All Things Dillard - Part 5

[Gimme a Free RV]

The woman who used to do my pedicures spoke almost no English. I put a translator app on my phone and, when I wanted to say something, I'd type it in English, have it translated to Vietnamese, and show it to her.

I just REALLY hope the app was dependable and I wasn't telling her "I've been vomiting fossilized donkey tails all week."

[HarryPotterFan]

Actually, the closets thing to ''like'' here is ''en plan'' (in plan) at leats in my area. I would pay to see Jill trying to speak in spanish. "Mi bebé is a, ehhm, uuumm, linda? Like, mi gustar taco. Hola!"

:lol: :lol: to be fair, who doesn't like tacos?

Derrick should sing this to her:[bBvideo 560,340:2dtrht1m]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ngRq82c8Baw[/bBvideo]

[nastyhobbitses]

The woman who used to do my pedicures spoke almost no English. I put a translator app on my phone and, when I wanted to say something, I'd type it in English, have it translated to Vietnamese, and show it to her.

I just REALLY hope the app was dependable and I wasn't telling her "I've been vomiting fossilized donkey tails all week."

If it's Google Translate, I think it might sound a little clunky, but generally get the message across.

My worst trainwreck translation story was when I was studying in China, and my program had a planned spring break trip to Sichuan Province, where we'd climb a mountain that has a lot of Buddhist temples, see the world's largest Buddha statue, and get to visit the panda research and breeding center. I was trying to tell my teacher the week before the trip that I was excited to go see the pandas (I'd never seen one in real life and they're one of my favorite animals), but got the tones wrong. I ended up telling my teacher that I was very excited to go to Sichuan Province and see chest hair.

[jerkit]

I had a French teacher in high school who told me a fantastic language barrier story. She was doing a semester abroad on the island of Reunion. Her host family was asking her about American food and she was trying to tell them that there are a lot of processed foods and that everything has preservatives. She guessed that the French word for preservative was "preservatif" which is a decent guess, in my opinion, except that "preservatif" means CONDOM.

Condoms in all the food.

[Georgiana]

If it's Google Translate, I think it might sound a little clunky, but generally get the message across.

My worst trainwreck translation story was when I was studying in China, and my program had a planned spring break trip to Sichuan Province, where we'd climb a mountain that has a lot of Buddhist temples, see the world's largest Buddha statue, and get to visit the panda research and breeding center. I was trying to tell my teacher the week before the trip that I was excited to go see the pandas (I'd never seen one in real life and they're one of my favorite animals), but got the tones wrong. I ended up telling my teacher that I was very excited to go to Sichuan Province and see chest hair.

I too spent time studying in China AND went to Sichuan on break! Where was your home city? I studied in Nanjing at Nanjing University.

I'll never forget the class where we discussed "Things we like to do on the internet". Naturally, one of the answers was 购物 (gòuwù) aka to shop or buy things. However, we continually got the tones wrong and kept saying 狗屋(gǒuwū) aka dog house. So in the full sentence we were saying that we go on the internet to look at dog houses.

[paganhomeschooler]

I had a French teacher in high school who told me a fantastic language barrier story. She was doing a semester abroad on the island of Reunion. Her host family was asking her about American food and she was trying to tell them that there are a lot of processed foods and that everything has preservatives. She guessed that the French word for preservative was "preservatif" which is a decent guess, in my opinion, except that "preservatif" means CONDOM.

Condoms in all the food.

My high school French teacher told us a similar story! When she did her study abroad, the first thing her French family asked her when she got to their house was did she want to shower? The only problem is, in French, shower is douche. She couldn't understand why they kept asking her that! lol

[Jinderella]

My daughter just started her secondary school. In primary school (4-12), the just learn Dutch and English. Now she will get Dutch, English, German, French, Latin and Greek. She may choose to take Mandarin and Spanish too next year...

However, her young French male teacher asked if anybody already knew some French. One poor classmate of my daughter knew about a French song and said: "voulez vous coucher avec moi?" The teacher was nice and told her she just asked to stay over, but unfortunately an other child has a French mother and suggested a different translation :embarrassed:

[DuggarScholar]

Are the Dillards back in the states? Jessa posted instagram picture of Izzy today. She is not in the picture, so Jill could have texted it to her, but it made me wonder.

[Gobbles]

My high school French teacher told us a similar story! When she did her study abroad, the first thing her French family asked her when she got to their house was did she want to shower? The only problem is, in French, shower is douche. She couldn't understand why they kept asking her that! lol

I had no idea that the French word or shower is douche. The German word for it is "Dusche". I love comparing words any seeing the similarities. (Despite being neighbours with France, I have never really liked the language... I choose not to learn French and took Nature & Science instead. I went to a lower school, so no two languages were required.)

In school we learned that we have to be careful using the word "rubber" in America because it has a different meaning there (condom). We had a whole lesson on such words. American English, British English and also some Australian English. I loved my English class and annoyed my teacher because I was always the first to finish work and asked him for new things to do all the time. 8-)

[VTSleeper]

Are the Dillards back in the states? Jessa posted instagram picture of Izzy today. She is not in the picture, so Jill could have texted it to her, but it made me wonder.

They could be back for the wedding. I've never seen missionaries leave their post so often!

[Fundie Bunny]

Talking about language barriers, you should have seen the face of my french family when i was in france when instead of vite (fast) i said bite (dick, but a big one)

That was amazing. And i have to clarify that in spanish there's not a real difference of pronunciation between the v and b, so really nit my fault :whistle:

[ClaraOswin]

They could be back for the wedding. I've never seen missionaries leave their post so often!

