Keong ah keong

1: Ahhh, keong keong keong
2: Ha, keong keong keong

These are the familiar greetings heard over the past few days at the market, stores, roadsides, hawker stalls and virtually everywhere that you see the ah peks, ah mems, uncles and aunties.

Yes, it's that time of the year again when everyone will just "keong" each other, and some with an exchange of the red coloured packets. And yes, this is the typical chinese new year greetings that people exchange in Penang.

And with the very plain hokkien tones that people in this island speak, what you hear are flat-pitch-monotone sing-song of the yesteryears. May just send one to sleep easily.