You talk pidgin?

[lurkah]

Re: you talk pidgin?

> How IS it?
> What? Bother you?
> Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I rather DO enjoy beef! (followed by a sock to the eye, necessitating the application of said beef to said eye, in an attempt to reduce swelling.)

Dass how, brah. Jahs geev um wit da pidgin! You da kine nice haole boy who da locals appreciate for at least attempting to communicate using pidgin. They would even hanai you into their 'ohanas, even going so far as to play matchmaker by offering up their favorite "honey girl" for you, too. Too bad you already have a "Sweetie".

[Leo Lakio]

Re: you talk pidgin?

even going so far as to play matchmaker by offering up their favorite "honey girl" for you, too.

...this is why, if I ever get a chance to see Frank DeLima live, I will NOT sit anywhere near the front row...

[1stwahine]

Re: you talk pidgin?

How come? He is so cool -- on and off the stage!

Auntie Lynn

[Leo Lakio]

Re: you talk pidgin?

How come?

I'm a mainlander/haole; I might as well wear a big target on my chest.

[Pomai]

Re: you talk pidgin?

This is a CLASSIC pidgin sentence..

"Look what stay ON TOP TV.".

... as if what you're watching is on the top of the TV.. not coming from the picture tube.

[lurkah]

Re: you talk pidgin?

I'm a mainlander/haole; I might as well wear a big target on my chest.

Well, then...a better evening entertainment choice for you might be Mel Cabang.

[Pomai]

Re: you talk pidgin?

For the uninitiated, this book will be released soon...


This is the original book that's been in print for a long time now...


Stay get 'em at besspress.com. Go check 'em now go.

[AbsolutChaos]

Re: you talk pidgin?

For the uninitiated, this book has been in print for a while now...

Amazon sells it.

I'd suggest picking that one up for starters.

Some "old school" stuff in there for sure.

Two years ago I got a couple of those books as a gift from a friend who lived here. I've not actually had time to look through them yet, though. While I appreciate pidgin, I would never dare to massacre it with my Mainland attempts at speaking. I enjoy being able to understand it enough to laugh at the local characters in various plays or understand some of my friends who slip into it in various social settings, but I will never think myself able to speak that way.

Guess it's a personal hang-up...I know it's not the same, but I gotta admit that I wince when I hear people attempt to speak Hindi with an American accent--most of the time I can't even tell what they are trying to say. Then I politely applaud them since they look so pleased with themselves. Part of me appreciates it, but part of me fervently wishes they'd stop. At the same time, in different regions of India people speak Hindi with different dialects/accents, and I sometimes can't understand them either, though I grew up with Hindi.

In non-English speaking countries, I'm reluctant to attempt the language too because I can't wrap my American accent around their words to pronounce them properly, so I know it has to be murder on the ears. I know some people don't mind and even love it when people attempt the language, but I also know others who would rather avoid hearing the auditory assault. I feel the same way about pidgin.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: you talk pidgin?

I do think, however, that I could develop a vocabulary of "Haole Pidgin." Phrases like (spoken with a sharp, clipped, over-enunciated Midwestern accent):
> How IS it?
> What? Bother you?
> Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I rather DO enjoy beef! (followed by a sock to the eye, necessitating the application of said beef to said eye, in an attempt to reduce swelling.)

Maybe that explains the following incident reported on the Advertiser's website today (he musta used the phrases above):

An 18-year-old Moili'ili man was arrested following what what police believe was a completely unprovoked and random attack last night on a 58-year-old man. Police said the older man was walking in Makiki about 9:05 p.m. when the suspect approached and punched him once in the eye. Police said the two men did not know each other and they could find no explanation for the incident. The victim was treated for a fractured eye socket.

[tutusue]

Re: you talk pidgin?

[...] While I appreciate pidgin, I would never dare to massacre it with my Mainland attempts at speaking. I enjoy being able to understand it enough to laugh at the local characters in various plays or understand some of my friends who slip into it in various social settings, but I will never think myself able to speak that way.[...]
I know some people don't mind and even love it when people attempt the language, but I also know others who would rather avoid hearing the auditory assault. I feel the same way about pidgin.

I agree with all of the above! Living in Makaha for 13 years (and Hawaii for 27), I've developed an ear for understanding heavy pidgin. But, I'd never attempt to speak it. I'd butcher the heck out of it!

Last night I attended the Hawaii Panorama 4 at HIFF...5 local, independent films. All contained pidgin, some more than others. One film in particular had a young actress who it seemed to me didn't speak pidgin as her 'first language'. While the film was very good her pidgin...to my Makaha ear!...seemed forced, kinda like standard American english with some pidgin words thrown in and devoid of the pidgin inflections and cadence; similar to the old 'Byrds of Paradise' series. During Q and A at the end of the film an audience member asked if sub-titles were being considered for the national release of the film. I'm sitting there thinking "Huh? Why would sub-titles be considered?". Then the friends I was sitting with, one born and raised in Hawaii, agreed. They said they had a hard time understanding it. I was stunned. Has my ear really adapted that much or were they tuned in to a different movie? They were just as surprised to hear I felt the pidgin was forced. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!

[adrian]

Re: you talk pidgin?

For the uninitiated, this book will be released soon...

whoohoo! Another way to lower my english-talking abilities!

But what's bad, is that when our haole deans try talk pidgin after our local dean talked lil dat.

[Pomai]

Re: you talk pidgin?

whoohoo! Another way to lower my english-talking abilities!

Actually alot of the translations in "Pidgin to da Max" are from the "old school", dating all the way back to the era of Pineapple and Sugar Plantation labor. Some of the terms aren't even in use today. Like "hamajang". When was the last time you heard that one? At least I haven't for quite a while. Maybe Greg Hammer will say it now and then, but that's about it.

It seems most children in Hawaii growing up today speak more proper English than they do pidgin. At least that's my observation hearing them talk on the streets.

[zztype]

Re: you talk pidgin?

This is a CLASSIC pidgin sentence..

"Look what stay ON TOP TV.".

... as if what you're watching is on the top of the TV.. not coming from the picture tube.

Eh, when you come back from da kitchen, try close da light. Bumbye da electric bill goin' be all hamajang!

[Pomai]

Bumbai

Last night at Mai Tai's in Ala Moana seen a "couple" familiar faces, and also a guy wearing this cool t-shirt...

To the tune of the BANDAI toy logo, it said BUMBAI.

To those not in the know, "bumbai" means "a little later". "Bumbai, I come see you".

This is the best one yet though...

[tutusue]

Re: you talk pidgin?

OMG! That 'Tako Bell' logo is hysterical! I love it!