Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Wow. Much to say but I don’t really feel like typing it all. I wrote an insanely long entry for this blog yesterday night, staying up way too late, but I left it at home (it’s all handwritten here). Basically, anguish and amusement as I try to puzzle out relationships, timing, etc.
Instead, here’s a lot of tidbits:
Things I answer to here:
Rosie – this is pretty common and I feel OK about it. My host family calls me this* and so do students from the secular AIDS organization; also, several people whom I first contacted through text message (because it’s quicker to type)
Rosemary [the basic idea is there]
Jocelyn [ditto]
Loselin/Roserin [the Bantu language this person speaks, like Luganda, doesn’t differentiate between r an l] [actually it’s kind of funny that I’d end up here among Bantu-language speakers since the reason I first started this blog – the Somali family I worked with – were also Bantu-language speakers] [Bantu is a family of languages blah blah blah you didn’t come here for a linguistics lesson]
Mzungu – depending on the speaker. Children yes. Maid of host family yes. (see note)
Mami – depending on the speaker. The guard at the gate of the FOCUS compound: yes, because he seems not terribly shady. Random men on street, as part of “Hey, beautiful mami” - no thanks dude, unless I start laughing which I guess counts as a response.
*with the exception of the maid who calls me “mzungu” even after being corrected to call me “Aunt Roselyn”. She doesn’t speak English, it seems like a little much. However I am attempting to master the word for “black person” because then we can have conversations like this:
Welcome back white person!
Thank you black person, how was your day?
When in Rome, I say. When in Rome.
Postscript in real time: wow, I just got totally hit on in this internet cafe by the man who knocked my shoe off five minutes ago. Here's the note I just got passed. "We need 2 discuss your shoe problems!!" - Lawrence 0782-482389
Excuse me, I need to make a phonecall.
Instead, here’s a lot of tidbits:
Things I answer to here:
Rosie – this is pretty common and I feel OK about it. My host family calls me this* and so do students from the secular AIDS organization; also, several people whom I first contacted through text message (because it’s quicker to type)
Rosemary [the basic idea is there]
Jocelyn [ditto]
Loselin/Roserin [the Bantu language this person speaks, like Luganda, doesn’t differentiate between r an l] [actually it’s kind of funny that I’d end up here among Bantu-language speakers since the reason I first started this blog – the Somali family I worked with – were also Bantu-language speakers] [Bantu is a family of languages blah blah blah you didn’t come here for a linguistics lesson]
Mzungu – depending on the speaker. Children yes. Maid of host family yes. (see note)
Mami – depending on the speaker. The guard at the gate of the FOCUS compound: yes, because he seems not terribly shady. Random men on street, as part of “Hey, beautiful mami” - no thanks dude, unless I start laughing which I guess counts as a response.
*with the exception of the maid who calls me “mzungu” even after being corrected to call me “Aunt Roselyn”. She doesn’t speak English, it seems like a little much. However I am attempting to master the word for “black person” because then we can have conversations like this:
Welcome back white person!
Thank you black person, how was your day?
When in Rome, I say. When in Rome.
Postscript in real time: wow, I just got totally hit on in this internet cafe by the man who knocked my shoe off five minutes ago. Here's the note I just got passed. "We need 2 discuss your shoe problems!!" - Lawrence 0782-482389
Excuse me, I need to make a phonecall.
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