Sunday, February 03, 2008

poTAYto, poTAHto

right.

it has been 5 months now.
i still don't speak with a british accent.. *clap*clap*clap*. ok, 5 months is probably still too short of a time, especially when you live with malaysians and hang out with malaysians

(as a matter of fact, even one year's too short! - to all those that come back with tht haughty accent even after a 9 month stay.. i am refering to you.. and i'm going "hahahahaha"..*laugh and point*)

but there have been SOME cultural education.. certain words u'll have to learn the British dont say or say differently.. and you'd have to adapt and change.. or they won't know what you're talking about.
it is, after all, THEIR language.

just a couple of examples i have at the tip of my fingers now...
- toilets are appropriately loos. it does sound more polite/less "vulgar".. but we all know that already
- eggplants/ "terung" are aubergines. try using the word in public. instant britain-fied!
- Leicester square is NOT "Lay-ches-ter Square".. but "Lester Square" -_- tell me about it. i felt so daft.
- ATM machines?

"Oouuh.. you mean the Cash Point, luv?"
-_-.. yessss...

british don't vacuum their carpets.. they HOOVER...
and if a person is a Joker, chances are he's just "all about the banter" ;)

a friend pointed out i have been using lots of "fantastics".. "excellent".. "amazing"s lately.. tho i must say i think i have been using the last two even before. don't i? dunno..

anyways, our brit friends think us malaysians speak a whole different language when we talk amongst ourselves. its so easy to confuse them. just throw in a couple of "la's", speak in a manglish pace.. and walaah! they'll have no clue what u just said.

but what transpired me to write this entry - yes, i have not got to my point - is how come "vain pot" is not an acceptable english term. it wasn't until a couple of hours ago did i realise, for the first time, that calling someone a vain pot, is typically malaysian. i didn't know that!

i might be wrong... or the internet english & urban dictionary is just not updated enough.. i'm not sure
so is it or is it not an acceptable english term?

3 comments:

yvonne lee said...

hehe! cash point! refreshing...

Anonymous said...

i say "flippin 'eck" lots.
but most the time i just sound like an african american.

"whut up dawg.."
"shizzle m'nizzle"
"dayng"

*sho* said...

vonne - refreshing? ^^
dave - lol! dayng! didn't know aussies say "flippin 'eck".. dayng! stop watching MTV.. lol