Nibanyeta Bron

I am called Bron

Taking notes during one of my lessons

After my five week stint in DR Congo, where I had French lessons with my friend Suz and picked up a smattering of Swahili, I had been lulled into a somewhat false sense of my ability to pick up language. Arriving back here in Uganda my thoughts were that after a whole year of hearing the language, that now I would have a magical ability to understand, where last year there was none. It turns out though, that that is not how it works, and to learn the language is going to require a lot of effort and a teacher. So this year, after spending the whole of last in a sort of social fog, where things aren't always as they seem, I have embarked on a journey into the Runyankore language.

It's daunting, throwing myself into the learning process again, and without Suz to encourage me, or to compete with, it feels a whole lot harder and slower and less fun. After a mere six lessons though, I can see that eventually (especially if I practice, or if as my teacher likes to say, I make some mistakes) I could potentially be a speaker of the language. Already I have learnt more than a whole year of immersion taught me. I can greet, introduce myself, count to twenty and in a couple more weeks I might be able to buy something in the markets. While I can only manage a very slow speech with a bad accent, people can understand me sometimes. And being the child that I am, I have been known to jump in the air or give everyone around me high fives when I say something that my friends can hear.

Yesterday I learnt a few phrases useful for when I'm riding on the back of a boda (motorbike taxi).

How much?

Ni sente zingahi?

Can you reduce (the cost)?

Nobaasa kusharaho

I'm going to….

Ninza….

Go slow

Gyenda mpora mpora

Stop there /here

Yemerera aho /aha

Go right /left

Gyenda buryo /bumosho

Not sure how useful that will be to you as the chances you have of bumping into one of the 2.3 million native speakers is largely reduced if you are not in the south western corner of Uganda.

Someone asked me yesterday if I was going to become a linguist, but really my only thought is to somehow survive shopping in the market, a short conversation and maybe, hopefully, one day, understand the jokes that make everyone here laugh.

Although on saying that, last night I learnt a song in Swahili and another in French. So who knows, I could be multi-lingual yet.

Have a blessed week

bron

P.S. My amazing friend, HOPE Partner and part of my family here in Uganda, Pastor Willy Tumwine, is in South Australia for almost five weeks and if you would like to catch him speaking his schedule is below (contact through the website for more details).

 

30th Sept	10am	Murray Bridge Christian Family Centre
30th Sept	2pm	Hills Christian Family Centre, Nairne
7th Oct	10am	Mt Gambier
14th Oct	10am	Southern Gateway Community Church, Victor Harbor
14th Oct	6pm	NOVA, Murray Bridge Christian Family Centre
21st Oct	10am 6pm	Coast and Vines, Willunga
28th Oct	9am 11am	Seaton Christian Family Centre
28th Oct	3pm	Australia HOPE International AGM, Murray Bridge Christian Family Centre