Four Letter Words – 4LW

“Anger is an internal formation, and since it makes us suffer, we try our best to get rid of it.” Psychologists like the expression, “getting it out of your system.”

….Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh

Working with my BC colleagues is a cultural shock for me.

I did grow up in the Chinese Kampong (New Village) during my younger days. In those days, 4LW is also a norm then. The Kampong’s folks will use it like drinking water. However, for the last 30years of my adult working life; I have the privilege to work with so many professional of having a least a diploma, degree or master; that go about discharging their professional work duties, without using any “ flowery” 4LW.

The Chinese PRC BC will use the phase “his Mother”.

I not sure why, “the mother” is involved. I observe that they too have started to use our local Hockkien, 4LW version frequently now.

The local and Malaysian of Chinese, Malay and Indian origin will use more “powered” 4LW. It will be spoken when never there is a gathering of two or more BC on the ground.

The colleagues, in general, could not, start to speak a proper sentence, without  a 4LW, as  preface or introduction; and followed by another utterance of  4LW in the middle of the sentence, and finally putting a full stop to the sentence with another 4LW.

I speak Cantonese do my parents, and I am too embarrassed by those Cantonese speaking, BC; their 4LW is par excellence; and is the most deplorable and degradable one.

It is too, embarrassed and shameful for me to translate it into English literally (word by word).

Even though, I am constantly exposing myself to this kind of “flowery verbal” words; I am glad that, till to date; I still can hold my speech door in good stead and observed reasonable decorum on the choice of my words. 

I came to understand that, the 4LW been frequently uttered by those colleague, is actually as a means or a form of skillful means of venting out their much bottle up frustration.

Bus Captain will encountered much frustration and dis-satisfactoriness in the course of their jobs. I now can empathize with them.    

But the question is; is there a need to utter such flowery 4LW, which unfortunately and somehow, always involved the innocent and beloved “Mother”. Perhaps, a simple “WTF” will do, right? 

When is it used at the peer level, they seem to harbor no anger or resent on what the other party is saying. However, the other day, one of the Group Supervisor (GS), also uttered this dreaded 4LW to one of his subordinate, a Bus Captain, BC.

The BC immediately, got very angry, and shouted back to the GS; I want to complain you to the Manager. You have no right to scold me in this manner (i.e using 4LW). I was stone cold for a moment of what I just heard. I guess, this is what it is called the natural law of “Cause and Effect” or something close to what been proclaimed by Newton’s Law (every action, there is equal and opposite reaction).

Personally, if appropriate, to vent out, I guess, the “WTF”, will suffice.

I still remembered from the very last part of the Movie, “the Core”. Whereby the Prof. already been left alone in the dislodged cabin inside the Earth’s Core; he still took out his voice recorder to record what he considered (his odyssey), as beneficial for his University student; however too soon, he realized, that he is about die, and he uttered this “WTF” and throw away, the voice recorder and pickup, I guess, his last puff and to die inside the Core, happily lah.

On one occasion this year, 2015,“What shocked me most was that, for an entire week; starting from 23/3/2015, the amount of 4LW spoken was reduced to almost not been heard at all”.my colleagues, indeed has backbone! And a Kind Heart to go with!!

People will remember that on this day (23/3/2015), in Singapore’s modern History; it is a very sad day for Singaporean on the passing of our dear Bapa Singapura, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

(a lot of Bus Captain, signed on this condolence book)

For those whom not familiar with the Chinese Mourning Period Culture, and yet have the urge to use the 4LW, was promptly reminded by others, to refrain from using it. This speaks volume of them, on how much respect and gratitude they have for Bapa Singapura.

          ba shi  Che Zhang, wan shui