Terminology Difference

Words are important and carry a power in their meaning.  When you live in a different culture you realize that the words you use are not the same words used by all to say the same thing.

I first experienced this in 6th grade in Washington D.C. on the "Safety Patrol" trip.  We were at  a building and I was very thirsty, I asked a business woman where the water fountain was and she looked at me puzzled and pointed to the big fountain in front of the building.  I said to her "no, a drinking fountain" then she started to laugh and said "oh you mean the bubblier".  On a different occasion I was in FL and wanted to buy a raft to float on in the pool we stopped at K-Mart and I asked where the rafts were... they had no clue what I was talking about and then in dawned on them "oh you mean a floaty". 

We are coming upon some differences in terminology while here in Singapore.  People do not stand in line, they "Que" you will hear "the Que is long", and see signs "please Que here", or "kindly Que".  Let me tell you people Que for everything here.  When we had our cultural training class before moving to Singapore our teacher told us about a time that he went up to a lady who was in a really long Que and asked her what she was quing for.  She had no idea what the Que was for but felt that it must be for something good if all of these people are in it she was standing in it in order to not miss out.

One does not get out of a car or off a bus, you alight.  During one of our taxi rides right after we moved here the driver asked me where I would like to alight.  I had no clue what he was talking about.

When ordering food you do not order it "to go" you order it "take away", your meal at MC Donald's is not "super sized" it is "topped up" and you "top up" your gas card etc... you do not rent a DVD, you hire a DVD.  It is not your cell phone, it is your hand phone, although on this one I have heard people say cell phone also.

So we learn more each day and as we Que we are able to communicate better to those around us.

Oh, when someone buzzes our apartment if I answer "hello" they just say "hello" back, I have to answer "yes?" then they tell me who they are to get into the apartment.  The first day we were here I said "hello" and they answered "hello" and I said "hello" and this went on for about three times.  Now we know.