Front Street Escapades

Aloha! We're back once again for more fabulous updates here at the Maui Language Institute. This past Friday, we went out on another one of our fun field trips. We went to Lahaina, a town filled with history and wonderful sights. It's no coincidence that the name Lahaina comes from a Hawaiian word meaning "unmerciful sun." The weather in Lahaina is usually hot and sunny, which makes it a perfect place to explore the town by foot or to take a leisurely stroll on the along the beach.

For our field trip, we explored Front Street, which is a popular area filled with lots of interesting shops, historical sites, and amazing restaurants. Lahaina is also the place to be if you are an art lover. There are many art galleries here, as well as an art night with special events that happen every Friday night. The Lahaina Town Action Committee has a website that lists many of the upcoming events and you can check them out at http://www.visitlahaina.com/

After arriving in Lahaina, we walked around and explored the many shops and historical sites on Front Street. The beautiful sunny weather provided us with an absolutely breathtaking view of the ocean and the West Maui Mountains. After we did a little shopping and sightseeing, we decided to grab some lunch. We went to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant. We chose this restaurant because our advanced Film Studies students had just finished studying the movie, Forrest Gump. When the restaurant hosted a raffle to see how much our group knew about Forrest Gump, they were surprised to discover that our students knew answer!

And now on to our Pidgin word of the day! Today's word is "manini (rhymes with "panini")." A Manini is actually the name of a species of fish, but in Hawaiian Pidgin English, it carries a meaning of something small or insignificant. While it can be used to describe the size of something, it is often used to describe a situation (and how insignificant it is). Let's take a look at an example.

1. Micah: Ho I gotta walk all da way to school tomorrow!
Adam: What? Bra, that's so maninis!

Translation:
Micah: Man....I have to walk to school tomorrow!
Adam: What are you complaining about? It's only 5 minutes away!

2. Wesley: I gotta do my math homework by tomorrow!
Josh: Ahh sooo minini dat!

Translation:
Micah: I have to finish my math homework by tomorrow!
Josh: That shouldn't be a problem at all! (Implying that Micah should be able to finish his math homework quickly because it's easy).

Another word that carries the same meaning is "minors." This word is probably easier to understand because it has virtually the same meaning as the word "minor" in standard English. The only difference is that in Pidgin English, an "s" is added on the end.

3. Mike: Ho, you no have choke work fo do today?
Billy: Nah bu, minors!

Translation:
Mike: Hey, don't you have a lot of work to do today?
Billy: Nah, it won't be a problem at all!

Okay folks! That's all for now but stayed tuned for another update coming soon! Aloha!

Our Very Own Idol

Aloha and welcome back to another MLI blog update! I've got some exciting news for you! A couple of weeks ago, there was a talent competition held on the Maui Community College campus that was open to all students. Many students auditioned and only 6 acts made it to the next round. One of our students, Hidenori "Denny," auditioned and passed with flying colors!

The competition was fierce, but Denny gave it his all and performed with energy and charisma. Nearly a hundred people were present at the talent show and all were asked to fill out a secret ballot to vote for their favorite act of the night. The votes were tallied and the winners were announced...Denny took 2nd place! What is even more amazing is that Denny taught himself how to play the ukulele. The host family that he is living with had an ukulele that was left behind by one of their former host students and Denny picked it up one day and never put it back down. By watching videos on YouTube and through diligent practice, Denny built up an impressive repertoire of songs. Now, just one year later, Denny claimed 2nd place in a competition filled with many other talented artists. On behalf of everyone here at the Maui Language Institute, I would like to congratulate Denny on doing such a great job. We look forward to hearing more of Denny's music in the future. Congratulations Denny!

