(I love to watch good dancers talk)
(sleepy jacksons)
Luti, the beautiful haus meri, called me at work today. I had a few meetings on and didn’t get her message for several hours. When I called back, she sounded a bit alarmed and told me that I’d forgotten to turn the tv off this morning before leaving for work. Not quite understanding what the problem was, I asked her if she was alright – and she explained that she didn’t know how to turn it off.
Now my tok pisin ain’t too good; my comprehension is ok but making myself comprehended is another matter. Bearable in person, with body language (i.e. mi laikim yu…just kidding, just kidding), but over the phone it’s a nightmare. How to suggest looking at the bottom front of the tv, to the right, there should be a big button there – press it and the tv should turn off (I could have simply tried: yu lukim long tv na bipela button; yu pushim), or, failing that, to switch it off at the powerpoint or to pull out the cord from the powerboard (I should have simply said: yu rauism rope bilong em). Instead words crumbled and turned to dust in my mouth and I stuttered and spat them out one by one (“tv…pushim…button…off”). There was an embarrassed silence on the other end; I could hear her thinking: what is this, a crazy? Luckily a buddy was around and I got some help and we got where we needed to get.
Yu save nau? I continued to stumble. Yu makim tv go pinis?
And then Luti said thankyou very much I understand but don’t want to turn it off now; I want to watch it. I very nearly lost control and burst out laughing, but managed to just splutter a little down the line and say that sounded good, hanging out and watching tv.
Luti, the beautiful haus meri, called me at work today. I had a few meetings on and didn’t get her message for several hours. When I called back, she sounded a bit alarmed and told me that I’d forgotten to turn the tv off this morning before leaving for work. Not quite understanding what the problem was, I asked her if she was alright – and she explained that she didn’t know how to turn it off.
Now my tok pisin ain’t too good; my comprehension is ok but making myself comprehended is another matter. Bearable in person, with body language (i.e. mi laikim yu…just kidding, just kidding), but over the phone it’s a nightmare. How to suggest looking at the bottom front of the tv, to the right, there should be a big button there – press it and the tv should turn off (I could have simply tried: yu lukim long tv na bipela button; yu pushim), or, failing that, to switch it off at the powerpoint or to pull out the cord from the powerboard (I should have simply said: yu rauism rope bilong em). Instead words crumbled and turned to dust in my mouth and I stuttered and spat them out one by one (“tv…pushim…button…off”). There was an embarrassed silence on the other end; I could hear her thinking: what is this, a crazy? Luckily a buddy was around and I got some help and we got where we needed to get.
Yu save nau? I continued to stumble. Yu makim tv go pinis?
And then Luti said thankyou very much I understand but don’t want to turn it off now; I want to watch it. I very nearly lost control and burst out laughing, but managed to just splutter a little down the line and say that sounded good, hanging out and watching tv.
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