language barrier?

I can't speak Telugu. I am trying to learn bits and pieces, but it's coming very slowly. The best I can do is ask "ee roju bhojanam emity?" (what's for dinner tonight?), "ne peru emity?" (what is your name?), and "neeku esayya telusa?" (do you know Jesus?). The first time I learned how to ask what's for dinner, Keren hugged me. I apologized before I said it, but she was too excited at my butchering of their language to be offended.

Anyways at the camps, I resolved to speak one-word English. I spoke very few complete sentences because the campers would stare at me in confused wonder. Thankfully teaching sports requires less words and more actions. We were able to make do. But as my father taught me as a child, I make sounds and exclaim certain things when I play sports. I'm not talking vulgar obscenities (he did not teach me that!), but random words and noises.

Well, the campers (especially the girls) started picking up on these as we played Frisbee and volleyball. Various grunts began echoing in my ear as soon as they left my mouth. Things like "ooh," "ahh," and other sound effect noises resounded like a choir. I would began to laugh, which then caused everyone to start giggling. But what they enjoyed most were repeating the two words I spoke most whenever we played games.

In an attempt to encourage I would say "good job" whenever someone caught the frisbee or hit the volleyball correctly. As a way not to discourage, I would utter "oops" if someone dropped the frisbee or misplayed a hit. Well, they didn't quite understand the difference between the two. Before I knew, "oops" and "good job" randomly exited their mouths at will. After every play one of those two phrases was heard. Eventually I was able to demonstrate when to say "good job" and when to say "oops," but for the rest of camp the campers loved yelling out one of those two phrases whenever I came near.

When I arrived in the morning, got introduced to teach Bible, taught the sports classes, walked passed one of them, left for the day, and every time in between "oops" and "good job" were my calling cards. Most did remember my name as well, but found it much more humorous to greet me with one of these.

These two girls were the "oops" queens. They would say and wave me over to them. As I ate my meals, they would exclaim it while walking by. I couldn't help but laugh and go with it.

This group of younger girls found it more hilarious to play catch with me and speak fluent Telugu as I had any idea of what they were saying. The only thing I decoded was how they wanted me to throw the ball back. I liked to be tricky by tossing in between my legs, behind my back, and other means my father graciously raised me with. They would laugh hysterically with each one, try to mimic them, and laugh again when they failed. I would simply laugh at them laughing at me.