Swahili 101

Jambo! Habari! Hujambo! Hamjambo! Shikamoo!
Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello!
Or so I gather.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/378583912405639636/

And Mambo = What's up?

Guess who's going to Tanzania???!!!!! To the Diocese of Tanga, to be precise.
Ahem. Not at all excited. Of course not. See me being blasée.

At least until I do a jig and ruin the effect.

So amid considering Deet and Permethrin sprays, doing an expedited passport renewal, getting my inoculations and antimalarial drugs, I am attempting to learn a few phrases in Swahili. Clearly it's the polite thing to do, but who wouldn't want to pick up another language, however small an amount of it?

Truly, if I hope to participate in the renewal of a diocesan partnership, language learning is more than a gesture.

I have, therefore, renewed my friendship with my Duolingo app, which seems to have forgiven me for letting my Spanish slide (temporarily). A free app to teach you Swahili is not a small thing, even when you have turned off the audio so as not to break the Great Silence inadvertantly or disturb the sister in the next room. God bless the creators of this app.

Tonight I have added YouTube (with sound, safely in my office), so I thought I'd share.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQv6QJHLmDA

More later...

Kwa heri, usiku mwema, na lala salama (Goodbye, goodnight, and sleep peacefully*).

*http://tanzaniasafariadvisor.com/hello-in-swahili-greetings/