JESUS LOVES PEBBLES: "Bo Bat Tak Taxi"

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

"Bo Bat Tak Taxi"

Recently, I heard the phrase "Bo Bat Tak Taxi" being used. I wondered what it meant until Da clarified that it is a pun and means "Bo Bus Tak Taxi" in Hokkien (which means that if there's no bus, take a taxi). It is also a play on the words "Bo Bat Ti", which is a phrase commonly associated with the Hainanese people.

There are several ethnic Chinese groups in China, such as the Hakka, Hainanese, Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, etc. What makes it even more complicated is that within each ethnic group, there are usually sub-groups. For example, the Hokkien comprise Hock Chiu, Nam Mwa, Heng Hwa, etc.

As the Chinese immigrants settled down in other countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, they brought with them their ethnic dialect, their Hainanese cuisine and their customs and traditions.

I am a Hokkien whereas Da is a Teochew.

The Hainanese is a Chinese ethnic group, originating from Hainan Island. The Hainanese are considered a subgroup of the much larger Han ethnicity (which makes up the bulk of China's population).

Most Hainanese people were originally fisher people from the Fujian and Guangdong provinces who later settled in the island of Hainan. Towards the turn of the 20th century, many of them migrated to the various Southeast Asian countries where they worked as cooks, restaurateurs, coffeeshop owners, sailors and hoteliers. In fact, the person who actually created the world-famous Singapore Sling at the renowned Singapore Raffles Hotel, Mr Ngiam Tong Boon, was himself a Hainanese.

The Hainanese are also known for their signature dishes such as the Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hainanese Pork Chops, Hainanese Mutton Soup, Hainanese Salted Fish Soup and Beef Noodle Soup.

In Singapore, one can find some of these signature dishes served at the various eateries located along Purvis Street - which is often referred to as "Singapore's Hainan Street". Da and I like to patronise 2 Hainanese coffeeshops located in Purvis Street - Chin Chin Eating House and Y Y Kafei Dian. There are other Hainanese coffeeshops located in Purvis Street but somehow we invariably go to either of these two coffeeshops for our saturday lunches.

Another eating establishment started by a Hainanese family is none other than Hans Cafe and Cake House ("Hans"). Hans is a household name in Singapore. In the late 1970s, the siblings of a Han family opened a cake shop named "Han's Bakery & Confectionery". Subsequently, Hans opened its first cafe-cum-pastry outlet. Hans has since become a well-known food and beverage chain with many outlets all across Singapore.

Whenever BH and I meet for lunch at the Hans outlet near my office, she would without fail order the bacon and egg sandwich in toasted wholemeal sliced bread accompanied by iced lemon tea.