Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 s-marrow Jun 10, 2009 8:15:06	This song is for all the immigrants, foreign workers, third culture kids, expatriates, temporary residents, etc. out there on the boards. Having lived much of my life in southeast asia or among people from that area, I have developed the habit of bowing slightly as a form of politeness. In the US where I now live, however, this is seen as an oddly submissive gesture and only helps to add to my natural lack of social grace in conversation. Maybe you still curse in your native tongue, make hand signals from time to time that are inadvertently offensive or incomprehensible to those around you. Whatever it is, have you carried over any unique cultural quirks that make you seem strange or exotic in the community which you now live in?
#2 zombie_babies Jun 10, 2009 8:19:45	I moved from the South to the North. People up here look funny to me cuz they have all their teeth. They also tend to look at me funny when I make out with my sister.
#3 s-marrow Jun 10, 2009 8:23:34	And opossum casserole and gator stew is just out of the question, right? Those picky northerners.
#4 cherubaddon Jun 10, 2009 9:17:30	I seem to pick up weird habits from everywhere I go. For instance: - from a good friend I met in the US, I somehow adopted never passing the salt from hand to hand, always setting it down first. It's a sign of respect (salt representing life and all), I think, but I just have it as a habit nowadays. - from Germany, I hold the habit of never leaving a glass even partly full when I leave the table, and never refilling a glass that is not completely empty. - also, I swear in English. Beats the Hell out of me - it's always said German's a colourful language for curses, but when the **** hits the fan, the ones coming to me first are always the English ones. - and that's leaving out the ton of idioms I use - generally with languages they don't exist in. Gets me a lot of weird glances, as well as a few laughs from those who can follow my pattern of thought.
#5 ody_saraph_of_karsus Jun 10, 2009 10:12:40	I curse in spanish. and when get p*issed off there's no english coming out of me, period. Witch kinda suck in mine line of work cuz invoves being angry alot and speaking in english :P I get people telling me I soud like Fez (from That 70's Show) all the time. I have a habit of translating saying from back home, and people find them really funny. And I miss Salsa music I get stares cuz the way I dress alot. I don't get some punch-lines on jokes. .... more may come to mind later. :P
#6 owls_and_more_owls Jun 10, 2009 21:27:41	Ine of my best friends and upcoming Fey pact Warlock this summer when I run Keep on Shadowfell was raised by his German mother, so he learned English from someone who had a heavy German accent. He pronounces most words correctly, but there are some words like Onion or Lincoln that he can't pronounce right at all. Not sure if that was relevant, but I thought I may as well share.
#7 archyneir Jun 10, 2009 21:34:24	*poke* Teehee! Look at all the funny foreigners!
#8 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 10, 2009 23:12:54	*poke* Teehee! Look at all the funny foreigners! 住嘴白鬼!
#9 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 10, 2009 23:14:27	I grew up in a household where it was perfectly normal to bring a bowl right up to your face when eating... yet America at large considers this bad manners.
#10 dirtyfrank Jun 10, 2009 23:21:10	Is it bad manners? I though it was OK as long as you didn't use hour hands or eat it straight out the bowl.
#11 owls_and_more_owls Jun 10, 2009 23:49:20	I recently finished the Final Project for my Sociology class, probably the most interesting and rewarding class I've taken in my college career, and we extensively covered the topics of Ethnocentricity, Cultural Diffusion, Conflict Theory, and Race Relations. I learned a lot from this class, and did well in it, but probably my least favorite thing to talk about with people is Sociology. I learned that, when I mention or discuss sociology with someone, one of three things will happen: I will get depressed, They will get depressed, or both of us will get depressed. For those of you who want to know what I'm talking about, do a little research on basic human nature (because I don't want to talk about it). Ugh. Let's talk about something else. How about Paleoanthropology? Who else here is a fan of Australopithecus? Score one for Bipedalism predating above average cranial capacity, amiright?
#12 dirtyfrank Jun 10, 2009 23:52:52	You get depressed by the interesting stuff?
