DEC 11, 11.. WHO HERE SPEAKS ENGLISH ? THE “MI .. AH .. MI HOTEL”

By Cap Chastain December 11, 2011 Language / Translator Challenges

WHO HERE SPEAKS ENGLISH ..  (NO Zilla !  NOT YOU ! .. here ..  in India ..  of  Indian Origin)  .. raise your hand(s) please .. what they the Indians here in India speak sometimes has NO resemblance whatsoever to the English that we speak ..

My favorite story is as follows.. and this goes back many trips ago..

I needed a hotel and asked a local .. “Where is a hotel?” .. he smiled and said .. “Just down the street on your left”.. then he carefully.. in three (3)  syllables.. pronounced the name for me.. the ‘Mi – a – mi’  Hotel Sir”..

Try as I could.. I could not find the three syllable hotel called the .. Mi – a – mi Hotel..

So back I walked and I asked the gentleman to write it down for me on my piece of paper ..

Dutifully he complied.. carefully and in excellent penmanship he crafted the name ..  Miami .. and again PRONOUNCED  it for me in three (3) syllables..  Mi – a – mi  Sir !

Oh yeah.. I got it.. Miami.. in Florida.. the Dolphins play football there ..

Walking back ..  THERE IT WAS..  MIAMI HOTEL .. with my mind set on the three (3) syllable word  Mi  -a  – mi  I could not see Miami..heck who is to say HE isn’t correct ..

Elizabeth 84129 and Robert 94596..  Elizabeth .. the below story takes me to your Uncle Jim and Robert to our pal Jim who I fondly nicknamed Peanuts Butter ..

OK into the present.. I have made peanut butter a staple of my diet here in India on this present trip beginning last September the 7th ..  when I arrived here in Goa I could NOT find peanut butter  in all of Arambol and Arambol Beach ..

It exists in Agra Cantt.. in Calcutta.. in New Delhi.. and elsewhere so I KNOW peanut butter is here in India..in fact it exists as SKIPPY BRAND in many stores.. and in various Indian brands as well (FAR less expensive by the by..) ..

I was in and I was out of each and every food store (Daily Needs Stores) here in Arambol with no luck ..

I eventually successfully found peanut butter in Mandrem ..  just south of Arambol ..

Last Friday I made a trip south to Mandrem to purchase some peanut butter because my jar was empty and  .. knowing my one  store there in Mandrem that stocks it and so ..  knowing I could get it there off I went..

“Sir we are out of it Sir”.. crushed and disappointed I pleaded my case .. have you none in stock.. when will you get some.. etc..

Being known as a customer of the store in Mandrem.. the owner stated that one store in Arambol Beach carries peanut butter of the identical brand (Dakini)  as that he carries.. “Are you sure Sir” I implored .. “I am positive Sir” he replied .. and he wrote out for me .. in excellent penmanship its name.. Shivkrupa Super Market .. (take that word SUPER  Market with a GRAIN OF SALT .. we are NOT talking a Safeway or a Kroger store) .. and told me exactly where in Arambol Beach it was located ..

Making the best out of a sad situation.. knowing the brand name is good.. I DID purchase a small jar of Mango-Ginger Jam .. AND IS IT GOOD.. NO.. IT IS  better than good .. it is ‘ to-die-for ‘  good ..

I got back to Arambol Beach and the Shivkrupa Super Market was closed .. but I noted that I 100% definitely had been in THAT  store several times (I get many other food items there so I do know the store .. NOT by name but by familiarity.. who can remember Shivkrupa ..) and had asked for peanut butter .. and gotten a .. ” NO we do not carry it ” .. reply ..

So yesterday.. Saturday.. armed with my empty jar of Dakini Brand peanut butter .. to SHOW THEM.. as in .. “Do you have THIS?” .. NOT .. “DO you have peanut butter ?” .. in I walked and faced MY store owner who I  know from many visits there..

Practically into-his-face I showed him what I wanted .. “Do you have THIS Sir ?” ..

“Sure.. right over there ! ” he smiled back at me .. positively with absolutely no hesitation nor hint of doubt .. he KNOWS his stock ..

And over I walked and sure enough .. he had about ten jars of Dakini Brand peanut butter ..

How can you not communicate the name ..  peanut butter .. they have and they call them peanuts .. like we do.. and they have and they call it butter ..  like we do..

So I am now armed with an Arambol and a Mandrem source for peanut butter ..

A last quick aside.. I told you the name Pernem is prounced as Pair  nem .. NOT Per – nem ..

Last week I learned that the name of the city Mapusa is NOT pronounced as Mah – pusa .. it is pronounced (with a HARD EMPHASIS ON the word MAP) as  MAP .. sah .. go figure..

In Germany the letters VW ( Vee W  the name of the car) are pronounced as  Fow Vay ..  the letters BMW are pronounded Bay M Vay .. you must know these little things IF you want to communicate with local folks .. ( NO Zilla NOT German but with the Indians here in India .. ) ..

Much Joy and Much Love.. Cap in Arambol Beach in North Goa on the West Coast of India ..