The Texan "Language" 101

Hey everyone, I'm back! At least for this blog.

So, recently I have been thinking a lot about language (both English and Spanish), and how we all speak differently depending on where we come from. For instance, after spending a week in Mexico with my church, I quickly realized the big difference between the way Mexicans talk vs. how Hondurans talk. For all the Spanish speakers out there, we know that our regions make our accents very different from one another, and it influences different words that we use. The same goes for English speakers in the United States. So, for today's blog, I wanted to talk to all of you non-Texans about how to crack the code of the Texan "language."

To start off, Texas is apart of the south, so we share many similarities in our way of speech with other southern states. However, we still have our own way of speaking that can confuse even some of those states close to us. Now, of course, Texas is so huge that we have many accents and ways of saying things in our different regions. I am personally from north-east Texas, so I will be speaking about my own region.

One thing to know before engaging in dialogue with a Native Texan (refer to one of my first blogs if you are confused on what I mean by this), you need to understand how we pronounce different words. MANY times we cut off certain letters in our sentences. We know they are there, but we just have found an easier way of saying it, so we decide to let those letters take a break. Very rarely will we ever pronounce a "T" or "G" or "D" if it falls at the end of a word. We also get rid of the "L" if it comes before a "D" or a "K." For example: "I was listening to the speaker today, but I just couldn't pay attention. I was so tired. I could barely even walk." This would really sound like: "I was listenin' to the speaker today, but I jus' coudn' pay attention. I was so tire'. I cou' barely even wak."

We also don't get along well with the letter "T" when it falls in the middle of a word, so we use the same pronunciation of the word, but replace it with a "D." Instead of saying words like "little" and "water," we will say, "liddle" and "wader."

As far as specific words and phrases go, below you will find a Texan-Slang-Cheat-Sheet.

• "Bless your heart" - a term mostly used to mean, "You poor little thing. I'm so sorry."
• "Bless your poor little heart" - very similar sounding to the first phrase, but normally used sarcastically to say "You poor, dumb person."
• "Fixin' To" - this one means "about to."
• "Y'all" - a word used to address a group of 2 or more people. This is the southern way of saying "You all."
• "Deal" - pronounced as "dill," this word is used to describe something you don't remember the name of.
• "Howdy" - while not as commonly used as it used to be, this word is still known by all here. This is the Texan way of saying "Hello."
• "This ain't my first rodeo" - this phrase basically means, "This isn't my first time/I know how to do this."
• "Coke" - yes, this word does in fact mean "Coca-Cola." It can also mean "Pespi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Root Beer, etc."
• "Yankee" - anyone from up north.
• "Yonder" - again, not a word that is very commonly used in this area anymore, but still used enough. This one indicates a location farther away than your current location.
• "Hissy fit" - a tantrum.
• "All git out" - a great degree. (Example: She was madder than all git out)
• "Tank" - a pond.
• "Pidlee-o" - This one isn't as common, but you may still hear it. This is a word used to indicate something small, or a tiny amount.
• "Figure" - to guess, imagine, or think.
• "Whoopin'" - a spanking
• "Mighty Fine" - very good

Let's put you to the test now and see how well you can understand the following story.

FRIEND #1: "So the other day I wen' out to ea' with my family, and we wen' to the Whataburger over yonder. So I walk up to the counter and say howdy, and I'm fixin' to order my food when this liddle girl in a booth starts throwin' a hissy fit. Well, I gotta tell you, the parents were more embarrassed than all git out, but they weren' doin' nothin' 'bout it. Honestly, this child wasn' more than a pidlee-o thing, and I was half tempted to pick her up and toss her in the tank. But I didn' do anythin'. I bit my tongue, even though she needed a whoopin'. I figured they must be some yankees jus' passin' through."

FRIEND #2: "So what'd you do?"

FRIEND #1: "Well I grabbed my cup from the lady at the register, wen' over to the deal and go' myself a coke."

FRIEND #2: "What kind?"

FRIEND #1: "A Dr. Pepper. Then my food was ready, so I got it, passed by them and said, 'Y'all have a mighty fine day,' and then I left. They jus' looked helpless."

FRIEND #2: "Aw...bless their poor little heart."

Life Back in the United States

Well, to all of you who have been keeping up with my blog this year, I am finally giving everyone an official update on life back in the United States, like I said I would do as I headed back from Honduras.

In all honesty, it has been a strong mix of emotions, as well as finding some things surprisingly easy, and others just as difficult as expected. One thing that is hard for me to fathom is the fact that I have already been back in the states for a month and a half. Some days it feels like it has been so much longer, and other days it feels as if I just got back yesterday. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about all of it, but I'm still in an adjusting process. Since I'm not really sure how I "should" present the pros and cons of being back, I guess I will just jump straight into it.

