Tag Archive: language


Andrei vs. Housekeeping. QB-Kn5 – A note!

Filed Under: About Me, Life, Philosophy by Lord Andrei — 5 Comments
2011.10.17

For those following the case of the over served coffee; today I returned to the room with an all new surprise. NO COFFEE. But Jinkies, Shaggy; there was a clue.

The Maid had left a note. In…. Spanish.

Well, it’s my own damned fault for writing them a note in Spanish. I guess I really couldn’t expect the maid to go to Google Translate to convert her note to English.

Unfortunately, her note is handwritten. And I don’t speak Spanish. So I’m not even sure I’ve gotten the words correctly.

Click for larger. No I'm not sure how it got on its side.

Heather and I think the note says:
Tome el papel para ponerle en la oficina para que no se olviden de que no tienen que ponerle cafe.

Which Google translates as:
Take the paper to put in the office so do not forget that they have to put coffee

Which I then translate as “We took the paper to our Housekeeping office to remind whoever does your room, “NO COFFEE”

So, I’m attaching the note… feel free to help out with our investigation. There’s a Scooby Snack in it if you help us discover it was old man Jenkins.. Or whatever.

I’m just having fun writing letters back and forth to maid service. Matter of fact a response with translation would be really awesome!

Thanks!

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Beware the toddler’s CRAW!

Filed Under: Parenthood by Lord Andrei — Leave a comment
2010.02.06

Aiden has now moved into the talking phase that I must compare with an episode of “Get Smart.”

He ran over to us while playing a computer game and declared, “Shopting Beg!” My wife looked at him and said, “Shopping Bag?” He quickly corrected “No! Not Shopting Beg… Shopting Beg!” After a moment, she tried again, “Something Big?” “Ooh, yeah!”

There was an episode of “Get Smart” in the 1960’s that really drove home this amusing breakdown in communication. If featured a less-than-Asian villain known as the “Craw.” (The exchange can be seen on YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftgAG3Vnif8 )

Today has been a horridly slow day at home. Aiden and Heather both have the sinus disaster that I had on Friday. As a toddler, this means Aiden is a fountain of mucus. He knows how to get a tissue and wipe off his face; he just doesn’t do it with much accuracy or intent.

We both took a pretty big brunt of this last night. When Aiden is sick the treatment is typically Motrin. This means that Heather must be awoken because I can’t touch the stuff. Apparently, my big drug allergy is Ibuprofen and liquid Motrin causes my fingers and hands to rash and swell. Whee. Once that was done; I fielded him as he coughed and sneezed himself awake the next 3-4 times throughout the night.

Typically we try to keep Aiden’s computer and TV time down on the weekend. When he’s sick, this tends to be relaxed. With him sick, Mama sick, and Daddy falling asleep… all bets are off. 3 episodes of “Teen Titans” and 2 hours of http://Starfall.com later and it is lunchtime and hopefully nap time soon.

Naptime affords me time to continue to study up on my toddler-pidgin English. The time at least may give me a change to screw my head back on enough to face another 4 hours of honange (Orange).

I love my boy. ☺

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How to unnerve people on line

Filed Under: Uncategorized by Lord Andrei — 11 Comments
2008.07.11

I’m standing on a long line in front of a pair of Asian women. They began carrying on a conversation in <<Insert glyph based language I sure as hell don’t know>>. Normally, when on line, if you hear a conversation near you, you casually acknowledge it and may jump in or pay attention to it.. if it seems appropriate.

While the U.S. doesn’t have a standard, primary language… I find the use of non-English in the US is a way for a group to cordon themselves off. It sets up an intentional wall in a manner similar to installing a fence around your yard.

While language may be foreign… tone, body language, aren’t.

I found myself paying attention to the conversation I didn’t understand. I was riding along with the tone. And found myself chuckling at a pause point that felt like a humourous statement.

I found the one woman unnerved that I chuckled with her friend. It was as if I’d walked through her gate. She seemed to be wondering. “Oh, crap. Does he speak my language?”

So not eavesdropping. But a very interesting sociological and psychological experiment.

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