Knowing Languages

[Guest]

Isn't it funny and amusing when you hear people on the street or in public or wherever talking in your language, or a language you know, and they don't know you know it! And then you pop up and talk back to them in it or let them know that you understood what they were saying, especially if it was something they didnt want the rest of the world to know! Has this ever happenned to anyone?

 

I think it is quite a nice feeling to see Armenian (or greek) communities and hear families talking the language, it gives me a nice awrm felling inside

 

I will feel fantastic when I go to Cyprus next because I will visit the Armenian community. This makes me feel so good, all my roots in the same country!

[sukhjeet]

yeah, i agree. i don't know armenian, but i do know punjabi and it is hilarious when you hear somebody saying something in it thinking nobody else understands.

[Boghos]

There are many funny, and some not so funny stories about this. I can remember one now: Once I was in a lift with one of my father´s uncle, he liked to make fun of everybody, everywhere and often not in a polite manner. He was from a Turkish-only speaking family from Marash. So the lift stops on a given floor on its descent to ground level, and in comes a distinguished looking gentlemen with a much younger woman, who clearly was not his wife or daughter. Uncle says in Turkish: what is this ass doing with this whore in broad daylight ? To which he got a response in Turkish, more of a courteous and short lecture on why he shouldn´t say things like that.

[Nvard]

Things like that didn't happen much to me cos I look quite Armenian and most Hyer are sure that I understand them.

But things like that happen to people that know.

Like, nobody expects my Mom to speak Armenian cos she doesn't look like one and she had lots of funny situations.Actually it's all about the appearance in this case.

A have a friend, she's Armenian but she's a redhead with grey eyes. Once she was coming back from the University.Suddenly she saw a black car with 2 Arm. guys in it.They were staring at her and discussing her in a very unproper way. Of course they were sure that she's Russian and couldn't understand them.Finally one of them said:"I would eat that candy with great pleasure!"

She just turned red.than she came up to him(she had a bottle of coke in her hand)and yelled in Armenian "i'll make you allergic for candies!" and she poured that coke right on him,tured around and went home.Well he followed her all the way and asked to forgive him.

[Boghos]

I just remembered another one: once in Montevideo we were going by taxi, and passed in front of the Madhouse (or Psychiatric Sanatorium if you prefer, for the very, very nervous), so I told a very close friend of mine in Armenian - This is your destination, get off. The taxi driver said in Armenian: - Oh, I thought you were coming here, not him. And all laughed, like mad of course .

 

[ April 22, 2001: Message edited by: Boghos ]

 

[ April 22, 2001: Message edited by: Boghos ]

[Kazza]

OK, here are a couple;

 

1) This boy was listening to these two girls talking in his language talking about their boyfriends and they didn't know he understood.

 

2) My freind got on the train, and these two boys not knowing she was greek, were sitting oopposite her, saying stuff like, she had great legs and all this. So when it was time to go . she turned back looked at them and said, "bye, boys" in greek.

[Harut]

something like that happened with me.

a year ago i was sitting in the classroom and one Russian girl, who had checked in a few days ago, started saying some mild bad words in Russian, unaware of that i understand Russian. when she finished i said to her (in russian) :"so you speak russian?" and she turned to red. it was preaty sad and funny.

[hyespirited]

Language is power.... my grandparents taught me it is good to know the language of your enemies

 

I have had many such encounters.... I am fluent in Armenian and don't look a bit Armenian so most think I don't know the language. I live in Canada now and attend regularly an Armenian church there and most people usually speak to me in French assuming I know the language and not Armenian... its funny most times..... but sometimes embarassing....

CK

[Artur]

lol

[Pilafhead]

My grandfather was a great man: he spoke and read English, Armenian, turkish, Arabic and French. Amazing.

 

When I was a kid, my mother and grandparents would always speak Armenian in public confident that no one else understood. Now my mom says, "I can't do that anymore because so many people in Los Angeles speak Armenian."

 

Also when I was young, they would speak Armenian when they didn't want us to understand (talking about Christmas presents, etc.).