On 'Becoming Bangladeshi': Part One (Language)
on From Banglatown to Bangladesh (Bangladesh), 13/Oct/2009 16:11, 34 days ago
It was a year ago today that I arrived in Bangladesh, wide-eyed despite the jet lag, and full of enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity, and excitement. The time since then has induced enough ups, downs and mood swings to leave even a hormonal teenager dizzy and disoriented. It's been at once inspiring, disillusioning, fascinating, hardening, guilt-inducing, satisfying, exhausting, exhilarating, laughter-inducing, frustrating, occasionally tearful, and quite regularly rather ridiculous.It has also been, of course, a year of learning and change. Professionally, I do not doubt the value of the exposure I have gained or the opportunities I have had. Personally, there's been endless new experiences, from biting down on the stringy, juicy mess that is fresh sugarcane, to being forced to dance to Bangla songs in front of an hundred-plus audience, to getting caught in monsoon storms while sitting side-saddle on the back of a motorbike. Indeed, this year has had such an effect that recently I have been told that I am undergoing the ultimate in cultural adaptation: that I am 'becoming Bangladeshi'.I myself am rather sceptical of this assertion, and can re-assure any of you worried that I may be losing my American-English cultural identity that this transition is far from complete. For example, I still don’t think that eating pineapple within several hours of drinking tea can make you sick (apparently pineapple and milk, as is found in tea, are a bad combination, inducing at the very least an upset stomach, and at the most, if you believe the panic in people’s voices if you mention the possibility, some other much more horrible, but as yet unidentified, fate).If I am honest however, I must admit that there are a few 'Bangladeshi' traits I seem to be developing. And in the interests of avoiding any shocking surprises for those of you that will be seeing me in my brief return to England at Christmas time, I thought it would be best to warn you of these here.Becoming Bangladeshi Trait Number One: LanguageAfter a year, I still have a long-way to go language-wise. I can at least haggle with a rickshaw-driver in Bengali and inquire after the prices and names of various exotic fruit and vegetables in the market, but quickly get lost when attempting anything more complicated. Gradually I am starting to understand phrases amongst my colleagues' high-speed Chakma, but when it comes to responding to their questions I am left with a very limited speaking vocabulary (based mostly around, surprise surprise, food and eating).So when I say I am adopting 'Bangladeshi' language habits, I mean something rather different: picking up the sayings of a little-known, but quite distinctive dialect, that of 'Bangladeshi English'. Recently I have started to doubt my ability to accurately correct my colleagues' English, as I myself take on more and more of these words and phrases. For example:'Maybe': said not in times of actual uncertainty, but instead just to add some necessary vagueness to any assertion. Why this vagueness is needed I have yet to determine, but it seems to be crucial to even the most basic of statements. For example, I could say 'maybe I am going to lunch now', as I leave the office at lunch-time, stomach rumbling. Or, in response to the question, 'have you completed the report / proposal / any other task?', I could respond with either the uncertain, but probably negative 'maybe not', or the equally uncertain, but possibly positive 'maybe yes'.'Programme': the word 'programme' is perhaps one of the most useful words in Bangladeshi English. Used to indicate that one has (unspecified, but clearly important) plans at a particular time, it is perfect for avoiding any unwelcomed invitations. For example, upon receiving an invitation, I could say 'I am sorry I cannot go to your house / shop / meet your wife / mother-in-law / eat rice, but I have a programme'. Said inviter would then nod knowingly, and the conversation would reach an amicable end.'Maximum': indicates the majority activity or preference. For example, 'maximum time I have programmes on weekends' would mean 'I am busy most weekends' or 'maximum people in Bangladesh take rice for lunch' would mean most people in Bangladesh eat rice at lunch-time.'Very gorgeous': simply meaning something (a beautiful view, a sparkly salwar kameez), or someone (David Beckham, Princess Di, endless Bollywood actresses) is deemed to be, as you have probably guessed, rather fit.'I am coming': used to indicate not, in fact, when one is coming, but instead rather when one is leaving. Generally it seems to mean that one is returning after some (of course uncertain and unspecified) time. For example, if someone said to me 'okay, maybe I have a programme, I am coming' this means they are leaving the current location to go to some other, unnamed location. I may not know where they are going, what they are doing, or when they will be finished, but I can be safe in the knowledge that, one day at least, they will return.Maybe.(Other modes of 'becoming Bangladeshi' include changing my eating habits, dress, and staring at, and adopting a fascination with, unknownbideshi.)