A Little Taste of the MLI

Hey there! I told you we would be back in a flash! Thursday, October 8th was the last day of our Fall I session. I can't believe how fast time is flying by! The one good thing about coming to the end of a session is our wonderful potluck. If you have been reading our blogs, you know that we celebrate the end of each session by having a potluck party. Many of our students showcase their culinary prowess by cooking succulent dishes that taste amazing. We also had lots of great entertainment. Some of our students acted in skits and presented some of their work from class. One of our students even serenaded us with his solo ukulele music. Our students also got to play a fun, easy game. Students vote for their favorite person in specific categories such as “the best cook”, “the best singing voice”, and “the best laugh” just to name a few. The winner of each category was rewarded with a fun gift. Some students won Hawaii calendars and others won Hawaiian key chains or Hawaiian luggage tags. One student received a beach mat for winning the “best tan” category! That’s it for our MLI update. Now, let’s get onto the Pidgin Lesson.

Today's Pidgin English lesson is simple and sweet. This phrase is easy to learn and can be used in a variety of situations. The phrase is "chance um." The meaning of this phrase is to "take a chance" or to "go for it!" A literal translation of this phrase into standard English would be "chance it." Let's take a look at some real life examples.

1. Tyler: Bra, I don't know wat for do. I got one mean job, but the buggah is in New York. I don't know if I going go or not.
Micah: Bra, chance um!

Translation:
Tyler: I don't know what I should do. I just landed a great job, but I would have to move to New York. I don't know if I am going to take it or not.
Micah: Dude, go for it!
Steve: Ho, Angela, she's mean ah! I like talk to her but I don't know wat fo say...Jeff: Nah, chance um!

2. Steve: Ho, Angela, she's mean ah! I like talk to her but I don't know wat fo say...
Jeff: Nah, chance um!

Translation:
Steve: Hey, don't you think Angela is absolutely gorgeous? I want to talk to her but I don't know what I should say....
Jeff: Go for it man! Take a chance!

See? Nice and simple right? We've reached the end of another blog, but keep practicing your Pidgin English and we'll see you soon!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

Hi everyone! We're back with another blog to satisfy your Pidgin English cravings and to fill you in on the fun events taking place at the Maui Language Institute. This past Friday, we took another field trip to the Kahana Beach Park. The last time we were there, we volunteered by helping to clean up the area. So we decided to have a little fun this time and go canoe paddling! We got to experience the feeling of sailing over the beautiful waters of Maui. Some of our students have never tried canoe paddling before, so it was especially memorable for them. After we worked up our appetites from all of that padding, we got to enjoy “choke” food at our potluck. Just like always, there was an amazing variety of culinary treats made by our students. The rest of the day was spent relaxing in the warm Hawaiian sun in the company of good friends.

By the way, if you are ever on Maui, there is a wonderful event celebrating the culture and artistry of canoes that takes place every year called, "The International Festival of Canoes" and it showcases master canoe makers from all over the world. You can actually see tree logs being carved into full-sized canoe hulls. You can check out pictures of last year's event at http://www.mauifestivalofcanoes.com

Since I'm sure that all of you that have been reading our blogs have mastered basic Pidgin English words and phrases by now, today's word will be a little more esoteric. It's actually an easy word to learn and to use, but it is not used in conversation as much as the other words taught in this blog. The word is "poho" and it comes straight from the Hawaiian language. Poho describes something that is wasteful, as in the English phrase "what a waste." Let's take a look at some examples.

Jack:Ho, wat wen happen to all the food the other night?
Mike: Oh, we wen throw um away.
Jack:Poho!

Translation:
Jack: Hey what happened to all of the food from last night?
Mike: Oh we threw it all away.
Jack: What?! What a waste!

2. Alan: Ho, how’s your cousin, he stay med school ah?
Trevor: Ho bra, he had one scholarship and everything, but he when drop out.
Alan: No ways....ai some poho ah!

Translation:
Alan: Hey how is your cousin doing? He's in medical school right?
Trevor: Even though he had a scholarship to go to medical school, he dropped out.
Alan: Are you serious?! That's a shame (waste)!

If you could read and understand those Pidgin English sentences without looking at the translation, congratulations! This is what a typical conversation in Pidgin English might sound like. I must leave you all once again, but another blog update is on its way! So I'll see you soon! Aloha!

