Views #444 | Low-Intermediate 4

Hawaiian Life

Mitchell talks about his home area.

Script
Vocab
Quiz


Mitchel	Todd

Todd: So, Mitchell, you are Hawaiian, right, and Hawaii is part of the United States but, what would you say, that most Hawaiians are similar to people in the mainland or quite different to people in the mainland?

Mitchell: Ah, that's a tough question. They're the same because they speak English but they look different. They're more of a, more darker complexion. They speak in a more pidgeon, we call it "pidgeon English." It's broken English, so it's not, if I go to, for example, if my friends, we'll go to the mainland, lot of them don't really understand them, like, "Can you repeat what you said, please?"

Todd: Right

Mitchell: But I guess anywhere you go everyone's different, so?

Todd: How about, can you say there's a difference in culture in how people are, like in personality, people on Hawaii and people in the mainland?

Mitchell: I tend to think that people from the mainland talk more.

Todd: Right.

Mitchell: Like, yeah they'll just talk about anything, and Hawaiian culture they don't talk as much. they talk when you have to talk real talk, in general, but.

Todd: Have you ever actually considered moving to the mainland, or would you prefer to live in Hawaii forever.

Mitchell: Well, yeah, I've considered it many times. Actually, my middle brother right now is working in New York City. (Oh, wow) and my oldest brother was working in Boston, (uh-huh) but now he's back in Hawaii working, and my middle brother is still in New York working. Yeah, I would like to live in the mainland, but I'd like to pick a place with nice weather, you know, a warm culture.

Todd: Right, right. You can't beat that warm weather in Hawaii. That's for sure. How about the foods? What's some food that's really good in Hawaii?

Mitchell: Oh, man, don't get me started on food! Since Hawaii has mixed culture, we call it local food, like it's called a plate lunch. Like for example, you'll pay five bucks, and you'll get whatever you want, you just choose, for example, steak, rice, salad, for all five bucks. The food is I think, is way better than mainland because like, it's, the food is mixed, so like, you can get anything you want. For example, if you go to a food court in Hawaii, we have every section. Chinese, Korean, Hawaiian, Philliphino, so you get to choose whatever you want, you know, Mexican, and I think the portions are big too.

Todd: Oh, wow, sounds good man. I haven't had lunch yet. You're making me hungry.

Mitchell: I'm hungry myself.

Todd: Thanks Mitchell.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

mainland

Would you say that most Hawaiians are similar to people in the mainland?

People from Hawaii use the term 'mainland' to talk about the large part of the United States that is connected to Canada and Mexico. Notice the following:

Where would you like to live on the mainland?
He went to his first semester of university on the mainland.

pidgin English

The Hawaiians speak in what we call "pidgin English" or broken English.

'Pidgin English' is a simplified form of the English language which doesn't necessarily used correct grammar. A pidgin language is created when speakers of two different languages try to find a way to communicate with each other. Notice the following:

The whole book was written in pidgin English.
We speak the same language, but sometimes I don't understand because he speaks a pidgin English.

talk real talk

Hawaiian people don't talk as much; they talk when you have to talk real talk.

'Talk real talk' refers to a type of communication where people only talk when they have something important to say, not just to fill the silence. Everything you say should have a purpose. Notice the following:

He doesn't say much unless he's talking real talk.
She can talk for hours, but she almost never talks real talk.

plate lunch

Since Hawaii has mixed culture, we call it local food, like it's called a plate lunch.

A 'plate lunch' is where you pay a set amount of money and you can choose exactly whatever you want to fill up your plate. Notice the following:

Plate lunch is the best way to try many different types of local food.
Whenever I get plate lunch I always eat too much.

food court

If you go to a food court in Hawaii, we have every section: Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Hawaiian.

A 'food court' is a place in the mall where they serve food. There are many different restaurants, usually fast food, in a food court and a big room full of tables to sit at.. Notice the following: