Uniquely Singapore: Singlish

Bao Toh: 

Original meaning is bun knife (Hokkien). Alternate meaning is to tattle. The phrase also refers to sabotage, to betray secrets or tell on others. The long bun knife is possibly used to describe the backstabbing. 

Bee See: 

Original meaning is young ladies or Missy. Local meaning is Nurses. During the colonial days, young ladies were referred as Missy by the British, probably derived from 'Miss'. The local Chinese, speaking mostly in dialects during the era, might have pronounced it in the Hokkien dialect and called the Nurses, young or old, as 'Bee See'.

Chop-Chop: 

Original meaning is hurry up. Local meaning is same as original meaning. Influenced by British seamen, who used 'chop' or 'chop-up' as a way of saying 'hurried' or 'quick', the Cantonese also termed it 'hurry up'.

Go Stun: 

Original meaning is reversing of a boat or go astern. Local meaning is reversing of any vehicles. 'Go Stun' is a corrupted version of English phrase 'go astern' which means to move a boat backwards from the currents or winds. The local borrowed it and described it to the reversing of any vehicles on the road. The phrase might have evolved from 'go astern' to 'go stern' and finally 'go stun'. 

Goondu: 

Original meaning is marble or nut (Malay). Local meaning is idiotic. ‘Goondu' is a Singlish word, derived from Malay to express something that is hard and heavy, which indirectly suggests a stupid person. 

Jia Lat: 

Original meaning is energy wasting. Local meaning is 'in trouble'. Originally meant to describe a job or task that consumes a lot energy, but over the time, it has evolved to mean 'in trouble'. 

Pok Gai: 

Original meaning is Go To Hell (Hong Kong). Local meaning is bankrupt. ‘Pok Gai' is a curse used frequently during quarrels in Hong Kong. The Chinese translation literally means die on the street. 

This derogatory term, however, is used commonly in Singapore by gamblers as an expression that he has lost a lot of money. 

Shiok: 

Original meaning is great (Shauk in Pujabi)). Local meaning is pleasure. It is one of the most-used local phrases, which can be used to describe anything that provides extreme pleasure, especially food. 

Talk Cock: 

Original meaning is fanciful story. Local meaning is talk nonsense or rubbish. 

A Walk Through Memories

On 13 March 2015, the residents of Yishun bid farewell to the bus interchange they were so familiar with. The departure of the last bus meant that it was time to say goodbye to Yishun Bus Interchange that had served the town well in the past 28 years. 

The premises had been demolished to make way for a new integrated transports hub at Northpoint City, which will be made up of North Park Residences, an air-conditioned bus interchange and a shopping underpass that links to Yishun MRT Station that expected to be ready by 2019.

In 1977, the government launched the Yishun New Town project, reserving some 920 hectares of land between Admiralty and Sembawang for residential and industrial development. By the 80's, there was a sizable population living at Yishun New Town; many of the residents originated from the nearby kampungs such as Pengkalan Petai, Pengkalan Kundor, Nee Soon, Chye Kay and Mandai. 

A large bus interchange became essential to meet the demands of an increasing population in Yishun. Before the construction of Yishun Bus Interchange in the 80's, Yishun residents had to be contended with the two bus terminals located at Yishun Central and Yishun Avenue 5. Slow and irregular bus services made commuting between new towns and the city area tedious and inconvenient. The small terminals also faced difficulties in coping with the rising number of commuters, and basic amenities such as coin-changing machines were absent. 

The HDB was thus given the task to build a permanent facility to provide bus services at Yishun. In August 1985, tenders were issued and awarded to contractors for the construction of the new bus interchange. 

In just two years, Yishun Bus Interchange was completed and ready for operation. 

Officially opened on 23 August 1987, it was the ninth bus interchange built in Singapore after Bukit Merah, Clementi, Woodlands, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Bedok, Jurong East and Toa Payoh. 

Yesterday No More

Like other old towns such as Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Merah and Clementi, Bedok had its original bus interchange built as part of its town centre, along with other facilities such as hawker centres, libraries and town councils. 

Just two years after it was opened in February 1979, Bedok Bus Interchange was partially demolished to make way for a larger interchange to cope with the increased traffic. 

In 1989, Bedok MRT Station was completed near the bus interchange, providing other alternatives for long-distance travelling commuters. The interchange remained a focal point of more than 30 trunk and feeder services. 

The sheltered walkway frequently had pasar malam and men selling illegal VCDs. Witnessed a few times, when they somehow know the police coming, wow.. they abandon their stall and run like The Flash!! 

In mid 80's, Bedok Bus Interchange was bothered by the issue of illegal fruit hawkers. The hawkers would set up makeshift stalls during peak hours, causing an obstruction of traffic. Some commuters also complained after being short-changed by the hawkers. HDB officers had to be deployed daily to curb the problem. 

Bedok Bus Interchange, having served the residents of Bedok for some 32 years, had its operations finally ceased in 1 November 2014. It is now replaced by new air-conditional bus interchange, integrated with Bedok Residences and Bedok Mall, and directly connected to Bedok MRT Station. 

A Walk Into History

Situated just before the Woodlands Checkpoint, the old Woodlands Town Centre is the last point in Singapore before one crosses over to Malaysia. A resting point for many, it is now a sleepy old neighbourhood, paling in comparison to its glory days during the 80's and mid 90's, when it was the regional town centre of Woodlands. 

In the early 70's, kampungs in Woodlands were cleared as plans to develop the area as an industrial and residential estates were laid out. By 1972, Woodlands welcomed the completion of its first 1 300 housing units. The establishment of Woodlands Town Centre followed and became the focal point for the residents and workers. 

During its heydays, the old Woodlands Town Centre was bustling with activities both for locals and the visitors from Malaysia. Retail shops selling textiles and electronic goods were popular. The hawker centre, Kopitiam and Prata houses were filled with people, and more choices in food were offered with the arrivals of fast food restaurants such as the KFC and MacDonald's. 

In 1996, Woodlands MRT Station and its underground bus interchange opened at the Woodlands Regional Centre, which replaced the old Woodlands Town Centre as the central hub of the new town. Three years later, the 7-storey shopping mall Causeway Point was also completed. The old Woodlands Town Centre then started to lose its shine and attraction. 

The original Woodlands Bus Interchange, established in 1981 to serve the residents in the northern part of Singapore, was thus replaced by the one at the Woodlands Regional Centre. The old one was converted a bus terminal, providing short intra-town services for travelers between Singapore and Malaysia. The services were soon discontinued and the space became a temporary parking and pick-up points for Malaysia buses ferrying the workers. 

Today, the old Woodlands Town Centre is considered part of the Marsiling Estate.

With little upgrading, the old Woodlands Town Centre has largely retained its appearance for the past four decades. As a town centre, it may have lost its appeal and in certain times, look like a deserted ghost town. But it still serves as an ideal resting point for travelers on both sides of the causeway, or for anyone who yearns for a quiet meal in an increasingly crowded Singapore.