What's in a name?

"When will Ah Leng be back from Moscow?," Judy queried while eating her Grilled Pomfret.

Among Singaporeans, I have learned over the past 4 years, if a person's name is, say, Hwee leng, people tend to throw in an Ah.

What am I drivelling about? Ah....let me explain.

Among some Chinese, I was told, Ah is synonymous with all things bring and beautiful. For example, if you are a dinner guest in a Chinese home, when you slurp the sharks fin soup and gurgle "ah..." the hostess would be pleased as heck. You have embodied in one syllable every compliment in the book.

And so back to the name. All you have to do is to hail her Ah Leng. Some throw in a double Ah. No. Not Leng Ah Ah but Ah Leng Ah.

Doesn't that exude warmth and good will? One Ah in front and another at the back.

from left: hon, Yim, Shirley, Judy, Chloe, Danny