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Penang Hokkien Lesson: Letter from Son to Parents

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Here's an email written by a son in response to the mother's letter. Hello Mummy, Hello Daddy,

kam1siah33 ce33-ce33 sia1 phe1 hor33 wah4. Ta3pi1, uh3 cit3 hang3 wah1 boek1 ka3 Mummy kah1 Daddy kong4: au3koay3 mm33thang3 sia1 phe1. To3long3 sia1 email. Phe1 cin3 ban33 kau3. Email ka1 khuai3. A33si33 lu1lang2 kia1 phe1, wah1 ciap3 tiok1 eh3 si2 Sin3 Cnia1 tun1 koay3 khee3 liau4. Ho1ka3cai4 Ah Saik yong33 ie1-eh3 computer kia3 Mummy-eh3 phe1 hor33 wah4. Ti1 cit3 jit1 tok3 kau3 liau4.

Mummy, Daddy ho4 boh2? Ka1liau1 lang2 ti1 chu3 ho4 boh2? Wah3, Ah Saik kho4 PMR 7-liap3 A, cin3 ho4 goay3 loh4! Wah1 tun1 tau1 hnua3hee4. Ah Mah hospital chut3 lai2 liau4 boay3? Wah1 cin3 kam1siah33 Hasnah kor3 ee1.

Wah1 uh3 cit3-leh3 ho1 siau3sit3. Eng3-goay33 wah1-eh3 kong3kho3 co3 liau3, wah1-eh3 lau33su1 hor33 wah4 tnui4 lai3 pai1 cnia1. Wah1 check liau4, ceh3 MAS ba3lu1 £753. A33si33 ceh3 Cathay Pacific kokh1 kah1 pan3gee2, ba3lu1 £723, ta3pi1 tiok3 poay1 khee1 Hang3 Kang4. Wah1 tun1 beh4 MAS-eh3 phio3.

Cit1 tau4 wah1 tnui1 lai2, Barbara pun1 toay3 wah1 lai2 Penang. Wah1 chua3 ee1 lai3 hor33 Mummy kah1 Daddy bat3. Eng3-goay33 Barbara si33 Muar-eh3 lang2, ee1-eh3 Hokkien wa3 tam3pok1 boh3 siang3 ka1 lan4 Penang kong4 eh2.

Wah1 pun1 cin3 hnua3hee4 Mummy ok3 sia3 Penang Hokkien wa3. Boh3 khan3khor1 ok1, si33 boh2? Daddy tiok3 boek1 ok3 sia4 pun1. Tha1na1 Barbara pun1 ok1. Ee1 ban33-ban33 gau3 sia1 Penang Hokkien liau4. Tha1na1 wah1lang2 mien1 huan3lo4 lau2 wah1lang2-eh3 computer khui1, eng3-goay33 wah1lang2 sia4 Hokkien wa3, boh3 lang3 ti1 cit1-peng2 e33 thark1 wah1lang2 sia4-eh3 phe1!

Wah1 cin3 hnua3hee4 uh3 lang2 co3 cit1-leh1 pan3huat1 sia1 Penang Hokkien kau3 ka1 ji3tien4 pun1 haeh3 ti1 computer. Wah1 tnui4 lai2 Penang eh3 si2, a33si33 uh3 ki3hoay3 wah1 boek1 choay3 cit1-khien1 lang2.

Ma1cai3 Barbara kah1 wah4 khee1 shopping ti1 Westfield. A33si33 uh3 ha1mik1 mi3knia3 lu1lang3 boek3, ka1 wah1 kong4, wah1 e33 beh4 tnui4 lai2.

Te3-boey3 hang3, cit1 tau4 mien1 kia1 hor33 wah4 poay3ki3phio3 liau4. Eng3-goay33 wah1 uh3 co3 tam3pok3 kang1 liau4, wah1 e33 ka3ki3 beh4 wah1-eh3 phio3. Wah1 pun1 hnua1hee4 mien1 ka1nia3 kho3 Mummy kah1 Daddy.

Wah1lang2 kau3 Penang 9:10 am1meh2, pai1-lark1, it1 goay1 jee33-gor33 ho3, ceh3 MH1164. Wah1 hi1bang3 Mummy kah1 Daddy e33 khee3 airport ciap3 wah1lang2. Kam1siah3.

Sa3yang1 ce3-ce3,

Ah Boy


Hello Mummy, Hello Daddy,

Thanks so much for your letter. However, there's something I've got to mention: next time please don't write letters. Please write email. Letters are slow. Emails are faster. If you had sent this letter, by the time I received it Chinese New Year is over. Fortunately Ah Saik used his computer to send Mummy's letter to me. I received it within the day.

Mummy and Daddy, how are you? How's everybody at home? Wow, Ah Saik got 7A's for PMR, excellent! I am very happy to hear that. Has Grandma left the hospital? I'm thankful to Hasnah for looking after her.

I have good news. As my assignment is done, my professor allows me to come home of the New Year. I've checked, taking MAS costs only £753. Cathay Pacific is cheaper, just £723, but must fly via Hong Kong. I decided to fly MAS.

This time I'm bringing Barbara with me to Penang, so that Mummy and Daddy can get to know her. As Barbara is from Muar, her Hokkien is slightly different from how we in Penang speak it.

I am pleased that Mummy is learning to write Penang Hokkien. It's not hard, is it? Daddy must learn to write it too. Now even Barbara is learning to write it. She's getting better at writing Penang Hokkien. We don't have to worry about leaving our computer on, now that we write in Penang Hokkien, nobody here can read our mails!

I am very thankful to the guy who created this system of writing Penang Hokkien until the whole dictionary is online. When I get back to Penang, if I have the chance, I've got to look him up.

Tomorrow Barbara and I are going shopping at Westfield. if there's anything you need, please let me know and I'll buy back.

Lastly, this time it's not necessary to send my the airfare. As I've started doing some work, I can pay my own fare. I am pleased not to have to depend on Mummy and Daddy.

We are arriving in penang at 9:10 pm on Saturday, 25 January on MH 1164. We hope Mummy and Daddy can be at the airport to fetch us. Thank you.

Lots of Love,

Ah Boy

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