Yep...some speculation on the aviation thread that JD may have picked them up in Texas.

I agree...they sure do come home a lot already. And presumably they'll be back after Jessa has her baby. And maybe the holidays too, I wonder?

[SassyPants]

Yep...some speculation on the aviation thread that JD may have picked them up in Texas.

I agree...they sure do come home a lot already. And presumably they'll be back after Jessa has her baby. And maybe the holidays too, I wonder?

They are like new freshmen away at college for the first time.

[Satan'sFortress]

My HS French teacher was a native German, and my sister who is fluent in French says I speak French with a German accent!

The Duggars made trips to Latin America before & I know they made a big deal about how bad JB's Spanish was . . . I think the kids had a Spanish tutor, so Jill may have gone into this with a basic Spanish vocab already?

[Fascinated]

Some years ago, while in France, I received my breakfast complete with a few, rather off putting hairs. Unfortunately, I told the server that my eggs had horses in them. Because chevaux does not equal cheveux. Très embarrassant!

[doubleT]

Derick's alma mater, Oklahoma State is playing in their first football game of the season tonight. Every now and then they will show the mascot, Pistol Pete, being all animated and playing for the camera. I still can't believe at one point and time Derick did that.

[Gimme a Free RV]

I know a ton of missionary language faux pas stories, but here are my favorites:

The missionary to Eastern Europe, telling her audience her testimony was divided into two parts (before salvation and after). What came out was: "My butt is divided into two halves."

The returning visiting American pastor to Brazil who knew just enough Portuguese to be dangerous. Thinking he was telling the bus driver, "Stop! Stop!" (to let him off), he said "I farted! I farted!"

The missionary to Brazil, explaining to his congregation that he was able to get around on his broken foot with the aid of his crutches ended up saying he was

getting around with the aid of his scantily-clad Carnaval dancers.

Then, my own: when a doctor asked me what type of surgery I'd had as a child, not knowing the vocabulary for it, I said, "They cut those two balls out of my throat." Barely stifling her laughter, the doctor taught me the word for "tonsils."

[YourGodIsNotMine]

They're back in Arkansas. The pictures of Izzy are in the same restaurant that Famy is posting from.

[nastyhobbitses]

I too spent time studying in China AND went to Sichuan on break! Where was your home city? I studied in Nanjing at Nanjing University.

I'll never forget the class where we discussed "Things we like to do on the internet". Naturally, one of the answers was 购物 (gòuwù) aka to shop or buy things. However, we continually got the tones wrong and kept saying 狗屋(gǒuwū) aka dog house. So in the full sentence we were saying that we go on the internet to look at dog houses.

I was at Minzu University (used to be Central University for Nationalities) in Beijing. Nanjing is a gorgeous city; I hope that after grad school I can get a job in China or do State Department and get assigned to China, and go back there!

[QuestioningQuivers]

Is it just me or does it seem all the donations are basically going to fly the family back to the states for every event that happens?? I mean most missionaries go somewhere and actually stay there because they don't want to waste all the money on airfare to fly home every other weekend for family events. How do they expect to reach the masses if they are never actually there? :think:

[ClaraOswin]

I agree. Their missionary "work" is a joke. I mean...it's a joke anyway. But even more so that they are never actually there.

[EmCatlyn]

Actually, the closets thing to ''like'' here is ''en plan'' (in plan) at leats in my area. I would pay to see Jill trying to speak in spanish. "Mi bebé is a, ehhm, uuumm, linda? Like, mi gustar taco. Hola!"

Definitely "like me gustar tacos". ;)

But do you all really think she will use feminine adjectives for her boy baby? ("Preciosa" instead of "precioso" and "linda" instead of "lindo"?). It is more common for Americans to use the masculine form for everything.

As for "like" I think a Central American equivalent would be "pues" in most contexts. For example:

"Mi bebe es totalmente ... pues totalmente precioso."

That would be grammatically correct and idiomatic.

But she is just as likely to say "mi bebe esta muy pues precioso, totalmente." ;)

"

[EmCatlyn]

I had no idea that the French word or shower is douche. The German word for it is "Dusche". I love comparing words any seeing the similarities. (Despite being neighbours with France, I have never really liked the language... I choose not to learn French and took Nature & Science instead. I went to a lower school, so no two languages were required.)

In school we learned that we have to be careful using the word "rubber" in America because it has a different meaning there (condom). We had a whole lesson on such words. American English, British English and also some Australian English. I loved my English class and annoyed my teacher because I was always the first to finish work and asked him for new things to do all the time. 8-)

The Spanish word for shower is "ducha."

[metheglyn]

I agree. Their missionary "work" is a joke. I mean...it's a joke anyway. But even more so that they are never actually there.

Well, admittedly so far they're in language school, not actually working as missionaries, and the school charges by the week. And Derrick, at least, appears to be making some progress. Beyond that, however, yes, they're back in the states surprisingly often for being in Guatemala, and Antigua at that. They'll probably leave Joy and Carlin in Arkansas after this trip back to the US.

[JeanieCat]

Well, admittedly so far they're in language school, not actually working as missionaries, and the school charges by the week. And Derrick, at least, appears to be making some progress. Beyond that, however, yes, they're back in the states surprisingly often for being in Guatemala, and Antigua at that. They'll probably leave Joy and Carlin in Arkansas after this trip back to the US.

Guess Carlin and Joyanna had to be chaperoned back to the States!