10 years ago
A lighthouse and its shadow at Howth..
The sea was so quiet and relaxing, and look at the water and sky, so clear and blue! :)
One fine weekend at Howth
It was sunny and bright. Some people went there with their family to have a picnic. Some people walked their dog.
My first snow experience.. ^_^
This picture was taken from the window in my bedroom (1st January 2010). I was so ecstatic, beyond excited! :D
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
[Poem] Hijab
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Common Phrases, Perceived Differently
Hi readers, now I'm writing about a few small things related to English. It's not about grammar, vocabulary, tenses, bla bla bla, don't worry! :P But it's rather about my experience in Dublin regarding 3 English expressions (or 4).
How are you?
What would you say if someone asks you that question? I'm pretty sure you'll tell them how you are, either fine, sick, or whatever, right? So will I. However, in Ireland sometimes when people say "How are you?", they mean "Hi!", which means no proper reply is fine. :P
At first, I was so confused. When seeing some people on campus and they said "How are you?", I was going to respond to them, but they just passed me. *imagine me trying to say something with my mouth open, but then cancel my intention to reply and look confused* LOL. I thought, "They really want to know how I am or not?" *never mind* :P Btw, it happened several times, and from that I figured out the phrase could mean 2 different things.
Compared to Indonesian culture, if someone asks you about how you are, they really want to know. That's why I never say the phrase as a greeting only (read: Hi!). A couple times I had to repeat it when the person I was talking to didn't answer properly. :P
Nice to meet you!
This is the phrase used when you meet someone new. I know that, but once when someone said the phrase to me (when I viewed a lot of accommodations 2 years ago), somehow I felt ... (can't find the right word). Hmm.. how to explain it? It's like this: How do you know it's nice to meet me when the time you've spent with me is only less than a minute? :D I know that the phrase has a good intention as being friendly, but it could be perceived as just friendly words, and that's fine. But personally, when meeting a new person, I will say the phrase twice: in the first 1 minute (for the sake of following the society :P) and when I'm or they're about to leave. The second time is when I really mean it.
Are you OK?
This is the phrase that took me a long time to realise that it's not always about asking my state of feeling or condition. >_< For example when I was at a shop, the staff/cashier always asked me, "Are you OK?" And I always replied, "Yes, I'm fine." LOL, and then followed by what I wanted to do, which was to pay the stuff I bought. I thought, "Nice lady/guy!" :D But then when it happened many times.. wait a minute, they didn't actually ask about what I thought they asked me, LOL. It's just an expression to welcome the customers, to give them a clue that they're next to be served. And me, I finally realised that after around 6 months living in Dublin. :P
Those are 3 expressions that gave me a little confusion. Not anymore, note that! :P It's just interesting to see how some phrases in a language are used in different scenarios, which might have unexpected meanings and also might be perceived differently. I'm sure other languages have their own story similar to this. :)
Bonus:
X: "Are you about?"
Me: (in my head: "About what?" and 3 seconds later realising what it means) Yes, I am! LOL
At least, now I don't take months to realise it, less than 5 seconds. Again, note that! :P
