Language in Zambia

One of the things that I had the hardest time with in Zambia was getting used to the language. The villagers (at least in the region I was in) speak (Ba)Tonga. You go into town (or stay close to the mission's school), and there are several who speak English. Like real English. Not American English. The difference is epic. And here I was, thinking in Spanish. Seriously. It was so weird. 

I was thrown off by the fact that I could read most everything when we got to Kalomo. I don't know why it didn't occur to me that English was fairly common there. I was taking it all in. Then, amongst the English, was a restaurant called "Elpantano." Spanish. What? (Turns out the owner is from Peru...but the food is pretty American.) 

The Zambian workers around the house would normally speak English. Sometimes, basic greetings would be in Tongan. (I was finally able to manage that.) The workers were also patient enough to try and teach us a little Tongan. After a conversation one night, however, one of the workers said "gracias." That did not help my problem. 

At the Haven, we (Meagan, her interns, and I) spoke mostly English to the kiddos. The Aunties speak Tongan. So, on my first day there, I still managed to learn how to tell a child to sit down in Tongan (I don't know how to spell it, but it's pronounced "cah-lah"). Which, is also one of the first things I learned in Mexico (except obviously in Spanish..."sientense"). Interesting how important it is to be able to communicate "sit down." Regardless of what country you're in. If you're working with kids, you have to be able to tell them to "sit down." 

It also didn't take long for me to learn the term for "white person." It's pronounced "mah-koo-ah." Again, no idea on the spelling. It was like being a "gringo" in Honduras again. The kids in Mexico prefer "chica rubia." It's something you pick up on fairly quick. You know they're talking about you. 

Something interesting I learned? To a Zambian, the phrase "I slept like a log" (or a variation there of) means "I spent the whole night turning/rolling over." Which actually makes a lot of sense. Also, never say, "I'm stuffed." (Like you might after you eat a lot of food.) Their interpretation of that is quite vulgar.  

My favorite thing to hear in their language? The singing. There's just something captivating about their voices and the way they sing. They have so much spirit. And even if you have no idea what it means, you're caught up in it. Most of the time, I have found, they have a leader who will sing a line or two, and then everyone else repeats. There is quite a bit of repeating in general...which makes it a lot easier to join in on the fun. I'm glad I was able to record a couple of my favorites at song night!