Being a very English girl in a very Afrikaans environment, I sometimes encounter the very real (and often hilarious) language barrier. Occasionally it’s a six-foot brick wall that with my level of training is virtually insurmountable, but usually it’s a rickety old fence that just needs to be kicked a little to make a hole through it.
Perhaps I should explain JUST HOW English. When I was ten, my favourite brand of ice-cream was “Roomys”, when I was 12 I went to an ATM to draw money and it said “SORRY – JAMMER” and I assumed there was a paper jam and I couldn’t get a receipt. At 16 I was a waitress and a customer ordered a “spyskaart” which to me sounded like a spiced gold. Luckily, he drank rum and thought I was totally cute. Point is, I’m THAT English.
However, most of my friends are fully bilingual, and of Afrikaans origin. But occasionally there are phrases I need to explain. I have one naïve and fairly conservative friend who was heading out on a date. I jokingly encouraged her to ‘put out’, to which she replied, “Put out? Is that like paying half?”. Well, yes actually. After explaining it to her, she now encourages just about everyone to put out on just about every occasion.
Ha. Beautiful. Although when you are heading to campus to speak to one of your lecturer’s and she encourages you to put out, perhaps don’t take her advice…
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