,
Sua teng chit tu chow (mountain top..a patch of grass)
Chow err nor huet lau
Lau err nor kee teng (downstair got 2 lamps)
Teng err chit teow leng (window got dragon)
Leng err chi kai kut
Chit chiat lee herr chow buy chut (Dragon cannot escape)
tio boh? :)
Ah Nee
Sockie…”wah liak boh kue” (I catch no ball!!@@## :-))
Jenniferlim….but nowadays where to get “si sek pai”?
And this is the best….
“Alicia@106..arg neh,quay neh,kut neh…apa neh?..tell me when we go hiking next time neh! “
ANee, you managed to explain all except 2. Of these 2 I know what this one “Chow err nor huet lau” means.
Chow has to be the short for our butty Chow Weng. Nor is of cos the affable Nor.
So what it means is Chow Weng has erred Nor till she huet lau, or blood drip.
What happened, you know, I know but cant tell.
Hehee………
Hou Chong #75
You changed the words to the poem because you don’t like to eat black bean porridge every meal, so I understand liao.
I always wear protective gears for all my sports, this sat I not only recite the poem, I’ll wear Mike Jackson’s gloves to do break danz also. Come lah Hou Chong! Drive down to join our cycling this sat and have lots of fun with us – just imagine n recall our crazy time in Perth…………………………….
Appreciated if you could resend the fotos as I’ve just cleared my mailbox. Juz spoke with Kristine and she got your fotos. U know, Kris can’t recognize by voice because I still sound like Miss Rod Stewart.
Good Day!
Veronique
For those who are teochew, please participate in this post, at least once. Your name will be noted and you will be invited to join a little teochew gathering soon or sometime.
Terence Seah
June Lim …. Si Sek Pai no problem, I can get from my mother. This is her favourite past time. We only need to get kakis.
Daniel #110
Thanks for sharing the teochew song on U Tube…..very funny esp the ‘Green Green Face’.
Gingko #113
Thanks for sharing the meaning/purpose of ‘si diam kim’.
June Lim #112
Interesting suggestion!
Sockie/Ah Nee,
teng err chit teow leng (below the lamp got dragon)
leng err chi kai kut (below the dragon got a hole)
chit chiat lee herr chow buy chut (a fish cannot escape)
Mary #102, I have only 1 ‘lor’. Sorry don’t know what it means to have no ‘lor’. But those with 10 ‘lor’ are supposed to be very capable ppl.
So Ah Nee and June, everyday sim chay chay, bo sim chor kang. Tan cair pok tau lou.
Nor, you are very clever, you even know Teochew!
Karen#72, You can start a thread in your dialect, and we will be lost too!
Hi Terence!
Does “Ah Seah” Teochew porridge at Kovan Road belongs to your grandpa?
Maybe yr great..great relative of yours??
Hello Cat Ho,
hahahaa….Does “Ah Seah” Teochew porridge at Kovan Road belongs to Ah Seng? I am not sure, but hor…..the side roads (Lim Tua Tow Road) & (Lim Ah Ping Road) along upper serangoon road could belongs to Lim Tian soo’s grandpa and great grandpa. hahahaaa……..
Lina Oie…
Sua teng chit tu chow (mountain top..a patch of grass)
Chow err nor huet lau (below grass………
Lau err nor kee teng (downstair got 2 lamps)
Teng err chit teow leng (window got dragon)
Leng err chi kai kut (below the dragon got a hole)
Chit chiat lee herr chow buy chut (why suddenly become a fish and cannot escape?)Where is Sockie? Tio bo?
Lina, I think I got 3 “lor” ……”kat hor neh”?
Ah Nee
Cannot keep quite any more.
Wa kai teo chew si puar tan sai.
Ah Nee & Sockie,
Sua teng chit tu chow (mountain top..a patch of grass)
Chow err nor huet lau (below grass 2 ??)
Lau err nor kee teng (downstair?? got 2 lamps)
Teng err chit teow leng (below got dragon)
Leng err chi kai kut (below dragon got 1 hole)
Chit chiat lee herr chow buy chut (! goldfish cannot escape)
It’s your head!!
More riddles:
1) ee ee leng leng
hor chiat mo teng cheng
What is this?
2) Cheng ang sar, ang kou
Ti teng koiat loiat ker jeow poat
What is this?
Lawrence,
What head? from dragon to fish and then head…..”ler kai teo chew” (confirm)”puar tang sai”. hehahaaa….why never sign up for this sat’s cycling? “ler ai lai mai lai”?
Ah Nee
Ah Nee & Sockie,
Sua teng chit tu chow (your hair)
Chow err nor huet lau (your eyebrow)
Lau err nor kee teng (your eyes)
Teng err chit teow leng (your nose)
Leng err chi kai kut (your mouth)
Chit chiat lee herr chow buy chut (your tongue – cannot escape)
So it’s your head!!
Alicia Soh
fire crackers is “pong pio” right? Hahaha
Yeh! thats right…so clever. Now, what is the answers for your riddles? I have 30 mins in the MRT train to think about it. Tomorrow, continue……bye going home already.
Ah Nee
Terence.
You want what?? Let’s see who will be the first to send in his/her digital “buttock” photo , hahaha.
I don’t mind being the judge provided I don’t have to send in mine, hehe.
Hi Ah Nee,
This sat’s cycling cannot. Sunday bowling also cannot.
Got dragon boat practice for next week competition.
Will try to go for the May monthly gathering.
Catherine Ho,
You are not speaking Teochew lah. I think it’s a mix of Hokkien and Teochew. You are a mix like me lah, hahaha.
Jennifer Lim
Oh ya she did. Plus a cash dowry too. Pretty expensive man, haha.
June Lim # 112
Interesting suggestion, but who will the “others”? Can the teochews speak to the Hokkiens and the Cantonese etc. in their own dialects? Sure confusion !
June Lim
So you were the “pung jio ah muay” huh? Hahaha.
Gingko
Ya lor, “tuck chia, tuck hor”. That’s what my mum used to say, but I wouldn’t try that nowadays. The germs are much more potent and harder to “kill”.
Ah Muay Lina@134..
Im not clever lah..
Wah or(learning?) mang mang…mai chou..tio bo?
Alamak!..not only orh nee & junie kena tan cair pok tau lou…me also!..haha
Lawrence@140…
At last it make sense!..so its not mountain top got grass,lamp,dragon or fish…actually ‘Your head!’..very susah & kesian funny..hehe
Terence
Thanks hor, i dont want to be the judge for digital buttocks, later my eyes ‘sie mak cham’ ha ha
Hey Terence,
My maternal grandparents were teochews and hail from Swatow now now known as Shantou. My paternal grandparents were descendants from Amoy in Fukien province. Lets see now… so I am therefore a Hok-chew? Hehe….
Does that qualify me as a candidate in the group? Btw my favourite teochew dessert is also the orh-nee and I still remember the occasional supper of plain porridge with fermented beancurd and little uncooked flower crabs and cockles soaked in black sauce with garlic and chilli which went so well with the plain porridge. Sigh….I don’t seem to see these kind of food anymore.
Catherine Yeo
Aiyah, just say a few words of Teochew lor and you are in. Right Terence? Unless you want the other proof from Cat? the kachng ang ang one? Hahaha.
Wahhhh Lawrence you very chong meng ya…..tiok lah it’s your head
For those who still cannot make out my teochew language hor, here is the translation lah
On top of mountain there is tuff of grass
Under the grass there are 2 leaves from the willlow tree
Under the willow leaves there are 2 lamp
Under the lamp there is a dragon
Under the Dragon there pit/hole
There is a carp that cannot escape from the pit
Hair, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth and tongue….clap clap for Lawrence and Ah Nee you were getting quite close ;0)
Now must crack my head over Lawrence’s riddle…..ching chia chim lei….got to sleep on this for a while hahahaha
Sockie
Hi CatherineY,
Before I gong off, I would want to visit my gong gong’s hometown in China. My parents told me Swatow, didnt know it is now called Shantou. Got to wait for the next spring or autumn.
Anybody knows if all our teochew grand grandparents are from Swatow? Probably there is this little urge in us to know our roots.
Recently, some of us went to Perth, and it was only the last few days we realised we have a teochew group there too. Maybe, it is not good to plan for a teochew tua chiak “big eat” so soon. We can all either speak teochew, “tang poh oi sai” (a little bit also ok). I have a suggestion, we wait for our Club Manager to release the date of the next next monthly gathering. Then, all teochews can meet and we can show our “kah chng” to one another, no need for digital photographs. We can also have a teochew potluck, muay (plain porridge), and hoo ju (preserved beancurd), Kon bak (7 layer pork) and canned pickled vegetables.
Terence Seah
Another teochew idom to share.
Hor Lai Mai chior Ngiow , Ka Chng peh peh yor Jiow
Andrew
Hougang Nan ( Since 1958 )
Oops Terence, I don’t have any of the 4 criteria which you are looking for. Does that means I can’t join my buddies to go for this teochew dinner? hmm….I know, I know, I know Ah Nee the teowchew niah, my favourite teochew dessert “orh nee” and also 1 word “jor nee”…kekeke… pass or not?
HeHe…we are still at it!!!
The “tar kar chia” (cycling) and the “tian now” (eTechnology) put on hold…:-)))
Teochew dialect seems to tickle Suzhang & Nor. Yesterday Suzhang told me once she called her Teochew school teacher at home and she got this answer “bor tor lai”. When she said “bor tor lai” in Teochew …we burst into laughter…sounds so funny. She laugh & laugh with a couple of her cough in between…aiyo… so kesian “kor liang le”.
And we all (Nor, June & myself) worked extremely hard after Terence stir our mood, toggle between work & SHC forum…heheheeeee…very interesting
Ok, back to Teochew in China, last year in October, my parent & siblings made a trip to their ancestor Teochew village. I am supposed to join them but last minute, cannot get air ticket and end up joining Dolly’s Hainan Island Tour instead. My cousins in Shenzheng arranged the itinerary for them to travel to the village by coach, which took about 2-3 hrs journey from Shenzheng. After the trip, my father showed me some photos, one of it is the house that he stayed when he was young. Nobody stayed in that old shattered house anymore and since then it is locked and abandoned. My parent’s wish is that, they would like to make another trip there and this time, I must make sure I join them before its too late…….
