"Mummy, O-R makes the sound 'or'. Or-... or-.... ordinance."
??????????
Is that a word that a 4.5 yo should know? I have no idea where he picked it up from. "Ordinance" doesn't exactly feature in our daily conversation at home.
I don't know if I should be impressed or worried!
Showing posts with label Language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Language. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Connor can read: Biff, Chip and Kipper books
I happened upon the Biff, Chip and Kipper book set in our local Costco one day. I took them, had a flip through and saw Level 1 was exactly what I was looking for - simple, 2-3 word stories for a beginning reader. Just like my old Peter and Jane Ladybird books that I had as a child.
So I thought "Let's try them out." This was after I discovered Connor could read simple words after learning phonics off the iPad. Connor loved the books because he could read them by himself. He can easily read Level 1 and Level 2 and they're quite easy for him.
I've then invested in Level 3 and have just ordered the boxed set of Level 4-6. I discovered long after we started on the books that these books are also used in his local school so I hope I won't overdo it at home and then have Connor get bored at school because he already knows all the books.
They're contemporary British versions of Peter and Jane. I think that's how to describe it. As they're written for UK schools, the stories are based on UK life. So the settings are familiar to Connor as they mirror his current life experiences and he enjoys seeing them in print.
Having him read the simpler books all by himself has shown Connor that much pleasure and information can be gained from reading. He now spends a lot more time with his books and asks more often now to be read to. Starting him off with something simple has given him confidence to try out the more complicated words.
If you'd like to try a few out, you can get them off eBay for a pound or so per book. There are also used boxed sets up for sale on eBay, usually in quite good nick for half the price of a brand new set and definitely worth a look.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Connor can read: Phonics and Reading with McGuffey
Sometime ago, my friend who runs a blog called Figur8 wrote about an app called Phonics and Reading with McGuffey. I clicked on it and saw it was free for a limited time period. So I figured what the heck... and downloaded it onto the iPad for my little man.
Now, I had wanted to start him on reading last year but with his speech therapy, I was advised to put that on hold. Why? Because we had to work on his understanding of language first before teaching him how to recognise the symbols for that language. Gotta learn to walk before you can run. So I put aside all thoughts of teaching him to read and focused on teaching him how to talk properly first.
A year later and now-we-can't-shut-Connor-up later, I decided to try reading again. I dunno if it's just my inadequacies as a teacher or something but Connor was NOT interested. At all. Luckily the app appeared.
I tried the app out first and found it utterly BORING. It was so dreary. The flat voice-over almost killed me with boredom. Bleh. I handed it to my son anyway. Who of course found it the most amazing, absorbing, interesting app he'd ever had.
He played with it a lot. I don't mind him playing with educational apps. And of course the inevitable happened.
Connor somehow taught himself to read with the help of the app.
Ta-dah!
How did I know? Well, because he began reading out things to me. I was SO thrilled! Dear Hubby and I thought they must have been teaching phonics and stuff at school. We thought what he learnt at school + the iPad app = him reading
Until today that is. I was asking Teacher how Connor was doing and she said he's doing fine. She then asked me, "Are you teaching him to read at home?" I said, "Oh not really but he has this phonics app on the iPad that he really enjoys. Why?" "Because he can read. We don't really teach phonics now in Nursery, just letter sounds for a few letters but not whole word phonics. So I was surprised when he could read." She went on to describe the times Connor would read stuff out in class after sounding it phonetically himself.
And you know what? I felt really happy. Utterly relieved. My son, who could not talk properly a year plus ago, can read. And he taught himself how to do it.
When we first started seeing Mario for speech therapy, I had worried and worried if Connor was slow and would need help in school later. Mario was surprised I even thought that, he said no, it was obvious Connor was quite bright. Just not talking. Not talking is not the same as un-bright. Not talking just means not talking.
So now at night, my son reads me a bedtime story before he goes to bed. It used to be just me reading to him. I pick books geared at beginners and he reads them to me. He needs help on more complicated words but he's working on it. I still read to him of course... I read him the more difficult stories.
