PNG TIME

ipblocker

12/23/2008

Lost in Translation

Some things simply do not translate.
Today I stepped outside my office, it being Christmas eve, I was leaving early.
A friend of mine, (born in PNG) was placing a box marked "FRAGILE" in his truck.

I quoted one of my favorite Christmas movies and said without thinking,

"Frah jee lay ... ooh that must be Italian!"

he paused and looked at me with a look that said "this is your mother tongue, and you can't even read that?" and replied verbally, "Fragile... it's Fragile"

I lacked the desire to explain my joke, I regretted having quoted the film to a man who had obviously never seen it... and nodded a polite "yes, thank you."

Hehe... still couldn't resist the perfect opportunity.

Merry Christmas.