#13 dremik-the-taupe Jun 10, 2009 23:53:37	- and that's leaving out the ton of idioms I use - generally with languages they don't exist in. Gets me a lot of weird glances, as well as a few laughs from those who can follow my pattern of thought. What is an idiom? Sorry, I understand only train station.
#14 toastedamphibian Jun 10, 2009 23:54:28	I grew up in a household where it was perfectly normal to bring a bowl right up to your face when eating... yet America at large considers this bad manners. Silly, silly anglos. Perhapes I wasn't clear before, so I will be now. I do not appreciate such remarkes. I find them racist and unamusing. Please stop. Thank you.
#15 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 10, 2009 23:56:59	I recently finished the Final Project for my Sociology class, probably the most interesting and rewarding class I've taken in my college career, and we extensively covered the topics of Ethnocentricity, Cultural Diffusion, Conflict Theory, and Race Relations. I learned a lot from this class, and did well in it, but probably my least favorite thing to talk about with people is Sociology. I learned that, when I mention or discuss sociology with someone, one of three things will happen: I will get depressed, They will get depressed, or both of us will get depressed. For those of you who want to know what I'm talking about, do a little research on basic human nature (because I don't want to talk about it). Ugh. Let's talk about something else. How about Paleoanthropology? Who else here is a fan of Australopithecus? Score one for Bipedalism predating above average cranial capacity, amiright? I'm a sociology major - get why I'm so mopey now?
#16 owls_and_more_owls Jun 10, 2009 23:57:59	You get depressed by the interesting stuff? Yup. I would go into it more, but I'm pretty sure that an existentialist discussion on the nature or existence of Universal Morality and the ramifications of it's perceived implementations would violate the CoC.
#17 owls_and_more_owls Jun 10, 2009 23:58:31	I'm a sociology major - get why I'm so mopey now? Hahaha, Sho'nuff.
#18 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 0:06:29	住嘴白鬼! Awww, I love you too! :P
#19 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 0:09:33	住嘴白鬼! Silencing of white ghosts!
#20 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 0:10:59	Awww, I love you too! :P 祝福井底之蛙
#21 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 0:12:54	祝福井底之蛙 You're just so kind!
#22 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 0:13:50	祝福井底之蛙 Prays for heavenly blessing the shortsighted person
#23 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 0:16:21	Prays for heavenly blessing the shortsighted person lol you should really question the quality of your translator
#24 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 0:18:31	lol you should really question the quality of your translator I'm just using free translators on the web. This was the most coherent sentence I got using two or three of them. One of them only translated "blessing" and nothing else.
#25 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 0:22:05	'best wishes' is probably the closest english to the first part :P
#26 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 0:22:40	祝福 - zhù fú - blessings / wish well 井底之蛙 - jǐng dǐ zhī wā - a frog at the bottom of a well (idiom); fig. an ignorant person
#27 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 0:27:40	Yay! I'm an ignorant frog whom has received best wishes! :D
#28 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 0:29:04	english makes things mean.... that's more playfyl in mandarin
#29 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 0:31:59	For your next challenge, find out what Si Er means
#30 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 0:59:03	si1 (company) si1 (private) si1 (thinking) si1 (tear off) si1 (silk) si3 (die) si4 (four) si4 (like) si4 (temple) er2 (son/children) er2 (then) er3 (ear) er3 (you) er4 (two) I have no clue of the pinyin (or what ever it's called/is) so I can only guess to which ones to use.
#31 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 1:01:21	Ya'know, if you mix'n'match some of those words, you get something dirty... :angelhide
#32 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 2:32:46	si1 (company) si1 (private) si1 (thinking) si1 (tear off) si1 (silk) si3 (die) si4 (four) si4 (like) si4 (temple) er2 (son/children) er2 (then) er3 (ear) er3 (you) er4 (two) I have no clue of the pinyin (or what ever it's called/is) so I can only guess to which ones to use. try 餌
#33 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 2:39:59	Cake? You like cake? So does "si er" suppose to be sayin' that you's like cake?
#34 demiteddybear Jun 11, 2009 5:21:06	I've found myself having to pronounce my surname in an english accent since moving here, otherwise it gets people confused
#35 bone_yard Jun 11, 2009 5:43:20	Well I'm not an imigrant but my grand parents are, both of them come from Scotland. A while back I spent a couple weeks with them and I picked up the scottish accent. This only shows up when I argue but still its interesting.
