New Words

There are a few new words and phrases that Esther has learned since being here; we wanted to share some of them.

Asante is the Swahili word for "thank you" and she goes to the ladies in the kitchen after meals to thank them all.

She's learned to say Hodi when she wants to go into some other student's room, it's the Swahili version of "knock, knock".

Shikamo is what you say to someone older than yourself. So as a greeting she says shikamo to everyone. In response to that you say marahaba, but of course she doesn't say that since she doesn't get a shikamo from anyone. Bummer of being the youngest. =)

Uji is what she eats for breakfast every morning and she loves it. It's a corn porridge/gruel.

'Mosquito net' is firmly placed into her vocabulary due to the daily use of them.

Jongoo is the word for millipedes, and we're in "jongoo city" here with all the rain we've had. They are completely harmless and she knows to be very careful to not step on them since they'll mush pretty badly and then leave an awful smell on your shoe.

Jongoo (millipede)

At "tea time" she likes to guess at what we might have for a snack. "Maybeeee peanuts, maybeeee popcorn, maybeeee cookies....".

Tummy hurting is cue for, "get me to the potty, quick".

Then get caaandy is what she says when we explain that she must tell us when she needs to go potty. We aren't even done explaining when she interrupts us with: then get caaandy!

In the mornings Luke teaches Esther some Bible verses and she knows the exact time of this and so she'll run to get the Bible and exclaim: "do verses".

Whenever we put her down for a nap or for the night she always wants us to pray; especially when there's thunder outside: "pray mommy."

And finally, she's learned to say "I constimpated". She's been constipated since arriving in Africa, and when it's not that it's just the opposite, which she knows only as 'being sick'. =)