Funny quotes and stories

“Shit wennǝwaa” (Shit happens) – Amare’s saying (our Sinhala teacher)

“This is some beautiful cleavage!” – Alex, talking about the rock that he found, as we later found out

“No-Wae-Ma-Beer”
“What do you think THAT means?”
“No way man?”
“No way mabear?”
“No way mama…?”
“No..waa..m..ber….”
“Oh shit – it’s November!”
- conversation between Sara and I in Sinhala class

SINHALA MISHAPS

Jen
What she wanted to say in Sinhala: “I ate a papaya for breakfast.”
What she REALLY said: “I ate a chest [breast in context] for breakfast”

Alex (to Sandamali, one of our teachers)
What he wanted to say in Sinhala: “I like coconut milk”
What he REALLY said: “I like your coconut milk”

So, context: We were told to read these marriage proposals from the newspaper in Sinhala, and then make up a skit based on them. Sara and I decided that I would be the girl looking to get married and she would be the boy who was calling about the advertisement. The conversation, in translation, went as follows:

Sara: Hi, this is a little awkward, but I am calling about your marriage add in the paper. I’m Asanka.
Bryanna: Ok. I am Bryanna. Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?
Sara: Well, I am rich, educated, fair, very handsome, tall, and smart. I can also speak English very well.
…..now here is where it got interesting.
What I was SUPPOSED to say:
Bryanna: How tall are you?
But, of course, with my broken Sinhala, instead of using “how” I used “what”, so I asked,
“What [on you] is tall?”
OMG! And, OF COURSE, I had no idea I had messed up, so my Sinhala teacher just stood there and cracked up for a while, then asked me to repeat it before he told me it was wrong. Sara’s reaction: “Well, at least it was a practical question!” HA!