Updated: 8 June 2006 by Ah Beng
Ah Beng is going to China for race. But Ah Seng can?t go. Ah Seng?s boss seng li (business) too good so was short-handed. He told Ah Seng: Ah Seng ah, I?ve been like a father to you. How can you forsake me at this critical hour? Ah Seng bo bian got to give his boss face. Afterall, Ah Seng thought rice bowl more important than race. At least, there?s money to be made from working but none from racing. Dragonboat racing is not a profession ? yet. And he needs the money to support his Ah Huay.
Being the good brother that he is, Ah Seng jioed Ah Beng out for dinner at their usual hangout- Hougang Ave 8 kopitiam - the night before Ah Beng flies to China. Besides all the action he?s going to miss in China, Ah Seng will be separated from his best buddy for 10 days. It?s the longest they?ve ever been apart and Ah Seng suspects that he?s going to miss Ah Beng sorely. Who?s going to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with him from now onwards? Who?s going to beng with him about the going-ons in Safra?
Ah Beng: Bro, don?t miss me hor
Ah Seng: ya-ya, ok-ok. U promise u must row hard-hard ok? u must row 2 times as hard. For me. Promise?
Ah Beng: can lar! I promise lar!
Ah Seng: good-good-good. Also, can U bring these 10 bar-chang there for me and help me throw them into the river?
Ah Beng: Biang! So heavy u wan me to carry all the way there! dun want lar! Look very stupid one!
Ah Seng: Eh, dun like dat leh. my fortune teller say I must throw the bar-chang into the river then will get good luck for 10 years. I bar chang for each year of good luck.
Ah Beng: You seow is it? This kind of thing also believe? Ask me to bring 10 bar chang there. Very ma lu one! I dough-want lar. Scally people laugh at me then I really lose face big time!
Ah Seng: aiyah they wont want. It is SOP to throw bar-chang into the river during dragonboat festival wat.
Ah Beng: Dun bluff lar. Why will they waste the bar chang like that? Siao! Somemore pollute the river!
Ah Seng: really is true! Nong nong time ago, there is this very patriotic guy call Qu Yuan who jumped into the river after his country fell and the people throw bar chang into the river for him. Dragonboat also from the same story one. People row in the river to throw the bar chang and they have a competition to see who can row fastest and throw the most number of bar chang into the river. Wa lau U dunno meh? Last time teacher neber teach u meh?
Ah Beng: no leh. neber one. This Qu yuan guy jump into the river for wat? He crazy or what?
Ah Seng: no lar! You then crazy. He jump into the river because he was very sad his country kenna invaded by their enemy. He was also very angry that he told the king so many times about the true lies of the enemy but the king never listen and even send him far far away. Wa lau eh you damn ignorant hor.
Ah Beng: sure or not? How u know he commit suicide? How u know he?s jumped into the river because of his got invaded by the enemy? Scally is because he accidentally fell into the river?
Ah Seng: got record in the history book one lar!
Ah Beng: history book not always right lor! Scally the writer cock-up? Scally this Qu Yuan guy owe loan sharks a lot of money so he bo bian got to commit suicide? Or he got jilted by his girl? Or he got conned by his girl then got jilted by her as well?
Ah Seng: no no ..NO!
Ah Beng: scally someone pushed him into the river then say he jumped in himself.
Ah Seng: cannot be one
Ah Beng: sure can be. Got eye witness meh?
Ah Seng: how I know?!?!? Is more than 2000 years ago ok?
Ah Beng: then u still ask me to bring bar chang to throw into the river?!?!?!
Ah Seng: ?.
Ah Beng: so, if Qu Yuan din jump into the river, why do we dragonboat?
Ah Seng: how I know?!?!?!?!?1
But the Questions remain
Did Qu Yuan really jump (into the river)?
How did dragonboating come about?
Who were the bar changs for?
How are they linked together?
and ?
Did Ah Beng bring the 10 bar chang to China for Ah Seng and threw it into the river as requested?
(Look out for the decoders in ? The Bar Chang Mystery, by Then Brown)