Lost in Translation

1. I'm watching Hidden Cities on the History channel right now, and this episode focuses on Indonesia. The host is butchering the language. He's in Jogja right now talking about the grounds of the 16th century sultan's palace. I've been there. Its name is Kota Gede. He's got the kota pronunciation down, but he's struggling with gede. It's pronounced kind of like guh-DAY. He keeps saying GAY-day. In the time it took me to write that, he moved on to Mount Merapi. Butchering that too. OHMYGOSH! If you're going to use local words, learn to pronounce them before you go on international TV! It's not that hard!

2. We had an American (Todd from Idaho) sharing at church this morning. It was a pretty good sermon. For a group of intellectuals. But not when someone half your age who has no theology degree is trying to translate what you're saying into one of the most bare bones languages in the developed world. I mean, Indonesian uses the same word for anything that is pleasing to any of the 5 senses. If it tastes good, it's enak. If it feels good, it's enak. If something is comfortable, it's enak. If the view is nice, it is enak. If something smells nice, it's enak. And so on. The poor translator, bless his heart, did an AMAZING job. But things like, "God has infused us with zillions of bits of His own DNA, and so our task here on earth isn't to go to church, it is to BE the church" just really don't translate. (The translator didn't know the word "infused", zillions ISN'T EVEN A REAL WORD, nobody understood how we can have pieces of God in us, and the concept of "church" doesn't translate well either, especially not when people ARE the church. Add to that the fact there isn't a common usage form of the verb "to be" in Indonesian.) Todd from Idaho used a lot of idioms, figurative speech and abstract language too. It took more than an hour to get through the sermon, and by the end, everyone was pretty confused...

3. Earlier, a white friend offered me some food at her house. I declined, saying that I was staying in the Java Dorm (known for having the best food in town) and that I'd had two fajitas and a bowl of chili for dinner already. An Indonesian friend, on overhearing, got confused and interjected, "WAITWAITWAIT.... You had two fetus for dinner?!" Bahaha...