Lawrence riddles is very “chim”…….”sio lai sio ke”, “tow tia le”…
Ah Nee
Hi Andrew @#156
Answer:
Fox don’t laugh at cat, white backside gave chase. ??
Hi Terence
#155
There are some useful information about teochews on the internet. Pls type in the key words provided below, in Google search, to access.
(Ps: I didn’t provide the links because that wld tigger on the “Moderation” mechanism.)
History and geography : go to “spiritus-temporis.com”
Language : go to “Gaginang.org”
Food in Singapore : go to our very own “streetdirectory.com”
It is wonderful to see your post build up into a resource centre, among other things.
A week ago, we were intrigued with the one poem. Now we have many poems to choose from. Newly learned about some traditional practices mentioned here too – TQ.
Hi All,
Has been fun reading all your spontaneous sharing & comments and given in such a jolly mood -TQ.
HC
Ah Nee #136, Since you got 3 ‘lor’ means you got food to eat – comfortable lifestyle – got money – got job – good life! You see for the past few days, you go to office, telephone June and ask ‘What shall we write today on the Teochew thread?’ – si diam kim or chut huay h’ng. Good life, right?
Lawrence #137, so you also ‘boi tahan’ want to join us in this teowchew talk. But your riddle is so ‘chim’. How come no English subtitles, translation, I mean? June and Ah Nee not only tow tia (headache) sio sa jit sa meh lor sio bor (think for 3 days and 3 nights also cannot solve riddle).
Hi Hou Chong #32,
The address for that bamboo shoot filled soon kueh, is at the coffee shop of Blk 124 Toa Payoh Lor 1.(closed on Thurs)
Ah Nee #159
Your ‘bor tor lai’ reminds me of my teenage days.
I would wear my Elvis or Beatles haircut and be as cool as I can manage, then spend the whole achool term eyeing pretty girls. Sometimes I get lucky and they phone me at home. But my mother would answer the phone….in Teochew of course.
One time, a pretty girl I had been chasing call up and my mother answered “Ah Soo Pang Sai”.
I actually did not get married until after my mother pass away.
Suzhang#157, I help you, sure to qualify for Teochew dinner! There is orh nee, jor nee (why), sor ee (roll rice dumpling), kwei nee (new year) keng jeo nee (banana sap). Haha!
Lina,
hahaha…..”zee pai chum leow” Ah Tim sure to disturb….
Alamak, your mother did’nt know is your pretty girl friend huh? kesian lah, missed the golden opportunity! Aiyo…your mother frightened all your girl friends away, but there is nothing wrong with “Ah Soo Pang Sai” mah…..
Later if I have time, I will touch on Teochew traditional wedding. :)
Ah Nee
Ooops! I am refering to poor Tian Soo…..no wonder he married so late…
Ah Nee
Here are the English translations, before all go –
kong kong kong kong
kong kong kong kong
1) ee ee leng leng (round round roll roll)
hor chiat mo teng cheng (can eat but don’t weigh)
What is this?
2) Cheng ang sar, ang kou ( Wear red shirt, red pants)
Ti teng koiat loiat ker jeow poat (Put on hat(type that farmer wear)go to look after shop)
What is this?
LLEE
Hi Lina,
I’ve been to the SK stall quite often to buy the real “soon” kueh for my mum. Have you try the stall that sells the mini “Kong Bak Pow” in the Market/food centre on the lst floor.
They are yummy. You won’t be able to stop once you start eating.
Melissa
Hi Andrew,
#156
I am also from Hougang (Lor Ah Soo) used to live in Holy Innocents Lane in the 60’s.
Translate your idiom into proverbs: “Let not the pot called the kettle black”
Hope to catch up with all the teochew ah hiah and ah niah in the next gathering.
Melissa
Let me try………
1) ee ee leng leng (round round roll roll)
hor chiat mo teng cheng (can eat but don’t weigh)
What is this? This is a coin, “kat tior” (correct or not?)
2) Cheng ang sar, ang kou ( Wear red shirt, red pants)
Ti teng koiat loiat ker jeow poat (Put on hat(type that farmer wear)go to look after shop)
What is this? This one still thinking ???
Ah Nee
“…..zee pai chum leow, Ah Tim sure to disturb….” No doubt about that.
“….I will touch on Teochew traditional wedding….”.
ANee, when you decide to touch, I’ll touch with you and together we will not only touch but act out the full course of Teochew traditional wedding from pai ti pai di, you pai at me and I pai at you, you yumseng me and I yumseng you then drunk drunk blur blur we stumble on the couch, curtains down and lesson over but we have just begun………………
“…(can eat but don’t weigh)What is this? This is a coin.> ANee, you must be 3 tiam liong to want to eat a coin.
The answer has to be ah Sengh’s rambutans…….edible but bcos they’re so light – lighter than a baby ramburtan – you wont have the heart to weigh it when you’re already so mean to think of eating it.
Hi Lina
what’s “cik lor cik wei wei”?
I think I hve only 1 “lor”…was squinting away with my reading glassess but very very difficult to make out the “lor” on my fingers. Very tempted to use the ink pad to check out the “lors”… :-)))
Teochew weddings….whn I was young…whn my aunts or that generation got married…one of the customs is to throw a hen and a cock under the bed. Whichever comes out first would represent the firstborn…meaning if the hen came out first from under the marital bed, the first born will be a female….:-))) so cartoon!
Hi Lina
#163
To be honest, I don’t know if the coffee shop at Blk 124 TP Lor 1 sells SK with
bamboo shoot fillings. Melissa Khng #169 seemed to think that they are the real
ones too. Made SK yesterday with 60% Manioc (mung kwan) and 40% Bamboo
Shoots- v yummy, probably the ideal mix. BTW, the flour for the Soon Kuay skin
is now available in a ready mixed pack, sold under the “Sunflower” brand.
Instructions on how to cook the SK skin are given on the back of the packing.
Will miss grinding the rice into bits from now on..hehe.
HC
“……whn I was young…whn my aunts….got married…one of the customs was to throw a hen and a cock under the bed. Whichever comes out first would represent the firstborn……”
Think, what can be usually under a bed? Cockroaches, of cos. Need I say more?
Teochews, sigh………………
Hi Ah Nee,
#1) You can eat them, but you don’t weigh them when you buy.
#2) You also can eat them.
Ah Tim, in your case…it is the hen comes out first from under the bed. heheheee…..
June, when my sis-in-law got married, she asked my son to “pang jio” in the potty so as to assure the first born to be a boy…this is very true for her!
This is what my mother buy for me as a wedding gifts…(very typical Teochew style): “si diam kim” (4 type of gold), a sewing machine, a very long ruler, some silk materials, a mini pair of lamp, an enamel potty, a pair of red embroidery bedroom slipper, red embroidery pyjamas, one set red embroidery bedsheet…..the rest I can’t remembered and I need a van to ferry these stuff over.heheheee…what an elaborate preparation! Nowsaday, nobody will do this for sure..tgif and tomorrow is cycling day.. :)
Ah Nee
Lawrence
No 2 is Red Chilli….tiok boh?
No 1 ………still cracking my head lei…..Ah Nee ah, coin cannot eat lei
Sockie
Sockie,
Close, but not the answer that I learnt long, long ago.
LLEE
Ah Nee #179, long ruler to measure what ah?
June #175, when I find out what 1’lor’ means I will let you know. Use ink pad is easier cos ‘mak huei liao’.(long-sighted already)
Melissa #169, Is it the teochew shop selling pau, lor mai kai as well. I know why the kong bak pow is so nice – cos got lots of fat!
Hou Chong #176, The Toa Payoh one is made with real bamboo shoots cos I just bought them this morning. I am so ‘tua’ (lazy) to make them myself cos cannot make as nice as the ones in the shop.
Suzhang #157, Got some more rhymes with nee – chew nee (rubber), mak nee (fragrant flower), her yee (fishball), sotong yee(cuttlefish ball)and kia huang yee (frighten of wind pill) Haha!
Andrew Lee #156
Fox don’t laugh at Cat. Backside wrinkled the same. Right?
Terence
I will be visiting my “gong chou”‘s (ancestor’s) city, Swatow in May. Then to Hokkien and Hakka, nearby. Possibly to Tientsin. Do you know the specific village they came from? I don’t know mine.
So both our ancestors come from Swatow. If your surname were not Seah, we could be related huh? Hahaha.
Andrew Lee
Further to #183
It is similar to the English version, “Pot calling kettle black” right?
Lawrence
#168
#1 is it that thing called an “yew chui”?
#2 is it the chili?
Aiyah yah ANee, cockroaches have made their homes under beds and live in peace happily. Then one day you throw in a hen and a cock and disturb their peace as much as someone throw a male & female dinosaur into your house….now who run out first, you or the dinosaur?
What can be eaten but you dont weigh it when you buy? I suppose hawker food like char kway teow and mee pok. Or maybe, the Teochews will do something more steady and start the trend of weighing cooked food before they buy?
Hehe………….
Lawrence Lee
Oops, #2 not chili. Is it a candlestick?
Lawrence Lee
#2 Is it a red lantern?
Aiyoh, this is driving me crazy! Can’t get the rhyme out of my mind until I can guess the answer, hahaha.
Mary Chan #183 / Melissa # 170
You are both right.
Members wanting to eat reasonable good quality traditional Teochew kueh, u may want to try the one opposite Lim Ah Pin Post Office. ( Hougang )
The name of the shop is called ” Yong’s” teochew kueh. Be prepared to Queue….hor
Andrew
Joyce #160
hehe.
U got the first part right. For the second part, go to Mary Chan # 183. ( “The Pot Calling the Kettle Black” )
Andrew
Lawrence #181
Not chilli then can it be tomato neh?
Yo Mary #189
Red lantern cho nee hor chiak neh, Lawrence oredi said can be eaten liao mah.
Wahhhhh this riddle is having us all pulling our hair right hahahahahaha ……….still haven’t the vaguest idea what riddle #1 is
Sockie
Hello all the Teochew nans
Will be back for more on Monday….Sat & Sun not free to stir you all….have a nice weekend and cheers! :)
Ah Nee
Hi!
Another one is: “The tortoise don’t laugh at the turtle has no hai”r.”
