Re: What is your attitude towards Pidgin?
I actually picked it up from my son - who picked it up in school
Horrors! And yes, he can still speak standard English. Although I don't speak it, I understand it well. I think there is a time and a place for it. It tends to join people together - to have something that sets you apart from all the tourists. On the island I grew up on we also had our own language, though we didn't call it anything in particular. But there were definitely words and phrases used only by the locals. I've seen it used as a test of sorts. Some locals I know will speak Pidgin on purpose to see what kind of reaction they get.
Disturbing story........ this past summer we were really busy working on this project and could only get to Kihei for a week this year. Since our apartment was rented out we decided to stay in this condo complex across the street from our place. I ended up talking to the woman next door who was on vacation. I had mentioned I was working on this project with the education department. Her response was........ and I kid you not........."oh, why bother. I hear all those kids speak nothing but gibberish and that most of them are just slightly above special needs."
I don't know what bothers me more - the fact that she heard that or the fact that she believed it!
I actually picked it up from my son - who picked it up in school

Disturbing story........ this past summer we were really busy working on this project and could only get to Kihei for a week this year. Since our apartment was rented out we decided to stay in this condo complex across the street from our place. I ended up talking to the woman next door who was on vacation. I had mentioned I was working on this project with the education department. Her response was........ and I kid you not........."oh, why bother. I hear all those kids speak nothing but gibberish and that most of them are just slightly above special needs."


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