Life Here & There 
No Comments Language Laugh Here and There
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In the past, I have written about how the English language can trip a person up with just an example of Horses & Geese. I have also written in the past about the need to Train the Filipina Tongue to avoid miscommunication especially on simple topics that turn out very wrong when pronouncing the American English words with a Filipino accent.
Well, I have to revisit this topic a little bit from a different standpoint.
When a foreign born individual visits or immigrates to the Philippines and tries to speak Tagalog or whatever the primary dialect used, we naturally get a giggle or two when they completely butcher it. We do respect their attempt at speaking our language. However, there are times when the attempt is butchered so badly that they end up saying something either with a terribly wrong meaning or a completely nonsense meaning. Of course, we are all human and have a very hard time refraining from solid laughter. No disrespect meant.
Now that I’m here in the USA taking client at customer support calls, I have been exposed to a slightly funny side of Filipinos here in the USA. After an incident with the Philippine Consulate office in Chicago, my funny bone was already tickled. (Thanks Goryo!!) What put me over the top was after we got done chuckling about some English mistakes on the Philippine Consulate’s directions; I got a call from a very polite Filipina with a heavy accent. (Ako super guilty din minsan with my accent!)
Without disclosing details, here are two lines that just got me in our conversation (spelled like she pronounced it):
“Plez hilp me mam, I ned u two find out if long’s located close to the hill is covered. The gasoline cannot afford me.”
And
“I cannot greatly appreciated you madam. You help me save gas for the trip is so long if I cannot go to long’s pharmacy”
Why does that tickle my funny bone? For one, I still have a hard time with getting the right version a verb correct. When do you use “ed” or “s” on the end still messes me up when I talk, MS Word helps me with the written part. But you know what, I would rather talk with someone who is very polite (like the Filipina lady I spoke with today) but with broken English rather than someone who has better English but a horrible attitude!
But what really got me was calling the “mail-in” department with questions regarding a passport renewal process that is listed as “Personal Appearance Required … Application by mail will not be accepted.” Then when you read the directions on Passport Requirements it gets real funny on the Requirements for Pictures section F.
“straight frontal shot (no titling of head) & “medium” smile is allowed”
What is a “medium” smile? Did they realize what the typo of the word tilting actually spells and sounds when you say it out loud?
Oh well, it should make for a fun trip for a day. Hopefully I’ll be able to read those driving directions correctly this time and not look for step 8 when I’m supposed to be on step 6. It is so easy to get hopelessly lost when you do not read the directions correctly to your hubby as they drive. LOL!
Proud to be Pinay,
Anah
