TONGUES

This is no illumination on the power of words or a written warning about what this seemingly tiny part of the body can do harm - our untamed tongues. After all, I'm tactless as well in some ways, intentionally or not. And I'd take that as work in progress character for not careful in saying or doing something upsetting. 

No one's perfect!

From one field to another - religion or science or culture or arts - tongue has fitted in so interestingly for a coffee talk or so, which left experts in scrutiny including simple inquisitors. And so I will place myself in the latter position - not an expert, but a curious person who's very amazed in the power of a small tongue to produce spoken languages.

So you got me now, hopefully - voila! I'm talking none other but a mother tongue or a foreign tongue or an ancient tongue or a literary implication called language! 

I'm burning with curiosity, and so want to address one question to a particular people-group, the Southeast Asian citizens. It isn't highly intellectual though or a kind that threatens one, so don't come to me saying... "Curiosity killed the cat." 

Have you ever been in an open-tour-van filled with different SEA nationalities? 

  

Sorry if this disinterest you, but I find this experience rare or once in a blue moon. Then, before one realized it, he or she spoke half of the tongues fortunately. Then English finally played as a second language, sat aside for a moment. 

I had this equal, perfect scene last month on my way to Bangkok from Poi Pet. That was a typical ride but not the experience itself. I've been to this route several times and patronized the same tourist company. And so no expectation - nothing special so to say, but not that day - riding with people in different SEA tongues for the first time. 

Two guys, even though hailed from two different countries (Malaysia and Indonesia), and yet shared a common language, the Bahasa, which is also closed to my home dialect known as Tausug. That's when I had to elaborate few similarities for these individuals to know, and for me to discover more similar vocabulary.

And so one Southern Vietnamese man was with us. He speaks English, but I and him decided to speak his tongue once in a while - for my advantage to practice my Vietnamese and for his' when he couldn't explain something in English.

Right next to me were Khmers who speak English just average. Thankfully, I speak basic Khmer and can carry a conversation using such tongue. What a joy to know!

Then, we had two local Thais who happened to be the driver and the tourist guide. Well, that's another story since a lot of us don't speak the language. I only learned few important phrases enough to greet and appreciate insiders.  Honestly, we didn't have problem communicating along the way, and so that was cool.

And few more citizens were also there, which need no further story telling.

Tongues...when it produces words, that's when we discover treasures without necessarily going to another world - simply by listening attentively.

Tongues...when it says something, that's when we acquire nuggets of wisdom even outside the four walls of school. 

Tongues... when it speaks, that's when we truly learn to behold the beauty of a language. 

Different tongues, but there's no distinctions to humanity - only the execution of each language - yet shares a common meaning.