Malay

It's special in my home. Only certain families have it. Not common in IMU at all. Somehow it's more prevelant in Labuan. Some of my friends have it too. Especially those who went to St. Anne and not chinese primary schools. What's it?

Speaking Malay at home.

No, of course not pure Malay. I speak a mixture of English and Hokkien to my parents. But with my sisters it's more like English and Malay. I've never realized it until I came back recently. I find that it symbolizes a level of comfort and familiarity with each other that we have our own favourite Malay phrases that we pepper our English with. And salt with Malaysianized jargon like "lah, bah, etc"

Among the funniest and the most grammatically incorrect phrases we use:

"Crazy, ketawa-ketawa saja, " Serene to Sarah. (the most used phrase around)
"Faster, have to go tution already. Lambat nanti"
"Study la. After fail, baru tahu."
"Hold that thing properly. Don't let it bershake shake."
"Gila. Stop it okay, nanti accident."
"Suka...suka, don't lie la."
"Apa kamu buat di sekolah today."
"Makan lagi la, gemuk baru tahu. Then cannot diet."
"Marah-marah, number one."
"Going up already bah, no need to jerit."

It's even more ironic among my friends.
I was in church talking to my friend from primary school (the same primary school that "taught" us about languages), both of us Chinese.
And he went "Jadi, bila kamu balik KL?"
I answered "Soon. Kamu? Macam mana di overseas?"

So, yea, scandalous is not the only English word that I've misused... :)