ASK!

ASK! about Singapore 

Did you know that the first Singapore postal code had only two digits? Now you do.

In 1950, Singapore was demarcated into 28 poster sectors and the two digits postal code used. As the country developed and more buildings were built, the land was further divided into 81 poster sectors and the four digits postal code was adopted.

Today, the six digits postal code was invented to improve the delivery and sorting of mail. Here’s what it means: the first two numbers refer to the sector, and is also the last two numbers of the old four digits code. The last four digits refer to the ‘point of delivery’, that is the recipient’s building.

References:

- Singpost.com, www.singpost.com.sg, Media Release, “Singpost clinched World Mail Award”, 28 May 2007, retrieved: 30 Jan 08, URL: www.singpost.com.sg/downloads/media/press_release/
07/PR20070528.pdf

- Yesterday.sg, yesterday.sg, “Singapore’s Postal Code”, 9 Jun 06, retrieved: 30 Jan 08, URL: yesterday.sg/detail/singapores_postal_code/

Answered by Michelle Woon, Librarian, Adult & Young People Services

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,

Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sginstead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Cookery

The Chinese Lunar New Year is just next week and it’s an excellent time for family reunions and gathering of friends and loved ones.  And what’s a festive season without delicious food? Bak kwa, melon seeds, pineapple tarts, New Year cookies…just typing these food names have made my stomach grumble!

But, how many of us out there really know the significance of the most well-known dish eaten during Chinese New Year, “Yu Sheng”? And that’s the question which blogger, Johanna or thruhereyes, posed on her blog post, http://thruhereyes.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/chinese-new-year-february-6th-2008/.

Well, Johanna, here’s what Singapore Infopedia had to say about the various ingredients of “Yu Sheng” and the special sayings said during “Lo Hei”.

“Step 1: All at the table offers New Year greetings. Words: Gong xi fa cai meaning “Congratulations for your wealth” or Wan shi ru yi meaning “May all your wishes be fulfilled”.

Step 2: Fish, symbolising abundance or excess through the year, is added. Words: Nian nian you yu and You yu you sheng.

Step 3: The pomelo is added over the fish, adding both luck and auspicious value. Words: Da ji da li.

Pepper is then dashed over the ingredients in the hope of attracting more money and valuables. Words: Zhao cai jin bao.

Then oil is poured out, circling the ingredients to increase all profits 10,000 times and encouraging money to flow in from all directions. Words: Yi ben wan li and Cai yuan guang jin.

Step 4: Carrots are added to the fish indicating blessings of good luck. Words: Hong yun dang tou.

Then the shredded green radish is placed on the fish symbolising eternal youth. Words: Qing chun chang zhu.

After which the shredded white radish is added – prosperity in business and promotion at work. Words: Feng sheng shui qi and Bu bu gao sheng.

Step 5: The condiments are finally added. First, peanut crumbs are dusted on the dish symbolising a household filled with gold and silver. As an icon of longevity, peanuts also symbolise eternal youth. Words: Jin yin man wu.

Sesame seeds quickly follow symbolising a flourishing business. Words: Sheng yi xing long.

Deep-fried flour crisps in the shape of golden pillows is then added with wishes that literally the whole floor would be filled with gold. Words: Pian di huang jin.

Step 6: All toss the salad an auspicious 7 times with loud shouts of lo hei and other auspicious New Year wishes. Words: Lo hei which is Cantonese for “tossing luck”.

The ingredients mixed by pushing them toward the centre, an encouragement to push on the good luck of all at the table. ”

Source: Tan, B (2002). Yu Sheng. Retrieved January 31, 2008, from Singapore Infopedia Web site: http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_177_2004-12-30.html 

Ahhh, I sure am enlightened now about the meanings behind each ingredient in “Yu Sheng”. I hope that you are too, Johanna.

Here are some book recommendations on Chinese New Year recipes guaranteed to get your mouth watering.

The festive food of China by Deh-Ta Hsiung; photography by Will Heap
Publisher : London : Kyle Cathie, 2006Call No. : 641.5680951 HSI -[COO] 

Chinese feasts & festivals: a cookbook / recipes & illustrations by S.C. Moey
Publisher : Periplus Editions, 2005
Summary: The rich culinary tradition of China is largely inspired by a calendar year filled with joyous occasions for eating, drinking and making merry. Food, fittingly enough, plays a leading role in everything from festivals to reunions and weddings to anniversaries. The combination of flavors and symbols, such as wealth, happiness, luck, and prosperity, involved in many of these dishes are a spiritual celebration and an earthly pleasure.     
Call No. : J 641.5 MOE

Foods of China by Barbara Sheen
Publisher: Detroit, Mich. : KidHaven Press, 2006
Summary: Take a delicious trip to a fascinating and ancient country where food is woven into every aspect of life. This book takes the reader on an entertaining, enlightening, and edible tour of China. Through a look at Chinese foods, the reader learns about Chinese culture, history, geography, and folklore, all in a hands-on, fun-filled way.
Call No.: J 394.1 SHE

 
Cooking the Chinese way by Ling Yu 
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Co., c2002
Summary: Introduces fundamental of Chinese cooking, including special ingredients and cooking utensils. Also provides recipes for suggested dishes.           
Call No.: Y 641.5951 YU

So whatcha waiting for? Go down to your nearest library and borrow these books to start your very own Chinese feast!

