Monday, June 19, 2006

Tidak Mengerti! I don't understand

Today I decided to ask my neighbor to help me understand some of the things that went on at the Ibu Ibu Meeting last week. I thought, this will be a good way to get some language time in, get answers to my questions, and maybe even get some good sentences to analyze the grammar with.
Well, I went to find her and ask if she had time to help me. She was willing, so we walked over to my porch to sit there while we talked. I told her I just wanted to ask questions and write down her answers to look up later for understanding, expecting to get short sentences. Dumb idea. I suppose the concept of keep it simple may not be in their culture and the answers were more like paragraphs. I wrote as fast as I could but the Javanese "accent" is very difficult to understand. Specifically, their constanants sound similar to one another. It's hard to hear the difference between a "t" and a "d", a "p" and a "b", etc. so as I would write what I heard, she would repeat the word with an emphasis like, "no Bethany, not a "b" a "p"". Well if Idon't get that right, Iwon't be able to look the word up.
So I supposed I learned a lesson today. I don't have enough language to do this kind of questioning yet. I should keep it simple too! Oh, I so badly want to understand and communicate well. Talking about the trees and whether it's hot or not, or what we ate or who came over seems so shallow. I want to know what makes them who they are. Patience, Bethany, patience!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't be down on yourself. Each attempt you learn something, even if it's not what you expect. Love you, Mom in MO

Teri said...

All I have to say is, if you can already talk about the weather and converse on even a shallow level... YOU'RE DOING GREAT!!! I think it was only 2 months ago and we were having breakfast at the Country Kitchen here in the midwest! Keep up the hard work, but don't burn out. As determined as you are, it will happen.

Anonymous said...

You'll get it Bethany; you're a super-smart girl! You've only been there, what, 5 minutes? :) We miss you guys!

Anonymous said...

Well I still am in awe as I sit and read your blog. You are doing it! You are there! I have anxiety about exactly what you are talking about. Being there and doing it is so different than talking about doing it. And i know you are a lot like me in the fact that you just want to talk. Please know I am praying for you in a special way. They say it just takes time. They say that about pregnancy too, and I hated every minute of being pregnant. HA HA