Wait. What? Language bloopers. Isn't there supposed to be an editor for that kind of shit? Not even spellcheck? Not even a darn animated paper-clip? Well I guess he turned it off. For those who didn't read this article here's a sampler.
"By then, O-Levels was cornering."
Well, I'd hate to be passenger in that car.
"She might not have the prettiest face in the world, but her figure tumbled over everything.'
She may not be pretty, but damn, ain't she the clumsy one.
"Her breathings were so deep that her chest was shuddering up and down with every breath."
OMG. I do not know what to say....
You know what the best part was? This guy got C5 for O-level English. I guessed his O-level paper cornered right into him I guess. *Shakes head*.
Okay, maybe the O-levels may not necessarily be the exact barometer with which we should judge one's laguage capabilities. But it certainly does not help your credentials when you almost failed what I believe should be a no-brainer paper.
What really peeved me though was how non-chalant his attitude towards a writer's need to have a good command of the language to tell a story.
In his words: "Language is not so important, I'm trying to tell a story."
C'mon. Really?! Well, if your intended stories revolved around love stories and tragedy which have exam papers who drive then all the more to ya'. But it's not.
You know what placed the final nail in his coffin? He said "Frankly, I don't feel responsible if they pick up such language."
God. If I see this guy, I will slap him so hard that his face would fall off. Argh. I hate it when people have such a non-chalant attitude towards stuff. And I think people who know me will know how much of a "Speak Proper English Advocate" I am. So that made me doubly pissed.
Let me put it in perspective. You are a writer, or a novelist for lack of a better term. You intend to tell a story. You use words and your skills as a word-smith to make that story come to fruition. Similar to how a carpenter with the intention to build a table would use his tools and his skill as a craftsman to build this table. You don't expect this carpenter to create a table which has incomplete carvings and a table leg two inches shorter than the others. If he does do so, he should take responsibility for his mistakes because his lack of skill has become a bad investment for someone.
I know this guy has hired a proper publishing company to get his language together, but his attitude and irresponsibility really pissed me off. Is this what Singaporeans are becoming? Non-chalant, irresponsible and out to make a quick buck? Argh. At times I wish there was no such thing as nationalities. I hate that people would think that just because I'm Singaporean I'd have certain characteristics not applicable to me.
Anyway, I'm not gonna name this guy. I'd hate to get charged with slander. This guy managed to make some good cash selling his darn books so I guess if he wanted to make another quick buck he'd sue me for my wallet. Go read the 27th February edition of the New Paper if you wanna find out more.
