I'm Joey... "Me pooh pooh!"

For the most part, the little Vietnamese that I have learned is going well. People seem to understand me for the most part and they like that I'm trying to speak their language (not to mention they get a giggle out of my attempts!). 

So often, however, I am probably the "Joey" of Friends in Vietnam...

I say something in Vietnamese but the tone must be off just enough that it means something completely different ...or sometimes it probably means nothing at all, the way I say it. My tones and pronunciation are definitely not spot-on but I would have hoped that it would be close enough to still be understood... however, that's just not how this language works.

At a Japanese restaurant recently the waiter wanted to practice his English... and barely let me get a bite of food in. At one point he wanted to know if I know any of "his" language... and if I could say something in Vietnamese to him... I told him that I know only a little and said my favorite phrase:  "Hen gap lai" (see you again)... he then proceeded to ask me what else I know in Vietnamese until I had shared with him the extent of my Vietnamese skills.

Like Joey with Phoebe, I would say something to him in Vietnamese (such as, dem ve)... and he would cock his head to one side and look at me, as if to say, "What??"... I would then tell him in English what I (thought I had) said - "Dem ve... Takeaway..."

And then he would say, "Ohhh dem ve.

(Me thinking - that's how I said it!)