PROS:
There have been some very nice things about being back in the US. One of the greatest things is getting to be around my family and friends whom I had not seen for half a year. I've enjoyed eating some of my beloved TexMex food, and seeing places I have missed. I've also had the longest break from work in my entire life since I've been back...although I actually am ready to get back to a job because I feel so lazy. Also, being back in Texas means that I will get to be around for all the birthdays, weddings, and births that I have missed the last several years of my life with college and living out of country. There are many positives to being home. Surprisingly, I have adjusted fairly easily to being back..and I have to admit taking a hot shower is kind of nice, as well as being able to drink water from the faucet instead of running down to Eldon's to buy a 5 gallon bote de agua.

NOT CONS, BUT RATHER CHALLENGES:
While I am very happy to be home with my family after not spending much time with them for almost 3 years now, I have run into some things that have been difficult getting used to. While living in Roatan, I was immersed in the culture and (not quite sure how to translate this into english) me pusé la cultura and customs. A specific example is that in Honduras, we point to things with our lips...coming back to the states, I have gotten some strange looks from people.
I also really miss the music, the ocean, the pulperias, canchitas, and food (especially baleadas)! You don't find those things very easily (if at all) in the United States. I also really miss the people..and the Island accent :D
I will say, though, that the hardest thing for me being back is the whole aspect of speaking spanish and being accepted into a community. For anyone else who has gone on missions for an extended period of time, you know what I mean when I say that I don't really feel like I belong in one group or the other. I kind of feel like I'm lost somewhere in the middle. Obviously I am in an english speaking community, and I don't have a problem with that at all. However, it doesn't feel completed, if that makes sense. There's still a big part of me (like a puzzle piece) that has a connection with the latin community and life that I don't feel I get to experience. Living in Honduras, I got to speak spanish all the time, but here people don't speak to me in spanish unless I strongly implore them to (and even then it doesn't always happen). Roatan was a very bilingual place filled with people of all different skin colors of brown, black, and white, and almost everyone there spoke at least 2 languages, so the conversations were very much spanglish. Here though, since I'm white, people don't talk to me in spanish, so I'm having some trouble maintaining it.

Overall, it has been nice being back in the states. I will actually be here for another year at least because things did not work for me to go back to Honduras this next school year.

I do want to say, though, Honduras, I miss you very much. You are the country of my heart, and I will forever love you. Can't wait to come back and see you again.

Until next time!
-TimTito (Native Texan and Catrachigringo awaiting his return)

Last Post from Honduras

   So as I sit in the airport, I decided to write a blog to pass time...you know, maybe this will eat up an hour out of the 11 I have left here (ha). I am no longer on my beautiful little island. Right now I am sitting in the airport in San Pedro Sula, awaiting my flight for this evening.
   Although it was sad, it was a good way to end my time here in the island. This morning we had a breakfast at the school, and most everyone was there. It was nice to get to see most of my friends one last time this morning and eat a catracho breakfast on my last day. Last night, though, I had a hard time falling asleep. Of course it had to do with the impending thought of the trip today. (If I have never told you before, I always get nervous when flying international. I always think of the worst circumstances that could happen and spend hours planning out what I would do if they actually happened.)
   This morning was a bit difficult too. I had my alarm set to go off at 7:20am...but the gallos woke me up at 5:50 instead. At first I began to complain at them, and then I stopped. I realized, that even though they are some of the most annoying little things I have ever known, I will actually miss the sound of their crowing in the mornings. That's definitely not something that I will have in the city in Dallas when I get back.
   On the way to the airport in Roatán, I felt really sad as I saw the ocean pass by my window, all the trees, driving through Los Fuertes and all the familiar sights. I know I'm going to miss this place and the people a lot. I think I may have mentioned this before, and you may laugh, but I almost feel like I'm traveling to a foreign country. Como, the way I felt when I headed to the airport on my way to Honduras is the way I feel now as I head to the United States. After 6 months, it almost feels like I'm going to an unknown place to start a new adventure.
   I'm excited, though. I'm excited to see my family. Excited to see my friends. Excited to see places of childhood memories and places I used to go to all of the time. So USA, see you soon. I'll be writing again soon to tell everyone how I'm adjusting back to American culture.

