While looking at a photo of my house in winter:
Mariama: 'Does your father go and clean all of that snow off the roof?'
Me: 'No. When the sun comes out it melts it and the snow falls off.'
Mariama: 'Kono nange alaa toon.' trans- But the sun is not there.
Me: disbelief 'What?'
Mariama: laughs and returns to looking at photos.
Apparently there is no sun in America. It's still unlear as to why so many people want to go to such a dreary place.
Bobo explaining to another kid a photo we had looked at together earlier:
"This is Adama when she was a kid. She's playing in the snow. You can eat the snow. But if a dog pees there you don't eat that snow."
I wonder what other sage advice I'm passing on to the Gambian youth.
James is 3 and really likes to tell me things about his mother then ask me things about mine. For example "My mom owns this bucket. Does your mom have a bucket?" or "My mom wears a bra. Does your mom wear a bra?"
This morning: me: 'good morning James.'
James: 'morning'
me: 'how are you this morning?'
James: 'good'
me: 'everything's ok?'
James: 'yup.' 'my mom slept only a little. Did your mom sleep only a little?'
I'm not sure James i'll give her a call and ask. Susanna, his mom, looked like maybe she hadn't slept at all.
Last week James was asking if I owned everything in my house. I mean EVERYTHING.
'Do you own this book?'
'Yes James'
'Do you own this table?'
'Yes James'
'Do you own this bed?'
'Yes James'
'Do you own these plants?'
'Yes James'
I finally got tired of saying 'eeyi' and instead said 'Nope'.
'Does your mom own this?'
'haha yes James.'
So mom if anyone asks, you own the clothes line and clothes pins in my backyard in Fatoto. Consider it an early birthday present!
Fun Fact: The 10 yr old in my host family can recognize Gaddafi in a Newsweek (I had to look at the caption) but still needs help reading "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie."
Mariama: 'Does your father go and clean all of that snow off the roof?'
Me: 'No. When the sun comes out it melts it and the snow falls off.'
Mariama: 'Kono nange alaa toon.' trans- But the sun is not there.
Me: disbelief 'What?'
Mariama: laughs and returns to looking at photos.
Apparently there is no sun in America. It's still unlear as to why so many people want to go to such a dreary place.
Bobo explaining to another kid a photo we had looked at together earlier:
"This is Adama when she was a kid. She's playing in the snow. You can eat the snow. But if a dog pees there you don't eat that snow."
I wonder what other sage advice I'm passing on to the Gambian youth.
James is 3 and really likes to tell me things about his mother then ask me things about mine. For example "My mom owns this bucket. Does your mom have a bucket?" or "My mom wears a bra. Does your mom wear a bra?"
This morning: me: 'good morning James.'
James: 'morning'
me: 'how are you this morning?'
James: 'good'
me: 'everything's ok?'
James: 'yup.' 'my mom slept only a little. Did your mom sleep only a little?'
I'm not sure James i'll give her a call and ask. Susanna, his mom, looked like maybe she hadn't slept at all.
Last week James was asking if I owned everything in my house. I mean EVERYTHING.
'Do you own this book?'
'Yes James'
'Do you own this table?'
'Yes James'
'Do you own this bed?'
'Yes James'
'Do you own these plants?'
'Yes James'
I finally got tired of saying 'eeyi' and instead said 'Nope'.
'Does your mom own this?'
'haha yes James.'
So mom if anyone asks, you own the clothes line and clothes pins in my backyard in Fatoto. Consider it an early birthday present!
Fun Fact: The 10 yr old in my host family can recognize Gaddafi in a Newsweek (I had to look at the caption) but still needs help reading "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie."
My biggest question is how on Earth is there a kid named James in your compound?!?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe James is talking now! Crazy. I told Kristy to check out this entry. Greet everyone over there for me!
ReplyDeleteHaha Julia! I loved hearing about James. It's been way too long. I've tried to call a few times, unsuccessfully. Please tell the family I miss them! Jarama nobete!
ReplyDelete-Kristy-