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Patricia | Joel |
Joel: So I don't think we've met yet, what is your name?
Patricia: Patricia. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Joel: You too. Where are you from?
Patricia: I'm from Samoa.
Joel: Samoa? Where is that?
Patricia: It's in the South Pacific north of New Zealand.
Joel: Ok. Samoa. We call it Samoa in the United States. How do you pronounce it?
Patricia: Samoa.
Joel: Samoa. Ok. Yeah, I've met a couple of people from Samoa.
Patricia: Oh, really.
Joel: They are very large people. Is that pretty typical?
Patricia: Samoa consists of 2 islands, there's American Samoa and Western Samoa which is now called Samoa where I'm from. The American Samoan people or more of the big physique than the Samoans on my island. So perhaps you might have met the American Samoans and mixed them up perhaps.
Joel: It must be. But you're English is very good so is English your native language?
Patricia: Yes. The thing with me is that I am "Halfcast" which means that I'm European-blooded and Polynesian-blooded which means that most of the halfcasts individuals or families on the island, they should have 2 languages, speak two language or more. So probably our first language is English and then Samoan.
Joel: Ok. And what is the Samoan language--is it related to any other language like is it similar to Hawaian?
Patricia: Spanish, Hawaian, Malaysian. It's probably more closer to the Malaysian traditional...more...let's see...sorry...it's closer to the Indonesian and Malaysian language because we are supposed to be from Southeast Asia which is around the Indonesian and Malaysian area.
Joel: So you speak that language as well?
Patricia: Yes.
Joel: And what did you learn in school though?
Patricia: In school I learned-- you mean by language-wise?
Joel: Yes.
Patricia: Ok, we have 2 sets of language courses. One is you take the Samoan your traditional or your native language as a second language itself while you're still a Samoan citizen or you take Samoan as a pure Samoan which is local pure but not Halfcast. And the course I took was Samoan as a second language which teaches you basically more conversation and more oral form of Samoan.
Joel: And when do you have a chance to use that. Do you use that when you go shopping or in the home or...?
Patricia: Oh yes. Often. We can, at home, my parents speak both English and Samoan so we use Samoan only when you really want to make a point and English is more on a basis of everyday relaxing sort of thing.
Joel: I see. That's very interesting. Thanks Patricia.
Patricia: No worries.
