The Morehead-Cain

Street Signs 101

It’s all well and good to learn a language out of a textbook or with Rosetta Stone software, but over the past four weeks, I’ve perfected the Lily Roberts Language Learning Method.

Under the LRLLM (catchier title to come), students will spend all day riding their motorbike from the grocery store in Gianyar to the grocery store in Ubud. They won’t immediately turn around upon reaching their destination, however — they’ll be required to spend at least an hour wandering the aisles of each store (cultural immersion!) and occasionally spending money (bonus: this will stimulate the local economy).

You wouldn’t ordinarily think of a city street as an opportunity for vocabulary and reading comprehension practice, but I’ve picked up some of my favorite words there.

If you think American billboards are cluttering up your highway views of corn fields, try driving around Bali for a few days.

Every inch of available street space has been used, most often to advertise the establishment directly below, but sometimes for a completely indiscernible purpose.

But helpful phrases are plentiful. If ever presented with the opportunity, I could easily tell an Indonesian where the nearest beauty parlor is or when you can find Biskuat Susu. (Biskuat Susu — literally “milk biscuits” — are basically plain shortbread cookies, but with a really enthusiastic chicken on the wrapper. Indonesians are big on using cartoon chickens to entice you to buy their product.)

“Two for the price of one!” I’d say, or “Turn left before you get to the temple to find the best mattresses in town!”

Visit Lily’s blog.