“Kuo ma chor pei bor mor!”
Hi Lawrence
My husband says answer to No 2 – persimmon (ang sai) ka si?
Cheers
Alicia
Nor #122
You and me don’t have Teochew neh, hahaha very ticklish….
arg neh (duck meat),quay neh (chicken meat),kut neh (this one has a different meaning – flesh and blood). Heard this
neh word from MIL.
This post makes me think of my late MIL…..now nobody speaks Teochew at home.
Cheers
Alicia
Alicia #195
Your husband is right.
Wa ya si Hougang nan. Kai kor Lorong Batawi.
Good night
LLEE
Joyce @ #160
“Fox don’t laugh at cat, white backside gave chase”
vaguely remembered something like :
“Fox don’t laugh at cat, bottoms equally wrinkled”
Not sure ah…losing my Teochew.
Terence,
Four years ago I went with my aunts and uncle to this place in Shantou called ‘Teo yeo’ to visit with my grand uncle whose son was getting married. I had the chance to witness a typical teochew wedding in the village. The bride came along with lots of presents for the groom which included household stuffs and a spanking new motorcycle. Apparently she was from a well to do family and they were going to start an abundant life together. At the end of the ceremony, the women went into the kitchen and prepared ‘orh-luak’ with the most juicy and succulent oysters, which we quickly tucked in. We hung around the house for the whole day until evening when my granduncle brought us to see the house that my granny grew up in. After that we made our 1 hr. journey back to the hotel in the city.
My granny has since passed away and I am really glad I had the chance to visit the village where she grew up in. I remember telling her that I went to her house when I came back.
MaryC at #153 – Wu nan ti si ai ku chiak teochew muay huh? No need to check kar chng liao, right? Hehehe
My 2cts worth from a teochew half breed!
Lawrence #197
Oi Lawrence ah, i tah ang mo kio hmmm tiok meh….ang sai and ang mo kio woo si mi hoong piak neh
Sockie
Lawrence Lee
I believe you are talking about fishballs right?
Catherine Yeo
Ai chiak teochew muay har? Oi sai. Tiang si? Dor di kor chiak? Lai ker chiak.
Good enough lah. Don’t want to look at your ka chng. Dung chair seh muck chum hahaha.
Lawrence Lee
Oops I was referring to #168 part 1. ” ee ee leng leng…”
It’s fishball right? You buy by the numbers, not the weight.
Lawrence
#168 part 2 …. not a red lantern meh?
Catherine Ho #194
My version of that is
” Ku mai chio bi bo buair” ( Tortoise don’t laugh at turtle’s lack of a tail)
Sock Cheng # 192
I think there are two riddles in Lawrence’s #168. The first refers to fishballs and the second a red lantern?
In the red light districts like Geylang, I was told there used to be red lanterns hung outside the door, “to chngio pou” and to “chio kek”
This Teochew talk is HOT! 206 hits and still climbing!
Lina @ #182
More: qi yee (dirty), kao yee (chair), tua yee (big/elder aunt), soi yee (small/younger aunt), bor chor nee (no matter …
Lina @ #182
That’s what I did, used ink pad. Stamped all ten finger prints on a white sheet, like criminal, still no LOR. Good news though – noticed lines are also fading. Heehee, must be the BOTOX working…
Mary Chan
Not Fishball – sometime you do buy by weight.
These riddles are very old. Heard these from my grandmother. During the days of “Lau Sai Thor”, “Sow Lat Neor”, “Thern Chwee Kioe” & “Hee Moon Huang”
answer to No 2 – persimmon (ang sai) #195; #197
No 1 is a very common item. You see it almost every day.
Rgds
LLEE
Hi Lawrence,
Is it a very fragile edible item, unless cooked?
Lawrence #168
Let me try ….
ee ee leng leng (round round roll roll)
could it be ice balls ?
Ooops! Distracted by telephone call…
Cont’d… 211
AN EGG?
#165 & # 182
Wow Lina, still got so many “nee” “yee” “ee”… now “jor nee muet”…hehe…. I know 2 more…. “ti tiang” (who)& “ker ng” (go & sleep)….sounds like go poo….ha…ha..
Gingko #208, thks for teaching me teochew ya…. “bor chor nee”…If I keep reciting all these words ending with “nee”, Ah Nee must be sneezing at home..ha.ha…
Lawrence Lee
One more try. Getting ‘frustrated’ already, hahaha.
Is it the Chinese “ee”, the one that we make for “Tung choik” , eaten with syrup? Or what the Peranakan call, the “ahboleng”?
Hi all.
#21, #213 is correct.
It’s an egg
rgds
LLEE
Lawrence Lee
An egg?? Eggs have weight nowadays leh, 55g, 60g. I guess your riddle isn’t relevant to today’s world, hahaha.
Oh well, “bo sor wi”. ( never mind).
Some more riddles?
All Teochew nangs
Anyone ever heard of the phrase,
“Ger xi goi” ? ( ‘slicing’ dead, a chicken) and if you have, can you tell what it refers to?
Hi Terence and all Teochew nangs
Here’s another rhyme for you to figure out and laugh about.
Tee deng jik liap chair (There’s a star in the sky)
Di air kwee zhi zhair (On earth, a school opens)
Zhi zhair mng abuair kwee ( School gate has not opened yet)
Ah nou kow ai jiak yew chwee ( Baby cries and wants to eat “yew chwee”)
Yew chwee ah buair sek (“Yew chwee” has not yet ripened)
Ah nou kow ai jiak ter neck (Baby cries and wants some pork)
Ter neck ah buair kwak ( Pork isn’t cut up yet)
Ah nou kow air jiak huang kuak (Baby wants to eat sweet potato)
Huang kwak ah buair lieu (Potato not dug up yet)
Ah now kow ai jiak lau ya sa cheng chiu ( Baby cries and wants father’s 3 cups of wine)
Lau ya chik air twark!( Angry father gave a shout!)
Ka pua cheng, ka pua puark (Broke bells, broke pots = all hell broke loose)
Ka pua Terence kai jio tung puark (It even broke Terence’s pottie)
Hahaha.
Hi SHCians and Fellow Teochews
I really had an enjoyable time reading all the comments here and I feel the urge to contribute my share as I am a true blue teochew. My ancestors are from Swatow, both my grandparents and parents are also Teochews.
Anyone have heard of this poem. Even among my younger Teochew friends they say they have not heard of it as it is too “cheem”, meaning too difficult. But I believethe older generation
Hi SHCians and Fellow Teochews
I really had an enjoyable time reading all the comments here and I feel the urge to contribute my share as I am a true blue teochew. My ancestors are from Swatow, both my grandparents and parents are also Teochews.
Anyone have heard of this poem. Even among my younger Teochew friends they say they have not heard of it as it is too “cheem”, meaning too difficult. But I believe the older generation of Teochews will probably know and heard of it.
The poem: Leng choon cau, ter bor say
Cheow kia tau, tua chek pair.
Meaning: Good luck comes to you in abundance.
Many people say we Teochews speak in a sing-song manner and it is very pleasant to listen
and it is true that Teochew ah nias is the rave of many men looking for a wife. Yes Hougang was the base, so to speak, to find the smooth-skin and pretty teochew ah nia. I stayed in Hougang for 30 years before I got married and moved out.Whenever my friends learnt that I lived in Hougang they would associate with the famous Teochew girls. I guess the teochew girls here must be specially proud about it even if you are not from Hougang.
I think it would be great if Terence can organise a gathering of Teochew nan and get a chance to ‘puay liang puay guak’ in our original dialect.
I always feel more comfortable speaking to a fellow teochew.There is the rapport that I cannot explain but the nice and good feeling is present.
Ya I want to share this joke.
My son when he was in the army had a Hokkien buddy who used to make fun of the Teochew boys.
As the famous saying goes: teochew nan, kar chng ann ann
One fine day during an exercise break, this buddy started to sing this same tagline. Out of the blue one of the teochew buddy retorted: Hokkien nan,kar chng say thung.
From that day onwards this hokkien buddy never said that expression again. I had a good laugh when my son told me this incident.
Have a nice weekend
Koh Tong Seng (Roy)
Koh Tong Seng
Aiyoh, you had me laughing so loud, my daughter thought I was nuts. Hahaha!
NOW I got something to reply to people who say that Teochew nang ka chng ang ang!
So, other nangs, your ka chng say tung! (grow worms!) Hahaha! What kind of tung? Kumchek tung of course.
More riddle.
Hou chek err lia
Ken chieo kar lau quah ah kai
??
Hallo Ah Nee # 136!
I’m jux teasing Terence becos’ his surname is a Seah.
Ah Seah Teochew porridge is so popular. Can we ask for a discount of 20% since times are bad now? Shall we ask Terence to treat us there and see they recognise him?
Ha..ha..
Hi MaryC!
Whether true Teochew or not, at the end of the day, we’re all Singaporean and SHCians la…..
Catch up wif U in June? Any plans for holis? Shall we go & tease Tim???
Cheers.
Catherine Ho
Good morning to you. So you are an early bird like me huh?
I am very the free in June leh. Where you thinking of going? Wanna go on a cruise?
Tease Tim??? You go do it yourself. Hahaha. I wouldn’t do it. He might take you seriously and then, die for you!
hi Lawrence
#197 – wa ka xiang kong yi cheng kia sai tow hung (somewhere near Liang Court-Green bridge in Teochew).
#223 – my Teochew is half past six, still trying to get the right tonation. Can put in the English words?
Hey, are you the same Lawrence Lee going to the kelong
outing?
Cheers
Alicia
Hi all,
Andrew #190 Yep. I can testify to Yong’s kueh. Personally, I enjoy the koo chye kueh and the o kueh. The black sauce that comes with it is tantalizing. His kueh are so popular that they are usually sold out by the late afternoon.
Tong Seng #221 & Lawerence #197 & Melissa #170 – Wa ya si Hougang nan. I used to live in Kok Nam Lane and Lorong Jerneh. Studied in Montfort School for 10 years. Who elso is/was from Hougang, please raise hand.
I have a couple of Teochew CDs, one of which has songs by Wang Sa. I used to have some Teochew VCDs which I lent out to relatives and friends but they were not returned.
Thomas
What about ‘Tay Yeo’ nang. Are they ‘Ka Ki Nang’?
