Dogs

Many of our staff speak English, and while there’s the constant code switch between two different languages, I often forget that I can’t communicate as I would in the US. Until, that is, something reminds me. Here’s today’s story…

A friend and fellow staff member was chatting with me when he mentioned his US Cultural Studies class (meaning, he’s studying US culture, not that he’s studying cultural studies the way that I learned it at USC… with terms like hegemony and agency thrown around). As you can see, the particulars of US culture can be lost even on those who grew up with it.

He said “The teacher said that if you call someone dorky it’s okay but not if you call them picky.”

Kate: “You mean if you call them a dork? Sometimes that’s funny…”

Him: “No, he said it was a good thing to be dorky.”

Kate: “Maybe. But it’s not bad to be picky. Dorky means you are kind of weird. Picky means you like things to be a certain way, or maybe that you don’t eat certain foods.”

Him: “No. Like being a dog. Doggie. It’s good to call someone that.”

Kate: “I would never call anyone a dog. That’s not nice.”

Him: “No, he said it’s good to be called dog. And piggy is bad.”

Kate: “Well, yeah, being a pig is not a good thing. That makes sense…”

Him: “Yes, being called piggy means you are lazy.”

Kate (finally catching on…): “Right. OH! Yes, it’s bad to call someone a pig, and sometimes it’s okay to call someone a dawg. But only some people say that, not everyone.”

Him: “Yes, see, it’s good to call people dawg.”

Kate: “But it’s not like a regular dog. Not doggie. It’s different. But I guess it’s not a bad thing. It’s for people who are your friends, I think.”

Him: “So calling someone dawg is okay, but not piggy.”

Kate: “Right. Your teacher’s right.”

Him: “I thought so.”

So now you can see why I have not come to teach American culture to the Cambodians. I clearly don’t know enough “culture” to be proficient. Peace out, dawgs.