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

All websites were last accessed on 31 January 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All book summaries were taken from book descriptions listed at www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.
All images were extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Posted by Ms Elizabeth Lee
Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

     ASK! about Anything & Everything

  Image obtained from www.slashgear.com

  Take a closer look at the clock hands in advertisements in future, if you have not  noticed this little trivia before!

1. Aesthetics

It is the so-called accepted “creative standard” in the industry. For instance, TIMEX has verified that they position the hands in that manner to allow the company logo on the face of the timepiece to be framed and not be blocked by the watch hands. TIMEX says the industry standard used to be 8:20 but that looked too much like a frown and created an unhappy look.  On the contrary, 10:10 represents a smiling face.

2. Respectful Memory

It seems that 10:10 was the time of Abraham Lincoln’s shooting, which subsequently caused his death, and therefore it was a sort of respectful remembrance of that tragic moment in history. However, this theory is less accepted than the previous one on Aesthetics.

 Sources: http://www.cuckooworld.com/funny05.htm, http://www.nbc4.com/answerstoaskliz2002/
1470178/detail.html

Originally answered by Ms Chan Wai Ling, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

  Posted by Yen Yen Toh, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services 

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Anything & Everything

Ever wondered why some of the appliances come with 2-pin plugs while others are 3-pin plugs?

Apparently, when electricity was first introduced into the domestic environment, it was primarily for lighting. However, as it became a viable alternative to other means of heating, plus the development of labour saving appliances, a means of connection to the supply other than via a light socket was required. In the 1920s, the two-pin plug made its appearance.

At that time, some electricity companies operated a split tariff system where the cost of electricity for lighting was lower than that for other purposed, and this led to low wattage appliances (e.g. hair dryers, vacuum cleaners etc.) being connected to the light fitting.

As the need for safer installations grew, three-pin outlets were developed. The third pin on the outlet was an earth pin, which was effectively connected to earth (this being at the same potential as the neutral supply line). The idea behind it was that in the event of a short circuit to earth, a fuse would blow, thus disconnecting the supply.

 The reason why we are now stuck with no less than 13 different styles of plugs and wall outlets, is because many countries preferred to develop a plug of their own, instead of adopting the U.S. standard. Moreover, the plugs and sockets are only very rarely compatible, which makes it often necessary to replace the plug when you buy appliances abroad.

 Source: http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/
electricity.htm

 For more information on the different types of plugs used in different countries, you can visit this website: http://www.travel-images.com/
electric-plugs.html

Originally answered by Ms Eleaner Ang, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Posted by Yen Yen Toh, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

Recently, the spotlight has been on the health of Mr Suharto, ex-President of Indonesia.

He passed away on 25  27* Jan 2008, in Indonesia (*Justin: my apologies for the typo).

For more details, stories and resources, you can refer to NLB’s HighBrowse Online blog as well as Y.O! blog.

I don’t know about you, but I felt for the old man. I agree fully with what our Minister Mentor said, as reported on 14 Jan 2008 in the Straits Times article, “MM Lee flies to Jarkata to visit Suharto in Hospital“.*

In the article, MM Lee was quoted as saying, “Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favours to his family and his friends. But there was real growth, real progress.”

To me, the last phase of this comment mattered the most to me. Let’s not overlook a person’s past credits and efforts with some mistakes he made.

So dear readers, what do you think about this? Any thoughts you would like to voice out?

If you have any enquiries on resources related to the late Suharto, please drop us an email at ask@nlb.gov.sg. We will reply within 3 working days.

Image was extracted from http://www.indonesia-1.com on 28 Jan 2008.

*To retrieve the newspaper article, you can access the electronic database Factiva at terminals in NLB Library branches or also remotely from home. (Select the header “eResources” and the option “eDatabases”)

Posted by
Mr Justin Tan
Public Librarian
for Adult and Young People’s Services

ASK! about Science & Technology

Spam ® is the trademark of a type of canned pork and ham, created and produced by Geo. A. Hormel company of Austin, Minnesota, USA.

The same word, ‘spam’ also refers to ‘unsolicited commercial email’, that is the junk mail we received sent to us without our consent. Such mail were named after the famous ham as it was parallel to how offensive “SPAM®” thrown at the walls of a restaurant would be for diners looking at it.