Try this app if you're looking for a phonics app for your child. It really helped Connor and he really enjoys it.
Now, I had wanted to start him on reading last year but with his speech therapy, I was advised to put that on hold. Why? Because we had to work on his understanding of language first before teaching him how to recognise the symbols for that language. Gotta learn to walk before you can run. So I put aside all thoughts of teaching him to read and focused on teaching him how to talk properly first.
A year later and now-we-can't-shut-Connor-up later, I decided to try reading again. I dunno if it's just my inadequacies as a teacher or something but Connor was NOT interested. At all. Luckily the app appeared.
I tried the app out first and found it utterly BORING. It was so dreary. The flat voice-over almost killed me with boredom. Bleh. I handed it to my son anyway. Who of course found it the most amazing, absorbing, interesting app he'd ever had.
He played with it a lot. I don't mind him playing with educational apps. And of course the inevitable happened.
Connor somehow taught himself to read with the help of the app.
Ta-dah!
How did I know? Well, because he began reading out things to me. I was SO thrilled! Dear Hubby and I thought they must have been teaching phonics and stuff at school. We thought what he learnt at school + the iPad app = him reading
Until today that is. I was asking Teacher how Connor was doing and she said he's doing fine. She then asked me, "Are you teaching him to read at home?" I said, "Oh not really but he has this phonics app on the iPad that he really enjoys. Why?" "Because he can read. We don't really teach phonics now in Nursery, just letter sounds for a few letters but not whole word phonics. So I was surprised when he could read." She went on to describe the times Connor would read stuff out in class after sounding it phonetically himself.
And you know what? I felt really happy. Utterly relieved. My son, who could not talk properly a year plus ago, can read. And he taught himself how to do it.
When we first started seeing Mario for speech therapy, I had worried and worried if Connor was slow and would need help in school later. Mario was surprised I even thought that, he said no, it was obvious Connor was quite bright. Just not talking. Not talking is not the same as un-bright. Not talking just means not talking.
So now at night, my son reads me a bedtime story before he goes to bed. It used to be just me reading to him. I pick books geared at beginners and he reads them to me. He needs help on more complicated words but he's working on it. I still read to him of course... I read him the more difficult stories.
Try this app if you're looking for a phonics app for your child. It really helped Connor and he really enjoys it.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Connor Says: Connor talks back
I was trying to dress Connor and was getting really annoyed because he wanted to walk off. So I said rather sharply to my son, "Come here!"
His reply was an equally sharp "What's your problem!"
This is NOT why I am paying Mario for speech therapy sessions.
His reply was an equally sharp "What's your problem!"
This is NOT why I am paying Mario for speech therapy sessions.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Connor Says: Not hungry
Sometimes conversations with my son have unexpected results. Like last week, when he suddenly refused his lunch of noodles. Connor LOVES noodles. For him to refuse noodles is like for me to refuse drooling at Daniel Craig.
"Why don't you want your noodles?"
"Don't want."
"You said you wanted noodles! You said you were hungry! Why aren't you hungry now?"
"Because I farted."
Connor 1, Mummy 0.
"Why don't you want your noodles?"
"Don't want."
"You said you wanted noodles! You said you were hungry! Why aren't you hungry now?"
"Because I farted."
Connor 1, Mummy 0.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Connor says: Penis
Our flights to UK last month included a stopover in Dubai. So while we were there, I grabbed the chance to go to the toilet and took Connor with me.
The toilet was crowded but everyone patiently waited their turn. When it was my turn, Connor obediently followed me into the cubicle and immediately pointed to the loo. "Mummy, it's a toilet! Don't touch the toilet, it's dirty!" "Yes, that's right Connor... don't you go touching the toilet. Now can you stand here and wait for Mummy to pee-pee?"
He stood quietly in a corner while I did my stuff. When I was done and was standing up pulling on my jeans, my son pointed and said in his loud toddler voice, "That's Mummy's penis!"