Kanaha Beach Clean Up and Potluck

Hey everyone! It's a beautiful Monday morning here in Maui, and the weather is hot as usual. Last month we went to the Kahana Beach Park and volunteered by cleaning up the area. We joined forces with the County of Maui Volunteer Center and the King Kekaulike High School Key Club in this endeavor. We searched every nook and cranny for trash and left no stone unturned. After a couple of hours, the beach looked as if its natural beauty was untouched. Not only were we filled with accomplishment and pride, but we also got to meet and have fun with lots of new people.

After we finished cleaning up, we celebrated in our usual fashion with a potluck. We ate until we couldn't eat anymore, and then we just relaxed on the beach sharing laughs and good times. To whet your appetite, let me talk about some of the food that we had to eat. We had some standard items such as pizza and fried chicken, but we also had a few unique items such as Korean "vegetarian" rolls with Spam, sushi, and an amazing variety of freshly baked cookies and desserts.

With all this talk about good food, it's only fitting that I teach you the Hawaiian word for delicious. The word is "ono," and it's pronounced "oh-no." I already used this word a couple of times in my past blogs, but I thought I should talk about it in more detail. This word is a good example of how Hawaii Pidgin English incorporates many different languages and cultures together. Ono comes from the Hawaiian language itself, but we use it together with standard English or other Pidgin words in conversation. For example, when eating something tasty, you might say "Wow, this is ono!" If you wanted to use more Pidgin for that sentence, you could say something like "Ho, dis buggah is ono!"

This brings us to the end of another blog but have no fear! We'll be back in no time with more fun updates! Until then, check out all of our pictures from our beach clean up day! See ya!

We're on Facebook!

Welcome back to the MLI blog! It's nice to see all of you all again. We are just starting our Fall I session! By the way, the MLI is officially on Facebook! So if you have an account, just search for the"Maui Language Institute" and we'll show up in the results. You'll see a button at the top that says "become a fan." Click this button and you can see all of the new updates and pictures that we post. If you don't have an account, you can sign up at www.facebook.com It's completely free and allows you to keep in contact with your friends from all over the world.

Well I know that you must be a Pidgin English expert by now but it never hurts to learn a little more. Today let's build on what we already know by taking a look at a common saying in Hawaiian Pidgin English. The phrase is "broke da mouth" or "brok da mout." As we learned in the last lesson, the "da" comes from the English word "the." The word "broke" in English can have several meanings. It can be the past form for the word break, or it can also mean a person that has no money. Both meanings are used in Pidgin as well, but this phrase uses the meaning of something "breaking." The word "mouth" doesn't change its meaning, so it just refers to the part of your body that you eat and speak with. If you take notice, this phrase has a literal meaning along the lines of my "mouth is broken." However, when used in actual conversation, this means something that is really, really delicious. So if go to a restaurant and eat something that was absolutely delicious, you can say that it was broke da mouth!

Today we are featuring Anh, another talented poet who will amaze you with her works. So without further ado, here's Anh!


Stealing.

I steal my husband's mango,
But he doesn't know that I steal his mango
He is looking everywhere, I fear
When he asks me; Honey! Where is my mango.
Ah! I smile and I say
"don't know."



Maui Love

I love Maui too much.
I feel very mild by the weather
And the mountain, sky, cloud, and sea.
I want to hug them all.


Tarnish

A wine cup shared with you
Second cup, I drink it all,
I feel ok!!!...
Third cup I drink all too,
I'm feeling buoyant.

But I am tarnishing.
By the fifth cup I can't drink.
I am already tarnished.
When I look, one person becomes two people.
Ohh! What happen?

I go to bed!!!...


Okay everyone! Time to say goodbye for now. Just like always, we'll be back again soon. See ya!

A Little Pidgin, a Little Poetry

...and we're back! In just a couple weeks we will be starting our Fall I session. It will be nice to see all of our returning students again. We are also looking forward to meeting our new students that are joining us this year. It's amazing to see people from all over the world using English as a common language to communicate.

