(no subject)
Well, my semester's basically over.
Yesterday was our last day at the school, and we turned our papers in today. Now we got two days to pack, and it's on to Goa for 3 or 4 with our host family.
Then home!
Right now Revi, the school watchman (who, like you and me, is monolingual), is trying to talk to me in malayalam. Well, there are bits of english, but it's pretty cool because I understand some of it. It's almost like a conversation. He commonly sits in here and we try to talk while I'm on the computer. It's rough, but we can sometimes get the message across. Good times.
Revi "Poga? ::something something:: Poga? Amyeriga?" (are you going to America soon?)
Me "Ah, sheri sheri" (Ah, yes yes)
Revi "::something something:: tomorrow? Amyeriga?" (are you leaving tomorrow?)
Me "illa. umm.. (thinks for a moment) Chovva!" (not tomorrow. um... Tuesday!)
Revi "Kovalam? Poga ::something:: Kovalam?" (are you going to Kovalam first?)
Me "illa. Goa." (no, to Goa)
Revi "Kovalam?" (Kovalam?)
Me "no, no. Illalla, Goh.Vah." (no no. nono, Goa) Oddly, Kovalam and Goa sound a lot alike
Revi "Kovalam pogilla?" (You're not going to Kovalam?)
Me "pogilla." (correct)
This is to give you an idea of the sadness of my malayalam skills. This is a shining jewel of a conversation for me. I have very few that are this well-communicated. Ah, neo-colonialism. Half their country learns our language, and most of us have ever even heard of any of theirs.
Yesterday was our last day at the school, and we turned our papers in today. Now we got two days to pack, and it's on to Goa for 3 or 4 with our host family.
Then home!
Right now Revi, the school watchman (who, like you and me, is monolingual), is trying to talk to me in malayalam. Well, there are bits of english, but it's pretty cool because I understand some of it. It's almost like a conversation. He commonly sits in here and we try to talk while I'm on the computer. It's rough, but we can sometimes get the message across. Good times.
Revi "Poga? ::something something:: Poga? Amyeriga?" (are you going to America soon?)
Me "Ah, sheri sheri" (Ah, yes yes)
Revi "::something something:: tomorrow? Amyeriga?" (are you leaving tomorrow?)
Me "illa. umm.. (thinks for a moment) Chovva!" (not tomorrow. um... Tuesday!)
Revi "Kovalam? Poga ::something:: Kovalam?" (are you going to Kovalam first?)
Me "illa. Goa." (no, to Goa)
Revi "Kovalam?" (Kovalam?)
Me "no, no. Illalla, Goh.Vah." (no no. nono, Goa) Oddly, Kovalam and Goa sound a lot alike
Revi "Kovalam pogilla?" (You're not going to Kovalam?)
Me "pogilla." (correct)
This is to give you an idea of the sadness of my malayalam skills. This is a shining jewel of a conversation for me. I have very few that are this well-communicated. Ah, neo-colonialism. Half their country learns our language, and most of us have ever even heard of any of theirs.