#36 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 17:04:20	Cake? You like cake? So does "si er" suppose to be sayin' that you's like cake? si as in private, er = 餌 Make sense?
#37 toastedamphibian Jun 11, 2009 17:29:30	Bait Your private bait?
#38 toastedamphibian Jun 11, 2009 17:33:58	Whats this say? 烤蛙
#39 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 18:31:59	si as in private, er = 餌 Make sense? Private Bait or Private Cakes?
#40 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 18:32:42	Whats this say? 烤蛙 Roasts the frog.
#41 toastedamphibian Jun 11, 2009 18:34:59	Your tense seems wrong.
#42 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 18:38:20	That's what the translator gave me. Though I think it should be worded "roast the frog" or "roast a frog".
#43 toastedamphibian Jun 11, 2009 18:41:27	Google translator gives the first word as an adjective. "Grilled Frog"
#44 dirtyfrank Jun 11, 2009 18:44:37	I get the first part as meaning "to roast / to bake / to broil"
#45 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 18:47:44	So am I getting a private cake now or something!?
#46 toastedamphibian Jun 11, 2009 19:14:20	No. Now by 'private' do you mean that in the normal general sense of not publicly accessible, or as a euphimisim for body parts that are 'not publicly accessible'?
#47 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 19:29:06	lol private as in MINE GO AWAY but as far as the verb/adjective conundrum you guys have, this is why internet translators are poor substitutes for speaking the language. Unlike detroit auto-workers, I cannot be replaced with machines :D
#48 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 19:30:07	So I'm not getting a cake?
#49 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 19:37:19	Not unless you buy one, but if you buy one you should buy two and send me one. So sayeth the OTTer.
#50 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 19:39:51	Well... okay. But I expect payment. I want one of your recipes for Chinese food in return. Wrapped, tagged and UPS delivered. I expect First Class all the way.
#51 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 11, 2009 19:46:57	A recipe I can just give you through email lol
#52 archyneir Jun 11, 2009 19:50:26	You can't wrap an e-mail in pretty purple and gold, with a silver ribbon and a hand-made tag expressing your thanks, then deliver it on a First Class UPS truck! I expect only the very best! After all, I'm going to bake you my Triple Chocolate Cherry, Vanilla/Mint Icing cake. :D
#53 zombie_babies Jun 12, 2009 8:29:19	So sayeth the OTTer. Hey! That's my line, *****! But ... uhh ... the OTTer did actually sayeth that. How did you know? :P
#54 dirtyfrank Jun 12, 2009 8:38:47	lol private as in MINE GO AWAY but as far as the verb/adjective conundrum you guys have, this is why internet translators are poor substitutes for speaking the language. Unlike detroit auto-workers, I cannot be replaced with machines :D You ain't using pinyin so if you ain't using pinyin then you typing it on the internet makes it wrong. We then can't translate it correctly if you give us something that is technically wrong. Also we can't translate slang. Slang is only something you can really only learn by learning a language firsthand. Also, slang is usually technically not proper speech and so is technically wrong so giving us slang or what not is you giving us something that is wrong. It seems like them translators ain't working most of the time because most of the time you are giving us something that is technically wrong.
#55 toastedamphibian Jun 12, 2009 14:57:19	NU'UNH! She cant be wrong, she's asain! HAHAHA, stupid white devil!
#56 dirtyfrank Jun 12, 2009 15:00:08	It's white ghost! Get it right!
#57 zombie_babies Jun 12, 2009 15:01:24	White people are so dumb. At least they can drive ...
#58 toastedamphibian Jun 12, 2009 15:01:30
#59 stealthmarmot Jun 12, 2009 16:49:13	If I was any whiter I would be flourescent.
#60 baneofelves Jun 12, 2009 16:51:32	If I was any whiter I would be flourescent. are you a ginger?
