The mister and I dropped by at a Filipino store to buy take out food in Rockville yesterday. There was a Filipina ahead of us. She ordered a combo meal for dine in.
"Can you add broth to the rice?" requested the lady customer.
She wanted broth from a stewy dish that wasn't on her order. The lady behind the counter didn't understand her from what I observed because she scooped a few pieces of meat with the broth.
"No! No! No! Noooo!" she interrupted the lady clerk before she poured it on top of the rice.
The clerk looked at the other clerk, an older man with red apron. I was sure she had no clue what the customer meant by broth. She did it again---scooped but with less pieces of meat.
"I just want the broth."
I pitied the lady clerk. She really looked frustrated.
The male clerk took over, and scooped sauce but with about two pieces of meat and some sliced carrots with it.
"The broth! I just want broth to the rice."
I couldn't help it, so I butted in. "Gusto daw niya ng sabaw lang 'po sa rice. 'yong sarsa." (She just wants the sauce on her rice. The sauce.)
"Ahhhhh! You mean the soup?" he confirmed it with the lady customer.
"Yes! Just the broth!"
In the Philippines, we do not normally use the term broth. It's either soup or sauce.
4 comments:
Ang Broth. Bow.
Ambroth!
hahah I'm always amuse by your stories Maam hahaha e try daw nako ask broth sa carenderia. lol haha
love lots,
Tin
mypoeticisolation.blogspot.com
Nakakaloka si ate! Broth = pinaglagaan. Sauce/gravy = sarsa. Soup = sabaw. Dapat ata me glossary of terms sa likod ng menu Hahaha
This is quite a common communication breakdowns. I studied the Queen's English and naturally had a hard time when I arrived United States.
It was a good thing that you stood there to diffuse the whole orders. Well done.
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