As a kid we use to imitate the way they speak Teochew. Their dialect is very similar, only their intonation sounds more extreme and there are a few words that are different.
I like to share a thought of mine on this Post. The Teochew post is one example of how we can get to know one another better. While there are other ways, this dialect conversation brings back memories, our parents and childhood days. However, as in all Posts, follow-up is important.
It’s fun to chat on our home website, but it is also important to meet and keep in touch. Maybe travels to Swatow, meet up on some Sundays to eat teochew muay at Lim Ah Pin, or even sprinkle some teochew words on our children.
Hou Chong has been the inspirator to this Post. We had a great time in Perth, and he brought back memorable thoughts when a generation ago, many teochews spoke teochew with one another. Hou Chong, Kam Siah. Let’s meet one Sunday for teochew porridge, near Lim Ah Pin. For all other Teochews, please feel free to name a place, and if others are free, we will join you too. Dont wait for the big one, at the end of this year.
Terence Seah
Hi Alicia,
Yes I am going to the Kelong on 1st May.
Hou chek err lia (When rain come)
Ken chieo kar lau quah ah kai (Banana drop a few pieces)
LLEE
Hi Terence and all
The privilege was mine to have You & your party come over and drum up a jovial atmosphere during your recent visit to Perth. Kam Siah. Ok, let’s meet for porridge near Lim Ah Pin Rd one Sunday – which bus/mrt to take from here huh? …haha.
Yes, there is a feeling of kinship whenever we have a conversation with anyone in our mother tongue. Pity, this may not be the case for our younger generation as the pass- down of our dialect, faces many challenges. Most of us are 2nd or 3rd generation chinese in S’pore. We similarly lost the knowledge of some of our traditions.
On this post, some of Teochews traditional practices were discussed, all in a delightful manner. I am sure that many Teochews would have found such contributions useful besides enjoying the personal accounts, jokes, riddles etc. At the same time, some of you may have found some of teochews’ ways, beliefs and superstitions funny or even silly. Importantly, let’s respect each others culture, even if any part of it appears to be senseless to you. May I add that in this aspect, Teochew culture is not alone and yet, all cultures are worth knowing.
HC
Gingko #209, No ‘lor’ in Teochew is ‘pung kee’. Difficult word, right? Those lines on your fingers disappeared, due to housework!
Suzhang #214, I teach you another 2 words. Ka puang (bolster) and chin tow (pillow). These are my favourites, cos I like to sleep.
Hi, Koh Tong Seng #221, I think we can learn a lot from you. Your Teochew is so ‘chim’ and ‘pek’. How you getting on with the internet transfer?
Hou Cheng #176, You must be brilliant to be able to make soon kueh! All along I thought you are a ‘Teochew ah niah’. But found out from Veronique at cycling that you are a ‘Teochew ah hiah’. Did not know that manioc is mung kwan.
I would love to go to Swatow, but got no leave leh!
Aiyo Lina#232, u got lauhuayen ha? how come Hou Chong becomes Hou Cheng leh? He is a Teochew ah hiah and not ah niah hor! hehehe…………..
Hou Chong#231 ah hiah! no need to check which bus or mrt take u to Lim Ah Pin, just let me know where r u, I’ll drive my humble 4 wheels to fetch u. Ai Mai?
Happy Day!
Veronique
Hello Thomas Goh #227,
I used to stay in Lor Jerneh too. Studied 10 years in Montfort , from 1965 to 1974.
Andrew
Lawrence Lee #197
In 1950s, we have a family friend staying in Lor Batawi. They no longer lived there but the house still stands, now painted yellow and used as a day care centre. The end of Lor Batawi was a river and we (kids then), were told to stay clear of it. A HBD block now stands where the river previously ran. A totally different scenery.
CatherineYeo #199
On my aunt’s wedding day many years ago, I remembered hanging around my grand aunt’s place to await the married couple “first home-coming”. Then when the wedding car finally arrived, we kids were huddled into a back room and not allowed to come within hearing distance of the ceremony taking place in the living room. I was only 5 yo then and naturally very curious. Till this day, I never found out what went on.
Was there some ancient “art of war” being explained by an experienced older Auntie?
Can anyone offer me a clue?
Mary#219
I went over the rhyme many times in teochew. It sounded great but I can’t figure out what it was all about. Don’t forget to come back with an answer hor..
My #231
Just in case anyone misunderstood, my last 3 sentences were intended to ask non-teochews to refrain from making fun of Teochew customs and traditions if any seems silly. As you know, light-hearted fun can turn sour if it hurts someone personally.
Lina#232
Most Teochew hawkers are man but relied a lot on his woman assistant. It’s common to see the assistant cooking whereas the boss serves the food and collects the money – great teamwork. I fit into the boss’ role best.
Veronique #233
You are a darling. Thank you.
HC
Hi All,
My dinner request is lost among this 200+ comments.
As I remember only 3 others were initially interested, Tian Soo, Mary C and Seok Cheng. Are there any others? Dinner this Fri., Apr 24th at 7.30 in Swa Garden. Transport from Aljunied MRT at 7.15pm. Please confirm by this Wed to see if there is sufficient critical mass for 1 table.
Thanks and I will continue to monitor this post till Wed.
Cheers
Chong Lee,
Regarding married couple ‘1st-home-coming’, heard my mum says ‘mia chong teor’ esp if someone in the family ‘
zodiac animal’ clash with the bride’s ‘zodiac aninal’ so better to ‘siam’. This is to prevent disharmony in the family. Not sure if it’s true ha ha
Terence,
You’ve started a Teochew online ‘huay kwan’ with free membership.
Hi MaryC #205!
Who said that a tortoise has no tail! It has a tail! OK?
Jux look at the turtle closely, my dear.
Thus, my idiom is correct. Don’t laugh at each other that it has no hair, la.
Hi Andrew Lee and Thomas Goh,
I studied at Montfort School for 12 years, from 1961 to 1972, and lived in “Bah Kia Hern” (crocodile estate). We sure are teochew kiah, also Pai Kiah (bad guy). I am sure we know one another. Got to meet some day.
Terence Seah
Hi all,
Do you know that our Teochew dialect has 8 tones?
You can view 2 online Teochew communities.
http://teochiu.tripod.com/
http://www.gaginang.org/
A brief history of the Teochews 7 other dialects in Singapore
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Chinese_in_Singapore/id/1966187
Andrew #234
If I’m not mistaken, you’ve a twin brother, Allen. I was staying directly across the road at no 18. Still clueless about me? See #3.
Dear Hou Chong,
#235
Not sure about the scenario that you faced when you were young but as far as we were concerned, we were the VIP guests who came all the way to that little village (or should I rephrase that? The developing and near modern village with toilet flush and increasingly modern design)to partake in the wedding. We were not even asked about our animal zodiac signs in the event of a ‘cheong tio’ (clash) but then to reiterate, we were special guests. Having said that, I tend to think that old customs and traditions have now been diluted and only dutifully followed by certain youngsters and not across the board. In short, even the mainland Chinese are fast catching up with the rest of the world and pretty soon will be no different from Singapore.
I remember wondering why a lot of meat dishes were put on the table for the whole day and easy target for the flies. There was a dish of very fatty pork which looked so greasy I was wondering how anyone could eat those. When the ceremony began, I saw the couple having to eat the food that were placed out the whole day but took only little bites of the different dishes.
The thing that surprised me was that the bride actually brought with her, brand new washing machine, motorcycle and household appliances. What a cumbersome load especially if you come from another village.
I still remember the dinner we had in Singapore on yr last trip. With 3 teochews in the group, we ended up having Peranakan food. Next time we should go for teochew food yah?
Tian Soo #228 – I presume you are ‘talking’ to me? ‘Teo yeo’ is teochew from a different part of Swatow (Shantou)akin to Hokkiens from Amoy (A-mng) or Kinmen (Kim-mng). Yes I do believe teochews from different areas do have their own ways of speaking which does vary especially in intonations.
Have a good day, gentlemen!
Dear Teochew Ah Hiahs & Ah Nias,
Would like to share another one of my favourite Teochew restaurants, Huat Kee Teochew Restaurant. Click on this link: http://www.teochewrestaurant.com to view a delectable spread of authentic Teochew dishes served. Highly recommended is one of the Chef Delights ~ “Hae Zhor” (rolled fillings of minced prawns & meat) which I’ve tried is good, though golden brown and light on the taste buds, the epitome of Teochew cooking which emphasises on lighter flavour.
To affirm the authenticity of Teochew restaurants, my firm opinion is in the use of “Orh Nee” (yam paste) as one of the yardsticks to gauge the quality of Teochew restaurants,even if one does not have a sweet tooth~thats me! Do check out this restaurant and share your thoughts in this forum too.
Cheers!
“Who said that a tortoise has no tail! It has a tail! OK?Jux look at the turtle closely……..Don’t laugh at each other that it has no hair, la.”
To determine whether a torotise has a tail, it’s suggested that you look at a trurtle. That’s strange.
A tortoise is not the same as a turtle, just like a chimpanzee with a hole is not the same as a Cat with a Ho altho both are very hairy at the right places.
Hehe…………..
Hi Sue #243,
I have tried Huat Kee and must agree they are good but alittle pricey. The last time we were there, I hv both the “hae zhor” & “orh nee” as well as their “buddha jump over the wall” hmm…it’s yummy !!
I am like you dont have sweet-tooth, but I can’t resist the “orh nee” at Ming Kee. :) It’s not too sweet. You must go try. Click here to view : http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=186.
Ah Nee, when you go Ming Kee, you must try their seafood, my favourite being the steam “la-la” with garlic & steam lobster. Oh, you can try their “hae zhor” too… let me know your verdict ya :)
Hello “Ngia Cheah SueChang #245”,
Thanks for sharing your views on Ming Kee. I’ve heard of this restaurant but yet to try their food. Sweet of you to recommend more mouth-watering dishes, although that “foh tiaw chiang” ~ buddha jumps over the wall” is just as pricey too. My dear, that “steamed la-la” is also one of my favourites, we should gather with a few others and have a hearty “Teochew Chai” @ this restaurant someday…
See you “Ngia Cheah”!
“…….yet to try……..that……….jumps over……..the “steamed la-la”.
