Foreign Language VS Domestic Language

I just came back from a 5 day trip to Taiwan and I'm so used to the Chinese conversations that even back home in Singapore, I'm still using chinese (thinking in Chinese even!)

At the same time, I just went for the Singapore Writer's festival with a session including a Taiwanese author Wu Ming Yi who could only speak mandarin chinese, so he brought along a translator as well

being in Taiwan made me realise the difference between having a first/second language, and a domestic/international language. In Singapore, for the sake of convenience, we use English and relegate our mother tongues among family and older generations. Which can make singapore feel very western. Yet in Taiwan, despite tremendous US intervention and international pressure, English stands alongside Chinese in posters/menus/fashion, but people generally speak Chinese among themselves. Both languages are equally vital, making both eastern and western cultures stand out together.

This dilution of culture in Singapore is good for the sake of racial harmony, at the same time it slightly erodes a sense of identity. Because the singaporean identity is all identities. But having to give space to each limits our passion for the traditions that East ASian countries like Japan, Korea, and Taiwan have used to exert their softpower on the global audience.

For the first time, I actually like and want to embrace chinese culture. I've been listening to new C-pop songs, paying attention to Chinese and even using it to talk with Alastair. This is a much greater effect than my time during the LTA internship for sure LMAO

I still don't understand everything, and maybe I wont. But at least I'm taking steps to expand my chinese vocabulary a little more

mabe this burst of motivation will eventually fade, but i want and will make sure to become billingual somehow