Ten Malaysian Phrases
It has been almost 3 years since have stayed in Malaysia. However it is just amazing that I havent had to use the language enough to need to learn. A lot of it has to do with the place where I am staying. Little India in Malaysia. With more than a hundred Indian families in my Condo - Hindi is the official language! And one doesnt need the language to shop at Super Markets.
It is amazing how insular one can stay to a culture while residing right in the middle of the culture! I have decided to start a small effort to know the language now. Unfortunately the primary motive to know the language now is - I have employed an Indonesian part-time maid. And she understands very little english.
So here are my Ten Malaysian (Bahasa Malaysian or Bahasa Melayu) phrases for today culled from the internet.
Selamat Datang - Welcome
Selamat Malam - Good Night
Selamat Tinggil - a Good Bye wish - when one wishes the other person a "safe stay"
Terima Kasih - Thank You
Apa Kabar? - What is the news?
Selamat Pagi - Good Morning
Tidak - No
Mumkin - Maybe
Nama Kau Apa? - What is Your name?
Apa Ini? - What is this?
It is amazing how insular one can stay to a culture while residing right in the middle of the culture! I have decided to start a small effort to know the language now. Unfortunately the primary motive to know the language now is - I have employed an Indonesian part-time maid. And she understands very little english.
So here are my Ten Malaysian (Bahasa Malaysian or Bahasa Melayu) phrases for today culled from the internet.
Selamat Datang - Welcome
Selamat Malam - Good Night
Selamat Tinggil - a Good Bye wish - when one wishes the other person a "safe stay"
Terima Kasih - Thank You
Apa Kabar? - What is the news?
Selamat Pagi - Good Morning
Tidak - No
Mumkin - Maybe
Nama Kau Apa? - What is Your name?
Apa Ini? - What is this?
Watching The Sound of Music With Family!
Boys!!! (Watching The Sound of Music With Family)
When I envisaged family life – one of the dreams that was often included was to spend lazy Sunday afternoons in front of the TV watching old classics. Prominent among those was The Sound of Music. So recently when I realized the kids haven’t watched the old favorite yet, I got hold of the movie to make it a perfect afternoon.
However it didn’t go as I planned. First thing was I didn’t realize I was talking to a family thriving on Al Pacino, Bruce Lee, Kung Fu Panda, Hindi movies like Golmaal, Dabagg, etc – that is, paced entertainers or lots of blood, gore and movement. The movie started off with some awesome visuals of the Austrian Alps and then Maria singing in the mountains “The Hills are Alive With the Sound of Music”. Then the scene shifted to the abbey with the nuns singing “How do you solve a problem like Maria”.
“You mean it is a musical DRAMA?” – my dear Hubby asks?
“Don’t tell me you too haven’t watched this glorious movie? “
“Oh – now I realize why” – he says as he parodies the Mother Abbess’s high pitched contralto.
The youngsters thus encouraged started whining to play the 11th rerun of Golmaal – a mindless Hindi blockbuster or Ironman or Kungfu Panda.
I wouldn’t have any of it. “Listen, this is a MUST watch movie.”
It was just then that the Mother Abbess tells Maria that it is only in the Abbey that one cannot sing (after Maria confesses she has been singing in the hills) – there is no rule against singing in the hills. The elder son promptly points out – “only Maria is not permitted to sing in the abbey?” After all the nuns had just stopped singing “How do you solve a problem like Maria?”
I knew it was going to be a long afternoon.
Finally only my elder son and I were left watching the film. The poor kid watched the movie only after extracting numerous promises from me – which included pizza for dinner, etc, etc. The movie was 2 hrs 54 mins – and I was kept reminding of the duration every other minute.
I realized (as I keep doing daily) that they were just being BOYS!
When I envisaged family life – one of the dreams that was often included was to spend lazy Sunday afternoons in front of the TV watching old classics. Prominent among those was The Sound of Music. So recently when I realized the kids haven’t watched the old favorite yet, I got hold of the movie to make it a perfect afternoon.
However it didn’t go as I planned. First thing was I didn’t realize I was talking to a family thriving on Al Pacino, Bruce Lee, Kung Fu Panda, Hindi movies like Golmaal, Dabagg, etc – that is, paced entertainers or lots of blood, gore and movement. The movie started off with some awesome visuals of the Austrian Alps and then Maria singing in the mountains “The Hills are Alive With the Sound of Music”. Then the scene shifted to the abbey with the nuns singing “How do you solve a problem like Maria”.
“You mean it is a musical DRAMA?” – my dear Hubby asks?
“Don’t tell me you too haven’t watched this glorious movie? “
“Oh – now I realize why” – he says as he parodies the Mother Abbess’s high pitched contralto.
The youngsters thus encouraged started whining to play the 11th rerun of Golmaal – a mindless Hindi blockbuster or Ironman or Kungfu Panda.
I wouldn’t have any of it. “Listen, this is a MUST watch movie.”
It was just then that the Mother Abbess tells Maria that it is only in the Abbey that one cannot sing (after Maria confesses she has been singing in the hills) – there is no rule against singing in the hills. The elder son promptly points out – “only Maria is not permitted to sing in the abbey?” After all the nuns had just stopped singing “How do you solve a problem like Maria?”
I knew it was going to be a long afternoon.
Finally only my elder son and I were left watching the film. The poor kid watched the movie only after extracting numerous promises from me – which included pizza for dinner, etc, etc. The movie was 2 hrs 54 mins – and I was kept reminding of the duration every other minute.
I realized (as I keep doing daily) that they were just being BOYS!
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