Sue-C, wait no more, go try it, it’s addictive and I have no doubt you’ll jump better than the monkey in me and become our hottest steamy la la gal…………..
Hi Lilian Chua #237
Finally, after over 50yrs of begrudging the incident and an unyielding search for
an explanation, you provide the answer – Chio Siah (many thanks). Frankly,
I thought it had to do with some oriental kumasutra type of briefing..hehe.
Dear Catherine Yeo #242
We envy the opportunity that you have had in being able to attend a wedding in ‘Teo Yeo’, Shantou notwithstanding that some traditional customs have been washed down. Hope to see photos of it. Yeah, let’s have a teochew meal the next time with ‘Orh-nee’
as dessert. Love it too – drives the heart beat nuts before and after eating.
Hello Sue Chan #243
Is there a conspiracy or what, you also mentioned ‘Orh-nee’….haha.
I do agree that the teochew food in that restaurant is beautiful – yam! Oops, yum!.
Keep smiling
HC
Veronique #233, Thanks for the correction. My eyes not ‘lau hua yen’ but ‘mak tiau teng’. And a thousand apologies to Hou Chong for getting your name wrong.
Tim Liu!
U better watch out! U better not cry!
Recession is coming to town!
I’ll surely hit U when I next see U!
Or I’ll do something U least expect, out of revenge!
Be careful your hair will catch fire from yr smoking!
Then U’ll have no hair!
WHEN THERE IS A TEOCHEW DINNER, PLS LET US KNOW. TKS
Hello Thomas # 241,
Sorry, I have no idea who you are and where you previously stayed( # 18 ????? ) in jerneh , but am sure that we are acquainted since you mentioned “Allen”. How time flies …..
My email : andrewlee_2005@hotmail.com
If you wanna have Yong’s for BF or dropping by Hougang for whatever reasons , do drop me a mail with yr contacts . I will be most happy to meet up with you to reminisce jerneh or Montfort days.
Andrew
Hi Charles C @236
I have booked Ming Kee Seafood restaurant this Sat, but on 2nd thought, may change to Swa Garden since so many people said that Swa Garden is superb. So we, Lina, Suzhang & myself are interested to try this restaurant on 24th Apr, Fri at 7.30 pm. Will let you know if we are meeting at Aljunied MRT at 7.15pm. Thank you…& yummy yummy
Ah Nee
Don’t leave the Cantonese behind,lah!!
“Don’t leave the Cantonese behind,lah!!”
Far from it, Jennifer-W, the Cantonese are wayahead while the Teochews are clapping their cymbals, singing the green cat, white cat, and remain clueless……………….
Catherine Yeo #242
Thank you for your explanation on ‘Teo Yeo’ nang and the example on Hokkien people. I have to ask you another question.
When I was in Xiamen recently and use my best Hokkien with the locals but they say I speak ‘Minang Hua”. I thought I speak Hokkien. Do you know what is the difference?
Charles Chua Ah Hia,
Lee Sock Cheng confirm coming to Swa Garden for dinner. Nor kai(Two)Ah Hia coming too. John Howe and Charles Wee coming too. Nan oi kao liao boi? (Enough people already?)
Hi Lina Ah Nia,
Thanks for making all the arrangements.
I shall book for a table this Fri and send an sms reminder on Thur.
Meet at Swa Garden, which is just about 30 ft from Ming Kee at 7.30. I can pick some up from Aljunied MRT if required.
From Charles the Tng Sua Ah Ba
Dear Tian Soo,
As far as I know, the Taiwanese speak hokkien but call it Minang Hua. I did wonder why because I knew they were speaking hokkien albeit with their own intonations but they want to call it Minang Hua instead of hokkien. So my guess is that the Chinese are exposed to more Taiwanese visiting them so they have classified your hokkien as that too. If anyone has a better explanation, lets hear it please?
Hope to meet up with you when we have our teochew food gathering, meanwhile stay healthy and happy!
Dear Hou Chong #248
Sorry mate but I hate lugging a camera around so I don’t have any pictures of the wedding to show you. All the pictures are with my relatives in China. All the scenery and experiences are stored in my memory bank and reviewed time and time again. Thats why I like travelling with my SHC friends because I know that I will have pictures of my trip without having to bring any camera…hehe….cameraman and women, you know who you are haha
Yes Hou Chong, maybe we should try the restaurant that Sue recommended and have goosemeat, hae-cho, steam pomfret with sng buay, her peow soup and end the meal with orh-nee……yummy…..are you ready for some food Sue Chan?
Till you come back to Singapore shore, g’day mate!
To you gals and guys going to Swa Garden on Friday, don’t forget the following items hor :
Ord nee, Hae Zhor, steam pomfret with sng buay, sharks fin soup, fish maw soup, her peow soup, steamed la-la, soft shell crab, sotong, teochew chai, foh tiaw chiang ~ buddha jumps over the wall, braised goose, koochye pek, sio ter, hay poh, chye poh kuay teow, arg neh, qay neh, porridge with sallted egg, hoo joo, kong chye, kiam chye, chye poh, kiam kahna, kiam bua-ki, kiam sotong kia, black kah na, plum sauce, vinegar sauce, garlic sauce, soon kueh, orh kueh, koo chye kueh and poon kueh.
Kor woo ti kai boh?
HC
Aiyo Lina Nia, mor muek li, first Charles change my kuek(Sock) to Seok and now u change my surname to Lee tsk tsk tsk
Hou Chong, if we eat all the food hor sure cannot walk out of restuarant hor…..and you forget to add cold crabs…yummy yummy my favourite.
Ah Nee, wa tor Suntec City, can go meet you at mrt (Dhoby Ghuat kar si Raffles) and tak soo huang chia, oi sai buoy? Nah si bor neh I will go Aljunied, chor nee tah neh?
Sockie
Hou Chong @ #260
One more dish to the menu: Kow Lak Ar (Braised duck with chestnut stuffing).
Gals & guys, enjoy your meal and the fellowship. A pity I can’t join :-(
Charles Chua,
You are no more a “Tng sua ah hia”. You are considered a “huang boi nang” liao. That was what they used to refer to Chinese migrants who left their beloved China to live elsewhere right?
So, Friday’s dinner is confirmed then. I’ll meet you at Aljunied mrt stn ok? Could you sms me the time to meet please?
Thanks for organising this event. Choi siah.
Gingko
Boy! “Kow Lak Ar”! I remember eating that a long, long time ago, when I was a child! Have forgotten what it tastes like now.
Hou Chong
Wow, what a list! We will have to have a few more sessions to cover all those items! Can’t possibly eat all that at one sitting.
Pity you can’t join us, but we will think of you when we are savouring all that food, hee.
Charles Chua Ah Hia, Rene coming to Swa Garden Dinner too. She needs a lift from Aljunied MRT. ‘Kam Siah’ (Thank u).
Neo Sock Cheng #261, ‘Jin kai tui um chu’ (Really so sorry).
I am sending out mail to another lady Lee Seok Cheng for the dinner refund and hence the blunder. So…sorry. ‘Jin boh loi mau’ (really, no manners) to have got your surname incorrect!
But is MRT, really known as ‘soo huang chia’? Never heard it before. It sounds dangerous – sucking wind car?
Sockie, how do I say ‘send e-mail’ in Teochew?
Sockie Nia,
You have to pardon Lina Nia, she assumed most Teochew are “Lee”, which I think is fairly true. Maybe she is thinking of me leh??? “ler ai tak soo huang chia, oi sai” but not on working days. I don’t drive to work because parking around shenton way is terribly expensive. “nan bor chia” but “hu nor kee kar”, so Charles C, Suzhang, Sock Cheng and myself will meet you at Aljunied MRT at 7.15 pm.
Hou Chong, you seems to enjoy Teochew food. You think we are glutton meh, certainly we will try some of your recommendations….I like the steam pomfret, fish maw soup, steam la-la and of course “orh nee” is a must lah.
Gingko, Sue Chan, Cat Yeo and the rest of Teochew Nia & Hia, are you sure not regretting joining us at Swa Garden? heheheeee…..
Ah Nee
Lina Nia,
How do you say ’send e-mail’ in Teochew? I try huh…..”par
tian now kot ler”. Aiyo…so difficult, where is June Lim?she will know better… :)
Ah Nee
A fellow SHC member and colleague called me on the phone and said, go to the forum…:-)))
“Wah peh” (my father :-)))…..’send email’ in teochew….tough!!
How abt…”wah” (I) “kia” (send) “tiang” (electric) “poi” (mail)….:-).
My teochew is learned from my grandparents and parents…that time hor, “tee kor uu” (where got)computer..:-)
All the teochew “peng you” (friends)…enjoy your makan this fri. “Neng hor” (you ) must come back and “por kou” (report) the must try dishes.
Charles Chua #258, No need to thank me. You are most welcome. We should thank you for arranging the dinner.
Thank you ladies, Ah Nee and June for your reply. I think ‘kia tiang poi’ is excellent. Sorry to disturb your work, ladies.
Now where is Sam Goh, Ah Hia. I would like to know where I can buy good quality ‘pun ti (local) kopi hoon’. And ‘xi mi ke chi’ (what price)?. You can ‘kia tiang poi’ (e-mail) koik wa, at linang@gmail.com.
Dear Ah Nee “Sio Cheah” #267,
“Kam Sia” (thanks) for calling out my name to join you all for dinner this Fri nite. “tapi si kang boi gum” (not the right time), so,I will join you Ah Hiahs & Ah Nias another time.
“ning nan wah wah hee hee jiak Teochew Chai” (all of you enjoy eating your sumptuous Teochew food) with “Ka Ki Nan” (fellow Teochew clan).
Cheers!
Hi Tian Soo #256 and Cat Yeo # 259,
This is what I gleaned from the internet:
“Min” is another name for Fujian.
Minnan is Southern Fujian.
Minnan Hua refers to a family of Chinese dialects spoken in southern Fujian and neighbouring areas.
Minnan Hua in common usage refers to Xiamen speech which is usually called Taiwanese by the residents of Taiwan and Hokkien by the residents of S.E.Asia.
In short, Minnan Hua is Hokkien uway.
