Thursday, February 12, 2009

I'm learning the language, I do not want to go home.

**Jane resting in my lap on the way home from Melago Hospital**
"Mazungo/Mazunga"--[Swahilli] This is what they call us "white people". It's not a derogitory word, although I think it may have originated more so. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly it translates to. You drive down any road, and little kids will come running out of their yards pointing and waving and yelling "Mazungos!! MAzungos!!". For some, it may be the first white person they've ever seen, for others we are just interesting to them because we look so different (the orphans will stare at a freckle or mole or (in my case) burn scar on your arm forever amazed, because they cannot see these things on their own skin). The children here are very excited to see white people as is, I noticed on my run today through the village outside Rafiki, the kids would come out waving and yelling very proudly whatever words they knew in English. I had about 7 of them all yelling "HOW ARE YOU HOW ARE YOU HOW ARE YOU!" I do not think they knew what it meant though. And then down the road more another others were yelling English phrases.
"Encoco" [Luganda] A Chicken. Or rooster. I think it might come from "Cock-a-doodle-do," because I heard a little one point at a rooster and say "coco-do-di-do" which must be what African Roosters sound like :)..
"Ente" - [Luganda] cow
"Emu, Biri, Satu, Nya, Taano, Mukaaga, Musanvu, Munaana, Mwenda, Kkumi!"-[Luganda] the numbers 1-10. The kids count in English, Spanish, Lugandan, and Japanese when stretching for soccer practice.
These next ones, I do not have the spelling for but this is how you say it--these are all in Luganda:
Good Morning: Wa-sue-zay o-tee-ano
Good Afternoon: Oh-see-bee-a o-tee-ano
Good night: sue-la boo-loon-gee
I am well: boo-loon-gee
Thank you: way-baa-lay
Sir: Say-bo
Madame: Nyah-bo
How are you? (to a child) O-lee-o-tee-uh
Fine: Caw-lay
Thank you for your work: Jay-baa-lee-co

No comments:

Post a Comment