Why thank you, my son. Now everyone in this crowded loo thinks your Mummy's a tranny.
With great dignity (as much as I could muster with my jeans half-up in a small loo) and great restraint, I said equally loudly in the hopes that all could hear me, "No, Connor. Mummy doesn't have a penis. Only you and Daddy have penises. Now come on, let's go look for Daddy okay?"
I walked out of the cubicle, head held high but inwardly I was convinced everyone else was staring at my crotch area trying to see if I really had a bulge there. We washed our hands and then I *ran* out of the loo.
Note to self: Must teach Connor new word - "vagina".
The toilet was crowded but everyone patiently waited their turn. When it was my turn, Connor obediently followed me into the cubicle and immediately pointed to the loo. "Mummy, it's a toilet! Don't touch the toilet, it's dirty!" "Yes, that's right Connor... don't you go touching the toilet. Now can you stand here and wait for Mummy to pee-pee?"
He stood quietly in a corner while I did my stuff. When I was done and was standing up pulling on my jeans, my son pointed and said in his loud toddler voice, "That's Mummy's penis!"
Why thank you, my son. Now everyone in this crowded loo thinks your Mummy's a tranny.
With great dignity (as much as I could muster with my jeans half-up in a small loo) and great restraint, I said equally loudly in the hopes that all could hear me, "No, Connor. Mummy doesn't have a penis. Only you and Daddy have penises. Now come on, let's go look for Daddy okay?"
I walked out of the cubicle, head held high but inwardly I was convinced everyone else was staring at my crotch area trying to see if I really had a bulge there. We washed our hands and then I *ran* out of the loo.
Note to self: Must teach Connor new word - "vagina".
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Life in Jakarta: Learning the local language Pt II
A few more bits that I remember...
"Lucu banget!!!!"
There I am, the new momma, proudly pushing her baby boy around in the stroller. If I pass by women, they tend to crane their necks to look at my son, smile and comment in a friendly tone. I found that Indonesians do this more often than Malaysians. No one bothered to look into Connor's stroller when we brought him home to KL. LOL
A oft-heard comment is "Luuuucu baaaaaaaaanget!" I knew what banget meant, it means "very". We use the word sangat back home. But lucu to me meant "funny" as in "funny haha". The first few times I heard that comment, I would look down at my little boy. Is he funny looking? Erm, no wor... I think he's quite cute. But why do so many Indonesians keep telling me my boy is "very funny looking" and look very happy while they do so? It's so sad for a mum to be told her precious baby is funny looking. Maybe they don't like mixed kids? I didn't think so... My driver was telling me children of mixed parentage are called "Indo" and he likes them because they're cute.
It took a sinetron (Local soap opera... unbelieveable stuff to watch! LOL) to teach me what lucu meant. In this context, it meant "cute, adorable". Yay! Now when people tell me Connor is lucu, I don't frown anymore.
"Cowok atau cewek?"
After I'd mastered the lucu bit, I faced another question. Sometimes people would ask me, "Putra atau putri?" ("Son or daughter?") and I would reply, "Putra..." We call it anak lelaki/perempuan ... the term putra is sort of literary and we don't use it in everyday convie in Malaysia. I very much prefer the Indon term, it's so much prettier!
But sometimes, people would ask, "Cowok atau cewek?" and I didn't know what to reply at first! I knew they were asking if it was a boy/girl... it was that obvious but I er.. can't remember which is which. On the other hand, it could be some fun game that Jakartans play where you replace the vowels and then repeat the words back to each other. In which case, my answer would be, "Ciwik atau cawak!"
Telling time
In Malaysia, we tend to say "sembilan setengah" (lit nine and a half) to indicate half past nine. But in Indonesia, you would say "setengah sepuluh" i.e. half an hour to ten. Before I learnt this bit, there were a few instances with my driver where he would be waiting patiently a full hour for me to show up. I thought he was being efficient and punctual (hardly anyone is punctual in a city that's plagued by traffic jams) while he thought Madam was perpetually late! When I found out that I was saying things wrongly, I decided to say the time in English. That way we never get mixed up anymore and S doesn't have to waste an hour waiting for me.