Cheers,
Hi JuneL #269 and Lina #270
As I’m on the Teochew thread I thought I’d better comment on a Teochew issue, so here goes:
“kia tiang poi” is send (letter)by telegraph. I think “kia tiang now poi” is closer to “send e-mail”. I may be wrong though coz I ain’t a Teochew.
My 2cts worth.
Cheers,
Hi Neo Sock Cheng @261, pua seck ah nia,
Sorry I got your name wrong. Must have been a typo as I don’t remember spelling a fellow ‘pau seck teochew’ name like yours wrongly. I checked and must apologise.
Lina, Thanks for calling all the Teochew ah nias and ah hias for this dinner. I shall refrain from saying more lest I overstate the cooking. Taste and see.
Hou Chong Lee,
There are 2 other dishes that were not mentioned, (1) braised sea cucumber with minced meat and another dish, tau kwa sauteed with crab meat. You must make a trip here to try. Otherwise how often can you visit James Kitchen in Perth?
BTW the braised sea cucumber must be ordered 2 days in advance. So if there is any interest in this dish please post your intention here so I can order. I know not everybody eats ‘sea slugs’
To confirm, I will pick up Mary C, Neo Sock Cheng, Ah Nee, SueZ and Renee from Aljunied MRT at 7.15pm.
When you go thru’ the ticket stiles, turn LEFT and there will be a ‘dead-end’ road directly ahead. Your car and chauffeur will be there. Till then. Table closed, we have 10, hope the food is also a ’10’.
Jassmine #272
‘Kam Sia’
Hi Tim Kor,
…..“Don’t leave the Cantonese behind,lah!!”
Far from it,the Cantonese are way ahead while the Teochews…. are clapping their cymbals, singing…..
Tim,since you are a PURE bred HK Cantonese, I think it is time for the Cantonese to have some say too.
Perhaps,you can start a NEW interesting post on the Cantonese….and we will chip in. Ok?
……” Choe chor sun sin mae peek moon chok ” …
a popular operA Cantonese song.
Hi Charles C,
Wow, you have to pick up 5 “Ah Nias” huh……must thank you for being so kind and helpful to make this dinner an extraordinary one! hor hor…can I request braised sea cucumber, my favourite leh, if not I just eat what the majority prefer. :)
Ah Nee
Send email = ??? in HK Chinese. Hope this helps.
Was distracted today by a fair, slim lady (maybe 25yo) with a sweet face and long flowy hair. I was in a class with other SH students when she came to the door. I was cool but my eyes “Thoi Nan Sia Mak Chi”. She walked in gracefully and sat next to me. Her big eyes goes blink blink and I go ding-a-ling. You think I can think? Then this post came to my rescue. Not to be seen as “mm sar mi si, “tong tong hee”, “hiao ni ni” or “sim cheh cheh” I greeted her in teochew to get instant kinship. She smiled and her eyes goes blink blink …hello look again, look harder hor, is she teochew or not ? Kaa – don’t even think about it, other tell tale colours : Min cheh cheh (tired); Min oh oh (angry); Min ang ang (bashful) ; None of this leh. My next question “hehe hehe , are you Teochew nan from Aw-Kan Singapore hah?” Blink Blink “no-el, I am from Coo-re-ea ”. Aiyoh..
“Chit che Koi chit che Arg , Joo Lau Joo Tor Luck,
Toi cher noi, Tiam Tiam Chio kou chwee Kuah kuah”.
HC
Lina #266 & Chrales #273
Can’t blame you for assuming I am a Lee lah, afterall where got Teochew nan sair Neo kai neh that’s why Charles said I pua seck ah nia kekekekekek
Anyway this is not the first time my surname got mixed up…..in school my report book show me as Tan and my student bus pass showed as Ng and when I grew up and go to work ppl also think I am a Ng….don’t know why lei. Goon lau pei is a Neo and uah ah neh is Chng…hmmmm maybe because I am pua chai ark that’s why Neo+Chng=Ng ;0)
Choi sai ah Charles hia for arranging the dinner and I see you all at Aljunied MRT ya
Sockie
Charles
I love sea cucumber too. Please order some.
See you at Aljunied stn. at 7.15 pm.
Thanks for both.
Hou Chong, Lina, Ah Nee, Sue Chan, Seok Cheng, June Lim
Wah, it’s taking me twice as much time reading this post now. This ‘romanised’ Teochew is slowing me down, hahaha. Read until “mak chor chor” trying to figure out the Teochew tones and meanings.
Hou Chong,
Ta faham your
“Chit che Koi chit che Arg , Joo Lau Joo Tor Luck,
Toi cher noi, Tiam Tiam Chio kou chwee Kuah kuah”. leh
I can only figure out the ‘one chicken and one duck’ and smile until mouth wide wide’.
Ladies,
I’ve learnt a new Teochew word from you all now. “kia tiang poi”! hahaha!
I think all the non Teochew speaking people must be terribly bored by this. Are we the ‘koi’ or are we the ‘ark’ I wonder? Any way, I’m enjoying this.
Neo Sock Cheng # 279
Hahaha, now you have become a “pua chye ark” !
From Neo and Chng, to Tan and Ng and back to Neo again….so confusing. How did that happen? Must be the British. They always get floored by Chinese words.
Hi Charles, Lina & Ah Nee,
Last evening, I was looking for something in my wallet when I realised my sister bought a ticket for me to watch CATS this Friday evening. Must be getting old & forgetful.
:( ‘Jin kai tui um chu’ (Really so sorry), unable to join you, ah hiahs & ah nias for dinner at Swatow. Thousand apologies.
Have fun & enjoy the dinner!
“Choe chor sun sin mae peek moon chok”. In case even the Cantonese think that Steven-C is saying that the sun sins and the moon chokes, no, what he says is, even if one is deified, one may still not feel satisfied.
My parents came from HK but I was born here so while I do speak HK Cantonese, I am a pure bred Sporean. I dont see the need to popularise something already so popular.doing so will only pop it.
“I love…..cucumber….. See you at Aljunied stn. at xxxpm. Thanks for both”.
Steven-C, if you have the time you might also want to go to that mrt stn…….she’ll only be too happy to find 2 men and 2 cucumbers, with yr good height, yr cucumber shd be proportionately longer…hehe.
Hi Mary #281
“Chit che Koi chit che Arg ,
[One is a chicken, one is a duck (ref to diff of language)]
Joo Lau Joo Tor Luck,
[the older, the more backwards (regression of character)]
Toi cher noi, Tiam Tiam Chio kou chwee Kuah kuah”
[See a lady, constantly smile with mouth wide wide].
Ps: all told in jest – depicting use of teochew in our daily situation.
HC
Suzhang #283, Enjoy your ‘ngiao’ (CATS) show at the Esplanade. We will eat your share and let you know how ‘hor chiat'(delicious) the food is.
Ivy #277, thanks for the translation in Chinese.
Ah Nee you know I cannot read Chinese. Translate what Ivy wrote, please. Today I know you got lots of time to add to this Teochew thread, haha! ‘Le chiak kao buay?’ (have you eaten enough?).
Lina & Norlida,
This morning, “saya” not in office nor at home lah, I went for a morning makan spree at Joo Chiat / Katong and is back home now. Never know that East Coast / Joo chiat also got such nice food. Just wonder if we can organise a Best Food Hunt event for SHC, could be very FUN!….for a start, we can explore in the East lor….
Ok, back to Teochew translation for Lina. Ivy said ???, something like post the letter by DHL or post the letter at the post office…heheheeeee (not very sure leh). “Wah chiak kar pa…mak seah…lai ke ng” (I eat too full, sleepy now, going to take a nap)…..
Ah Nee
Lina & Ah Nee ngia-jie(pretty sister),
??? = send electronic mail = kia tiang U (coming from the first word stamp????liak wu qiu bo? (catch the ball or not?)
Talking about Teochew food, I always prepare this simple homecooked dish – steamed the fish (big-eye red fish) without removing the scales; take out the flesh and dip into Po-Leng tau-cheoh. This tau-cheoh is superb…I think can get from Sg wet market. Try it out…yummy
hi Ivy,
That’s a very typical way of steaming fish w/o removing the scales. I also add sliced ginger. It’s lovely.
Hi Ivy & Lilian “ah nia”,
Teochew nan love to eat any kind of steam fish dip in “tau cheoh”. And I love the particular “tau cheoh” my mother bought from the Teochew dry market (at North Bridge Road, opposite Golden Landmark Hotel). She goes there with my father very often to buy the “tau cheoh” among other things. Just last week while having dinner, my “old man” mentioned that he have not been eating that fish….you know that fish when you steamed without removing the scales…..I don’t know the name of this fish, it’s slim, longish & greyish black in colour. Teochew call it “orh her” (black fish). I think this kind of fish is popular among the Teochew and it can be steam only (cannot fry). Wow…when eaten with the “tau cheoh”…very superb leh!
Ah Nee
Ah Nee, So you finally got up from your long nap! I love to eat steam ‘ou her’ (black fish). Steam with the scales on and remove the scales before eating. The fish is so much tastier. And why must they steam the ‘pek tou her’ with the intestines still inside! Often the stomach tastes bitter even after removing the intestines!
Thanks Ivy. ‘Liak wu kiu’ (understand), ‘kia tiang u'(send electronic mail). Are you Teochew too? How is your Cantonese? Must be superb! I cannot speak a word of Cantonese?
Charles C :
Thanks for accomodating me for tomorrow night’s dinner at Swa Garden at 1930HRS.
Cheers and see you there.
Lina Ang :
Sorry opps. We are dealing with only raw coffee beans. Btw did you receive my email ?
Thanks and take care.
AhNee..
Today u very shiok hor…morning makan spree…then long nap!..no need to work!..tauke neo ah!
this morning waited for you…make milo oredi..then u tak datang!…apa macam..haha
eh!…u better not stay in joo chiat area lah…if not u everyday like jalan2 cari makan2 sedap2…become gemuk!..susah lah!
Lina..
Thank you for being my ‘messenger’ & hunted for that teochew ah nia(orh nee) lah..thot she went galloping with you go marketing to prepare for your clan’s dinner tom!
LilianChua@289..
Just asking, are you the Lilian..my room mate at FraserHill trip?..sori if u not..alamak..my hp ‘drowned’& all shcian names also gone!..
cud u msg or email me your number pls :)tku
Hi Lilian,
Yes, fish must be steamed with ginger otherwise ‘chau chor’ (fishy).
