The word "sian". It appeared in my mind when I was reading the copious amounts of econs notes in my file, and then it suddenly hit me. How "sian" was such a Singaporean emotion. Not just a word, but really it represents what we feel on a daily basis. If you're a Singaporean, then you would have definitely encountered this word on a daily basis, either a casual remark about studies, work and life, or someone just ranting about his or her problems, ending it off aptly with "sian".

I feel that "sian" accurately captures the nuances in a life of the average Singaporean, i.e. us and practically everyone we know. Hence, it is near impossible to translate the word to another language without losing some of its original meaning. "Sian" is supposedly a word from the Hokkien dialect, but then it has so much Singlish flavour piled upon it that it has practically become a word of our own, a word that we proudly pin on the corner of our mouths. Try replacing it with another word, and you will see that it is indeed a painful and impossible task. As TalkingCock puts it: A wonderfully concise Hokkien adjective which conveys boredom, weariness, frustration and emptiness. The English equivalent would be "ennui".

What the ballsacs is ennui?! Criticise my lack of vocabulary all you want, but I'm willing to bet at least 90% of the GP students in Singapore have never come across this confounding word before, let alone know its meaning. Anyway, I just think it looks like hanyupinyin for two Chinese characters LOL.

Toodles.