This last bit is a sign I saw on the entrance of a mushollah (small mosque) here. Actually I'm not sure I should post this lest I offend my Muslim readers but I really saw this and I want to see if I've interpreted it correctly.
We were on our way to Kuningan to pick up my new passport and S was taking the back roads to avoid the jams on the main drive. We passed a mushollah and there it was. It was the most unusual sign I'd ever seen in my whole life. This is the entrance to a holy place, a place of prayer and to my astonishment, it said "ASSHOLEHAH". ???????????? I was so surprised I turned around to take a 2nd look and yep, that's what it said.
Okay... this is just my guess. Is a badly needed hypen/space missing? I'm guessing the sign should say "As Sholehah"? See... once the space is there, your brain doesn't read it as a naughty word anymore. I don't know if that is how they spell "solehah" here in Indonesia. I know the word only in the context of a wife (isteri) so I can't explain why it's on that sign. (Anyway, I have to admit I didn't read anything else on the sign since my eyes were glued to the main words!)
An isteri solehah is a dutiful and good wife. Lest people mistake this to mean just a woman who's chained to the kitchen and brings her hubby slippers when he comes home from work, it also means a wife who takes care of the family name, who supports her husband, who helps shoulder the burden of marriage... a wife who is a good life partner... as in "Behind every successful man..."
I wish I'd snapped a pic but we couldn't just stop. Maybe the Muslim Indonesians who read this blog can tell me what the sign meant? It's even more intriguing than Knalpot!
"Lucu banget!!!!"
There I am, the new momma, proudly pushing her baby boy around in the stroller. If I pass by women, they tend to crane their necks to look at my son, smile and comment in a friendly tone. I found that Indonesians do this more often than Malaysians. No one bothered to look into Connor's stroller when we brought him home to KL. LOL
A oft-heard comment is "Luuuucu baaaaaaaaanget!" I knew what banget meant, it means "very". We use the word sangat back home. But lucu to me meant "funny" as in "funny haha". The first few times I heard that comment, I would look down at my little boy. Is he funny looking? Erm, no wor... I think he's quite cute. But why do so many Indonesians keep telling me my boy is "very funny looking" and look very happy while they do so? It's so sad for a mum to be told her precious baby is funny looking. Maybe they don't like mixed kids? I didn't think so... My driver was telling me children of mixed parentage are called "Indo" and he likes them because they're cute.
It took a sinetron (Local soap opera... unbelieveable stuff to watch! LOL) to teach me what lucu meant. In this context, it meant "cute, adorable". Yay! Now when people tell me Connor is lucu, I don't frown anymore.
"Cowok atau cewek?"
After I'd mastered the lucu bit, I faced another question. Sometimes people would ask me, "Putra atau putri?" ("Son or daughter?") and I would reply, "Putra..." We call it anak lelaki/perempuan ... the term putra is sort of literary and we don't use it in everyday convie in Malaysia. I very much prefer the Indon term, it's so much prettier!
But sometimes, people would ask, "Cowok atau cewek?" and I didn't know what to reply at first! I knew they were asking if it was a boy/girl... it was that obvious but I er.. can't remember which is which. On the other hand, it could be some fun game that Jakartans play where you replace the vowels and then repeat the words back to each other. In which case, my answer would be, "Ciwik atau cawak!"
Telling time
In Malaysia, we tend to say "sembilan setengah" (lit nine and a half) to indicate half past nine. But in Indonesia, you would say "setengah sepuluh" i.e. half an hour to ten. Before I learnt this bit, there were a few instances with my driver where he would be waiting patiently a full hour for me to show up. I thought he was being efficient and punctual (hardly anyone is punctual in a city that's plagued by traffic jams) while he thought Madam was perpetually late! When I found out that I was saying things wrongly, I decided to say the time in English. That way we never get mixed up anymore and S doesn't have to waste an hour waiting for me.