Lina, Ah Nee,
If you can find the red fish, try to eat it this way. It taste better than the ‘orh her’.
I’m a true blue Cantonese but my in-laws in hk speak very chim Teochew to me and most of my friends in sg are Teochews. I think I have ‘guan’ with the Teochews. Cantonese is easy to pick up…just watch more of the HK tv serial.
norlinda #293
Nope. I’m not yr room mate @Fraserhill.
hi all teochew nang,
I am a little early for Mooncake festival, does anyone knows where to get good teochew ‘piah’?
Hou Chong
Thanks for the translation. Now I understand what it is.
Nor, my dear,
#293 – Your room mate @FraserHill is Lilian Teo.
Ok will msg you my no# again.
Hi to everyone in this “HOT” post. Trying very hard to understand some of the comments.
Nor at #293.
By your hp having drowned, do you mean it had dropped in the toilet bowl? Ha ha ha…. So, what were you doing then?
Daisy
Hi Tim Kor @ 284,
….Charles,
I love sea cucumbers and … too. Thanks for both.
She likes sea cucumbers NOT cucumbers.
She prefers the “lembek” “lembek” ones NOT the sturdy
“keras” “keras” ones. Ha! ha! :)
Good morning…..
Lilian Chua, the Teochew “piah” is still traditionally eaten by the old folks during the Mooncake festival. My parent is a very good example; they love to eat this “very very” sweet Teochew “piah”. Next week when I see them, I will ask them where to buy the nice one.
Daisy Yeo and Lilian Teo, both of you have the Teochew surname: Yeo & Teo and how come you are not a Teochew “nan” neh?
Ah Nee
“Wah piang” (gosh!)…”sar pek” (300) comments!!! and looks like still going strong…:-))
I love “peh toh her” (white stomach fish) too…eat with “tou cheo”, minced chilli and ginger…esp the ones with “bau” (not the roe, so what’s that in english?..:-))
Yap…got to be very careful whn cleaning the stomach…break the gall and u won’t want to eat the stomach..:-))
Lilian Chua #296, I know there is this ‘Teochew piah’ stall on Telok Ayer St.. People queue up even before the ‘piah’ comes out of the oven. Very fresh and delicious!
Thanks Ivy #294, will try the Red fish and remember the ginger. Can understand quite a bit of spoken Cantonese but find it most difficult to speak.
Sam #292, I know why I did not receive your e-mail, cos you send it to Lina Ang and not to me. Haha! Anyway, thanks for your trouble. C u tonight.
June & Lina,
This “peh toh her” (white stomach fish) are only abundantly available during the CNY period, right? Ordinary day, the “peh toh her” hardly have any “bau” or roe and smaller in size. But during the CNY period every “peh toh her” stomach is so fat (full of roe) and is pricey. I like it steamed for a while, then fried it and eat it with plum sauce or cut chillies & ginger. Yummy……..
Lina, there is another ‘Teochew piah’ stall near Lorong Ah Soo market in Hougang. Freshly bake and superb! but hor, all the shop assistant there are very snobbish….went to the shop once and also my last. Why should I paid to see that kind of faces…….can buy from other places hor. So I c u this evening. Yummy yummy :)
Ah Nee
Like June, I like the ‘peh tou her’ with the bau too. Very rich! (What is bau anyway? I don’t think it is the roe).
I agree with you about the snobbish ‘Teochew piah’ sellers. Still, I have to buy cos I want to eat them.
Ah Nee, go read Sam Goh’s joke. I remember you told me that you said those same words as Ah Beng when you were caught parking illegally. What a coincidence!
Lina #303,
Is the stall still there? Telok Ayer St…is quite short, I go look for it. Thanks hor
Ah Nee #304
Are you referring to these 2 Hougang stall:
Lee Guan Cake Makers
Blk 108 Hougang Ave 1
#01-1311 Singapore 530108
Tel : 62892661
????
Blk 9 Houngang Ave 7 #01-05
Singapore 530009
Tel :62829415
“She likes sea cucumbers NOT cucumbers.”
Steven-C, how do you describe the cucumber of yours standing with you out at sea? Mountain cucumber?
Hi Lilian, I don’t know the shop name, but it should be correct at Block 108 because the shop is next to S11, the 24 hrs food court which is at Block 107.
Lina, Suzhang bought her “???” (“sha kei ma” in Cantonese), a nice snack made of flour & egg & honey. She used to buy from this Telok Ayer St shop you mentioned. Upon her recommendation, I bought the snack too, it is indeed very delicious. This shop sell all kind of “piah”……sweet one, salty one, hard one like peanut candy etc.
Ah Nee
Hi Lillian Chua @296 and Ah Nee,
There is a Teochew piah shop in Lor 27, Geylang, on the same side as the Aljunied MRT. I like their ‘lah piah’ but usually sold out or not in season if not in the mooncake festival.
Unfortunately it’s full of sugar and pork lard!!! Very unhealthy. You might check it out.
#286 Lina, thanks, I will make sure I enjoy my ‘ngiao’ show tonite. Heard it’s popular. You hv a nice meal too. :)
#288 Ivy, ‘lei hei tuck whoa’ ???! can speak such fluent teochew besides Cantonese. Really envy you.
#308 Ah Nee, hmm… come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I have that. Lina, next week you come & lunch with us then we go to this Telok Ayer shop to get some “piah” home, ai mai? You must try this “???”… It’s irresistible!
Hi SuZhang,
Aiya, don’t make me shy leh. I only know a word or two of Teochew…??????? (‘sik siu siu, ban doi piu’ in Canto). Oops, sorry, it is Teochew only in this thread…must siam already. Tata
Charles Chua #309
hello bro chua, i know that shop, it’s near Aljunied MRT.
Lilian, Ah Nee, Lina and Suzhang
The piah shop in Telok Ayer Street is located at the other end of the street, just before the former China Square Food Court. The shophouse is opposite the PWC Building.
If you are referring to Tan Hock Seng,their beh teh saw, and tau sar piahs are heavenly yummy yummy especially if you can get them hot, or at least still warm, cause the flaky skin is just so fragrant and crispy.
Have been buying them ever since each pastry costs only 25cents. The price had since doubled!
Tan Hock Seng is a Hokkien pastry shop, I think.
Ah Nee at #301.
I was then a Yeo, then a Teo-Yeo but became a Yeo again and have never been a Teochew but okay lah, can still call for Teochew backups if I need to, cause I’ve got relatives who are Teochews and also those who are not but speak damn good Teochew.
As for me, can only say “tor koon” and “meh meh laiii…..”
Guess I qualify to dine at the Teochew feast planned for by Terence.
…… and yes, another Teochew word, “ker ook”.
Catherine Yeo at #152
Guess you were just kidding about the origin of Hok-chews. There is indeed a dialect called Hokchew. You might have heard of the Hokchew fish balls which have meat fillings
being sold in People Pak’a
oops….. meant People’s Park.
This is by far the longest thread in all the post on SHC website that I know of ……………. #317 going #318.
And sorry, me no teochew “nan” ….. and #318 gone…
Lilian #306, The Teochew Piah shop name is “Thye Lee” at Blk 108 Hougang Ave 1 . used to be from Upper Paya Lebar Road.
Charles #309, Is the name of Shop you mentioned near Aljunied Road “Thye Mong”?
I love teochew piah especially the “Lau Mah Kor”
Melissa
Hi Tim,
….Mountain cucumber????
Walau !
Making a mountain out of a molehill????
Hi Melissa at #319,
Yes. Yesterday after I picked up the 4 Ah Nias at the Mrt stn, I drove past the shop to show them the place. It is Thye something, I think you are right Thye Mong, about the centre of the short Lor 27.
Happy eating
hi daisy #313, Melissa #319
Thanks for info.
Dear Daisy #315.
Yes I was only kidding on the Hokchew bit by joining the first half of hokkien and the second part of teochew. I also know that there is a dialect called hokchew and I have heard the dialect being spoken but ‘liak bo kiu’
As for the hokchew meat fishballs, I think the ‘keks’ also have this dish too. I notice you are also a ‘yeo’, so what dialect group do you fall under?
Charles Chua
Regarding the dinner at Swa Garden. It was good and reasonable. The meatballs with liver were delicious. So was the fish maw soup, but a bit ‘diluted’, don’t you think? Not quite enough fish maw. The goose meat was not ‘rough or leathery’ as I was led to believe. It was surprisingly tender. The fish was nice too, though a bit pricy although it was a red garoupa.
It was a good dinner and we even had some wine, to go along with the food, thanks to you.
Appreciate your organising it.
Hi Charles, Mary,
I would like to go to Swa Garden next week. Can you share what is the decor and atmosphere like? I read the food is good and teochew too. How much is a red grouper or the goose meat there? I hope it is open for lunch.
Charles, next time, we go somewhere else. Sorry, I had to miss this session. Hope everybody spoke teochew at the dinner.
Terence Seah
Terence, #324
I think Charles Chua is in a better position to comment about the food. He’s a real Teochew ah bah and knows more about Teochew food I believe. So I will leave it to him to answer your questions.
We spoke some Teochew but somehow or other, after a while, everybody lapsed back into English. Difficult to communicate in Teochew. Can only use phrases. Terrible isn’t it?
You should arrange a Teochew makan session when you get back, ok?
Hi Terence and Mary C,
If you are thinking of going to Swa Gdn next week, I don’t mind joining you if your group agrees. I will be free any day except Tue and Wed.
The decor is nothing to shout about. In fact its a let down. The decor is very ‘chng’. Curtains are old, red or pink, carpet worn and bare. You will be embarassed to bring friends there for the decor. Typical comments from my friends are: “Wah Charles, when I walked in to this place, I thot what kind of cheapo restaurant is this, but when I ate the food, it’s quite good.” Or “How about that place near your house, food’s quite good but place is a drab”.
The red grouper costs $56 and the braised goose, $24, I think.
If you are going I will suggest the following (only my opinion)
1) Liver ‘hae cho’, leave out the ‘prawn hae cho’
2)Skip the soup. Like Mary C says the soup was thin, and they added ‘sotong’ to it, which I thot was a big mistake.
3)Skip the fish too unless you must have it. Then try the pomfret.
