This year we will be having a lot of short-term program students joining us from all over the world. Our short-term programs are perfect for visiting student groups that would like to improve their English skills as well as to experience the culture of Hawaii firsthand. The ESL classes and excursions are custom-designed for each group to maximize their learning experience.
One of our first groups for the new year comes to us from Hakuoh University in Japan. They have been going all around the island and breathing in the culture and beauty of Maui. Not only did they get to explore all around the island, but they also went to the beach to feel the smooth Maui sand between their toes. And of course, you can't come to Hawaii without trying some of the delicious food here. They got to try traditional Hawaiian cuisine as well as some local delicacies. If you want to see a sample of the delicious Hawaiian food that they ate here, check out our blog about food. Trust me, you can’t read any of those blog without getting hungry!
I mentioned in previous blog that Hawaii Pidgin English was influenced from the many different cultures that live together here. Today's Pidgin word is a perfect example of how certain words from different cultures were taken and incorporated into Hawaii Pidgin English. The word is "bachi" and it comes from the Japanese language. Bachi carries a meaning of divine punishment, kind of like karma. So if you see someone doing something bad, you can tell them that they will get bachi. Let's take a look at an example conversation to see how this word is used.
Michael: Eh, we go play inside dat graveyard!
John: What? What you like do dat fo? That place is sacred lolo! No do dat bumbai you going get bachi!
Translation:
Michael: Hey, let's go play in that graveyard!
John: What? Why in the world would you want to do that? That place is sacred dummy! If you do that you'll get bad luck.
Wow! That conversation was chocked full of Pidgin English words! We already learned all of these words from past blogs except for the word "lolo." Lolo refers to someone who is not smart, or in more colloquial terms, an idiot or a dummy. Although this word has a negative meaning, it is usually not used to viciously insult someone. It is usually used between friends to lightheartedly say how crazy or idiotic a person or situation is. So if you hear someone say "ai, dat guy is so lolo," it means something like "wow that guy is so crazy!"
It's time for me to say goodbye but another blog update is already on it's way. Until then, aloha!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Our Special Guests
Aloha everyone! Today we have two special guests joining us on our blog. Our first guest is Eun Young, who is originally from Korea. Our second guest is Kentaro, and he comes to us from Japan. Eun Young and Kentaro were full-time students at the MLI, but eventually moved into the credit program here at the University of Hawaii, Maui campus. Through their hard work, they were able to improve their English skills and take classes at a college-level
I had the chance to talk to them between their classes, and found out how they felt about the classes that they took from the MLI as well as how they felt about the classes they are currently taking at UH – Maui College. Eun Young is currently taking English 21 while Kentaro is taking English 19 and English 21. Both of them said that the English classes at UHMC can be difficult at times because of the fast pace of the classes. However, Kentaro said that the classes at MLI challenged his critical thinking skills, which gave him the motivation to study harder. He also likes the fact that there are students from all over the world who attend the Maui Language Institute, and this diversity makes the classes fun and exciting. Eun Young said that she loves the MLI classes as well, because everyone there shares the same goal of improving their English. The camaraderie that the students have with one another provides an atmosphere in which she can be totally comfortable. In fact, many students say that they look forward coming to class because of the friends that they have made here. Both Eun Young and Kentaro had to get to their next class, but I would like to thank them for taking the time to talk with us!
As you can tell from some of the previous blogs, I love food! In a couple of the past blogs, I talked about some of the local cuisine that we have here in Hawaii. If you haven't had a chance to read those blogs yet, check them out! Be warned however... it might make you hungry!
Today I would like to talk a little bit more about the delicious cuisine of Hawaii. A dish that everyone in Hawaii knows and loves is saimin. Saimin is a dish consisting of thin noodles in a clear soup base. It is similar to ramen, a Japanese dish that originated in China. Many of you have probably tried instant ramen (especially starving college students) before, and at first glance, it looks exactly like saimin. However, the ingredients that go into making of bowl of saimin differs. Saimin is literally a melting pot of cultures. It has its origins from the plantation days of Hawaii, where Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Korean laborers lived close to one another. Elements from each culture were incorporated in communal meals, and this would eventually lead to the birth of saimin.
There are many other food dishes in Hawaii that have been born from the influence of the different cultures here. Many of these dishes have become local favorites that you should definitely try when you come to Hawaii. My recommendations are shoyu chicken (shouyu is the Japanese name for soy sauce). In Hawaii, we actually say "shoyu" instead of "soy sauce,” chicken katsu, mochiko chicken, spam musubi, and of course saimin!
I don't know about you, but I'm ready to eat now! So until next time, take care and aloha!
I had the chance to talk to them between their classes, and found out how they felt about the classes that they took from the MLI as well as how they felt about the classes they are currently taking at UH – Maui College. Eun Young is currently taking English 21 while Kentaro is taking English 19 and English 21. Both of them said that the English classes at UHMC can be difficult at times because of the fast pace of the classes. However, Kentaro said that the classes at MLI challenged his critical thinking skills, which gave him the motivation to study harder. He also likes the fact that there are students from all over the world who attend the Maui Language Institute, and this diversity makes the classes fun and exciting. Eun Young said that she loves the MLI classes as well, because everyone there shares the same goal of improving their English. The camaraderie that the students have with one another provides an atmosphere in which she can be totally comfortable. In fact, many students say that they look forward coming to class because of the friends that they have made here. Both Eun Young and Kentaro had to get to their next class, but I would like to thank them for taking the time to talk with us!
As you can tell from some of the previous blogs, I love food! In a couple of the past blogs, I talked about some of the local cuisine that we have here in Hawaii. If you haven't had a chance to read those blogs yet, check them out! Be warned however... it might make you hungry!Today I would like to talk a little bit more about the delicious cuisine of Hawaii. A dish that everyone in Hawaii knows and loves is saimin. Saimin is a dish consisting of thin noodles in a clear soup base. It is similar to ramen, a Japanese dish that originated in China. Many of you have probably tried instant ramen (especially starving college students) before, and at first glance, it looks exactly like saimin. However, the ingredients that go into making of bowl of saimin differs. Saimin is literally a melting pot of cultures. It has its origins from the plantation days of Hawaii, where Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Korean laborers lived close to one another. Elements from each culture were incorporated in communal meals, and this would eventually lead to the birth of saimin.
There are many other food dishes in Hawaii that have been born from the influence of the different cultures here. Many of these dishes have become local favorites that you should definitely try when you come to Hawaii. My recommendations are shoyu chicken (shouyu is the Japanese name for soy sauce). In Hawaii, we actually say "shoyu" instead of "soy sauce,” chicken katsu, mochiko chicken, spam musubi, and of course saimin!
I don't know about you, but I'm ready to eat now! So until next time, take care and aloha!
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