This last bit is a sign I saw on the entrance of a mushollah (small mosque) here. Actually I'm not sure I should post this lest I offend my Muslim readers but I really saw this and I want to see if I've interpreted it correctly.
We were on our way to Kuningan to pick up my new passport and S was taking the back roads to avoid the jams on the main drive. We passed a mushollah and there it was. It was the most unusual sign I'd ever seen in my whole life. This is the entrance to a holy place, a place of prayer and to my astonishment, it said "ASSHOLEHAH". ???????????? I was so surprised I turned around to take a 2nd look and yep, that's what it said.
Okay... this is just my guess. Is a badly needed hypen/space missing? I'm guessing the sign should say "As Sholehah"? See... once the space is there, your brain doesn't read it as a naughty word anymore. I don't know if that is how they spell "solehah" here in Indonesia. I know the word only in the context of a wife (isteri) so I can't explain why it's on that sign. (Anyway, I have to admit I didn't read anything else on the sign since my eyes were glued to the main words!)
An isteri solehah is a dutiful and good wife. Lest people mistake this to mean just a woman who's chained to the kitchen and brings her hubby slippers when he comes home from work, it also means a wife who takes care of the family name, who supports her husband, who helps shoulder the burden of marriage... a wife who is a good life partner... as in "Behind every successful man..."
I wish I'd snapped a pic but we couldn't just stop. Maybe the Muslim Indonesians who read this blog can tell me what the sign meant? It's even more intriguing than Knalpot!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Life in Jakarta: Learning the local language
Living in Jakarta is quite interesting, language-wise. While formal Bahasa Indonesia is quite similar to Bahasa Malaysia, which I speak, the local lingo known as bahasa gaul is another kettle of fish altogether. Up till today, I can't make head or tail of it and need subtitles if I watch the sinetron. B. Indon also uses a different subset of words to describe certain common things and this is a sample of what I've learnt so far.
Cockroach
We call it a lipas back home in Malaysia. So when we found one in our house some months ago, this terrified Madam immediately called for the compound superintendent. "Supardi, bisa tolong? Ada lipas di rumah!" (Supardi, can you help? There's cockroaches in the house!) To my astonishment, he asked me what a lipas was. Oh goodness me. How do you mime a cockroach??? After a rather silly round of insect charades, he finally lit up, "Ohhhhh... kecoa!"
Cepek, ngopek, gopek...
It was early days in Jakarta and I asked our driver to put on the local radio so that I could pick up some new words. I can't remember what the radio ad was about but the jingle talked about overcoming capek. I asked S what it was. He said it meant "tired" and explained further, "Capek itu letih... tapi kalau cepek.. itu uang." (Capek means tired but if it's cepek, it means money) I repeated, "Cepek?" He nodded, "Ya... cepek, ngopek, gopek.. itu semua uang, Madam!" (Yes.. cepek, ngopek, gopek...that's all money, Madam!")
I was extremely puzzled. Why so many terms for money? I couldn't figure it out and kept turning it over and over in my head. Finally it hit me - they'd borrowed from the Chinese terms for 100, 200 and 500.
Kelmarin, besok
These terms in Malaysia mean "the day before" and "tomorrow" respectively. I made the mistake of assuming they would mean the same here. They don't. My maid and driver gleefully informed me that they mean different things in different parts of Indonesia. Besok can mean tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or any day in the future, depending on where one came from. Kelmarin could mean yesterday, the day before or last night. I feel a migraine coming on, I do.
Knalpot
This is my favourite sign ever in the whole of Jakarta. When I first arrived, I saw it everywhere but couldn't figure out what it was. Finally a German friend interpreted it for me. It's a Dutch word which translates literally as "bang pot" and is the word for the exhaust pipe on your vehicle. He asked me, "What do you call it in Malaysia?" Somewhat sheepishly, I replied, "Paip ekzos..."
And this one is my favourite. We were on our way home from Pacific Place on Saturday and Dear Hubby pointed to a sign and asked warily, "Babe... just exactly what are they selling?" I looked up and saw he was pointing at a sign that said SEMEN GRESIK. I burst into laughter and explained, "Don't worry, they're just selling cement!"
