Friday, December 18, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Amakuru?
Amakuru?
In my last message, I told you that "murakozi" means "good morning" in Kinyarwanda. It doesn’t! It means "thank you." So obviously, my grasp of even the few words I thought I knew is still tenuous. Anyway, "murakozi" to all of you who wrote in response to that message. It was great to hear from you.
Before I visited Rwanda in February, I knew little about the country. After spending a week there, I know that I have barely scratched the surface. The photos remind me that the seven days that passed like a dream were real. The memories are joyous, warm, amusing, and haunting. I’ve been thinking about Rwanda since I left, and I’ve been "feeling" Rwanda, too.
In my last message, I told you that "murakozi" means "good morning" in Kinyarwanda. It doesn’t! It means "thank you." So obviously, my grasp of even the few words I thought I knew is still tenuous. Anyway, "murakozi" to all of you who wrote in response to that message. It was great to hear from you.
Before I visited Rwanda in February, I knew little about the country. After spending a week there, I know that I have barely scratched the surface. The photos remind me that the seven days that passed like a dream were real. The memories are joyous, warm, amusing, and haunting. I’ve been thinking about Rwanda since I left, and I’ve been "feeling" Rwanda, too.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Murakozi!
Murakozi! Amakuru?
Greetings are often the first words we learn when we visit a foreign country. "Murakozi! Amakuru!" means "Good morning. How are you?" in Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda. Jordan and I learned these words and a few others during our week in Rwanda in February. Rwandans also speak Kiswahili, English or French, which because of the Belgian and French influence, was the language children learned in school. Recently, French has fallen out of favor and English is being taught instead. We got by well in English, but there were times when I needed to use my minimal competence in Kiswahili and even my 7th grade French to communicate.
Greetings are often the first words we learn when we visit a foreign country. "Murakozi! Amakuru!" means "Good morning. How are you?" in Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda. Jordan and I learned these words and a few others during our week in Rwanda in February. Rwandans also speak Kiswahili, English or French, which because of the Belgian and French influence, was the language children learned in school. Recently, French has fallen out of favor and English is being taught instead. We got by well in English, but there were times when I needed to use my minimal competence in Kiswahili and even my 7th grade French to communicate.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Salama sana
Salama sana!
We awoke this morning at 6 to find the power off, which meant that the water pump was not working, either. Our four candles, attached to the lids of empty coffee cans as a base, provided enough light to boil the milk for coffee and cut up a pineapple. There was plenty of water in our "emergency" bottles so hakuna matata! It was growing light outside, but to open the shutters would have invited the cold breeze to enter so we drank coffee by candlelight and the day began. Shortly after dawn, the power and water were back on, and now at 11 am, the sun is shining and birds are singing outside. A few minutes ago, a little robinchat hopped in the open front door, walked around under the furniture and then hopped through the sitting room, on through to the kitchen and out the back door. I guess he didn’t find anything of interest.
We awoke this morning at 6 to find the power off, which meant that the water pump was not working, either. Our four candles, attached to the lids of empty coffee cans as a base, provided enough light to boil the milk for coffee and cut up a pineapple. There was plenty of water in our "emergency" bottles so hakuna matata! It was growing light outside, but to open the shutters would have invited the cold breeze to enter so we drank coffee by candlelight and the day began. Shortly after dawn, the power and water were back on, and now at 11 am, the sun is shining and birds are singing outside. A few minutes ago, a little robinchat hopped in the open front door, walked around under the furniture and then hopped through the sitting room, on through to the kitchen and out the back door. I guess he didn’t find anything of interest.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Habari za siku nyingi?
Habari za siku nyingi?
How have things been these many days? Today is the beginning of the ninth week since John and I arrived in Kenya on January 4th, my 61st birthday! I’m writing from our Kenyan home-away-from-home, the little house on the grounds of the Michinda Boys Primary Boarding School in Elburgon. It has been home for 4 months out of the past year, and although very basic, it lacks nothing. Clean, running water (most of the time) comes from a bore hole behind the house (the pump has been a bit capricious but we’ve learned to fill every spare water jug and pot while it IS running and so have enough water for coffee, drinking, cooking and bathing when we want...laundry has to wait). The water was out this morning when I woke, but just now I can hear it bubbling back into the tank...we’ll be able to do laundry today.
How have things been these many days? Today is the beginning of the ninth week since John and I arrived in Kenya on January 4th, my 61st birthday! I’m writing from our Kenyan home-away-from-home, the little house on the grounds of the Michinda Boys Primary Boarding School in Elburgon. It has been home for 4 months out of the past year, and although very basic, it lacks nothing. Clean, running water (most of the time) comes from a bore hole behind the house (the pump has been a bit capricious but we’ve learned to fill every spare water jug and pot while it IS running and so have enough water for coffee, drinking, cooking and bathing when we want...laundry has to wait). The water was out this morning when I woke, but just now I can hear it bubbling back into the tank...we’ll be able to do laundry today.
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