Didi: Apka husband ke sath phone karti hai? (Are you talking on the phone with your husband?
Erica: (trying to find a cultural grey area to explain long-term boyfriend) Fiance?
Didi: Kya? Husband?
Erica: (trying to remember future tense): Hum shaadi hoge (should have been "hoga." I was trying to say "We will be married," which is a lie, but I figured my Hindi wasn't up for explaining "committed relationship.")
Didi: (looks understandably confused)
Erica: (Points to fake engagement ring to ward off potential creepsters) Fiance.
Didi: Kitne sal? (how many years?)
Erica: (thinking she means when will you get married) Char (4)
Didi: Ohhhhhhhhhhhh (giggles for about five minutes.) Lobe?
Erica: Lobe (trying to remember what "lobe" is in Hindi. Is it a verb or adjective?)
Didi: (Hand over heart) Lobe marriage?
Erica: (realizing this is the closest that she's going to get to "committed relationship") Haa. (yes)
Didi: Ohhhhh (giggles for about ten minutes) aur mai ("Me too" she looks very proud.)
So there you have it, "lobe marriage" is something that Didi and I have in common now. Kinda, anyways. She's four years younger than I am, so it's probably a good thing that she thinks that I've been married for four years. After this conversation she gave me metha paan or sweet paan, which is disgusting, but I felt like I gained a moment with our cultural-barrier-breaking conversation, so I was afraid to say no. Paan tastes as bad as it smells. She tells me that she loves it and that her husband really loves it. Even this explanation makes her look giddy.
Oh, to be twenty and smitten over paan again...
Erica: (trying to find a cultural grey area to explain long-term boyfriend) Fiance?
Didi: Kya? Husband?
Erica: (trying to remember future tense): Hum shaadi hoge (should have been "hoga." I was trying to say "We will be married," which is a lie, but I figured my Hindi wasn't up for explaining "committed relationship.")
Didi: (looks understandably confused)
Erica: (Points to fake engagement ring to ward off potential creepsters) Fiance.
Didi: Kitne sal? (how many years?)
Erica: (thinking she means when will you get married) Char (4)
Didi: Ohhhhhhhhhhhh (giggles for about five minutes.) Lobe?
Erica: Lobe (trying to remember what "lobe" is in Hindi. Is it a verb or adjective?)
Didi: (Hand over heart) Lobe marriage?
Erica: (realizing this is the closest that she's going to get to "committed relationship") Haa. (yes)
Didi: Ohhhhh (giggles for about ten minutes) aur mai ("Me too" she looks very proud.)
So there you have it, "lobe marriage" is something that Didi and I have in common now. Kinda, anyways. She's four years younger than I am, so it's probably a good thing that she thinks that I've been married for four years. After this conversation she gave me metha paan or sweet paan, which is disgusting, but I felt like I gained a moment with our cultural-barrier-breaking conversation, so I was afraid to say no. Paan tastes as bad as it smells. She tells me that she loves it and that her husband really loves it. Even this explanation makes her look giddy.
Oh, to be twenty and smitten over paan again...
I thought this was so funny I emailed it to Rajiv. Watch out, that paan is addictive stuff? We don't want you pulling it out during med school interviews!
ReplyDeleteLove
Mom
It is really about as difficult to explain a relationship when two people are fluent in the same language, so i think you are doing very well in your language arts.
ReplyDeleteEven at my work (the restaurant) I get asked three questions: 1. Are you married? (I respond, NO.) 2. Do you have kids? (I respond, NO!) 3. Why? (I respond, I'm only 25. And they look confused. lol)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you guys seem to be on the same page. ;)
Who is the other Kathleen who posted the second comment?
ReplyDeleteHello Erica,
ReplyDeleteI am really impressed with your Hindi. I burst out laughing reading your latest post about "Love marriage" vs "Arranged marriage"! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Love,
Rajiv