Cockroach
We call it a lipas back home in Malaysia. So when we found one in our house some months ago, this terrified Madam immediately called for the compound superintendent. "Supardi, bisa tolong? Ada lipas di rumah!" (Supardi, can you help? There's cockroaches in the house!) To my astonishment, he asked me what a lipas was. Oh goodness me. How do you mime a cockroach??? After a rather silly round of insect charades, he finally lit up, "Ohhhhh... kecoa!"
Cepek, ngopek, gopek...
It was early days in Jakarta and I asked our driver to put on the local radio so that I could pick up some new words. I can't remember what the radio ad was about but the jingle talked about overcoming capek. I asked S what it was. He said it meant "tired" and explained further, "Capek itu letih... tapi kalau cepek.. itu uang." (Capek means tired but if it's cepek, it means money) I repeated, "Cepek?" He nodded, "Ya... cepek, ngopek, gopek.. itu semua uang, Madam!" (Yes.. cepek, ngopek, gopek...that's all money, Madam!")
I was extremely puzzled. Why so many terms for money? I couldn't figure it out and kept turning it over and over in my head. Finally it hit me - they'd borrowed from the Chinese terms for 100, 200 and 500.
Kelmarin, besok
These terms in Malaysia mean "the day before" and "tomorrow" respectively. I made the mistake of assuming they would mean the same here. They don't. My maid and driver gleefully informed me that they mean different things in different parts of Indonesia. Besok can mean tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or any day in the future, depending on where one came from. Kelmarin could mean yesterday, the day before or last night. I feel a migraine coming on, I do.
Knalpot
This is my favourite sign ever in the whole of Jakarta. When I first arrived, I saw it everywhere but couldn't figure out what it was. Finally a German friend interpreted it for me. It's a Dutch word which translates literally as "bang pot" and is the word for the exhaust pipe on your vehicle. He asked me, "What do you call it in Malaysia?" Somewhat sheepishly, I replied, "Paip ekzos..."
And this one is my favourite. We were on our way home from Pacific Place on Saturday and Dear Hubby pointed to a sign and asked warily, "Babe... just exactly what are they selling?" I looked up and saw he was pointing at a sign that said SEMEN GRESIK. I burst into laughter and explained, "Don't worry, they're just selling cement!"
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Eating Out in Jakarta: McDonald's Delivery service
This isn't really eating out... more like eating in... but... I thought I would just post this for any hungry people out there in Jakarta who are also too lazy/tired to battle yet another traffic jam.
A long, long time ago when my cooking expertise was severely limited to boiling eggs, cooking Maggi mee and tossing salads, I had McD Delivery service in KL on my speed dial. I could recite the menu by heart. Then Dear Hubby taught me how to cook and little by little, I grew less dependent on McD Delivery.
Every now and then though, I will be struck by McCravings which can only be satisfied by a large value meal order of a Big Mac. So when we moved to Jakarta, I was delighted to find that Jakarta also had a McD Delivery service.
One day, I decided to put the service to the test. I called them up and placed my order in my best Indon-B. Malaysia. This was when I discovered that the Indonesian McD menu is a little different from the Malaysian version. For one thing, it doesn't have apple pie on its list of desserts. Their default size is medium and if you want a large, say "Upsize", don't say "Large". The chili sauce provided is a little different, it tastes sourish and I don't like sour in my food as a general rule. And you can request rice to come with your McD meals instead of fries. McD to me is a fun, gweilo food and should be served with fries, not rice which is my staple home food. Can't imagine the friendly McD employee saying to me, "Would you like rice with that?"
Anyway, all went smoothly until they asked me for my address. I read out my address to them, "... Jalan xxx 1A...." (I pronounce my A's as "ay" as in "day") The friendly voice on the other side asked me in Indonesian, "Is that A for apple or A for elephant?" I was stumped. You see, in Bahasa Malaysia, apple is spelt epal and begins with an E... just as elephant should. I didn't know if elephants were called alephant in Indonesian either which doesn't make sense since I was quite sure they were called gajah just as we call them back home. How was I to answer this question, the trickiest I've been asked since I arrived here in Jakarta???