Now that you have a quite a few Pidgin English words in your repertoire, I'll do something a little bit different today. I'll write out a few dialogues using Pidgin that you would hear if you came to Hawaii. These dialogues will help you to get a feel of the natural use of Pidgin, and how it flows in everyday conversation. It will also help you to see how the words we have learned can be implemented and used in different situations. I'll translate the first two, but I'll leave the last one for you to translate. I'm sure you'll do great. So let's get started!

1. John: Ho howzit bra, how you?
Mike: Ho I stay good bu, how you?
John: Good good. Long time I neva see you..what you stay doing now?
Mike: I stay working at the mall. Eh you like go get something fo grind? I stay on my lunch break now.
John: Oh shoots bu, we go!

Translation:
John: Hey! What's up, how are you?
Mike: I'm good man! How are you?
John: I'm good. I haven't seen you in forever! What are you doing now?
Mike: I'm working at the mall. Hey, you wanna grab a bite to eat? I'm on my lunch break right now.
John: Sounds good, lets go!

2. Adam: Ho bu, we going go to one club tonight, you like come?
Roger: I like go but I no can! I get choke homework tonight.
Adam: Nah no worries! Bra garans you going get one A!
Roger: No ways bu, I gotta study. But if I pau early I go meet you guys afta.

Translation:
Adam: Hey we're going to a club tonight. Do you want to come?
Roger: I would love to go, but I can't. I have so much homework to do tonight.
Adam: Don't worry about it! I'm sure you'll get an A!
Roger: No way! I have to study tonight. But if I finish early I'll meet up with you guys later.


3. Rick: Ho, I going move to one new house next week. You can help me move?
Joe: Oh yea bu, can. What time?
Rick: We gotta start by 2 o'clock bumbai no can finish before get dark.
Joe: Shoots I come your house 2 o'clock.
Rick: Hey mahalos ah!
Joe: Yea bu no worries.

You may have noticed the words "bra" and "bu" have been used quite a lot in the previous dialogues. An equivalent to these words in English would be "brother," "bro," or "man." For example, the phrase "hey man, how you doing?" would be translated as "ho bra, how you?" in Pidgin. Or in English slang, the phrase "what's up brother?" can be roughly translated as "what's up bra?" in Hawaii Pidgin.

We have another talented poet for you today! His name is Hidenori and he comes to us from Ehime, Japan. Let's take a look at a couple of his poems!


Especially MAUI

Island Maui, sunny language Aloha.
Flowers Maui, sunshine Mahalo.
Ocean Maui, Endless Waves.
Sky Maui Hovering Breezy.
I can hear Whispers to Maui.
Like Ocean Waves, and Wind.
Now new Maui Birth again.


Hawaiian Salt

A sweet taste of the ocean
A hot electric shock - woah!
I can't eat a lot.

But pass me more
Hawaiian salt
Salty as Japanese
Barbecued chicken

But not soft of sifting
like regular salt
More like rich red
chunky island earth
Or blood in the mouth

Whoa! - I need water.


It's sad to say but it's the end of today's blog. Come back again soon cause we'll have more updates in no time. Aloha for now!

Expressions of the Heart

Are you ready? To test your Pidgin English skills, I will write the next paragraph using many of the Pidgin words we have learned. If you have kept up with all of our blogs teaching you Pidgin English, I'm sure you'll understand it all. So here we go!

Ho howzit everybody? Right now we jus stay chilling and relaxin in da beatiful Hawaiian weather. Stay real hot right now, but pretty soon going get cooler. But you know what? Wen the weather stay this hot, the buggah make um real good fo go to da beach! And I know I wen say um choke times already, but Maui get the meanest sunsets ever! The best is wen you get some ono grinds too. Wen you grind um on the beach, the buggah taste so much betta!

Most of these words were taught in our previous blogs, but there are some that might need a quick explanation. Some words in English are slightly altered by changing or shortening the ending of a word. For example, many words in English that end with an "er" will be changed to an "ah" sound in Pidgin. For example, "better" becomes "betta," "more" becomes "moa," and "where" changes into "wea." Also, some words are shortened by removing the last letter of the word. In the paragraph above, we can see that the word "just" changes into "jus" and "for" becomes "fo." This is easy to get the hang of because it sounds really similar to standard English.

