Our (me and my better than 90% partner - notice the mathematical and grammatical accuracy here - when people often talk about the better half - they are only half joking) first encounter with this continent's fascination for sports (and things related to it) became apparent on our second morning in the island state of Hawaii.
I was sitting in the restaurant enjoying the Honolulu Advertiser - talk about a candid proclamation (few in media have the guts to say it like it is) when I heard 'OH JAY or CAFI'? somewhat addressed to me. That sounded like a question but I had no idea what that meant. It was the polynesian server inquiring with mild curiousity trying to size me up for what sort of beverage preference I might indicate. But being ignorant of the formality of being asked what I would like to drink rather than a generic - 'what do you want?' or 'Yees?' type of question which I was used to in my motherland I took a few seconds to get on the wavelength.
Having figured there was a reference to coffee - a familiar drink I indicated my desire to go with it still pondering what the other choice was. Later I heard another server utter those same syllables in a similar tone at a table nearby whence I also caught the reply as - 'I'll take the orange juice'.
So that's how the orange juice got sized down to OJ. Excellent - I was picking up the local lingo.
As it happened that very evening I was back in the same hotel terrace for the evening beer social (ya - apparently that was the rage then and hotels actually proferred complimentary beverages on roof tops to allow the visting populations to socialize and take in the breeze) when I heard this mad scramble to change the TV channel. Everyone watched with rapt attention what appeared to be a car chase.
Rather curious myself with this interesting show - having not paid for any cable movie myself - was not going to pass up on the latest Hollywood production - I moved to take a seat. Chatter on the boob tube mentioned the same word I heard few days ag0 - OJ - followed by chased by black and whites. The latter was another term on my learning curve where it implied not the local demographic but a reference to the Los Angeles area Police Vehicles being painted with those choice colors.
I was sitting in the restaurant enjoying the Honolulu Advertiser - talk about a candid proclamation (few in media have the guts to say it like it is) when I heard 'OH JAY or CAFI'? somewhat addressed to me. That sounded like a question but I had no idea what that meant. It was the polynesian server inquiring with mild curiousity trying to size me up for what sort of beverage preference I might indicate. But being ignorant of the formality of being asked what I would like to drink rather than a generic - 'what do you want?' or 'Yees?' type of question which I was used to in my motherland I took a few seconds to get on the wavelength.
Having figured there was a reference to coffee - a familiar drink I indicated my desire to go with it still pondering what the other choice was. Later I heard another server utter those same syllables in a similar tone at a table nearby whence I also caught the reply as - 'I'll take the orange juice'.
So that's how the orange juice got sized down to OJ. Excellent - I was picking up the local lingo.
As it happened that very evening I was back in the same hotel terrace for the evening beer social (ya - apparently that was the rage then and hotels actually proferred complimentary beverages on roof tops to allow the visting populations to socialize and take in the breeze) when I heard this mad scramble to change the TV channel. Everyone watched with rapt attention what appeared to be a car chase.
Rather curious myself with this interesting show - having not paid for any cable movie myself - was not going to pass up on the latest Hollywood production - I moved to take a seat. Chatter on the boob tube mentioned the same word I heard few days ag0 - OJ - followed by chased by black and whites. The latter was another term on my learning curve where it implied not the local demographic but a reference to the Los Angeles area Police Vehicles being painted with those choice colors.
Now why police would apparently chase a person stealing juice (however appealing its Vitamin content) who also happened to drive a largish truck (must be lot of juice) and have it aired on national television was not quite clear.
Much later I learned of this individual that shared the same acronym for his initials and also happened to be a one time revered celebrity in the world of sports. Such is the comedy of errors when one is foreign to cultures and concepts and tries to get one's medula wrapped around the facts as they were.
More on classic encounters in this wonderland later,
Time for some kafee..
Desi Pravasi
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