So I've finally figured out an apt way to describe the majority of my conversations here. You know how you can buy magnets with words on them? And then rearrange them to make different permutations and interesting phrases? Imagine you have about 50-100 words, including some where you recognize the word but not exactly how it's being used. Case in point:
Person at office: I would like to know your personal life Is it ok?
Me: Uh, sure. It's pretty boring.
Person: Ok, when?
Me: When what?
Person: when will I know your personal life?
Me: Now? Tomorrow?
Person: Tomorrow will be fine. Thank you.
Also realized that the word "okay" is deceptively complex in our everyday usage. I use it a lot to say "no," as in, "would you like more fish curry?" "I'm ok, thanks." In Bengali English, "ok" means "yes." I am a slow learner on this and as a result, am eating a little more fish curry than I anticipated, among other things!
I'm working on my Bangla but I"m not at 50 words yet by any stretch, and my vocabulary at this point many consists of foods, things that two-year-olds say (Pen! Earrings! Where's mommy?), and different nicknames/terms of endearment (Uncle, tea please!), so it's not a very coherent set of words to translate into phrases. But I have met some fun people who are generously starting to show me the ropes, so I'm hoping for some exponential growth.
Last night, for example, I went to a party at the Radisson. It was an exclusive event--I'd had to provide my name, contact info, and a picture earlier in the week--and I was NOT on the list (I hope I wasn't rejected on the basis of my picture), but since when they asked for a photo id, I pulled out my Harvard id, that was sufficient. I'm not going to lie, it felt kind of good to drop the H-bomb; it's been a while since I've gotten that kind of response. The party was like another world--we left the conservative street culture and stepped into glitz; women in heels and short dresses, bars with some top shelf liquor, and bumping techno music picked by a Malaysian DJ. I was happy to be there at all; the event didn't start until midnight, and I'd had to wrangle a key to the front door, unlock it from the inside in the dark to get out, convince the guards to wait up for me . . .I don't know how teenagers would ever manage to sneak out here (although my host family's grandson shared that he was successfully managed; maybe Bengali teenagers are just smarter than American teens). It felt good to get down on the dance floor, although the way folks dance here is a change from Colombia, to say the least (a lot more up and down movement and fun hand gestures, and virtually no use of the hips--Shakira would be disappointed). Hoping that next time I make it onto the list!
Best compliment that I've received so far (and back to magnetic words with fuzzy meanings): "It's clear that you walk a lot because your physical construction is on the mark." Woot.
Ok, the mosquitoes are getting a little wild. Here they have this tennis rackets you can buy that have a current running through them, so essentially you wave it around and electrocute the suckers. They snap, crackle, and pop when you hit them. It is SUPER fulfilling!
Person at office: I would like to know your personal life Is it ok?
Me: Uh, sure. It's pretty boring.
Person: Ok, when?
Me: When what?
Person: when will I know your personal life?
Me: Now? Tomorrow?
Person: Tomorrow will be fine. Thank you.
Also realized that the word "okay" is deceptively complex in our everyday usage. I use it a lot to say "no," as in, "would you like more fish curry?" "I'm ok, thanks." In Bengali English, "ok" means "yes." I am a slow learner on this and as a result, am eating a little more fish curry than I anticipated, among other things!
I'm working on my Bangla but I"m not at 50 words yet by any stretch, and my vocabulary at this point many consists of foods, things that two-year-olds say (Pen! Earrings! Where's mommy?), and different nicknames/terms of endearment (Uncle, tea please!), so it's not a very coherent set of words to translate into phrases. But I have met some fun people who are generously starting to show me the ropes, so I'm hoping for some exponential growth.
Last night, for example, I went to a party at the Radisson. It was an exclusive event--I'd had to provide my name, contact info, and a picture earlier in the week--and I was NOT on the list (I hope I wasn't rejected on the basis of my picture), but since when they asked for a photo id, I pulled out my Harvard id, that was sufficient. I'm not going to lie, it felt kind of good to drop the H-bomb; it's been a while since I've gotten that kind of response. The party was like another world--we left the conservative street culture and stepped into glitz; women in heels and short dresses, bars with some top shelf liquor, and bumping techno music picked by a Malaysian DJ. I was happy to be there at all; the event didn't start until midnight, and I'd had to wrangle a key to the front door, unlock it from the inside in the dark to get out, convince the guards to wait up for me . . .I don't know how teenagers would ever manage to sneak out here (although my host family's grandson shared that he was successfully managed; maybe Bengali teenagers are just smarter than American teens). It felt good to get down on the dance floor, although the way folks dance here is a change from Colombia, to say the least (a lot more up and down movement and fun hand gestures, and virtually no use of the hips--Shakira would be disappointed). Hoping that next time I make it onto the list!
Best compliment that I've received so far (and back to magnetic words with fuzzy meanings): "It's clear that you walk a lot because your physical construction is on the mark." Woot.
Ok, the mosquitoes are getting a little wild. Here they have this tennis rackets you can buy that have a current running through them, so essentially you wave it around and electrocute the suckers. They snap, crackle, and pop when you hit them. It is SUPER fulfilling!
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