So what the heck do those two things have in common? Well, since you asked (no you didn't), I'll tell you.
For those who don't know, I'm currently dating a Canadian, referred to as 'B' on my blog. Actually 'dating' is underselling it; we live together and we're bonded. We share two dogs and wonderful memories. We love each other.
Well I love him and I hope that he loves me.
So what does this have to do with tutors and cheetahs?
Nothing at all, I'm just going off on a B-tra-la-la tangent again.
But I do love the fact that he's Canadian, it's part of the appeal. Call me irresponsible, but I find it a little exotic to date someone from another country, who has his own set of food names and pop culture references.
Of course there are some things we disagree on, like whether it's 'math' class, as said in North America, or 'maths', as we say in Australia.
When we were disputing it, B said, "Well if it's 'maths', then why don't you call 'English', 'Englishes?'"
Well yes, B, you've got me there.
Anyhoo, aside from the word debates, there is, of course, an accent difference. That too is part of the appeal. But occasionally things get a wee bit lost in translation because of it.
Like the time I was telling him about a person in Hong Kong who tutors students for a living.
When Australians say 'tutor', we pronounce it like this: 'tyooduh.'
So I was telling B all about this tutor (or tyooduh) and he was listening attentively to the whole story, nodding, uh-hah-ing, politely smiling, but he had started to develop a frown by the end.
I said to him, "What's wrong?"
B replied, "Well I totally get the whole story, except one thing... why was there a cheetah in with the students? I mean, how was that allowed??"
I said, "Huh?? I never said there was a cheetah there!"
And he answered, "You've just spent the last ten minutes talking to me about this cheetah in Hong Kong, working with the students!"
Cheetah.
Tyooduh.
Yup. Lost in translation.
Posts