Now on to another one of our wonderful poets here at the Maui Language Institute. Yoshiyasu comes to us all the way from Japan. Today we will be treated to two of his works. So here's Yoshiyasu!


-Maui-

Big sea, Big sky
Big beautiful island
Too big to enjoy by bike
No choice but peddling for me with no driver's license
I'm already tired


-Jiro- It's my hamster's name who died last year

Hey, Jiro
You weren't just my pet.
You were like my family,
my friend,
my brother,
my partner,
my healing,
And like the end of my life.
Your death left a big vacuum in my heart.

Hey, Jiro
What are you doing?
Are you watching me?
Please watch me from heaven.
From your death,
I decided to love all animals.
But I'm sorry,
I can't like insects anyway.


Okay folks! We'll see you again soon. Aloha!

Words to Soothe your Soul

We're back with more poetry to soothe your ears and warm your hearts. As an added bonus, we have more Pidgin English coming your way as well. If you haven't had the chance to read our past blogs filled with Pidgin English lessons, you might go ahead and do that now. Don't worry, we'll still be here when you get back ;-)

The Pidgin English in our last blog was rather long, so we'll give you a breather and make this lesson an easy one. I'm sure you'll understand and remember this word as soon as you finish reading this blog. That's because the meaning in both standard English and Pidgin are the same. The difference lies in how we use this word to construct a sentence. In fact, I think the way we use this word in Pidgin is actually easier than standard English. Let's jump right in and see what this new word is!

The word we will learn in this blog is "can." Not the type of can you put food in, but the verb meaning that you are able to do something. The reason why I said that this word is easier to use in Pidgin is because it can be used all by itself to convey a whole meaning. For example, in standard English, if someone asks you "Can you finish all of your homework by tomorrow?" If you are able to do this, a standard answer would be "Yes, I can do it." In Pidgin, all you need to do is say the word "can" and the meaning will be conveyed. What is probably even more useful is the phrase "no can" which means "I can't do it, or I am unable to do it." Let's look at some examples to ingrain this word into your permanent memory.

1. Alan: Ho, you can eat all dat by yourself?
Kawika: Can...garans I can grind um all!

Translation:
Alan: Wow, you can eat all of that food by yourself?
Kawika: Oh yea, I guarantee it.

2. Scott: We go build the house ourself!
Morris: No can! We no can do um by ourselves!

Translation:
Scott: Let's build the house on our own!
Morris: That's impossible, we can't do it by ourselves!

3. Rocky: No can do dat you!
Manuel: Can!

Translation:
Rocky: Hey, we can't do that! (because is physically or mentally impossible, or prohibited)
Pono: Oh yes we can!

See? No problem right? In our next blog, we'll be writing some of the blog in Pidgin only, so can test yourself to see how much you know.

On to our featured poet! Today our poetry comes from Nhu, who comes to us from Vietnam. Let's see her words as they come to life on our computer screens.


Maui's Beauty

Endless wind
On Towering Haleakala.
Sun's orange
As a ripe mango.
Coconut leaves sing
A summer song.
In the peaceful ocean
Gigantic humpbacks
Are acrobatic.
A green turtle dances
Next to a stingray
Under fresh sunshine.


Motherliness

Immense as Pacific Ocean.
Sweet as green spring.
A wake when a baby cries at night.
You worry when I fall down.
Always alongside me.
You give me fortitude and vigour.
Standing firm before ups and downs of life.
Smiling but prevents harm from my enemies.
Never stop learning.
When I have a first date.
You are excited more than me.
You wonder how that guy is.
When I study for exams.
I always have a hot bowl of soup or noodle.
I want to take care of you forever.
Mamma! you are not only a great mother.
You are a best teacher, and a good friends.




As you bask in the warmth of Nhu's poetry, I shall bid you adieu. But like always, we'll be back in the blink of an eye.

Summer Fun in the Sun

Aloooooooha! Our summer session has just ended and our students are officially on summer vacation. We start our Fall I session on August 17th, so our students have a few weeks to unwind and enjoy the rest of the summer.