Finally I said, "Er... er.. A for apple.. like apple juice?" "Terima kasih!" (thank you!) sang out the friendly voice at the other end who then proceeded to assure me my order would arrive in half an hour's time.
I learnt a few lessons that day. One is that no matter which corner of Jakarta you're tucked into, the clever lads who deliver the McD's will find you. The other is that the Indonesian language pronounces its alphabet differently from us in Malaysia. A is pronounced ah, not ay. E is pronounced ay, not ee. And there's no such thing as alephants.
Call McD at 14045 for their delivery service and delivery areas. You'll love(-in') it.
A long, long time ago when my cooking expertise was severely limited to boiling eggs, cooking Maggi mee and tossing salads, I had McD Delivery service in KL on my speed dial. I could recite the menu by heart. Then Dear Hubby taught me how to cook and little by little, I grew less dependent on McD Delivery.
Every now and then though, I will be struck by McCravings which can only be satisfied by a large value meal order of a Big Mac. So when we moved to Jakarta, I was delighted to find that Jakarta also had a McD Delivery service.
One day, I decided to put the service to the test. I called them up and placed my order in my best Indon-B. Malaysia. This was when I discovered that the Indonesian McD menu is a little different from the Malaysian version. For one thing, it doesn't have apple pie on its list of desserts. Their default size is medium and if you want a large, say "Upsize", don't say "Large". The chili sauce provided is a little different, it tastes sourish and I don't like sour in my food as a general rule. And you can request rice to come with your McD meals instead of fries. McD to me is a fun, gweilo food and should be served with fries, not rice which is my staple home food. Can't imagine the friendly McD employee saying to me, "Would you like rice with that?"
Anyway, all went smoothly until they asked me for my address. I read out my address to them, "... Jalan xxx 1A...." (I pronounce my A's as "ay" as in "day") The friendly voice on the other side asked me in Indonesian, "Is that A for apple or A for elephant?" I was stumped. You see, in Bahasa Malaysia, apple is spelt epal and begins with an E... just as elephant should. I didn't know if elephants were called alephant in Indonesian either which doesn't make sense since I was quite sure they were called gajah just as we call them back home. How was I to answer this question, the trickiest I've been asked since I arrived here in Jakarta???
Finally I said, "Er... er.. A for apple.. like apple juice?" "Terima kasih!" (thank you!) sang out the friendly voice at the other end who then proceeded to assure me my order would arrive in half an hour's time.
I learnt a few lessons that day. One is that no matter which corner of Jakarta you're tucked into, the clever lads who deliver the McD's will find you. The other is that the Indonesian language pronounces its alphabet differently from us in Malaysia. A is pronounced ah, not ay. E is pronounced ay, not ee. And there's no such thing as alephants.
Call McD at 14045 for their delivery service and delivery areas. You'll love(-in') it.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Por favor, whadjamean and other such things...
I've realised that I'm usually mistaken for an Indonesian while I'm out and about in Jakarta. I don't mind it, it makes me feel safer that they think I'm a local and I'm less likely to be fleeced by traders and taxi drivers. I do get quizzical looks from time to time when I'm out wandering in shopping malls in the afternoons and I know just what they're thinking. "Oh, she's out here shopping at this time of the day, so she's got to have money enough not to work. But how come she doesn't have BIG-BIG hair and wears comfy flat shoes???" Sorry, I'm not that type of Jakartan!
The sales staff at various shops I go to are usually very friendly and they love to talk to their customers. When I'm out with other expat friends (read Caucasians), the staff will usually greet us in English. But when I'm out on my own, I get the local treatment - a string of words in rapid-fire Indonesian accompanied by a wide, friendly smile.
