speaking in ARABIC.
By ingrid
@ridingbet (66857)
Philippines
October 16, 2018 5:02am CST
A colleague who is here for a 3 - month vacation wants to treat us lunch tomorrow at 10:30am. I messaged them I cannot come because I am sick.
She replied with a "HMPH". She was disappointed. I reasoned out how I feel: dry cough,endless sneezing, intermittent fever. She still wants me to come.
So we communicated in Arabic language. I responded that if it is not 12 noon, I might go because the dogs won't be fed for lunch at 10:45am.
It is nice to recall and speak a language that I learned way back 1986-1990. I still have it though not perfect anymore. But I can carry a conversation with Arabic.
7 people like this
7 responses
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
the good thing is i have no more fever. i still have dry cough and surprisingly, 2 of my colleagues were also sick and with productive cough.
the colleague has only 56 days vacation and i thought it is 3 months. when i asked why not 3 months, she replied, "i will not be able to go back to work anymore because i take my vacation yearly and i have no accumulated leave days already."
i went, my friend, and the fever did not come back anymore.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
20 Oct 18
@Courage7 yes and that is less than 2 months
1 person likes this
@Courage7 (19633)
• United States
17 Oct 18
@ridingbet Oh good that the fever did not come back. Wow that is a lot of vacation anyway 56 days..but yeah 3 months would be better.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
16 Oct 18
I only know a few words in Arabic and I understood "yalla." I hope you will be well enough to enjoy the occasion.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
yes it was fun. i went after the 2 offices were full of members and i did not want to watse my time sitting and waiting; instead, i met with my colleagues
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
wow that was 28 years ago, but then you were there for 4 years so i guess it's sort of more deeply embedded in you.
but i guess it also depends if you worked/lived closely with the locals and also your own skills and interest.
i mean some can pick up language easily even if they've only been in a new place for half a year, while some are not interested at all even if they're surrounded by it and lived there longer.
how soon after you arrived did you start understanding/learning/speaking it?
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
we had 3 months of classes every Sunday night for 3 hours when we were still having orientation in the hospital where we were assigned. we learned much, but not the deep Arabic words. there were so many Filipinos working in that hospital and we would speak in Arabic and translate it in Filipino language.
the Arabic words that we learned were simple words only, but we can curse already. hahaha
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
this morning, i went to the government agency whose office is near the super mall. it took me a long time to wait for my number to be called. next, another office and there were many people. bank was also full, so i decided to go to the mall and meet up with my friends.
1 person likes this
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
16 Oct 18
I'm amaze you can still speak well in Arabic, they cannot sold you when you return in Middle East.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
yes kabsat that is the usual punchline of Filipinos working abroad, "di mabebenta". we cannot be sold because we know the language.
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
It is really good when we learn new language
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
17 Oct 18
i worked there for 4 years. it is expected that foreign nurses should have knowledge on the national language
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
20 Oct 18
@ShifaLk i think Hebrew is good to study
1 person likes this
And I wanna learn Hebrew