We also had a few students who completed our program and will be parting ways with us. While it's sad to say goodbye to our students, we are also filled with happiness and admiration knowing that they will continue to challenge themselves by pursuing their goals in life. Many of our former students have taken the skills and experience gained from the Maui Language Institute and are utilizing them in their everyday lives. We have students pursing college degrees at universities all over the world as well as former students who have jobs that use English.

As you all know by now, an MLI potluck always has great food and entertainment. It is a time for all of us to get together and celebrate the wonderful memories that we have made over the past few weeks with one another. The food was excellent as always. There was so much food that it was impossible to eat it all! Our students provided the entertainment by reading their poetry and showing us their storytelling skills. It was amazing to see how well the students performed in public! Their pronunciation was impressive and their enthusiasm was contagious.

Here's the Pidgin English for today! Today's lesson is about the word "stay." In English the word "stay" has several different meanings. It can mean to remain, to wait for, or even to take up residence. However, the word "stay" in Pidgin English can also take on a totally different meaning. It is usually used with the progressive tense of verbs (verb+ing) or adjectives to express a current situation or state. For example, when you want to ask someone what they are doing right now, you would say "what you stay doing?" This would be translated as "what are you doing right now?" While this sounds confusing, it is pretty easy to get the hang of. I think it will be easier to understand this concept by looking at a few examples.

1. Dave: Ho, what you stay doing?
Alan: I stay eating.

Translation:
Dave: Hey what are you doing (right now)?
Alan: I'm eating (right now, at this very moment).

2. Micah: I stay hungry!
Joe: I stay hungry too, but I no can eat cause I stay broke!

Translation:
Micah: I'm hungry!
Joe: I'm hungry too, but I can't buy anything to eat because I'm broke!

3. Jack: (Talking to Pat on his cell phone). Ho, where you stay?
Pat: I stay at the beach.

Translation:
Jack: Hey, where are you right now?
Pat: I'm at the beach (at this moment).

You'll hear this word used quite a lot among native speakers of Hawaii Pidgin English. Using this word correctly will make your Pidgin English sound very natural. So make sure you put this word into your Pidgin arsenal!

Here's an important detail you should remember. Because "stay" is used to describe a current and ephemeral state, adjectives that describe a permanent or long-lasting state will sound a little funny. For example, adjectives that describes a person's natural appearance would sound strange because it's a relatively permanent situation. Thus, saying something like "She stay pretty" would sound a little weird. If you did say that, the underlying meaning would be "she is pretty NOW, but she wasn't pretty before/won't be pretty in the future."

Wow! That was quite a long Pidgin English lesson that we had today. But the word "stay" is such a useful word that it is worth explaining. It's that time again where we have come to the end of another blog. No worries! We'll be back in no time with more wonderful updates for you. Pau for now!

A Day at the Beach...

Hey hey hey! Howzit everyone?! We're back again with another blog update! Just this past week we went to the beautiful Kamaole III (a.k.a. Kam III) beach park for our field trip. We had some delicious BBQ, played some soccer, and relaxed on the beach. Here's a short video showing off some of our student's soccer skills.

There's something about the beaches on Maui that make you forget all of your troubles and relax as soon as your feet hit the sand. I also feel that Maui has the best sunsets in the world. What's even more amazing is that you can enjoy watching the sunset on the beaches of Maui virtually everyday since we have warm weather year-round. There's nothing like spending the day on a beautiful beach with good friends and good food.



Speaking of good food, today I would like to tell you a little bit about the local cuisine here in Hawaii. If you have ever been here before, then some of these dishes might sound familiar to you. While Hawaii has cuisine from all over the world, there are some things that are unique to us.

In a past blog, I talked a little bit about the plate lunches that we have here in Hawaii. A plate lunch is basically a main dish served with macaroni salad and rice, but there are countless variations to be found all over Hawaii. Plate lunches are sold virtually everywhere in Hawaii, so it's pretty hard to miss them. Standard items for plate lunches are teriyaki chicken or beef, Korean style BBQ short-ribs, and chicken katsu (breaded, deep-fried chicken filets).

