Kiingereza, tafadhali?

I really enjoy listening to the Swahili language being spoken even though most of the time it is much too fast for my narrow comprehension skills. But more often than not, I do catch a few words here and there, and with enough vocabulary, I employ the art of context clues to guess what the speaker is saying. The danger in this, though, is filling the comprehension holes incorrectly, which I have most certainly done. Quite a few times, embarrassingly enough though it never goes without entertaining me in retrospect.

My favorite example of this was during my time at Peace House when the matron who brought my bucket of water for showering each morning asked me a question while motioning to the empty bucket. Because the only words I caught were “maji” (water) and “kuoga” (to bathe), I naturally assumed she asked if I was planning to shower and needed water, so I said, “Ndiyo, asante sana” (Yes, thank you very much). She smiled and carried the bucket away.

Half an hour later, still standing in my kanga waiting for water, I finally resorted to not taking my bucket shower. On my way down to the library, I saw another teacher who was living in the dorms returning from the shower carrying my bucket. Suddenly the lightbulb turned on above my sorry head, realizing that the matron actually asked if I was done with the water for showering and no longer needed the bucket, and my own enthusiastic reply did not give any reason for her to assume the contrary.

Another challenge with which people like myself are faced when you know some but not a whole lot of the language is that I know enough to strike up a conversation (as any good study abroad student in TZ knows you cannot just end interactions at hello, but that a “brief” greeting isn't brief until you've found out three to four times how they are doing, how work is going, if they are students on campus, and then wish them a good day), but you don't know enough of the language to sustain dialog for a period of time. I learned very quickly how to get myself out of trouble (not without blushing though) by using,”Sijui Kiswahili sana. Pole” (I don't know much Kiswahili, sorry) or on campus, "Kiingereza,tafadhali" (English, please).

But to clear my record of knowing how to speak the language a little, however, I gladly report that I recently was successful while bartering in Swahili, scoring six pieces of fruit for 500 TSH although I probably should have tried harder for 400 and maybe could have gotten it; next time, there's always next time... :)

*Picture was taken at the Saturday market in Kiboroloni just outside of Moshi. Lots of Swahili here! Notice Kili watching over everything in her majestic beauty?