American President Barack Obama hosted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his team to a rare state dinner yesterday (2 Aug). And there were at least 2 boo-boos Obama made in acknowledging and welcoming the Singapore.
Boo-boo 1 – Couldn’t remember (or cannot pronounce) Singapore founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew’s name properly.
(The expression on PM Lee’s face when the American President couldn’t pronounce his father’s name is priceless.)
Boo-boo 2 – It’s ‘Yam Seng!’ not ‘Yam Sang!’
(Has the American president ever made a toast in Chinese?)
PM Lee on the other hand in bringing up the Obama birth controversy struck all the right notes at the state dinner.