The rise of Singlish

Singapore's famous spouting Merlion statue - in Singlish "merlion" means to vomit profusely

Singapore's government has long insisted that everyone in the island nation should speak English - it's the language used in schools, at work, and in government. But in practice many people speak a hybrid language that can leave visitors completely baffled - Singlish.

Singapore is known for its efficiency and Singlish is no different - it's colourful and snappy.

You don't have a coffee - you "lim kopi". And if someone asks you to join them for a meal but you've already had dinner, you simply say: "Eat already."

Singlish first emerged when Singapore gained independence 50 years ago, and decided that English should be the common language for all its different races.

That was the plan. It worked out slightly differently though, as the various ethnic groups began infusing English with other words and grammar. English became the official language, but Singlish became the language of the street.

Repeated Speak Good English campaigns, drummed into Singaporeans in schools and in the media, have had only limited success. Singlish has not only shrugged off these attacks, it has thrived.

It's been documented in a dictionary and studied by linguists. And it has been immortalised in popular culture. Take for example the 1991 comedy rap song Why U So Like Dat? by musician Siva Choy, which dramatises an argument between two schoolchildren.

"I always give you chocolate, I give you my Tic Tac, but now you got a Kit Kat, you never give me back!" sings Choy.

"Oh why you so like dat ah? Eh why you so like dat?"

Over time, Speak Good English campaigns have evolved from trying to stamp out Singlish, to accepting that properly spoken English and Singlish can peacefully co-exist. The language has even come to be seen as part of Singaporean identity and heritage - it appears in advertising campaigns for SG50, the big celebration of Singapore's Jubilee Year, and will feature on floats in Saturday's National Day Parade.

Do you speak Singlish? Decode these five phrases

Wah this durian so shiok, best lah!

• Wow, this durian is very tasty, it’s awesome!
• Ugh, this durian is so smelly, best to avoid it!

From BBC News

Play the Quiz here

Hiroshima remembered as lanterns light up the night

Residents in the Japanese city of Hiroshima are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb being dropped by a US aircraft.

People across the country observed a minute's silence at the exact time an American aircraft dropped the bomb in 1945.

As dusk fell in Hiroshima, the ceremonies culminated with the release of thousands of colourful paper lanterns on the Motoyasu river. (BBC News)

The wonder of a rainbow in Beijing

There were hours of rainfall, the city was getting soaked. And then something many Beijing residents did not expect on Monday evening.

The rainbow that stopped a city

A rainbow!

Readers almost anywhere else in the world might scratch their heads at what is probably quite a commonplace phenomenon. But in smog-ridden Beijing, rainbows are rare.

Just how rare became evident in the hours that followed and into the early hours of Tuesday morning as Chinese netizens uploaded images in their thousands and shared their joy at the sight of the rainbow on social media.

When in China and if you see a rainbow, take a picture

"To us living in China, it was so rare and beautiful to see," commented Weibo user TingLee. "It's definitely not something we see very often."

One rainbow photo, which captured the vivid colours above an urban scene, was the most popular. Suddenly Beijing was seen as if through a vintage Instagram filter.

"Could this be a sign of better things to come for our environment? I hope so," another Weibo user said, showing how inevitably the first thoughts people had were about the state of their environment.

Rainbow mania also spread to popular Chinese instant messaging app WeChat.

From BBC News World-China

READ MORE HERE

Algarve-Portugal-A paradise on South Europe

The Algarve is the south region in Portugal where we can have the most restful and pleasant holidays in Europe. Not far from the North of Africa the temperature are warm all over the year. Mild winters and not too hot summers make this part of Portugal the most desirable for  British tourists but also French, Dutch, Spanish or Asian people come year every summer for some weeks of real nice holidays. Nowadays also American tourists elect the Algarve as one of the best places for some relaxing holidays. 

If you like  wonderful beaches, warm weather, astonishing sea landscape, tasty food and lots of extreme (or not) activities, the Algarve is, no doubt, the right holidays' place.

In the Algarve there's plenty of really nice restaurants among the which there's one in particular I would like you to know: BOCAGE in Loulé a cosmopolitan town not far from the coast. Loulé is a nice modern city, although there are lots of older streets and districts with a long story. See the castle for example, very well preserved offering opportunities to be visited.

Loulé is just a few kilometres from the coast where you can enjoy pleasant beaches in towns like Quarteira and Vilamoura  cosmopolitan towns always crowded by tourists coming from numerous parts of the four corners of then world. British, Dutch, French, Spanish, German and even Asian people, come to this part of the Algarve to spent a hell of a time.

Now the restaurant in Loulé:

Bocage is a familiar medium size restaurant in the old part of the city. There you can have lunch or dinner in a truly calm atmosphere and eat homemade meals of high quality.
The staff are very nice and always available for any changes you like in the dish you choose. If you want they also have a take away service.


Here you can have a tasty meal made up of endogenous ingredients, respecting the good old homemade food of the Algarve.

Fish is the exlibris of Bocage restaurant as Loulé locates not far from the sea. The fish they serve is, for me, one of the best you can eat. Very fresh sardines, monkfish, golden bream, bream, cuttlefish, salmon, snook among others. At Bocage restaurant you can try the freshest fish in the area.

Meat dishes are also from the best quality and wonderfuly made. You can also find some meat dishes combined with sea food like clams, shrimp and others.

