Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
My name is Zeena Hassim Izmeth.
Everyday I speak in English
but sometimes I speak in Malay.
I work in Canada as a real estate agent
that is to say, selling and buying houses for people.
That's my work everyday.
I have three children, three girls.
I live in Toronto, Canada
now some twenty-five years or thereabouts.
I love this country.
My name is Meluri Meru.
I mostly (oh my god) speak English.
My mother tongue is Malay
but I can speak Sinhala
can understand a little Tamil.
My husband's language, from Pakistan, that too I can understand
but cannot speak it.
My work is with little children
teaching Montessori.
I'm in Canada now twenty, no, thirty-two years.
I am living, here, in Canada.
So, Meluri
what do you think of our
Sri Lankan Malay language here in Canada?
Everybody must speak Malay
to remember, right? / Yeah.
Then how... how to... / Do it?
Me, I'd say in our ""SLAMAT""
Sri Lanka Malay Association
we are some
two, about two hundred families.
Then, because of that
now we are ten years since the association started.
As for me, I think that we
Everyone, always, if we gathered together
at gatherings, we must speak.
Even if we know only a little, we must speak it.
Together with our children if possible
at home we should speak it.
Or else, whichever places we come to
if we gather around here, we could
together with our siblings a little bit
if we speak in our language
they, too, will get used to hearing it.
One other thing, if we had a... classes?
If they were... what, like, once-a-week even
if possible
children and adults, getting together
studying...I'm thinking that would be best.
Also, they must speak it at home
always to teach the children
Yes. / To teach.
They are asking us if we
speak to people in Sri Lanka
by phone or by Skype.
Meluri, would you speak in Malay?
No. English, in English.
Just English, isn't it? Yes.
As for me, sometimes, my sister is there, Lisa.
She, even there, really likes this Malay language
to be spoken by everyone.
She... instructs like a teacher.
There's something like a Women's Association there.
For that she's the leader, for maintaining the language.
So, because of that, if we are able to start
after having spoken with them
we could see in what way
this could be done a lot in Canada, right?
Yes. / That, that's good.
But even so, because there aren't any books for us
I'm thinking... we, we should be doing something.
Now, Meluri, you have the experience, don't you? / Yeah.
Someone has written books.
Ah ha! / Malay language.
Is that right? / Yes, I have those.
Really! / Yes, so...
Yes. For us, we could get together
make a sort of syllabus, couldn't we?
Simple... this.
Scripts, words... Having got them all together
we, ourselves, could start a class.
I'm thinking, even this recording
we really like it that they are doing this in Canada, right?
For our future... we could use this.
We, I'm thinking we must invite them to
our Cultural Show, shouldn't we? / Yes.
We, we could record it for them
when we are putting on our skit.
That'll have everyone in it.
However, to translate it would be impossible, right?
Yes, now, what else?
Is there a story of some kind? A story to tell?
Forgotten, now... / Forgotten, aren't they? / ... all the stories.
A verse, like a nursery rhyme?
Is there one? In Malay? / Yes, in Malay.
The rain is falling. The goats are running.
The Chinese, he's dying of fear.
The Javanese, his heart is brave.
His body strong, like iron.
Ah, that's a good one!
I haven't heard that one!
Since our childhood... / We've said it. Yes.
Ah, a nursery rhyme!