Sunday, November 30, 2008

the silliness, the randomness, and the pecularities of it all

having almost reached my three-month mark in south africa, i've been noticing interesting things and assimilating/developing new habits and mannerisms into my lifestyle.

- i love the names of some people here: Confidence, Pretty, Precious, Sunnyboy, Forgiven, Given, Mine, Enough.

- just as we have american slang and habitual speech that are idiomatic of the states, afrikaaner english is distinct. many north americans, including me, find it peculiar and amusing :p

  • "just now" = anytime in the near or distant future
    e.g. "we're going to the store just now" may mean 2-3 hours later... or tomorrow.
  • "now now" = now
    e.g. "we're going to the store now now" means Now.
  • "how is it?" = hey! or what's up? (a rhetorical question)
    i.e. "how is it?" elicits no response.
  • "is it?" = really?
    e.g. "there's a monkey in my bathroom." "is it?"
  • "hectic" = intense
    e.g. "that wasabi is hectic."
  • "what what what" = etcetera
    e.g. "as he goes out to meet people, fill out forms,and what what what..."

- except for the occasional phone conversations i have with my parents and the random words i spontaneously blurt out to myself, i haven't spoken korean since i've arrived. but i feel my spoken and perhaps written english are getting worse. it may be the afrikaaner english throwing me off or the portuguese i'm currently learning, but english grammar and phrase structure that seemed almost innate to me are not so obvious anymore. gerunds, past participles, contractions, appositives, comma splices -- should've payed more attention in class.

- i've developed an addiction for... chocolate milk! not coffee, not tea, not hot chocolate; chocolate milk. 3.5 teaspoons of nesquick chocolate powder + mug of cold 2% fat milk = perfect.

- i'm learning how to cut my own hair. trimming bangs = no problem.

7 comments:

KI W. said...

haha, excellent entry!

i agree, you should have PAID more attention in class.

H said...

haha, how ironic;

thanks, chief.

Anonymous said...

hey hannah
(this is jason, the sticker/welcoming guy at wellspring)

i remember those names as well. i spent a day with "happy" on the construction team, and i recall a "silence" i think at asm.

have you added "fetch" to your lexicon? that word sticks out the most for me. "be ready by 3 and we'll come fetch you"
(fetch = pick you up)

are you a fan of marmite?
mmm mmm mmm......
(kidding, i didnt touch that stuff)

Hamster said...

Hi, Hannah...Ki W beat me to my punch. ;)

Glad to hear that you are getting more adjusted there in SA. Your entry reminds me of my own Cdn peculiarities that I'm "losing" living here south of the border. (Much to the chagrin of my family and friends back home.)

Just sent off your cp's. Let me know when you receive it. Miss you! Praying for you.

Anonymous said...

Hi hannah :)
"now now" hilarious. it almost sounds like what people say in korea.

there is a post-doc from australia in my lab, and he says "how is it?" many many times, and i had no idea what this meant! while trying to be polite, i replied by saying things like "oh, well.. it's.. good", even though i had no clue what this "it" he was referring to -_-;

now i know :D
take care, brave & mutjin hannah!

Unknown said...

"gerunds, past participles, contractions, appositives, comma splices.."

i have NO idea what those are, if that makes you feel any better...

linda said, "south of the border"...we here in the USA would consider that mexico, i think...shame on you linda...

great to hear that you are still on track to be in MOZ...

never give up!

Lauren said...

Speaking of never give up.....did you learn that song yet at a "Hands" prayer meeting? I still have the tune in my head.

Yah, I think if Henry and I have another child we will have to use a name like "enough". Never mind, I think three is enough!

This was a great post Hannah. Thanks for allowing us to experience and remember our times there.