While I do speak enough Malay to converse with the locals, they use a lot of words that aren't in use in Malaysia and they speak far too quickly for me to catch the gist of it. I hate it when they've finished speaking because that means they'll flash me a wide grin and wait for a response and I'll be thinking "Now what do I do!" After a day or so of smiling weakly at them and shrugging my shoulders in a non-committal gesture and then beating it out of the shops at top speed, I finally decided on Day 3 in Jakarta that I would tell them in my Malaysian-accented speech that I am je ne comprende pas their speech and to please slow down and use less Indonesian slang words that me, the silly foreigner, does not understand.
And when I do that, something strange happens: They gasp in shock because they can't believe I'm not local!
Can't win, really. :)))
The sales staff at various shops I go to are usually very friendly and they love to talk to their customers. When I'm out with other expat friends (read Caucasians), the staff will usually greet us in English. But when I'm out on my own, I get the local treatment - a string of words in rapid-fire Indonesian accompanied by a wide, friendly smile.
While I do speak enough Malay to converse with the locals, they use a lot of words that aren't in use in Malaysia and they speak far too quickly for me to catch the gist of it. I hate it when they've finished speaking because that means they'll flash me a wide grin and wait for a response and I'll be thinking "Now what do I do!" After a day or so of smiling weakly at them and shrugging my shoulders in a non-committal gesture and then beating it out of the shops at top speed, I finally decided on Day 3 in Jakarta that I would tell them in my Malaysian-accented speech that I am je ne comprende pas their speech and to please slow down and use less Indonesian slang words that me, the silly foreigner, does not understand.
And when I do that, something strange happens: They gasp in shock because they can't believe I'm not local!
Can't win, really. :)))
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Mind your language!
As I speak fluent Malay, I don't have much problem speaking the local Indonesian language which is a close cousin to the Malay we speak back home. However, not all the words are familiar to me and I can often be found gazing at signs, looking rather mystified.
Take, for example, ponsel. What the heck is that??? It looks rather like the word pensel, which is pencil to you and me in Malaysia. But I knew it had nothing to do with pencils because I always saw this word at booths that sold phones and SIM cards. Finally, I realised it was a combination of telepon and selular ie a cellphone!
There were signs that I understood instantly even if the wording looked peculiar to me. For example, on highways you are advised to Kurangkan kecepatan. In Malaysia, a sign that says Kurangkan Laju means you should slow down. Kecepatan to Malaysians is usually used in the context of quickness as in "Come quickly!" and not refering to a speeding vehicle. As I explained to Dear Hubby, "Imagine a public sign in England that said 'Mind your heed, you eejit!'"
Even the menu amuses me. Sop buntut had me giggling away in the hotel pub. It's oxtail soup, which we call sup ekor back home (lit. tail soup). But the Indon name for it is literally "Arse soup" and buntut is not a very erm.. genteel word in daily language for us.
I learnt a new word yesterday from our driver. It's ngobrol, which means "talking to". So... all together now... Are you ngobrol to me?
Take, for example, ponsel. What the heck is that??? It looks rather like the word pensel, which is pencil to you and me in Malaysia. But I knew it had nothing to do with pencils because I always saw this word at booths that sold phones and SIM cards. Finally, I realised it was a combination of telepon and selular ie a cellphone!
There were signs that I understood instantly even if the wording looked peculiar to me. For example, on highways you are advised to Kurangkan kecepatan. In Malaysia, a sign that says Kurangkan Laju means you should slow down. Kecepatan to Malaysians is usually used in the context of quickness as in "Come quickly!" and not refering to a speeding vehicle. As I explained to Dear Hubby, "Imagine a public sign in England that said 'Mind your heed, you eejit!'"
Even the menu amuses me. Sop buntut had me giggling away in the hotel pub. It's oxtail soup, which we call sup ekor back home (lit. tail soup). But the Indon name for it is literally "Arse soup" and buntut is not a very erm.. genteel word in daily language for us.
I learnt a new word yesterday from our driver. It's ngobrol, which means "talking to". So... all together now... Are you ngobrol to me?
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