I was in the Wood Green public library, tapping away at my computer, when a woman in her 50s/60s came up to me with a diary and a piece of paper. She looked like she could be Albanian, Romanian, Bulgarian, or Turkish (Wood Green has lots of them), and could barely speak English.
She showed me the diary, in which was written a name and a phone number, then the piece of paper in her other hand, and asked, “Can you write?”
I couldn't believe my ears. Can I write? She’s asking me if I’m literate!? What did she think I was doing at my computer if I couldn't read or write?!?
I asked, “Do you want me to write down this name and number for you?” She nodded.
A day on, I think she might’ve meant: “Can you write this down?”
Read also blog Treacherous language: 1 where the young man told me his back was good after the first massage, then asked “Is it better if I lie?”
(London, 2017)
Update a week on: My nephew in Singapore says his mother (my sister-in-law who was Chinese-educated) also says, "Can you write?" when she means "Can you write this down for me?"
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