In the begining, ‘spam’ was conceived from a competition held by its creators to find a catchy name for the canned pork. The convenience and shelf life of Spam made it an important food during the Second World War, when fresh meats were scarce. Spam fed many civilians and militray men.

References:

Spam
Call No.: 641.664 PAT – [COO]
A cookery book containing a brief history of Spam and its role in WWII.

Credo Reference
A NLB e-Database containing links to information from various sources, such as dictionaries and encyclopaedias. useful for getting concise information.
“spam.” Hargrave’s Communications Dictionary, Wiley. 2001. CredoReference. 12 January 2008
You can access the databases by going to www.nlb.gov.sg>eResources>eDatabases. To find out more about the NLB databases, visit our ASK guide .

Posted by Ms Ang Mei Jun

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sginstead of sending a comment.

Kids ASK! about Performing Arts

No, the subject title is not the latest Mr. Midnight novel to be released. As a fairly new librarian, I’ve noticed that librarians nowadays often try to dispel myths that all we do is go around shushing people who talk loudly in the library. The truth is, sometimes that is the most effective way to tell someone (gently) to lower their speaking volume, since it is such a universally accepted and understood “verb”.

So it got me thinking the other day, as often happens when I’m sitting idly at the Children’s Advisory counter at Woodlands Regional Library (WRL), whether it would be possible to “shush” someone without them knowing who it was that shushed them. This would involve “throwing” one’s voice, not unlike what ventriloquists do, so that the sound doesn’t appear to come from one’s mouth but from somewhere else. Since the lips belonging to the person whom the sound originated from did not appear to move (i.e. the library staff), the noise-making library patron would (hopefully) get the hint to tone down but not know who it was that shushed them. So, by mastering this skill, librarians can shush with glee and yet not be in fear of being stereotyped.

Speaking without moving your lips is, in essence, how ventriloquism works. To find out more about or to get started on this comedic skill, here are some recommended books on ventriloquism:

Ventriloquism Made Easy by Kolby King
Publisher: Mineola, N.Y. : Dover Publications, c1997.
Call No. : English 793.89 KIN -[REC] (only available at library@esplanade)

Showtime! : over 75 ways to put on a show by Reg Bolton
Publisher: London : Dorling Kindersley, 1998.
Summary: An activity book with suggestions for simple shows and performances that can be put on alone or as a group. Includes such theatrical activities as ventriloquism, mime, and the production of a full-length play.
Call No.: J English 792 BOL

Extraordinary jobs in entertainment by Alecia T. Devantier and Carol A. Turkington
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Ferguson, c2006.
Call No.: Y English 791.023 DEV

If you are interested in stories with ventriloquism themes, do look up these titles:

Finding Stinko by Michael de Guzman
Publisher: New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
Summary: Having spent his life trying to escape the foster care system, eventually becoming mute to keep out of trouble, twelve-year-old Newboy finally hits the streets, where a discarded ventriloquist’s dummy gives him back his voice and his hope.
Call No.: J DEG

The entertainer and the dybbuk by Sid Fleischmann
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Greenwillow Books, c2008.
Summary: A struggling American ventriloquist in post-World War II Europe is possessed by the mischievous spirit of a young Jewish boy killed in the Holocaust. Author’s note details the murder of over one million children by the Nazis during the 1930s and 1940s.
Call No.: Y FLE

Elmer and Wilbur by David McKee
Publisher: London : Andersen Press, c1994.
Summary: When Elmer and the other elephants search for Wilbur, they have trouble finding him because he is a ventriloquist and they keep looking in the wrong places.
Call No.: JP MAC

All websites were last accessed on 16 January 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All book summaries were taken from book descriptions.
All images were extracted from www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

 Posted by Galvin Soh, Librarian, Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sg?subject=ASK_blog- instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Performing Arts

Do you need resources for plays for your school drama club? Or perhaps you are looking for some books with scripts for an upcoming public performance?

Regina, an Orchard Library “citizen reporter”, recently asked our Librarians for help on locating some good books with scripts for her school drama club’s public performance, which is aimed at a general target audience of all ages.

Peck Keong, our ever-friendly Librarian at Esplanade Library, suggested these titles from Esplanade Library to Regina:

[1]
You could consider going through the following anthologies of short plays for young actors and young audiences. The plays collected in these volumes are suitable for all ages and young actors and actresses like yourself should have little difficulty with the scripts.Please note that some of these plays may be rather short in length, so what you might consider doing is present two of these plays for your performance.

So dear reader, if you are like Regina, needing help on locating any resources, we…your Librarians… are always at your service.

All images were extracted from www.amazon.com
For the availability of the above mentioned book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Posted by
Mr Justin Tan
Public Librarian
for Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sg?subject=ASK_blog- instead of sending a comment.

