Back to School

Although we've been learning Khmer ever since we arrived in Cambodia six months ago (tonight!), we recently stepped up our studies by enrolling in language courses where, in addition to listening and speaking, we're going to attempt to learn to read and write. Last week, to aid our study of the Khmer alphabet, I bought and hung two posters on the walls of our dining room. Now, as we eat our American breakfasts and Khmer lunches and suppers, we get to study the never-ending (or so they seem!) consonants and vowels. And just in case anyone out there is interested in studying them a bit, too, I'll give you an introduction.

In the poster above, each block showcases a consonant in the upper-left corner, a subscript in the lower-left corner (I haven't really learned what they're all about, but I believe mainly used to spell words that have two consonants beside each other), a picture of a word that begins with that consonant, and the word spelled in small letters in the bottom-right corner. Red consonants are first series (with an "-aw" sound) and blue consonants are second series (with an "-oh" sound). So, reading across the top, the letters are Kaw, Khaw, Koh, Khoh, Ngoh. (And the k without the h behind sounds more like our g, but now I'm getting technical...)

This is a close-up of the numbers 0-9 on the bottom right of the same poster. Starting on the left top (with zero) and reading down two columns, the numbers are shown characterized by an animal with the black numeric script beside it on the right. Thankfully, the arabic numerals we're used to in the west are recognized and used universally as well, or we'd be lost just trying to find an address or get a phone number!

And here we have the 23 vowels, which each have a first and second series sound as well, making for nearly 46 vowel sounds! One knows (once one has mastered the alphabet, that is!) which sound to use by the series of the consonant with which it's used in conjuction - oh, and as far as position, the vowels can go over top, beside, or below the consonant. (For example, in the photo with the numbers, two vowels are seen on the bottom left -the grey circle represents the location of a consonant.) Also, for your viewing pleasure, an assortment of pictures/words of Southeast Asian food.

*Side note: The fruit in the center of the poster (third row, third column from left) is called durian (English) or Too-rain (Khmer), and to many (I'm not one of them) is considered a delicacy. It is large, about the size of a football, has soft, yellow-white flesh, a VERY pungent odor and a unique taste. In my own opinion, the smell is a cross between sweaty, old gym clothes and rotten eggs, and the taste reminds me of an onion omelet. We have heard of airlines that forbid travel with said fruit, hotels prohibiting its consumption on their premises, and a wife who can always tell hours later after her husband indulges his durian cravings - his breath gives him away!)

So, on the days when learning the Khmer alphabet is more than we can grasp, we try to take lessons from our kids and either not let it scare us...

... or just grin and bear it anyway!

PS. Language Learning Update: We've had a recent change of plans, and Ryan and I are actually taking two different courses - he's still at the university (Institute of Foreign Languages), but I'm now studying with a tutor at Khmer School of Language. We are each happy with our teacher/tutor, and the arrangement is working well.

- Bethany