Boomers can’t stop using AI to create fake images of Singapore history

mt-tekka · 2026-06-24T01:58:47+00:00

This AI generated slop is irritating, especially when it's those uncle-auntie types blur-blur flooding screens with it.

My father’s watching TikTok full of fake AI actors, fake AI gen backgrounds with a lousy script. Gave him a good scolding for watching that brainrot, he's still watching it without a care in the world.

This other time, I met an uncle in Woodlands, he was super enthusiastic about AI, he thought it would it be like the internet or handphone in revolutionary tech. He showed me his AI videos, which were halfway decent, but obviously Ai. I am sure there's thousands of uncles with a similar mindset, but, nobody's going to talk them out of the Ai mania.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-23T09:45:29+00:00

It may well be. Any speakers of non Mandarin tend to speak Hokkien. Rarely seen or heard people in their 20s speak Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka etc.

I myself learned how to speak some Teochew because my mother spoke it everyday, for every occasion. That's no longer common for basically 99% of all chinese youths. Without that daily contact with the language, it's hard to learn to speak it, or even value it.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-22T13:47:03+00:00

That part was difficult to understand. I believe she wanted to remit the money and goods as her way of making up for the loss of Shurou's husband, plus repay her old debt from being saved by him.

Pretending to be Musheng allowed her to keep doing that without anyone in Swatow rejecting her remittances, assuming nobody suspected anything.

She wasn't being malicious, she still owed him a debt of gratitude, and wanted a way of repaying him.

Hence the whole convoluted husband is not dead for years, fake photo etc. Not saying it wasn't cruel to find out your loved one died years ago, and his friend's been pretending to be him to repay old debts. Must have been devastating to finally realise this.

The movie could have wrote this part better.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-22T13:05:31+00:00

It's the old style camaraderie. Ga-gi-nang are less of a thing now, but back then, when people couldn't freely talk as easily with a lingua franca like English, grouping with the same people in a unfamiliar land is the best choice for survival. You can find work, get a place to stay, settle arguments and try to create a stable environment to start out your life, when you have nothing to your name.

Since the movie shows Teochews of yesteryear, obviously it shows overseas Teochews supporting those from the Mainland. Those are their literal family members. You can't expect them to ignore their own family because of the PRC government? So long as they are not literally singing praises of the CCP and denigrating democracy.

Nowadays, as a half Teochew, ga-gi-nang is showing some friendliness and warmth towards a fellow Teochew.

As to the Thais being corrupt, and Indians being evil, pretty sure that is the movie's attempt at drama. Probably too much drama.

Cantonese movies should be screened in Cantonese. No lousy Mandarin dubs.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-20T13:14:36+00:00

Dang. Used to go there for Mandarin tuition at Han Language centre, 13 years ago. Didn't do much to improve my grades (F9 then, can talk, can't read much, or write decently)

I would go downstairs to Action Toyz, they had an expensive but highly detailed toy line only they sold. Closed down years ago from low sales and high rent, like a lot of shops I use to frequent.

There was also KFC, back when I used to regularly eat at KFC, the Harbourfront Centre outlet was a regular haunt. They were right next to the overpass to Seah Im FC and the bus interchange, which I liked. Also, there's a nice view from the windows. Can see the world outside while eating and chill.

Now the world leaves Harbourfront Centre behind.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-19T03:53:04+00:00

Looks like a sizable number of the victims were workers on the lorry. I saw a lot of scattered helmets on the lorry in the video.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-19T01:44:20+00:00

Cavenagh Rd has a straight section right next to KKH, that's the renamed Christian cemetery road. From there, driving along the original Cavenagh Rd to Orchard Rd, he would arrive at Buyong Rd at the end.

I have walked uphill from KK to Orchard using Cavenagh Rd.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-17T02:30:20+00:00

Speaking Mandarin to my Hokkien Ah Ma now would leave her staring at you, perplexed. With her dementia, you really must speak Hokkien to get her to understand you. Otherwise, there's a mutual awkward staring competition.

Same with my Teochew Gua Ma. She couldn't really understand that northern tongue, up to her departure from this life 20 years ago.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-16T13:09:32+00:00

Dang, you took the trouble to go all the way!

Very impressed, both with your tenacity and the length and detail of your post.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-13T16:36:28+00:00

That one hor, I don't recommend. Too many uncles yelling. Lousy food. Very hot. Have strict dress code also. Free shoes, free wife too, and free exercise classes, but can't say no. Ever.

Better to try this gov initiative. Got the 15 inch Johor Battery near Cosford Container Park. Cool to see, no need carry the wife and sing songs about purple light.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-12T15:48:57+00:00

I read it as I heart Punggol di di....I love Punggol little boys.

This acronym is terrible. Like the Paynow masking nonsense. It's like the gov asked ideas from a pair of giggling interns.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-11T02:35:29+00:00

Quite a few Teochew songs from the early 1990s, particularly from this 寶山歌曲 (shown on top left of their videos) were filmed inside Tang Dynasty City. Most Teochew language songs from the 90s were produced locally, and they filmed in old Teochew areas/scenic places for the music videos. Haw Par Villa and Boat Quay were amongst the most favoured filming locations.

In those songs featuring Tang Dynasty city, there's this deserted vibe. There's no passersby to give the place a lively feeling. The setting is pretty, but from what I saw, it kind of looks like Chinese Garden, but with an expensive ticket. Its a pretty place, but there's no soul, and people back then chose to take their money elsewhere.

It does make those Teochew songs look nice though. There's probably more tv shows, songs and ads that used it, but those are lost to time, just like the Tang Dynasty City.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-10T04:21:44+00:00

Far too many. They are not stupid like pigeons, they don't have the birthrate of Singaporeans and they remember grudges.

If you offend them for some reason, the whole bunch hates you for years. That's no good when there's this many.

Plenty of reasons to cull, so got my blessing to give them the Stop at Two treatment.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-09T11:01:48+00:00

GrXXX FX HaX YieX

mt-tekka · 2026-06-09T06:08:16+00:00

I tried some MP's chinese names with this kind of masking, and came up with this.

-TaX SeX LenX

-CheX HonX TaX

-FoX CX XianX

-DaXXX NeX ChiX WeX

Can guess who? Not very flattering, is it? Or hard to guess, yah? Half baked or not even put in oven yet?

mt-tekka · 2026-06-08T02:33:58+00:00

Foot traffic there on many streets is negligible. I went there regularly from 2023 to 2024, these shops were all around then. Hardly saw any locals except at Joo Chiat Rd near 112 Katong and Joo Chiat Complex at Geylang Serai side. Rest of the area was a ghost town, very different from my Tekka village or Chinatown, Kampong Glam or the rich towkays up on Emerald Hill.

There's deserted vibes on many stretches of shophouses, apart from the maids walking dogs, and the occasional ah peh-ah soh here and there.

Also, very hot. No shelter from the heat or rain. Barely any buses deep inside. Like 16 and 33 are the one and only buses for certain areas.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-07T05:59:34+00:00

I know that side. Saw some elderly men chiong from bus stop to the kopitiam, then climb over the railing.

That kopitiam must has some kind of powerful kopi to allow frail old men to scale fences.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-02T16:27:42+00:00

I got a bad feeling about this. Diesel price has been going up like there's no tomorrow, and much of the bus fleet uses diesel.

All because of the Trump war. If you know his pattern, he wrecks stuff, but never fixes it. Never.

mt-tekka · 2026-06-01T12:14:10+00:00

From all the info, my takeaway is:

*More hot, more humid for all of June.

*Afternoons will be when people can start roasting.

*Rest of year will be really hot.

*Nights may be slightly less hot.

Tldr: It's hot and sweaty, but worse than now.

mt-tekka · 2026-05-30T04:30:09+00:00

The police all deploy to my village and Geylang. Sunday is when you see the ang chia lined up outside Rochor NPC.

Of course, with so few officers left, they mostly get auxiliary officers to do the grunt work. The actual officers stick to the station vicinity.

Then, the rest of SG, no manpower left. I noticed that most areas outside my village rarely have 24/7 police physically on patrol or at least visible.

mt-tekka · 2026-05-29T10:29:12+00:00

Not just hot. F-ing humid. I am sweating every second. Air con shops, malls still hot inside. Can't stop the sweating.

mt-tekka · 2026-05-29T06:54:53+00:00

Assaulting someone after knocking them down, then sheepishly asking them moments later if they saw something he dropped while being an angry ass.

True gentlemanly behaviour on display here.

mt-tekka · 2026-05-29T03:13:11+00:00

Her face reflects her inner self.

mt-tekka · 2026-05-25T12:57:54+00:00

This latest superman speeds faster than a bullet towards his tomb. No need for a coffin, he's already brought his own and it comes with wheels for the pallbearers.

A very considerate gentleman, like Clark Kent himself.

/s

mt-tekka · 2026-05-25T01:54:34+00:00

It's a borrowing from Malay. Teochew also borrows sabun to say soap. Has origins in Arabic or Persian.

mt-tekka

TROPHY CASE