Doggy Tricks

I'm peacefully minding my supper of rice, potatoes and beans when I realize one of my colleagues at the table is talking to me: "Nokorera nkahi?" (Where are you working?) I answer "Ninkorera Bwesumbu na ACTS." (I'm working in Bwesumbu with ACTS.) My colleagues all laugh, mostly out of pleasure and amusement of a mzungu speaking their language. Then other questions start to come in Runyankore (the local language): Do you have a husband? What are your parents' names? Do you have children? Fortunately these are all questions I learned from my language tutors the night before, so I mostly answer correctly. As each new question comes, I can’t help feeling like a dog being taught new tricks. It’s if they throw a stick and think, "Let's see if she can catch this one." Then, my colleagues realize that I am only answering questions so they inquire of my tutor, "Can she ask questions too?" Yes, it turns out that I can! I say, “Oine emyaka ngahi?” (How old are you?) “Abamuka nibarara bata?” (How is your family at home?) They all laugh – another trick learned! This is all in good humor, and their fascination only helps me learn more because as they throw new phrases at me, I either surprise them with my knowledge or learn new words.

My colleagues Rachel, Yorokum and DJ. Rachel and Yorokum have been my language tutors for the past few months.

Although language study has sadly gotten pushed to the side too often during the past nine months, I’ve made some progress. I can now often catch the basic jist of a conversation. One language highlight was last Sunday when for the first five minutes of my colleague’s sermon I could understand everything he said! It was awesome! I’ve found knowledge of the language quite practically useful too. One day I was driving a truck full of people and overhead a young man in the back asking one of my colleagues in Runyankore if I was a “woman” (i.e. married) or a “girl” (i.e. single). I spoke up, saying I had heard what he said, and we all laughed. Oh, what a life... :-)