The Digital Age and today’s globalised world has been a boon for the spread of Popular Culture. Popular culture – Western or American, is slowly but surely seeping into our way of life. Predictably, even Asian youths are dressing and gesturing like their hip hop or boy band idols from MTV. Even the way we speak is being MTV-nised and you will find certain youths who are more at home going “Yo, dude” or “Whassup” than greet you in their native tongues. One man is bucking this trend, striving to preserve and spread the colourful nature of his native tongue. Tan Choon Hoe, author of A Guidebook to PHD – Penang Hokkien Dialect has made it his mission to preserve and document this uniquely Penang language as well as to educate and teach others how to speak it. Penang Hokkien Dialect by itself is a curiosity, a hybrid of Chinese Hokkien with Malay and English words, originating from the Baba Nyonya community in Penang. Tan Choon Hoe describes Penang Hokkien Dialect (as spoken by the man on the street in Penang today) as “a diluted or corrupted form of the original Penang Baba Nyonya dialect”. Unlike the other Chinese ethnic groups who spoke their Mother tongue and Mandarin, the Penang Babas and Nyonyas (of Hokkien descent) mainly spoke in Hokkien sentences punctuated or sprinkled with Malay words. Common Malay words often used include tumpang, sembang, tuala, kasihan, suka, tapi, batuk, jamban, geram, and sampah. The result of this amalgamation is a strange sounding yet colourful dialect which is comprehensible only to those living in Penang. Tan Choon Hoe himself grew up amongst the Baba Nyonya community in Hye Keat Estate on Penang island. He finished tertiary education at La Salle Secondary School after which he went through series of interesting vocations which include stints as a bill collector, van driver and limousine driver that took him as far south as Johor Bahru before returning back to Penang as a tutor of English language for both adults and children. A chance encounter with Lowell Soriano, a Filipino lady who worked in a cyber cafe in Penang led to Tan teaching her Penang Hokkien Dialect at her request. This helped give impetus to Tan’s desire to publish a book on his native dialect and when subsequent checks in bookshops show no existing publications on the subject, he made it his mission to give the world one. What followed was three months of research, compilation and writing which included Tan waking up in the middle of the night to quickly jot down random thoughts here and there. Once completed, Tan contacted several local publishers but their responses were unfavourable. Undaunted, Tan dug into his own pockets and with the help of several loyal friends, made it a self-published effort. On February 2002, A Guidebook to PHD – Penang Hokkien Dialect was born and made its debut among the publications of the world in local bookstores. To date, about 800 copies from the initial print run of 1,500 books have been sold. Not one to rest on his laurels, Tan is currently planning his next book, a collection of 100 rhymes, sayings and common expressions in Penang Hokkien Dialect as well as a Malay version of his first book. A bachelor in his early forties, Tan continues to give tuition in English language but has now included classes in Penang Hokkien Dialect, which he conducts at the YMCA in Penang. His students for PHD include people of diverse ages and races, including Malays, Western expatriates and even local Chinese as well ! A guidebook to PHD – Penang Hokkien Dialect This book is meant for just about anyone who wishes to learn the Penang Hokkien Dialect which has long enchanted both locals and visitors alike through its "rojak" simplicity and smoothness. To order or for more information, please contact the author and publisher, Tan Choon Hoe at tanchoonhoe@hotmail.com.            ISBN 983-40774-0-8            10.8 x 18.4cm 152 pages West Malaysia RM18.00,            East Malaysia RM23.00,            Singapore S$12.00 (paperback) 2001 Penang Hokkien Dialect classes If you are going to be in Penang for a few years or if you are a regular visitor to Penang, why not learn PHD? It certainly helps when you makan-makan or sembang-sembang with Penangites! Penang Hokkien Dialect classes are conducted by Tan Choon Hoe every Monday from 8:00 to 9:00pm at the YMCAin Macalister Road, Penang. The weekly, 12-lesson course costs RM120 for YMCA members and RM135 for non-members. For more information, contact the YMCA Program Counter at Tel: (60-4) 228 8211 Interview by Chin Mun Woh | Home | About Penang | Penang Specials | Events and Festivals | Local Cuisine | | Heritage | Accommodation | Attractions | Shopping & Entertainment | e-goodies | Powered by  Penang Network Services Sdn Bhd 13th Floor, Wisma TNB, No.30, Anson Road, 10400 Penang, Malaysia. Tel: 04-228 9100  •  Fax: 04-228 9300 •  E-mail:info@penang.net.my Disclaimer and copyright  •  Editorial Team

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