Pidgin
Aloha…
When I first visited the islands in the early 60s… there was a language spoken that I didn’t quite understand… pidgin… spoken by locals… and rarely understood by a haole like myself…
So here goes a small sample of what I encountered:
‘Ass why i wen put ‘um togeddah you know: so you guys could have good fun too! But one noddah ting: we get special feeling about pidgin. ‘Cause pidgin is special. Local people, dey get togeddah fo’ party, wedding, baby luau, whatevahs, dey gotta talk story, yeah? An’ how you can talk story wid’out pidgin? Cannot! Pidgin someting from da heart!
An’ you know, we no like insult any particular group of people in da islands — we jus’ like kid everybody. We love Hawai’i, an’ we love pidgin, an’ dass da main ting we trying fo’ say. So kick back, bruddahs, an’ relax wit’
I lived on the island of Maui for about 12 years… my three daughter’s learned pidgin so they could communicate in school and with their (local) friends… I learned it and to this day… some of it creeps back into my “talk-story” from time to time…
Aloha oe…
Wow! I can understand it by reading but I bet its harder to listen to if your not used to it. ow hard was it to learn?
@sillysillysandee Yes… locals speak faster than I can understand at times… (smiles)
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It’s rhythmical too. If I hear snatches of it in a film, I enjoy it.
@sago As do I…! (smiles)
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It reads much like “deep south speak.” Once an accent on the words is heard, I’d think it would be difficult to understand unless you hear it a lot.
@zhnee Yes… the longer I lived on the island… the more familiar I became with it…
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interesting,, thanks for educating us!
@dlk082244 Smiles…………..
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Pidgin is a beautiful thing to hear spoken.
@principassapollyanna Yes… I never got tired of it…
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I loved hearing that way of speaking…..fit so perfectly w/the island feeling.
Do you ever see HA in your future???
it just seems so odd to think of you NOT being there. I hope you can return. I don’t think I will…….too many wonderful family vacations Kaanapali …..and w/o my son there, we prob couldn’t do it.
I know YOU know exactly what I’m saying/what I’m feeling.
I have missed you, MJ 🙂
@marieelena Aloha nui loa Marie Elena…
I will never return to the island (no explanation)…
Hey you… as far as your son (David I believe)… He and Emily are doing just fine… and when you see each other again… it will be WONDERFUL…!
You are missed as well my friend…
Mahalo for this note to me… just what I needed this evening…
Me ke aloha…
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That’s what we heard in Jamaica too. Fortunately our host could translate!
@margaret_1 I find it quite enjoyable…
@mauijim me too
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Interesting read. Something tells me that it is much more pleasing to the ear, than the eye.
@petersshadow Absolutely… though locals speak faster than I can understand at times…
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Reminds me of the story when the Prince of Wales introduced himself as the “nambawan pikinini bilong misis kwin” – the number one child belonging to Mrs Queen – as he spoke in Pidgin English during his official visit to Papua New Guinea.
@bedlamhillfarm Yes… absolutely…! (smiles)
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Hey, Jim, do you remember the name of that SLO divorce support group? The building that meetings were held in burned down this week and I realized that I could not remember the name of the group. I hate to think I’m getting old …
@bonnierose Well… I must not be as old as you… because I do remember the name: S.A.S.S. Single Adults Socializing and Sharing… (smiles)
@mauijim No wonder I didn’t remember it. That’s a totally stupid name!
@bonnierose Yeah… yeah… yeah… because that wasn’t the name… it was A.D.A.P.T.
Does that sound better…!
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I understood every word you wrote Jim. My cousin moved to the south and now speaks pidgin and I have to tell him to “slow down there boy” in order to unnerstand him sometimes. He just laughs at me.
@mom2five Yes… I absolutely understand what you are saying… (smiles)
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wow. Plenty of consonants in pidgin
@sheetmusic Yes… lots of vowels as well… (smiles)
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