Say It Right

Adrian once told me that he was going to make 'lizard' for us after our dinner. Since Penang is like a food-haven and all, I thought he wanted to give us a little glimpse of some special dishes from his hometown. Of course it was after dinner that we found out he actually meant 'dessert'.

Mispronounciations can be funny. I remembered on the very first day we moved in, Adrian tried to engage the next door grandma in a light conversation:

Adrian: Hello ah-ma.
Grandma: (Silence)
Adrian: So.. -points to a pot- what plant is this?
Grandma: (Silence)
Ben: I think you gotta speak louder. Maybe she's already in that period of her life where she has turned semi-deaf.
Adrian: But she hardly looks 60.
Ben: Ask her how old is she.
Adrian: Are you nuts? You don't ask a woman her age.
Ben: Fine, Mr. Courteous. Ask her in your own charming way but add a little volume to it just in case.
Adrian: It's called 'deaf period' right?
Ben: Yep.
Adrian: AH-MA! HAS YOUR DEATH PERIOD ARRIVED YET?
Grandma: What?!
Adrian: DEATH! DEATH! [Pointing to his ear but with hands made to shape like a gun] DEATH! DEATH!

The very next day, we found:
1. Our dog badly bruised (stones everywhere),
2. Our clothes wet (sprayed with hose),
3. And a tennis ball stuck in Kim's car exhaust.

Forget what I said before. Mispronounciations (plus hand mimes) can be scary.