Until next time world,

-Tim Tito
(Native Texan and Catrachigringo: training on hold)

As the Days Count Down

 
 As the days start coming to an end, I have been thinking back on all the amazing things I have seen and experienced since coming here. In all my life, I wanted to move to another country, but never did I think it would actually happen. I am beyond thankful and blessed to have had this opportunity to serve here in Honduras for the past 6 months. But with everything that's gone on, it's hard for me to believe that I only have 4 days left.
  Since I moved out here, I've been marking off the days on my calendar too see how long I've been here. Last night I marked off the one for the 10th of June, and I looked up and saw 5 other full months completely marked out. It doesn't feel like it's been that long. If anything, it feels like it's only been a few weeks...where did all the time go?
   I'm excited to be going back to the states and seeing people this summer...but it's strange. The way I felt about coming out here to a new country is almost the same way I feel about going back to the states. I kind of feel like so much has passed me by since I've been gone, and that it'll be kind of hard to get used to all that again. The island life is simple and relaxed; the states is busy and busy. But you know what, I adjusted to this place pretty quickly, so I just may adjust back to the other quickly as well.
   I will say, though, adjusting quickly is one of my fears. Not that I don't want to acclimate to the culture and everything and get used to it again, but that I'm a little bit afraid that once I go home, I'll get too used to it and kind of lose everything that has become a part of me since I moved out here. But oh well. Only time will tell what will happen.
   Honduras has now become my love and it has my heart. Sadly, though, I'm not sure if I'm going to get to come back or not...So while I spend my last 4 days here, I'm going to enjoy it for everything it is.

Until next time family and friends,

-Tim Tito
(Native Texan and Catrachigringo...training almost complete)

5 Things Future Missionaries Should Hear

   Today I read an article talking about things missionaries wish they had been told before they started their work. I loved the article so much that I decided to make my own list of 5 Things I Think Future Missionaries Should Hear. Hope you enjoy!

1. Do not try to "lose yourself" in the culture or become "one of them."

   This is probably one of the hardest things I had to come to terms with and it took me the longest to learn (and I am still learning). Sometimes it may be easy for you to want to fit in and kind of "lose your old self" in your new country or area. For me, this was very hard. I wanted to strive to be "one of them," and I would get so frustrated because I was never quite accepted as one of them. But what I have learned is that this isn't a bad thing. Don't ever lose sight of who you were before you came to the new country. Be willing to adapt to the culture and even take on certain aspects of it and things…but do not try to get rid of who you are. To the native people, you will always be seen as a foreigner, but they will come to love you for who you are. And they will accept you into their lives and family in a special way. 

2. Life does not get easier..it actually will get harder

   Sometimes, people who are about to go on missions are filled with the stories of greatness from the mission field, and they don't hear about the hard things…kind of like war stories that a grandchild hears from their grandparent. Just because you are doing mission work for the Lord, it does not mean that things will be amazing and like you will be on a "Jesus High" all the time. In fact, things will be very hard a lot of times. You will go through phases of missing home intensely, meeting people with heart wrenching stories and not knowing exactly what to do, or anything else. That doesn't mean that missions are horrible…absolutely not! I recommend everyone to go on missions; it will be one of the best, if not the best experience in your life. But I think it is important to know that those best months, years, or weeks are accompanied by some of the hardest things you might face.

3. Be patient (the hardest part is the beginning)

   Always be patient. I read somewhere that the first 2 months are the hardest…and I will completely back up that statement. I remember that my first 2 months living here were super hard for me; Not because it was a horrible experience, but because I missed home so much. There were many times in those first 2 months that I questioned if I had made the right decision of coming out here. But after those 2 months, life got easier, and I adjusted to the culture and life. So my advice for you is to just be patient and wait. Give yourself time to adapt and get used to things.

4. Be prepared to be humbled

   This one kind of goes along with being patient, but be prepared to be humbled…especially with the language! I came out here and had a decent grasp on the spanish language, but when I first got here, I realized I really was not up to speed. It has been a lot of sweat, a lot of tears, and a lot of embarrassing moments. And you know what? I'm still learning! You will have many times when you get blank stares from people because you said something completely wrong, or someone will laugh at you, or you will get corrected 100 times a day…every day…for months. Haha! But hey, you will get a grasp on it and it will eventually start coming naturally. Just be patient and realize that it is difficult learning a second language. Also, you will get humbled on some of the cultural aspects. Just roll with the punches, and be realize that it is not the end of the world if you get embarrassed. It's just a learning opportunity.

5. Don't get discouraged

   It is so easy to get discouraged as a missionary. You will have times when the people you minister to just eat up the word of God and everything. And then you will have more times when you don't see anything change, and you will get discouraged and ask, "Am I making any difference, God?!" But remember…plants and trees don't grow overnight. You are planting seeds that you don't realize. Sometimes it just takes longer for others.

*BONUS*

   Something I wish I had been informed on is that mission work does not always look like feeding homeless and starving children like we see many pictures. While that is amazing and beautiful, missions, many times, look like normal life. I am a school teacher here. I wake up, get ready, go to school, teach, tutor, go to the grocery store, meet people while walking home, etc. It sounds like a very normal life like what many people have. In reality, this is what many missionary lives look like…because our missions field is in the every day life. It never stops. The mission is where you are.

Hope you enjoyed! Please comment any things you would like to hear about next time. I also included the link to the other article I based this off of if you would like to see it.