Fresh fruit and sweet desserts make a happy ending. All the dishes comprise products of this part of Portugal as the owners care about offering the best food there is around. The climate provides plenty of sun all over the year so, the fruit are very sweet, making a nice fruit salad. They also serve Portuguese puddings, chocolate, pineaple and mango mousses, tarts, sweet rice among other delicacies are available in Bocage everyday except on Sundays.

At Bocage the prices are really inviting. You can eat a full meal for around 14€, depending on the kind of ingredients and wether you eat some starters or not. The wines are of a very good quality and varfiety: from the Algarve (lighter and fresher)or Alentejo (stronger and thicker) or from the north (fresher and bitter), it's up to you to choose according to your taste. The coffee from a wideworld known Portuguse brand DELTA is one the best in the world. So, if you want to eat nice homemade meals at a good price don't forget to go to Bocage restaurant in Loulé in the Algarve, south of Portugal.

 Adress: Bocage street, nº 40- Loulé

 The city market in an Arabe style and  the old castle from the 2nd century are worth a visit too.

                                                                          

Mª Dulce Branquinho

Living in Versace: if you loved the outfit, you can buy the flat (?)

It's the kind of place that when you press the doorbell, you may hear a distinct "bling, bling" coming from the inside.

Designer views; what residents may see from their Versace apartments in London

Welcome to the UK's first block of flats where the style and interiors have all been designed by the global fashion-house, Versace.

As a result, fashionistas who choose to live their lives smothered in Versace, will soon be able to live under its roof as well.

Every morning they'll be able to wake up in Versace sheets, drink tea from a Versace cup, wallow in a Versace bath and walk on Versace-patterned carpets - even before accessing their Versace wardrobe.

From now on, let no one else tell you that they live in a designer flat.

The top of the so-called Jenga tower

In fact no one will be moving in for another five years or so, but such is the hype surrounding this week's launch, that dozens of the apartments have already been sold.

That will leave many people wondering which is the more frightening trend: the fact that developers may be able to charge an even higher premium for their bricks and mortar or that the boundaries of taste may be shifting ever further from the simple and the understated.

'Feature wall'

The quickly-nicknamed Jenga tower - after the game with wooden blocks - is due to open in the Nine Elms area of London in 2020.

All the residents will have access to a Versace-designed communal lounge, a "sky garden" on the 24th floor, a 900 sq ft pool on the 23rd floor and a Versace-designed children's' play area.

All kitchens will be fitted with Versace breakfast bars

All bathrooms will have Versace tubs, taps, tiling and a floor made from a single sheet of marble, while all kitchens will contain a Versace breakfast bar.

The reception rooms will be carpeted with a classic "Greek key" designs, and the bedrooms will have a "feature wall".

The word from Milan is that aficionados have not lived, or loved, till now.

"Versace is synonymous with fashion and luxury, and its participation in the real estate business provides the opportunity to fully experience the Versace lifestyle," says Gian Giacomo Ferraris, the company's chief executive.

Versace house style - understated it's not

'Flamboyant look'

Prices start at £1m for a two bedroom apartment, and £3m for a three-bedroom.

And those spending that amount will be able to immerse themselves even more fully in the world of the Italian fashion house.

They will be flown free of charge to its Milan headquarters, where they will be able to discuss their interior design needs in greater detail with a Versace consultant.

"Each one will be overseen by Donatella Versace, as she does all her designs," says Krete Luca, sales manager with Hamptons International, which is handling enquiries for the development.

Even your wine glasses can be Versace - if you want

At that point, a whole new world of "Versace-ness" opens up.

The owners will then be able to buy branded cutlery, glasses and tablecloths with the word Versace embossed in the corner and pictures, sofas, table lamps and cushions bearing the signature Medusa head.

"Versace is a very specialised taste," says Daniel Hopwood, presenter of BBC Two's The Great Interior Design Challenge and a designer himself.

"It was big in the 1980s. It's quite excessive and quite baroque in design - shiny surfaces and a lot of gold. But it's bling in a nice way."

However most of the design and the colours in London will be muted, says Mr Luca.

"The bathroom's a light grey marble, with a subtle finish. However, if you want a more flamboyant look, you can have that," he says.

'Scary future'

In the future, more and more interiors may come from fashion designers. After all, they are already established brands. Few other interior designers - apart from perhaps Kelly Hoppen - are household names.

The developers of the Nine Elms project, Damac, have already used Versace to design apartment blocks in Saudi Arabia and Beirut.

And its Italian rival Armani is currently building a block of apartments in Florida, with prices of up to $6m for ocean-front units.

"We are going to see more of this," says Daniel Hopwood.

"It's a scary future, but it will happen, especially with internationalism."

Fashion designers are also moving into hotels

Fashion brands are moving into the hotel market too, providing further impetus for their interior design products. An Armani hotel already occupies 11 floors of the Burj Khalifa hotel in Dubai. There is also a branch in Milan.

The Bulgari hotel in London's Knightsbridge provides other clues as to what the future may look like.

The website explains that the hotel "offers subtle quotations from Bulgari's beginnings as a Roman silversmith".

In other words, there's a lot of shininess here too.

'Socks and underpants'

Branded interior design doesn't have to be posh, of course.

"It could be Armani, Versace, or even Ikea," says Hopwood. Indeed Ikea has been helping to build affordable homes in Sweden since 1997.

Nevertheless, for those who like to put their own stamp on their homes, the idea is unlikely to be popular universally.

"As a concept, for most people, walking into a branded house will feel very alien," says Hopwood.

"Do you have to take it right down to the socks and underpants, for goodness sake?"

From BBC News Business