#61 gerrard_mac_douglas Jun 12, 2009 18:12:25	I am trying to learn Norwegian at the moment from a book and i'm kind of taking my sweet time to get the vowels right, with not having proper examples for pronunciation its kind of hard
#62 stealthmarmot Jun 12, 2009 18:50:30	are you a ginger? Nope. Just English, Scottish and a little German. Now if you excuse me I have to go eat some ham sandwiches with mayonnaise.
#63 ADHadh Jun 13, 2009 6:09:57	I think I could be a funny foreign friend, but the problem is I still live in the funny foreign country ;P I think there was a joke that to determine which language of a polyglot is his native, you have to kick 'im in the balls and listen to curses ;) I personally think that when it comes to curses, Polish with Spanish accent is probably the best. Polish has swearwords for things such as "eating" and Spanish hard r gives it more juice ;)
#64 Mad_Jack Jun 14, 2009 0:44:20	Show And opossum casserole and gator stew is just out of the question, right? Those picky northerners. Hey, my grandma used to make us squirrel stew! My brother and I almost got arrested once when we were 8 and 6 for hunting em in a city park with slingshots. (And there's actually a Cajun restaurant not too far from me that serves gator meat.) You ever eat a moose or a bear? Now them's good eats. :D It'd be fun to see some of "y'all" come up here and try quahogging in the early spring - up to your waist in 40 degree water, feeling through the mud with your toes to find the razor-sharp shells, dragging a bushel-basket in an innertube behind you tied to your waist with a rope. :D We used to keep a rusty old pot buried in the sand on the riverbank by a firepit - when you got enough clams, you fill the pot with river water, dump in three cans of beer, and boil them. Then you pull em outta the shells and dump em back in the water with some taters and onions. That's real New England clam chowder, lol.
#65 ody_saraph_of_karsus Jun 15, 2009 12:41:08	We Pricans have that habbit too, I always end up with a dominican accent when I hang out with my girl and her friends Not that many non-spanish speakers can pick that up but.... Also, Fair to point out, not all spanish speaker are mexicans :P
#66 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 17, 2009 14:27:49	Hey! That's my line, *****! But ... uhh ... the OTTer did actually sayeth that. How did you know? :P im in ur house, readin ur mind :P
#67 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 17, 2009 14:29:56	You can't wrap an e-mail in pretty purple and gold, with a silver ribbon and a hand-made tag expressing your thanks, then deliver it on a First Class UPS truck! I expect only the very best! After all, I'm going to bake you my Triple Chocolate Cherry, Vanilla/Mint Icing cake. :D K, should I give you the address then?
#68 sier_labeguileuse_dup Jun 17, 2009 14:31:23	White people are so dumb. At least they can drive ... hahaha a white friend of mine admitted the best driver he knew was japanese :P
#69 ellorin Jun 17, 2009 14:32:11	NOOOOOOO, it's a traaaap!*gets shot*
#70 zombie_babies Jun 17, 2009 14:34:52	im in ur house, readin ur mind :P But ... I'm not at home right now ... *shudder* hahaha a white friend of mine admitted the best driver he knew was japanese :P Hey, quit takin' all the goofy non-srs fun outta racism, k? :P
#71 dremik-the-taupe Jun 17, 2009 15:57:33	Oh my.... is someone ruining the racism?
#72 stealthmarmot Jun 17, 2009 16:02:30	Oh my.... is someone ruining the racism? YES! We must save the racism! What did racism ever do to you?
#73 zombie_babies Jun 17, 2009 16:04:40	Oh my.... is someone ruining the racism? Not only is she ruining it, she's the one that started it! It doesn't make much sense. I mean, why start with racist comments only to try an' disprove goofy ones other people make? :P
#74 toastedamphibian Jun 17, 2009 16:09:59	Because she truly belives in the innate superiority of Asian peoples.
#75 zombie_babies Jun 17, 2009 16:12:03	Because she truly belives in the innate superiority of Asian peoples. Who doesn't? *nervous giggling* You fool! If they hear you speak that way they'll punish all of us!
#76 toastedamphibian Jun 17, 2009 17:22:45	I don't care, to hell with all of you! If you are to meek to speak out aginst your slant eyed overlords then you deserve whatever suffering you recieve for my actions ten fold!