4)’Koo chye pek’. Typical Teochew dish but some people may find the vege too fibrous and undigestible, but it does bring back memories. Try the ‘low soon’ with prawns, or scallops or mushrooms, but not all.
5)My personal favourite, the tofu with crab meat. First the tofu is mixed with prawns/crab meat and lightly fried. Then it is refried with crab meat again. This is long a speciality of the house.
6)’Huang chi heok’ (sweet potato leaves) fried any way you want, garlic, belachan or ‘hae bee’ like that night.
7)Braised goose meat. Cut finely with the ‘sng nee chor’
8)Depending on the no of people, you may want to restrict the above dishes and add a plate of ‘fried hor fun’. They do it quite well there. Skip the ‘chye poh kuay teow’. That dish, tho’ recommended by them, is far too basic.
9)Lastly ‘orh nee’ with the works, ie pumpkin and ginko nuts.
Give me a call and I can pick you up, lunch or dinner, except for those 2 days. Enjoy your lunch/dinner.
June Lim #302
“Peh Dou her” has to be very fresh, otherwise it can be very “chow chor”. I remember eating that as a kid and people tended to be very wasteful, eating only the “bau” and discarding the flesh!
I haven’t eaten this fish in ages.
Hi Charles,
I see you are free on Thursday. How about next Thurs? We meet at 12nn. I go there myself, and after lunch, I go to Bangkok. So we have plenty of time.
If you are ok, it’s ON
Hi guys and gals, would you like to join Charles and myself at Swa Garden. This activity is ON. Simply, say you are coming, and we see you there 12nn. Be on time, or the goose may run away.
Terence Seah
Terence, Charles
Thursday lunch, at Swa Garden again? I have a dinner on Friday and prefer a lighter lunch, otherwise I’ll keep putting on weight. :-(
Anyway,may join you all if the response is good. Perhaps Terence can tempt us with some Kahlua or Strawberry liquer? Hahaha. An aperitif to stimulate the appetite?
Hi Charles C,
The 9 course dinner we had last Friday been really good, value for money; especially we get to eat the Braised goose meat, a Teochew specialty. The Fish Maw soup is the only dish that is not up to my expectation; I didn’t eat any Fish Maw, but ‘sotong’ in the soup instead.
Last Saturday, I went to Ming Kee Seafood restaurant which I have made reservation two weeks ago. Menu below are for 5 pax and total cost is $227.10.
1)Steam Fish (“Soon Hock”) $49
2)One giant size crab with some (“bee hoon”) $58.80
3)X.O. BBQ pork ribs – $8
4)Steam (“la-la”)with garlic – $38
5)Scallop fried with Asparagus – $27
6)Fried (“mee sua”) $12
7)Yam paste (“orh nee”) $12
8)Beverage & Rice – $22.30
Ming Kee restaurant is just a stone throw away from Swa Garden and I am sure you have eaten the food there since its so near your house. Compared to Swa Garden, the ambience at Ming Kee is better in terms of decor, but the food is a bit pricey. Both restaurant served superb food, but I prefered the yam paste (“orh nee”) at Ming Kee restaurant. This is my views, don’t know about you…… :)
Ah Nee
Hi Ah Nee,
$49 for a Soon Hock sounds very cheap. Was it ‘chio’ and ‘tua chiak, buay’?
How was the crab bee hoon done? Soup? or dry? 2 kilo crab?
I am interested in you feedback as I think Ming Kee is well known for their crabs. Might try in May
Charles,
The “soon hock” fish is quite big, about 700 gm and is very fresh. The fish is steamed with some sauce & chopped fried garlic topped with lots of shredded spring onion.
The giant crab is 1.4 kg. It was chopped into 6 portions (including the 2 claws), stir fried with some “bee hoon” and starchy gravy, topped with some parsley. This special crab dish you must try, very very delicious & yummy……..oh ya, the “la la” too.
Ah Nee
Ah Nee
HI Ah Nee,
Thanks for the tip. Will try next month.
I know what to order already.
Cheers
Hi Terence and Mary C,
So is the lunch at 12noon still on? Only 3 of us? Difficult to order then. Can we get more?
Will watch this post for any update.
Cheers
Hi Catherine at #323
Me a Hokkien but me Hokkien buay choon one. Ha ha ha…
Hi Charles, Mary,
The lunch is last minute, but even if it is 4 to a table, let’s meet for lunch. No need the big fish. Anybody like to join the teochew lunch at Swa Garden?
Terence Seah
Terence
Are you referring to this Thurs, the 30th of April?
I’m free this Thursday, the 30th and don’t mind meeting for lunch,if only to oblige you, hee. So, it’s you , me and CharlesC. Who else coming?
Terence,
It dawned on me that Thursday is a work day, so not many will respond for lunch.
Besides, how to order for 3 or 4 persons? The most is 3 dishes or we will have to be forced to stuff ourselves.
Want to re-think the venue?
Hi Teochews!!
I got eyestrain form reading this looooonnng thread!
Many things still puzzle me:
How come Ah Lee is teochew? Lee, like Chan is not a teochew surname?
Hockchew is hakka not khek?
I thought teochew food is clean and simple… not the large gastronomic offerings of the teochew restaurants mentioned. Give me a bowl of teochew muay with han che and some nice steamed fish, salted egg… raw cockles (the most extravagant dish)… and I’ll be in teochew heaven!
You guys also fail to mention the “chee kak he” or “ikan terubok”, “shad” in English. This very bony fish is simmered in vinegar sauce until the bones melt like sardines in this Teochew dish. Available at Teo Seng or some teochew muay stalls.
I’ve worked myself to the last post of Mary C…#339 and must reward myself with “orr nee” made the traditional way with pork lard and then “kee ook”… very tired lah!
Hi Kenneth Tan,
You are a bit late aren’t you? You could have tried saying a few words or Teochew and joined us for the dinner at Swa gardens. well, it’s still not too late to join Terence for lunch on Thursday.
Oh yes, I remember the “chi kah her” with “sng nee choh”. Very yummy, but so bony. Difficult to eat. Perhaps that’s why they don’t serve it in many restaurants.
“I’ve worked myself to the last post………and must reward myself with “orr nee”……with pork lard….”
Kenneth-T, you deserve a better reward and I’ll speak with Ah Nee on a no-string-tied no-obligation-attached arrangement for you but on your part, do undertake no pork lard hor…….cant see how Ah Nee, who probably thinks she’s a bit porky now, and pork lard will ever mix, altho you can treat her to a pot-luck as appetiser as you build up the atmosphere………..
Hi Lilian,
You manage to get your Telok Ayer, Teochew ‘piah’? Should be still there. Of all the ‘piah’ outlets I still prefer this one.
Suzhang, will come for lunch and we go buy ‘sha kei ma’, whatever, it is.
Ah Nee, 5 people eat 7 dishes! You all must be very hungry. No wonder, you went cycling Sunday morning. Ate too much already! Haha! I remember having yummy frog’s leg at Ming Kee too. (And no GST and Service Charge) The restaurant has nice decor.
This morning I bought ‘pek tou her’ with ‘bau’ for $10/- per kg. Ah Nee and June, want to come my place for lunch?
Just to join in the Fishy talk. If any of you care for Pomfret Porridge, you probably
won’t be disappointed with the one served in a coffee shop located at the junction
of Geylang Rd and Lor 20, Geylang. Interesting place for a meal in the evening too.
I caught a 41cm Bream off the coast on Sunday. It is close to 2kg and maybe 15yo
alth it looked young…haha. Any advice on how best to cook this kind of fish?
HC
#311 Hi Ivy, ha.ha.. I like this phrase : ???????, at least you can get by. Not for me, as I am poor in other dialects.
#331 Ah Nee, you’ve made the right choice of going Ming Kee last Sat. It’s one of my favourite chinese restaurant, you know. For that price, I think it’s worth it cos it’s quality that counts. CharlesC, you must go & try it.
$343 Lina, you like frog legs too huh? me too… you tried their frog legs with spring onion & ginger ? I am drooling now….. Ah Nee & I did not go for lunch today cos it was raining very heavily here. Sigh…. so sad got to settle for instant noodles lor.
Hou Chong
Why not do steam it with ‘sng buay’, ‘kiam chye’ and pickled ginger, with a splash of light soya sauce and a dash of pepper? Garnish with some spring onions and parsley and julienned chili.
That’s how I usually cook very fresh fish.
Enjoy.
Mary #346
Thank you
HC
Lina #343,
Not yet.
Today’s lunch at Swa Garden is ON. There are 6 of us. See you folks. And if there is a last minute participant, just scream, before arrival.
Terence Seah
Looks like we have more people meeting for teochew lunch at Swa Garden. CharlesC, TerenceS, DollyL, OiCheng, maybe MaryC, AndrewK, PaulK, AnneC.
Terence Seah
Lina #343
I wemt Telok Ayer St today, walked fr beginning to end of the road wouldnt find the shop u mentioned. There’s massive road works at China Sq junction, got to detoure, may hv missed the shop.
Hi Lilian,
We were there last week and we got what we wanted. They told me they are opened until 7pm on weekdays. Sundays off. Did not check on Sats. – sorry. I think it is located nearer to Cross St.
hi Lina,
Do you have the address?
Hi Lilian,
The address is Tan Hock Seng, 86 Telok Ayer St., #01-01 Far East Square. Mon to Sat 9am-7pm. Closed on Sundays. Hope this helps.
Thanks Lina
Hi Lilian, You’re most welcome.
hi Lina,
I found the shop after 30mins of hunting high and low. Luckily my eye sight is still good, spotted the shop from far away.
Thanks
Hi Lilian, Glad you found the shop at least. Enjoy your ‘piah’.
Hi Teo Chew nan ka chun ang ang,
EnJoy Teochew Rap courtesy of Paul Kong!
gag gi nang may enjoy these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQWym_rKcGc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFDtxj-R-Qg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwjyCTw6c7c&feature=related
Though a Hainanese, I do understand a smattering of Hokkien and Cantonese!
Dan
Calling Hou Chong and all other Teochews,
I was just listening to this Teochew Alvis-style song, and thought it would be nice to share with other Teochews. It’s here. Enjoy the weekend.
http://www.silverhairsclub.com/SHC/TeochewAlvis.m4a
Terence Seah