Miscommunication 101 (or people, from different planets, sort of talking)

Disclaimer: All names have been changed to protect the people involved, while reflecting actual scenarios.

I love everything about California. The weather, the people, the buildings, and the lifestyle.

California is certainly the melting pot of cultures; With residents coming from around the globe; From Filipinos to Mexicans, Indians, Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese and more.

Having all these nationalities makes life easier for me since I am a Filipino, an alien to this country. Because there is so much diversity, there is barely, if any, racial discrimination around here.

However, there is one disadvantage: The difficulty for us to understand each other due to our strong accents.

Care for some examples?

Below are two conversations I had with our previous gardener and nanny.

Scenario 1:

It was a Friday and it's time to cut a check for the nanny that used to work for us. I wasn't sure how to spell her full name so I went to her with my checkbook and pen on hand.

Can I get your full name for your check please, I asked. Then she gave me a long ass name that I have never heard in my entire life.

Mama nalyn: can you spell out your first name please?
Yaya: ok. It's D
Mama nalyn: D **writes D on the check**
Yaya: O
Mama nalyn: O
Yaya: Aw
Mama nalyn: Aw?
Yaya: AW. Aw For wabit
mama nalyn: wabit?
Yaya: WA-BIT. Wabit!!


Ohhhhhh... Rabbit!


Scenario 2:

I heard the doorbell rang so I went outside. There I saw our gardener, Juan, looking around our lawn.

Juan: "grass dirt leaves tree"
Mama nalyn: "what??? I'm sorry but I'm not understanding you."
Juan: "grass there no?"
Mama nalyn: "yes please. Mow the lawn."
Juan: "si. Si. Grass there noh?"
Mama nalyn: what? Yes cut the grass please
Juan: noh noh noh. Grass dirt leaves tree??

Wwwhhhaaaattttttt?????!!!!!

The Papa Who Cried Wolf

As a lot of you already know, Papa Dward takes everything with humor. We never had a day with out his practical jokes except when we had the worst time of our lives. After we recovered and he was back to normal, I have learned to not take him seriously. Because out of 10 things he says, 11 are merely jokes.

Then last week end, we went hiking at Eaton Canyon.

Then he suddenly started screaming at us.

Papa Dward: "There's a snake! A snake! A rattle snake!"
Mama nalyn and kuya Ray: **smiling back at him**

Then kuya Ray took a step closer, away from the hiking trail, on to the bushes where Papa Dward said the snake was. Then Papa Dward instinctively pushed him away.

Papa Dward: "I'm serious guys! I'm not joking! There's a rattle snake!! "

Then he looked at us one at a time with eyes begging to believe him.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But Kuya Ray thought all the more that he was really just joking because Papa Dward said 'seriously' - an adverb Papa Dward uses loosely whenever he does pranks.

Kuya Ray then shrugged, rolled his eye and moved closer to where Papa Dward said the snake was.

Move away from there, I screamed at Kuya Ray. He then moved away and gave me the what-the-heck-do-you-actually-believe-my-dad kind of look.

Then we saw the snake. A rattle snake. For reals.

(L TO R: Papa Dward, Baby Collin Kuya Brenden, Kuya Ray)