You can also find things like lemon caper mahi mahi and Hawaiian plates which consists of kalua pig (shredded pork traditionally cooked in an imu, or underground oven), lau lau (steamed pork wrapped in taro leaves), (lomi lomi salmon (a salad-like dish that consists of tomato, onions, and raw salted salmon), and poi. Many people have heard of poi, but only a few have taken the plunge and tasted it. Poi is mashed taro root which can vary in consistancy but generally has the viscosity of yogurt. Many people say that taste is rather bland, but is a great combination when eaten with other Hawaiian foods like lomi lomi salmon.

I can't leave today's blog without talking about a dish called "loco moco." A loco moco consists of juicy hamburger patties laid on a bed of rice, topped with sunny-side-up or over-easy eggs and rich gravy. This dish has even travel across the sea and has gained popularity in Japan. I actually ate it several times while I was studying abroad there. Although the Japanese version used either teriyaki or demi-glaze sauce instead of gravy. The buggah is mean!

I don't know about you, but this blog has made me hungry! If you ever come to Maui be sure to try all of these delicious delicacies. I'm going to grab a bite to eat, but I'll be back in no time with another update to satisfy your cravings. Aloha for now!

The Beauty of Words

Hello to everyone out there! I hope that this blog finds you in great health and the best of spirits.

Before we dive into more beautiful poetry, let’s have a quick Pidgin English lesson today. Here is a word that I'm sure you'll understand easily, since the meaning is similar in both formal English and Pidgin English. While there is a difference in usage, the biggest difference lies in the pronunciation. The word in standard English is "winner," but the word in Pidgin becomes "winna" or "winnas." Generally speaking, you would most likely say "winnas" to describe a noun. In fact, most of the time "winnas" is used to describe food as we will see in our examples.

Winnas - Amazing, great, it's a winner!

1. Joe: Ho how’s the food?
Larry: Ho the buggah is mean, especially the steak, it's winnas!

Translation: Joe: How does the food taste?
Larry: Oh it's really good, especially the steak, it's incredible!

2. Shaun: Ho I heard you wen go to dat new restaurant last night, how was? Fred: Ho was winnas!

Translation: Shaun: Hey I heard that you went to that new restaurant last night. How was it?
Fred: It was amazing!

On to our poetry! Today we will hear from our talented poet Ji Hun. So let’s get right into it with his poem called "The Girl."


The Girl

I don't know well about girls.
I can't feel some girl's minds.
You know why?
Because their mind looks like my mom.
You know why?
Because of their eyes seems like deeps rivers.
Even though we can't well speak.
I can feeling something about from your eyes.
Are you? ...
one of my favorite girls.





With that I shall wish you a farewell until we meet again...which will be soon so don't worry!

Poetry in Motion

Hello again! Welcome back to another blog filled with more Pidgin English lessons and creative poetry by our MLI students. So let’s get right to it! Today's Pidgin English lesson covers a phrase which is actually used all over the world. However, the accent and usage is slightly different. The phrase I am talking about is "for real," or in Hawaii it would be pronounced "fo real?” or even “fo reals?

Fo real? - Really? Are you serious? Are you sure? Is that so

1. Jack: Ho I found 100 bucks on the ground today! Pat: Ho no ways! Fo real?!?

2. Jack: Ho you heard that Dave going get married? Pat: What?!? Fo reals?

Now lets move on to our talented poets! Today we will featuring the the poetry of Akiko, who comes from Japan. Here's Akiko!


Mother Island

The soft wind in Maui
Breathes arounds us tenderly
Beautiful birds signing
The wind carries the birdsong
The ocean illuminates in seven colors
It lights up our heart
The sounds of the wave
Is like a beating heart
Giving us the power to live
Mother Island Maui






Miso Soup of Love

You wake up earlier than anyone
I wake up to sounds of cooking
From the kitchen
You cook different kind of miso soup
Everyday
It tastes of mother's tenderness
I learned how to cook miso soup
From you
Someday, I'll cook it
For my beloved somebody




:) I can't think of a better way to end this blog. So see you all again soon! Aloha!

