Monday, May 3, 2010

the Translator is here!!

and no, its the Google baba's translator I am talking about here!


We have been in Bangalore for sometime now, but the local language Kannada has eluded us. I do understand a smattering of it now. Between my Kannada and Amma's Hindi, we usually manage OK. But it is still far cry from being enough to have decent conversation or even fight with auto guy or give cabbie directions. M is even worse and his knowledge is far from even basic. Not that mine is any better, but still! * Note to self: Attend those conversational Kannada classes!


Cubby has been getting more and more proficient in the state language though and it is almost as strong as his Hindi, which is pretty good if you ask me. Amma is usually singing praises about how he speaks perfect Kannada etc. But how are we to know?! :p


So yesterday M was telling Amma to put Cub's latest fav Winnie bedsheet and pillow cover (recently gifted to him) on his gadda and put him to sleep. Amma was trying to explain something to M which he could not figure out for life of him. Amma's DiL whose Hindi is marginally better tried to pitch in and explain it too. She did her best and told M "Woh abhi thanda (cold) hai!"


Cubby exasperated by this lack of proper communication decided it is time to step in and do the needful. He told M" Woh bol rahi hai - It is WET!"


M couldn't stop laughing and neither could I when he told me about the incident!


So our l'il translator is here and we fear auto guys a little less now! ;)

26 comments:

Hema said...

So here the child is indeed the father of the man (and woman):))LOL

starry eyed said...

Cubby really has too much patience with you ;)

Swaram said...

Hw cute is he :)
I second Starry :P

Swati said...

WOW ..pls ask Cubby to take some classes for me also :)

And I second Starry as well :)

Passionate Goof said...

My my, now that is a smart kid to have around. It must be so amazing na, to see your child have a skill neither of you guys have, must be making you so so proud. Hugs to the cubby!

Trishna said...

OMG!!is he cute or is he cute!! Gooo Cubby!!!
Its really cool,that he picked up a language that you both dont know!
Luvie-luvie

Vidooshak said...

It is indeed heart-warming to hear him rattle off in Kannada. Though we cannot understand it, he sounds as authentic as Girish Karnad :-)

Not sure if he'll save us from the auto-guys though. Just like the auto wallahs, he has found a way to torture us and win arguments: he switches to Kannada when we're least expecting it!

Suhas said...

It had to happen!!! It happened soon enough!!lol

Keep it up CubbR!!

Fats said...

OMG .. I loved this and I cant stop smiling :)

Amgele Loku said...

oh my god!!! really??? Cubby is super smart!!!!

-SnS

Dee said...

lol :D

Why doesn't he talk to the DH and me in Kannada then??

Uma said...

LOL! He's so cute! I thought you don't really have to know Kannada to live in Bgl... they just seem to know all languages :)

Just Like That said...

3 cheers for the translator!! :-D

Violet said...

Can I please borrow him? It will be so much easier & cheaper for me to get a maid without the only language barriers. Three cheers for Cubby!

Mamma mia! Me a mamma? said...

Hahahaha!! Yaaay for Cubby :-) What a delight he is!

Iya said...

i have this long lost dream of shopping in chickpet market one day. Can u lend him to me just for day so that i can go there and he can bargain for me??

Monika said...

awwww so cute

Mama - Mia said...

hema - yeah totally! :)

Starry - tell me about it! quite unlike us the child is! :p

swaram - thankoo! :D

swati - come. right now he is giving free tutions!

Goofy - yes! its totally amazing to see that know everything you are telling and them and then some more! :)

Trish - yeah! we are quite happy!! :D

Vidooshak - as of now he is having pity on us and only using expressions he thinks we know! :p

Dad - we are very happy he knows! :D

fats - Thanks dude! :)

Thanks Mon.

Thankoo SnS!

Dee - he doesnt talk to anyone except amma n family in kannada! god knows why!

Uma - you dont need to know it to survive but knowing local lingo always makes life simpler. esp when you are dealing with uneducated part who provide you with most services!

JLT - 3 cheers indeed!

Violet - teach the kiddo! teach the kiddo! rather hope that the kiddo learns! ;)

namesake - when he isnt whining he is indeed pure delight! :)

Iya - yeah sure! but you might have to wait for l'il longer till he can hone his bargaining skills in kannada! :p

Thanks Monika!

cheers!

abha

Anonymous said...

OMG! This is really funny and wonderful at the same time. :)

The Reluctant Mum said...

That's why I think it's so fantastic for kids to grow up in India. By the time they are five, they pick up at least three languages :) I like this post :)

Unknown said...

hahhaa! Go Cubby!

~The Print Lover

Anonymous said...

Adorable Cubby!!! Hugs to him!! He is so smart. And really when an autowala sees this little one as the translator he might just charge a little fairer fare :)

It's so awesome that he can translate for you now!!

Angel's Flight said...

YAY cubby!

Anonymous said...

When we dont want the little fellow to know what we are saying,the hubby and I use Kannada to speak to each other coz that is the only language he is not exposed to so far.Looks like in your case, Cubby is going to be using Kannada to keep secrets from his parents:)

Unknown said...

lol...my parents were exactly in the same position...when i was abt 3-4 we used to live in madras and language was a huge problem for my parents till i picked it up and conversed for them with the bai,milkman,veg seller ..and yes even auto wallahs!

Usha said...

this is so cute.Hugs to Cubby!