Multipost/day away.

Painted my nails. Not sure if the colour actually suits me but I do not care because the colour is just too damn funky to not use.

Was thinking about home today and about the huge changes in English I am going to have to remake.

I find it interesting that I seem to be entirely capable of compartmentalizing my different types of English accents, vocabulary, and grammar and keeping them entirely separate from one another.

You see, when here in the States, I am fully capable of immersing myself into the culture to actually pass as an American (or so I had been told by friends and strangers alike - I personally don't see it). I assume an American accent and attitude (I think).

And then, when in Malaysia, do the same thing and become immersed in that culture. I speak the same Manglish (Malay-English - or Mangled English as non-Manglish fans like to call it) as I did before I came to the States -- accent, lingo, and all.

I was actually slightly worried that I had lost my Manglishness (I feel it is one of the things that makes Malaysia unique) but last year, after hearing a few dozen relatives ask me why I don't sound like an American, I happily deduced that I did not, in fact, lose it but rather just stored it away until the proper time I could air it out and use it. Not that my Manglish was that great to begin with. After all, I have only lived in Malaysia for six or seven years.

Here lies the odd part. When on the phone with a Malaysian with an American in the room, or vice versa, I become extremely confused as to how to talk. I swing back and forth between Manglish and American every other word or so.

The reason? This compartmentalization of accents and slangs is not a conscious act. I see/hear a Malaysian talking and I will react accordingly. I see/hear an American talking and do likewise. Try mixing the two and my brain starts overloading, I guess. Sort of this whole "when in Rome..." dealio.

Small things like saying queue up back home and line up over here. Or trash can versus rubbish bin. Or adding lah's and lor's and ma's behind every few sentences in Manglish (I find it extraordinarily fascinating how adding those to the end of a well placed word has the power to give a sentence entire volumes). Let us not forget spicing up words with hai's and oi's and haiyor's. I love Manglish -- speaking it that is. Absolutely hate writing it.

Writing in itself is a confusing thing. Half the time, I cannot decide whether to spell color or colour. Meter or metre. Specialize or specialise. Why all the English-as-a-first-language countries cannot simply get together and pick one is beyond me. Cell phone for Americans, mobile phones for the British, and hand phones for Malaysians (I wonder what it is for Australians). Gas and petrol.


Oh, and do not get me started on "just now." For Malaysia, just now can mean anytime between a minute ago and a week ago. Apparently for Americans there is a time limit where "just now" literally means "just now." I cannot stress how much effort it me to break that habit (and how many times I got a lecture after I used it on something that happened a few hours ago) because apparently it drives certain people here up the walls. Although, I do admit I did have fun irritating the hell out of them.