Hayeon's Haiku

Here's another amazing piece of poetry for you to enjoy. Hayeon is a beginning level Korean student at MLI who loves to read English poetry. She recently wrote her first Haiku.


An old tree stood long
Without breath, without no leaves
A swallow come sing.


It's beautiful isn't it? There will be more great updates with poetry and pictures, so stay tuned and we'll see you soon. Aloha!

Poetry

Aloha! I'm excited to say that we have a special treat for all of you out there. Over the course of the next few blogs, we will be showcasing a few of our students and the poetry that they wrote in our classes here at the MLI.

But first, let's learn some new Pidgin! Here are a couple of words that can be used to describe something that you like a lot or that you think is great, like our students’ poetry! The word we will learn today is "mean." I bet that the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word "mean" is someone who is not nice. However, it can have another completely different meaning.

Mean - Awesome, great, fantastic, amazing.
1. John: How was da concert last night?
Mike: Ho, was mean!

Translation: John: How was the concert last night?
Mike: It was amazing!

2. John: Hey I just when cook this, try try um...hows?
Mike: Ho, the buggah is mean!

Translation: John: Hey I just cooked this, can you taste it for me? How is it?
Mike: Wow, it's fantastic!

Now on to some of our “mean” poetry! Our first poet hails from Japan. He recently completed our program here at the Maui Language Institute and will continue his education at a university on Oahu. So without further ado, here's Kazuya!


My sweet hometown
I smell the warm heart in Komobuchi.
"Hello" can be heard all around.
I smile in return.
"Good bye" can be heard all around.
I come back and say "I am home" in return.

Bright English
It's too bright to see.
Still I have a desire to grab it.
Always she escapes from me.
Knowing it's hard to get.
Someday I will catch up with her.


Ho that was mean, ah? We'll be back with more Pidgin English updates and great poets soon, so stay tuned. See ya for now. Peace!

Passionately Presented Poetry...and Good Food ;)

I can't believe how quickly time goes by! We have already come to the end of another session. You know what that means right? Another one of our potluck parties of course! We were mesmerized by the entertainment provided by our talented students. We were treated to poetry readings, fun skits, and even musical performances. There was also choke food! After we feasted, there were leftovers for people to take home! (a Hawaiian practice - take one plate lunch home for to grind later.) There was everything from seafood, to soup, to homemade baked goods, to exotic desserts.

Although our potluck parties are a time for relaxing and having fun, it is also a time to say goodbye to our students who have completed our program. Although we had to say farewell to a few of our students, we are also proud of all they have accomplished. The skills that they have learned from the Maui Language Institute will continue to serve them as they pursue their life goals. Many of our students continue their education and earn degrees at English speaking colleges and universities around the world.

Pidgin English time! I have already used today's word in several of the past blogs, so this will be an easy lesson for those of you who have kept up with your Pidgin English studies.I will continue to incorporate more and more Pidgin English sentences into these blogs so you can see how Pidgin can be used in natural conversations. Keep up with these lessons and you'll be well on your way to having conversations in Pidgin English.

Shoots - OK, alright, sounds good, see ya later
1. Jack: Eh I gotta go work so I'll talk to you afta.
Jim: Shoots.

Translation:
Jack: I have to go to work now so I'll talk to you later.
Jim: Ok, see ya

Now if we combine the words you’ve learned from the last few blogs, we can build a small conversation.

John: Eh, howzit?
Mike: Howzit?
John: I stay hungry, you like go grind?
Mike: Shoots!

Translation:
John: Hey! What’s up?
Mike: What’s up?
John: I'm pretty hungry. Do you want to get something to eat?
Mike: Sure, sounds good!

I will continue to incorporate more and more Pidgin English sentences into these blogs so you can see how Pidgin can be used in natural conversations. Keep up with these lessons and you'll be well on your way to having conversations in Pidgin English. Aloha for now!