Trying to be Simple
My friend and I talked about what languages we use whenever the three of us are together.
I thought about it for a while and came up with this scheme
The two-way arrows are what we've been doing since Jo was born: Nico and I speak English to each other, Joseph and I speak Indonesian, Nico and Joseph speak French.
As he grows older, his English is getting active and often joins our chats. The two-way plus the dashed one-way arrows show the rather neurotic exchanges in our daily life.
Examples:
1. He joins and initiates an English conversation while Nico and I keep replying or repeating in our native languages.
Nico: Santi, would you like to have more butter?
Joseph: Mama, do you wanna have butter?
Santi: Tidak Joseph, terimakasih, mama tidak mau mentega
Joseph: Papa, mama tidak mau mentega
Nico: Oui, mama ne veut pas de beurre
Joseph: No butter, papa.. no butter
Nico: Oui .. pas de beurre
Joseph: More bread, please
Nico: Tu veux encore du pain?
Joseph: Oui, avec le miel s'il te plait
2. Nico and Joseph speak French, Joseph translates it into Indonesian or English for me.
Joseph: Regardez .... un petit mouche
Nico: Non .. il n'y a pas de mouche .. c'est une abeille
Joseph: Mama .. itu bukan lalat, itu lebah
Mama: Iya Jo .. itu lebah
Joseph: It's a bee, okey .. can you understand that?
Mama: Iya .. mama mengerti, itu lebah.
3. Joseph and I speak Indonesian, Joseph explains it to Nico in French and English
Mama: Ayo Jo... kita harus pergi sekarang. Pakai kaos kaki kamu.
Joseph: Allez papa ... chaussettes
Papa: Oui oui
Joseph: Let's go.... let's go ... we have to go
Mama: Iya kita harus pergi.
Papa: Allez Joseph ...tes chaussettes
Joseph: Yes .. my socks and shoes, please papa
Papa: Oui .. tes chaussettes et tes chaussures, allez
4. Joseph speaks English to both of us, and we answer in our native languages
Joseph: This is my police car, Mama
Santi: Ya ...itu mobil polisi punya kamu
Joseph: And this is my train and my truck
Santi: Ya .. itu kereta api dan truk punya kamu
Joseph: Papa ... I wanna have some cookies, please
Nico: Tu veux un gateau?
Joseph: Yes yes ...
Nico: Quel gateau?
Joseph: Gateau chocolat, s'il te plait
5. He speaks French to both of us, Nico replies in French and I in Indonesian
6. Speaks Indonesian to both of us, I answer in Indonesian, Nico in French
Actually, I didn't realize how tricky our chitchats are until some friends point it out to us :D.
And oh oh .. in what languages are Jo and Lu going to speak? Jo and Lu with me? Lu with me? Lu with Nico? Jo and Lu with Nico? Hah hah hah hah hah!!