Word for the Travel Wise (10/28/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’m gearing up for my big run tomorrow, but I just wanted to send this funny looking piece of Patois your way.

Today’s word is a Patois word from Jamaica:

peenywally – firefly

You can expand your ‘Rasta Patois’ in several ways. The most rewarding way is straight from the horse’s mouth, so you may wish to seek the knowledge from some West Indian folks in your neighborhood. If you can’t learn anything that way due to the low number of West Indian peeps in your circle, try watching films. The Rockers is an awesome and entertaining starting point. The 25th anniversary edition DVD has great features, including a small Rasta Patois dictionary. A good source on the net is Jamaicans dot com and Jahworks seems decent.

Past Patois words: satta, gwaan, labrish, mash up, budufbaf, tegareg

Word for the Travel Wise (10/27/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Iva touched on Central Europe’s woes last month around this very same time and if you’re the revolutionary type student protest and shady government scandal could make Hungary, Poland or the Czech Republic your destination of choice. On the flipside for those of us who don’t wish to experience any parts of the drama while vacationing, but happen to get stuck in smack dab in the middle of some yuck situation this word is for you.

Today’s word is a Magyar (Hungarian) word used in Hungary:

segítség – help

The Hungarian lingo is a Finno-Ugric language, which you can learn more about at Wikipedia, right now let’s stick to the places you can learn it for free. Hungarotips is a completely free site with beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons. This impulzus web page has everything you’d basically find in a LP guide. There’s no audio, so read a little about the alphabet and then find someone who’s willing to make sure you speak like a local. The verbal exchange will be very rewarding I am sure. As always remember to scope out the BBC for basic lang downloads.

Past Hungarian words: köszönöm, vásárlók könyve, hangverseny, kijárat

Word for the Travel Wise (10/26/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Long ago, way, way back earlier this year I mentioned a travel piece found in VIBE on their 2006 hot spots. One of those spots was surprisingly the tiny South American country known as Suriname, but is it really all that surprising? If you’re trying to escape tourist crowded Brazil or Venezuela, Suriname comes in as a close much quieter fit – tropical temps, Afro-Dutch culture and delicious food to be found all over the island country. I’ve never been, but I imagine the food to be mouth-watering. Anyhow, we don’t talk much about Suriname here, but as I mentioned before check out the VIBE piece or this one by Erik on Suriname and neighboring country Guyana.

Today’s word is a Dutch word used in Suriname:

mooi – beautiful

I used AltaVista’s Babel Fish Translation service for this word, so I pray it is correct. In other words don’t blame me if there is a glitch in their translation services.

Dutch is a Western Germanic language spoken by some 22 million people mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is also spoken in Suriname, eastern Guyana, Aruba, South Africa and Indonesia. Check out additional information on Wikipedia. To learn Dutch online start with BBC Quick Fix which gives you the travel basics with full clear audio. LearnDutch.org offers distance-learning classes which they note as being used by people in 115 countries. All Free Dictionaries has a generator much like Babel Fish where you can type in a word or two and have it translated instantly. If you’re hitting the road soon and need a guide for the backpack Rough Guides offers a Dutch Phrasebook which can be purchased on Amazon for a decent price. Click here to find schools abroad to further your knowledge of the Dutch lingo. With this language there are many resources online, but you’ll have to sift through many to find the best one for you.

Word for the Travel Wise (10/25/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Ireland is a place you can most certainly get around with knowing one language and that is the English language. However, if you should fancy learning Gaelige you can do that too and with a certain amount of ease I assume. Check out the info below and while you’re at it head to Neil’s recent piece on IRA tours.

Today’s word is a Gaeilge word used in Ireland:

síocháin – to keep the peace

Gaeilge is the first official language of the Republic of Ireland and has official recognition in Northern Ireland. There is a estimated total of 250,000 fluent Gaeilge speakers mainly in the west and north-west. According to Wikipedia, EU foreign ministers decided to make Irish an official language of the European Union, where the new arrangements will come into effect on January 1, 2007. Other much recommended background and history of the Irish lang can be found in the wiki as well. To learn online, start with English to Irish dictionaries or visit this beginner’s guide to Irish Gaelic pronunciation. Interactive Irish on the Internet offers some serious lessons and has some audio as well. Head over to nightcourses.com and search for a course that’s best for you. They seem to offer many. If channel surfing is a leisure activity of yours pause on TG4 to sample some Irish TV. My last recommendation is always my favorite and that is to take a trip to Ireland and go for full on emersion. Know of any others? Please share.

Word for the Travel Wise (10/24/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought of teaching English in some place like, um, Japan. Don’t lie – I have. Maybe you didn’t want to even teach English. Maybe you thought about securing a good job or a semi-decent one and living the good life in the land of sumo, sushi and other Japanese things. Sigh. I’d surely like to live outside of the U.S. for a year or two and Japan definitely seems do-able. Here’s some expat blogs I stumbled upon and actually read through quite a few. All the voices and varied experiences make for some very fascinating reads.

Today’s word is a Japanese word used in Japan:

shigoto – job

Spoken Japanese comes smoothly for those who either practice or submit themselves to hours of Japanese pop music, but either way one can learn this language in through several avenues. Japanese Online is a VERY good FREE site to start learning. They have audio and a great conversation lessons. The lessons get more in-depth as you become a registered user which is still free of charge. Takese.com has a list of over 2000 words worth checking out. Those on the road already may want to pick up the LP Japanese phrasebook or check into a school for a few weeks of learning. Study Abroad has a list of school located all over the country. If you’re seeking help with written Japanese best of luck to you!

Past Japanese words: hajimemashite, dewa mata, tomodachi, omocha, uchiwa, nori