global village breaks language barriers
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Global Village breaks language barriers

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Global Village breaks language barriers

Matthew Bassuener at the UK pavilion in Global Village
DUBAI - Arab Today

If you are an Indian and visiting the Global Village, don’t be surprised if a Far-Eastern salesgirl at the Thailand pavilion welcomes you to her stall in Hindi or Tamil, or Malayalam for that matter. Or if you are a Russian checking out the honey varieties at the Yemen pavilion, don’t be taken aback if the Arab salesman starts a conversation in your mother tongue.

With thousands of visitors of various nationalities thronging the fair daily, it’s no wonder that the sales force manning the stalls can converse in multiple languages. In short, there is no language barrier here.

“There cannot be a better platform than the Global Village to pick up a new language. When you speak to a person in their native language, it breaks the barriers and brings a smile to their faces. They take an instant liking for you and open up to you, and talk about their country and culture,” says Zeynel Abidin Satilmis, a Turkish chef at a kiosk in front of the Morocco pavilion.

“Yesterday I asked a Russian visitor at my stall to teach me a few words. She said every time I meet a Russian girl I must say ‘ya lyublyu tebya’. I asked her what it meant and she said ‘I love you’,” he quipped. “But jokes apart, I like learning new languages,” he added. “To greet someone you say ‘prevet kak dela?’ meaning ‘how are you?. ‘I am fine’ is ‘ya v poryadke’. I can also speak a bit of Urdu. ‘Ao bhai’ (come brother), ‘kidhar se hain’ (where are you from?),” he says.

Mohammad Abdul Wahad Alomri, 26, a Yemeni honey seller, also shows off his Russian skills. “‘Dabra ootra (good morning), ‘kharashyo’ (I am fine), ‘pa-ka’ (good-bye), ‘rada tebya videt’ (nice to see you – for a girl), ‘rad tebya videt’ (nice to see you – for a male),” he rattles off.

Linguists all

“Many Russians visit the village and I make it a point to learn a new word or two every time I have a new customer. And thanks to the Indian and Pakistani visitors, my Hindi and Urdu have improved greatly.” To prove his point he blurts out: “‘Kaisa hain?’, (how are you), ‘kidhar jayega?’ (where are you going?), ‘kab ayega?’ (when will you come?).”

American Matthew Bassuener, 32, at the UK pavilion, has picked up Arabic thanks to his customers. “I sell whacky whistles and crochet mermaid blankets. A mermaid blanket is called Hooriyat Al Bahr Bithania in Arabic and it is priced miya khamsa wa talateen (Dh135). I can say numbers up to a thousand in Arabic.”

Adham Khan, 22, from Afghanistan, says he too has picked up Arabic as it important in his line of work. His Syrian manager Talal Alkhechi has been encouraging him to pick up a few words as it helps him connect with the customers.

“Taybe taybe aoudd balilal balouki,” (come and pick up the chickpeas) calls out Khan in a sing song manner at his food stall in Syria pavilion. “Knowing Arabic is essential at the Global Village as it helps in the business. I have also learnt a lot of Hindi and Urdu,” said Khan.

At the Thailand pavilion, a Filipina fruit seller, Mildred Evangelista de Ramos, can name the fruits in three Indian languages – Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. “This is pacha manga (raw mango in Tamil and Malayalam), imli (tamarind in Hindi), thenga (coconut in Tamil and Malayalam), pacha perika (guava in Tamil),” she points out.

“My boss is from Kerala and he knows many Indian languages. Owing to the large number of Indians visiting the stall, he decided to teach me the fruit names in different languages,” she said.

But Mildred has been teaching Tagalog, in return, to her boss. “I can say ‘malapit na ako’ (I am almost there), ‘lapit po kayo, ‘bili po kayo’ (come and buy). Kinse is 15 and Trenta is 30,” said Koyassan K., Mildred’s boss.

For Turkish Serdar Akçati and Kazakh Yeva Avramchuk, the Global Village has help them improve their English, enabling them to converse with western expats

source : gulfnews

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

global village breaks language barriers global village breaks language barriers

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

global village breaks language barriers global village breaks language barriers

 



GMT 10:10 2017 Thursday ,09 February

3 Important Elements You Have to Consider

GMT 04:03 2017 Monday ,24 April

Bella Hadid ‘dying’ to visit Palestine

GMT 19:25 2016 Wednesday ,25 May

The Brooklyn Desk by Oeuf NYC

GMT 07:49 2018 Friday ,05 January

2 Russian servicemen killed

GMT 07:58 2018 Monday ,01 January

Italy orders N. Korea's envoy to leave

GMT 08:45 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

US military imagines war without GPS

GMT 17:26 2017 Sunday ,17 December

Putin thanks Trump for help in foiling attack plot

GMT 22:19 2017 Monday ,16 October

Cairo-hosted Fatwa conf. new contribution

GMT 02:27 2016 Friday ,10 June

Video hints Japan abetting illegal ivory trade

GMT 07:04 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

1,883 Bahrainis found jobs in March

GMT 14:24 2016 Tuesday ,22 November

Citi and JPMorgan top list of ‘globally banks’

GMT 21:43 2017 Friday ,01 September

People question Nazaruddin`s repatriation expenses

GMT 09:41 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

OIC concerned over violence in Mali

GMT 01:30 2017 Friday ,27 October

May22/Jun21

GMT 05:38 2016 Friday ,30 December

Dubai Airports divert 13 flights due to heavy fog

GMT 11:38 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Mexico names new ambassador to US

GMT 12:03 2017 Wednesday ,22 March

Kuwait to mark World Water Day

GMT 15:00 2017 Wednesday ,27 September

HM King receives invitation from Egyptian President

GMT 02:45 2017 Tuesday ,05 December

President Bashir arrives in Chad

GMT 02:45 2017 Wednesday ,16 August

Turkmen President Visits Pakistan
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday