Is it sinking in yet for you all?!? I must report that I am not quite there yet and it may take me stepping on the airplane in Atlanta, or stepping off the airplane in Amsterdam to arrive at the conclusion that we are forty-eight hours from take-off and just over forty-eight hours from stepping on Kenyan soil!
As I am sure that everyone is busy making their final preparations at home and at work, my entry will be short tonight-- one humbling linguistics fact and just a few words that you may find useful in sharing your life story (or at least a few important details of it) with the children.
Swahili does not distinguish between 'he' and 'she' - the language treats all people the same regardless of gender. - Mother - Mama (MA-ma)
- Father - Baba (BA-ba)
- Grandmother - Bibi (BI-bi)
- Grandfather - Babu (BA-bu)
- Sister - Dada (DA-da)
- Brother - Kaka (KA-ka)
- Child - Mtoto (m-TOH-toh) / Children - Watoto (wa-TOH-toh)
Disclaimer to the team: despite how simple these terms are, I imagine I will fumble them greatly and you will be highly entertained. While in a foreign country and speaking to natives, I have the tendency to automatically switch my brain into Spanish thanks to my six months in
Salamanca and ten years of study. Yes, I did this in Austria and Italy, and trust me-- they laughed and then replied to my Spanish question or phrase in English.
Looking forward to
travelin' light with you all soon...
tnick
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