Day 20 of 30 Days Countdown to South America and Around the World
At nine years old, I worked with a 'white' person for the first time. This gentleman was really tall compared to my small nine year old body. There were two phrases I was taught to say to him. They were "I beg your pardon, Sir" and "please repeat". Mr. Blue Eyed Englishman was sent from England's Royal School of Music to give students like me the piano proficiency test.
Not a word was understood and all I remembered was to repeat "I beg your pardon, Sir!" I didn't even understand that phrase. I was totally shocked to see a man with blonde hair, blue eyes, hairy hands and so tall. That was a day I encountered English spoken differently from our local English.
When I was twelve, my cousin who was studying in England came to visit. She wore a pair of shorts that showed her butt-line and an almost see through t-shirt. I was stunned beyond words. She said she couldn't cope with the hot weather in Malaysia. In my little mind, I thought that was the way English girls dressed themselves. I had not seen anyone dressed that way until that day. I had culture shock!
Travel has changed me!
It's was like the changing of colors in my mind's eye....the once black and white image of my world was slowly being colored with layers upon layers of multi-colored images of people. Every time I travel, another layer is added on to that image. Culture, people and languages do not shock me anymore. I think I overcame the stages of cultural shock. The smells, tastes, sights and colors of the world has enriched me.
Once I spoke Manglish (Malaysian English) with the 'lahs' just like the video below. A friend from high school in Penang, Malaysia, who now lives in Perth, Australia shared this interesting video on local Malaysian English:
We are embarking on a journey again. This time as a family of four to South America and around the world. Will my little understanding of Spanish be a problem and lead to culture shock?
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