Didi and Indian English
Monday is my birthday. I am turning 28. The funny thing is that I have been thinking about myself as 28 for at least a few months–so it doesn’t feel like that big of a deal. But it is weird that I am “didi” (older-sister) to most of my 20 something male students. In someways, it is beautiful to be called didi. I have been didi since I was four (and my brother David was born). In other ways, didi makes me feel old. There is safety in didi…I think. Is that a good thing?
Now here are some funny things that have been misunderstood:
Pushpa (our Indian host) to Sy (an American teenager): “Keep your plate!” Sy stands there for a minute with his plate in his hand and then says, “I’m going down to Godfrey’s house, do you want me to bring it with me?” Interpretation: In Hindi to keep and to put are the same words, what she met was to put the plate down and not to wash it.
Another time Pushpa said to Sy, “Do you have tea?” He started rummaging through his suitcase and brought her some green-tea. She laughed. Interpretation: “Do you drink tea?”
Some of my dear friends from Nagaland have difficulty distinguishing between the P and the B sound. So Pushpa becomes Bushba and Peace, Beace, but best of all Mayang was talking about how they make “bear -jam,” in his village. “So many bears and we put them in jars.” Pushpa knew what he meant but still could not hold back the giggles. We always tease the Nagas about how much meat they eat and how there are no animals left in Nagaland because they ate them all.
Naga jokes: How do we know that Adam and Eve were not Nagas? They ate the fruit instead of serpent!
What do Nagas name their dogs? Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Mayang, Alisha, Peace, Toca & Ina–I mean no direspect you know I love you.
The North East
It is a different place here in the North East—North East India. People don’t stare. More people speak English—even the fisherman who sells his fish in the market speaks English. People wear “whatever” or “western-clothes.” It’s not a big deal for a young woman to wear a short skirt. Every other person is a Christian. We are not far from China, Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. The local people are tribal people. Shillong is the native place of the Khasi people. They tend to be small stocky people, with good smiles who are very talented musicians. They love hot chillis. They have a weakness for alcohol and they are a Matriarchal people. Though I find it very intriguing that they value the daughters so highly in this culture, it is sad to see the affect on their brothers. Patriarchy also has a similarly damaging affect on women but we are so used to these affects they seem normal to us. I am waiting for the new order when women and men will be seen as equally precious as bearers of God’s image. Here the women study…earning degree. Then perhaps they become lecturers at a local college, the men stay home and at best do the cooking, cleaning, and raising the kids. At the worst, they drink all day and spend their wives earnings.
