Funky Teochew Song from Hong Kong

September - can't believe it's September already. This post is about another group of folks  who are preserving Teochew. This time, in Hianggàng (Hong Kong)! This Teochew language class put together a fun song about Teochew identity and culture. It may be out of tune, but hey, it's the content and spirit that counts right? They did it for New Years I believe, but this song is for any time of year!

Kowloon Walled City

I first heard about Kowloon Walled City from a friend who gave me an awesome photo book (City of Darkness) about it. Imagine a 6.5 acre urban jungle, with buildings for days, yet no streets, no cars, only lots of little lanes, footpaths, and alleyways. You could hardly see the sun on most days because this former fort was so jam packed.

The place was something like 70-80% Teochew! Apparently lots of new poor (illegal?) immigrants from Diosua: came to eke out a living in Hong Kong and spent their days in this super dense enclave. Eventually triads, drugs, and prostitution moved in in the 70s and 80s and HK had to demolish it. It must have been a sight to behold - and really dangerous.

Nowadays, it's a big city park - next time I'm in HK, I'd love to visit.

If anyone has any other info to share, I'd love to learn more about the "City of Darkness".

Learning Teochew in Hong Kong

And from Hong Kong is a documentary about dying regional Chinese languages and cultures. Featured prominently is Teochew (aka: Chiu Chow). Check out the video about 50 seconds in and you'll see some gang-hude as well as a class learning Teochew. Awesome no? The whole thing is in Cantonese, but the subtitles are in Mandarin (or is it just Mandarin-style Cantonese?). Credit goes to Gaginang poster NG for posting this on Gaginang's messageboard first.

Happy Year of the Rabbit Music Video in Teochew

ECSTV 2011 New Year's Video
(Dà: gù hó uẹ họ sing nī)

First post! I created this blog to share all the different Teochew and Teochew-language media that I come across on the web (and off). I will also occasionally rant about Teochew language and perhaps post up some stuff on Teochew language learning. Hope you enjoy! The first thing I'd like to share is this New Year's video from ECSTV.com, the online part of a new Teochew cable network based from HK. Happy Year of the Rabbit Everyone!

Dọi-īk gại post! Uà jáosēng jì gại blog uịliạo họu dạige tói: guang-hị Diọjiu bhụng-huĕ gat Diọjiu-uẹ gai chailiạo. Uà iạ ú lạngsī puet ot Diọjiu-ue gại muetgiá:! Hiángsiụ dọi-īk gại video, ECSTV. Jōk dạige Tòunī Kuàilāk!

Bonus: Lyrics (with English translation, sans tones.) 

nang jojek-e laikeu tia: (we'll go together to hear...)

tia: mitgai (hear what?)

goi-tao hangbhue gai biangbao sia: (the sound of fireworks in the streets and alleys)

sua (kua:?) gia: li (please go ahead?)

biangbao sia: hiangki (the sound of the firecrackers)

jia si jek ni sing kaisi (only then does a year start)

e … (???)

nang jojek-e laikeu tia: (we'll go together to hear...)

tia: mitgai? (hear what?)

dua goilou (chi?) logou sia: (the sound of the big drums)

logou (drumming drums)

o? gia: gia: gia: (oh? go go go)

logou sia: hiangki (the sound of drumming the drums)

keng(?)dia: (definitely)

hogeng jiu do diosua:daidi (good scenery in the lands of Diosua)

hua:hi hua:hi (happy happy)

bholung leu gai chengnang do nali (no matter where your relatives are)

sang gu ho-ue lai bung i (bring good tidings to them)

diosia: hiangki (the sound of Teochew)

tuang keu jok hok biao sim i (passed down to wish and show kindness)

a gu ho ue pua leu lai gueni (... to celebrate new year)

bholung leu gai kabou do nali (no matter where your footsteps have been)

sang gu ho ue luang sim li (bring good tidings and warm thoughts)

diosia: hiangki (the sound of Teochew)

diamyiang haocheng jangki (???)

hio:im hio:cheng uiyiao leu simbi: (Home .......)

(refrain)

ngoujiu dioying lai hua:hi (Teochew people are happy across the five continents)

diosia: sing ni u hohi: (A Teochew new year with... ?)

gaginang do jek-e be: tuang tuang i: i: (Gaginang together, united)

da: gu ho-ue ho sing ni (say a good word to wish a new year)

1x

deung keu diosua: lao ge, gue gai sing ni (return to my hometown to celebrate new years)

gai ni gue lai gue chubhi (this year it'll be really interesting)

huahai diosua (?? Diosua)

na di jek piang yu ki (???)

choi:ge bhuang-hou nihue chuk muebhi 1000 families, 10,000 ???)

anggue, haogue, cheu-kakgue (all TC traditional new year's foods)

he-i:, heu-i:, ghunek-i: (shrimp balls, fish balls, beef balls!)

chingjia: peng-iu, jojek-e uilao kue gueji (???) (friends and family, together ??? melon seeds)

laikeu yu i (?) guege tia: hohi: (????)

Pat gai chiangtu (??? promising future)

Lai bai gai singni (come pray for the new year)

Lai gat haighua chingjia: biao sim-i (Show overseas relatives some love)

bigok tahio:, dang-hio: gue diot singni
(other nations and towns, same villages celebrating new years)

diosua: chingcheng, (????) gakdi (Diosuan.... everywhere)

diojiu sua:tao sing bhe tai (Teochew Swatow Singapore Malaysia Thailand)

huakgok ojiu gianadai (France Australia Canada)

jek gu ho-ue lai tuang biang si-hng (good tidings to the four corners of the world)

ing-ui nang si gaginang (Because we're Gaginang!)

2x