Kids ASK! about Health & Fitness

When I was a kid, I used to wonder what 6/6 stands for (but I did not have a librarian to ask and no one told me the answer). I would spend time staring at the health cards when the nurses came around to do the yearly checkups and wondering if my eye-sight has deteriorated when I saw something that is not 6/6—I had perfect eyesight until I was 18 years old and considering that I used to read in bed, that was quite an achievement (kids… DO NOT follow my example. DO NOT read in bed lying down).

The accuracy of vision is usually referred to as “Snellen” acuity, after Dutch ophthalmologist, Hermann Snellen (1834-1908). That is the guy who created the chart and letters we now commonly use. The accuracy of vision/visual acuity refers to how clear one’s vision is.

6/6 is actually the distance from the patient in the eye exam room to the eye chart, 6 being 6 meters. Sometimes “20” is used because in the United States, 6 meters would be about 20 feet. If you were in the States and you had normal vision, you would get 20/20, which is the same as having 6/6.

There is actually additional information regarding what 6/6 means exactly. The distance of 6 meters actually corresponds to the visual angle of your eye. However, it is difficult to explain it without diagrams so I shall not reinvent the wheel but rather, direct you to the source of this information, which explains the whole concept of 6/6 quite extensively.

Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology of the Human Eye: Visual Acuity by Ted Montgomery

Sources:
Montgomery, T. Visual Acuity. Retrieved January 9, 2008, from Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology of the Human Eye Web site: http://www.tedmontgomery.com/the_eye/index.html

If you want to find out more information on the eye

For Children:

Eyes and ears by Simon, Seymour
Publisher : New York : HarperCollins Publishers, c2003
Call No. : J 612.8 SIM

Sight by Pringle, Laurence P
Publisher : New York : Benchmark Books, 2000
Call No. : J 597.3 PAR

Human Body by Bingham, Caroline
Publisher : London : Dorling Kindersley, 2003
Call No. : J 612 BIN

All websites are last accessed on 9 January 2008. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
All images used are extracted from http://www.amazon.com and http://www.bn.com.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally answered by Koh Chee Boon, Librarian, Children’s Services

Contributed by Felicia Chan, Librarian, Children’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.

If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sg?subject=ASK_blog- instead of sending a comment.

[ASK! Editor speaks]

How many a times have you, dressed up casually, perhaps in a T-shirt and bermudas, stepped into a upclass boutique to buy something perhaps, yet the sales staff treated you invisible literally? Yet the next minute, you noticed the sales staff attitude changed 360 degrees when another customer who dresses very formally with a tie and power suit comes in?

Last week when I was on counter duty, a patron approached me. He complained to me that a “ang-mo” (Singapore slang for foreigner) woman was hogging the Library’s power outlet to charge her notebook. After some time of usage, she disappeared and left her notebook still charging, unattended for a very long time. This male patron was getting impatient as he wanted to charge his notebook also. As such, he took the “ang-mo’s” plug from the socket and plugged in his own. When the “ang-mo” returned and saw what he did, well… I don’t have to say further what happened, except to mention that sparks flew…

After the episode had ended, and when I reached home, I gave a thought about this. The man was kindof shabbily dressed but spoke to me in fluent English. Did the way he dress played a part in the commotion between the both of them? How did he carry himself when confronted by the “ang-mo”? In the case of the upclass boutique, was the sales staff justified in their actions? Does the clothing on one’s back determine one’s social status??

I had a friend who wrote this blog. One of her entries mentioned that another gal snatched a guy whom she also fancies initially. How did this other gal manage to do it? The writer claims that this other gal knows how to market herself, how to dress up, and how to carry herself.

To some extent, I do agree that one should dress appropriately depending on circumstances. You don’t expect to wear a T-shirt and shorts for a job interview right? Neither do you speak and act like a “ah-beng” (Singapore slang for gangster) when you speak to your organization’s CEO right?

I do come across some interesting titles in the Library, topics about dressing and carrying oneself appropriately. Below are 2 of them:

Title: The 24-hour dress code for men
Author: Engel, Birgit.
Publisher: Berlin : Feierabend, c2004.
Call Number: English q646.402 ENG

Title: The rules of life : a personal code for living a better, happier, more successful life
Author: Templar, Richard.
Publisher: Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, c2006.
Call Number: English 158.1 TEM

Last of all, instead of fretting over what to wear before work everyday, complaining and whining and being pessimistic about life, why not see and do things in a positive light? In this way, your optimism will shine out positively to everyone naturally every single day…regardless of branded clothings or not…

All websites were last accessed on 9 January 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All images were extracted from www.amazon.com

For the availability of the above mentioned book titles, please check the library catalogue.

 Posted by
 Mr Justin Tan
 Public Librarian
 for Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.