You-Kuh-Lay-Lee

I was at school not too long ago and I noticed one of the new foreign exchange students wandering the halls aimlessly and, being a good-natured fool, I asked her if she wanted help around. She looked at me and smiled a mindless smile and said a broken,

"Hello! My name is Shui-Beig!" (I checked the spelling)

I couldn't help her much because my Chinese/Japanese/ Thai (which ever it was) is limited to typical American slander ("Domo Origato Mr. Roboto?"), but she was able to comment on my Ricky Martin tour shirt that I was wearing!

"Do you like Ricky Martin?"
"Yes, yes! I saw him last time I visit USA!"
"Oh! Where did you see him?"
"I saw him in Ar-Kansas!"

I had to have her repeat that for me.

"Ar-Kansas!"

I had a moral dilemma: explain that it was pronounced "Ar-Can-Saw" with the risk of sounding like a rude American who shoves people’s mistakes in their faces, or simply say "I've never been there"? I felt bad NOT explaining the difference.

"Oh, um, it's actually pronounced 'Ar-can-saw' not 'Ar-Kansas.'"
"No no no no. It 'Ar-Kansas.'"

It hit me that this was actually a losing battle. We Americans had been duped by our own language, one-up'd even. We will be put in eternal shame because, yes, the word should be pronounced "Ar-kansas." It's spelled that way. And if THAT'S wrong than shouldn't "Cans-ass" be said rather as, "Can-saw?" I just stood by this adorable little girl feeling like a mook. I pointed her to her 1st class and left her. I was humiliated. What if she had asked me if I liked the state capitol Puh-hoe-nix? Or if she had spouted out "I really enjoy Tuck-sun!!"

Where has the language gone?
Gone to Satan everyone.
When will we ever learn?

-D