Terre cakap Penang dahhhh!

I met with Aniza yesterday for lunch. I was busy hiding from 'someone' during that time but when Ani called and said she'd like to drop by and have lunch with me, I was whooping with joy!

She's one of my oldest friend. One of those friends who surprise you with every little detail they remember about you. She still remembers my favourite colour from years ago and even remembers my small insignificant habits I thought nobody noticed hehe..

Anyway, we went for lunch kat tepi sungai. We talked about old friends and teachers. Talked about each other (she's engaged, btw! *sigh* Saya jugak la yang single lagi).

Anyway, halfway through our conversation, I noticed that she had become the listener, and I had become the 'talker' (somehow, opposite from what we were!). I stopped talkin and asked her; why the sudden silence?

Her answer: "Aku syok nak dengaq hang cakap Penang. Terre dah no hang cakap Penang, dulu sepatah pun tak gheti. Tu dalam lahir besaq semua kat Penang tu! Cakap pun dah banyak dah, dulu tak dak la banyak sangat camni!"

I just looked at her face before bursting with laughter. It was only then that I remembered: my school friends (before form 4) have NEVER heard me talking in the Penang dialect. I just couldn't get it right though I HAD tried to, once in Form 1).It didn't help that we didn't talk like that at home since my parents are both from Kuala Kangsar so we had adopted the 'standard' way of talking.

Another reason I wasn't comfortable is because I always thought that the way of speaking sonded too harsh. Macam nak gaduh je.. hehe, marah orang² Penang!. My friends knew I always felt like this so sometimes they tone it down a bit in front of me.. thus, making me feel like a jerk! I mean, its not that I hated it totally.. but I guess, like they say, "Tak kenal maka tak cinta.. tak tau cakap, cammana nak suka?

Let's see, in Form 4, I was chided for being unable to talk using the Penang dialect. But eventhough in Form 1 I had tried but did not succeed, in Form 4, I had help in the form of Shikin. Shikin was what you'd say ,"Cakap Penang pekat giler!" so though she laughed at the way I talked (which to her was as strange as to me hearing HER talk in the Penang dialect), like a patient teacher, she slowly helped me in this department. Before long, I was able to really understand what Penangites talk though I was still the butt of jokes whenever I tried to speak like them haha.. but this is all thanks to her!

But the way I spoke changed once I befriended Yokies and Toroque. Toroque also spoke like Shikin so that helped me a lot in the 'speaking like a Penangite Project'. Then during my ongoing post-graduate years, I befriended Remy. I didn't know Remy was a Penangite until he slipped when he was talking to me one day. When I asked him where he was from, I was already starting to talk in the Penang dialect.. well, one thing about me, I only talk like then amongst Penangites so when I knew Remy was from Penang, I just gained ANOTHER teacher haha.. Banyak oo belajaq cakap Penang ngan Remy!

Anyway, this was what I told Ani, and she nodded in understanding though she laughed at how they had failed to teach me 'the way to talk' and I only learnt it these past few years. I know my speech still needs some polishing, but hey, its starting to grow on me.. and I'm loving it!