Sunday, September 19, 2010

Language barriers

Since my last post I did eventually make it to the Cambodian village I have been to now about four times. Apparently, since my last visit: I got more beautiful, they missed me and my mother (who once visited). Suffice to say development is limited in a rural "hamlet" in Cambodia and other than the children growing over the past year or so there was not much change. "Granny" was especially pleased to see me but was disappointed my Khmer had not improved - I tried to explain that this was quite a difficult language to master from the UK.....

I also met a new family including an uncle of one of the Cambodian student's whose visit it was. He was about to start university but wanted to speak English with the foreign woman (that would be me) although he was painfully shy. It is difficult to come up with enough easy level questions in English. "What is your favourite colour?" might be a question which is easily understood but isn't very meaningful! Instead, after an hour or so I practiced my very basic Khmer on them and added a number of words to my vocab.

Later in the week I announced in my bad Khmer to my Cambodian students (luckily old enough to understanditwas a mistake) that I desired a threesome.... ummmmm they found that truely hilarious - and for once I understood something that Khmers found funny and found it quite amusing myself!

3 comments:

Donna said...

What WERE you asking for?

Donna said...

a troubled ma!

MHJ said...

I was just trying to sing a cambodian song.... ummmmmm