-Tim Tito

(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in Training)

www.askamissionary.com/question/31

A Glimpse of My World

So, Tim, you've lived in Honduras for all this time, and you have not even given an idea of what the culture is like or anything? Well guess what, guys! I am finally going to give you a little snippet of Honduran life (at least here on Roatan).

I live in Roatan. It is one of the Bay Islands off of the northern coast of Honduras. It is the biggest of the Bay Islands, but it is still small. Specifically, I live in a small community called "French Harbour," which started out as a fishing community. In the area of French Harbour that I live in, most of the people speak spanish, but on the other side, most of the people speak Island English. (Island English is kind of like a Creole english.)

The culture here is pretty cool. It is very tranquilo and relaxed most of the time, and the people are very friendly. The main industry of the island was fishing, but it is beginning to turn more to tourism, as a lot of Americans, Canadians, and Europeans like to visit. However, they normally stay on the west end of the island.

One of the things I really find cool about this place is all the food. Wherever you go, you will find people selling fruits, vegetables, and cooking meat on the side of the road. And let me tell you, the food is amazing! Islanders know how to cook...like seriously! A normal meal usually consists of some kind of meat, beans, rice, and platano. There's a lot of other variations, and they are fantastic. If you ever come to visit, you HAVE TO eat Baleadas. The best way I can explain it is heaven wrapped up in the warm hug of a tortilla. Baleadas consist of a freshly made tortilla, frijoles, queso or mantequilla, and you can also add eggs, aguacate, longaniza, or some kind of meat. Just trust me...it is AMAZING!

Continuing with this snippet of the life here, I thought I should give a brief look at the spanish here. If you speak spanish, you probably have noticed that different countries have their own ways of speaking the language. Here in Honduras, we have different caliche (or nicknames/slang) for certain things. Here are some of them:
1. Paja - a lie
2. Maje - dude (or fool)
3. Wirro/a - boy or girl
4. Tacos - cleats
Another things you should know about Honduran spanish is that they use something called "voseo," which is an informal way of speaking where they replace tu with vos. Honestly, when I first came here and would speak spanish with people, I would get so confused when people would speak to me in vos...but now I use it all the time, and I actually prefer it. I think it's easier sometimes than using tu.

Now, with all of this, I can't leave out some of the important things. Roatan is beautiful, and a great place I would recommend anyone to come and visit (or live). But just like every place has their richer and fancier areas, we also have the poorer areas as well. And these areas, in my opinion, are the best areas. Yes, it's nice to see all of the scenic places that you want to take a picture in front of, but to me, life truly exists in the areas where there isn't as much money. This is where life is real. Hondurans are strong people, and they are amazing people. They have a lot of heart, and a lot of spirit. Living here has really put into perspective the life people (me included) have in America.

Those from America, we are truly blessed to live where we do. We don't realize how blessed we are. Don't take anything you have for granted. Living life here has put my own life into perspective and seeing how blessed I was growing up, and my family was not even a well off family. There is so much I would love to say and impart, but I have to save some things for another time.

I would love to talk to you guys if you have any questions or would like to know more about life here. Have a great week, and God bless!

-Tim Tito
(Native Texan and Catrachigringo in training)

The Battle Over You

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was God. He created the world and everything in it. He created the light and dark, the waters and land, animals, and vegetation. Then He made something else. He made this thing called "man" and breathed breath into his lungs. He then formed a partner for this thing called "man" and began a relationship with these living beings known as "mankind."

Then there was this bad guy. This bad guy didn't like at all what God was doing. You see, he wanted to be God and to have His power. So he decided to try and take away that which God had created. He tempted, man bought it, and here we are today.

I may not be the best narrator, but I'm pretty sure you got the picture, or at least be able to identify the story (history). Here's the thing, though…the story is not over. There's a battle constantly going on between good and evil. A battle between God and Satan. We learn about this from an early age (especially if you grew up in a church like me). However, I would, if you will, like to bring forth a new thought about this.

For so long we have talked about the battle between God and the enemy. Sometimes it's kind of talked about like a battle for power, or to show who is stronger. However, we already know who is going to win. The Bible already says it. The Lord wins. The enemy is defeated, and God wins.

I started thinking about this the other day: If we already know who is going to win…if we already know the outcome, then what is this battle about? Is it that God needs to show that He is more powerful? While I do believe that everything in the outcome is to bring glory to God, I also don't think God has to prove His worth. He knows He's going to win. We know He is going to win. The enemy knows He is going to win. So what is the battle for?

You.

God doesn't have to prove anything. He's God. The enemy already knows he's going to lose. So why fight? Well, in a short answer, it's for you. The battle is over your eternity. God is fighting for you because He wants you to be with Him for eternity in heaven. The enemy wants you to go down with him into ruin.

So here's my question now: Who do you want to win the battle over your soul?