11 September 2009

Letter dated 10 Sept 2009

(So each day of the Peer Education Seminar we are to write our secret friend a letter, then on the last day, which is next Tuesday, we give a gift and reveal who we are. I've been trying very hard to write letters that no one will be able to tell are from a mzungu, but the first day I had no idea of what other people would write, so I just wrote what the pastor I asked for help told me to. It was a very nice, very formal letter with Scripture in it. I had a little better reference for the letter yesterday, and made it more funny and complimentary. My friend's name is Remmy, and he's probably about 19 years old, dresses very nicely, and is very shy.)

Rafiki Mpendwa Remmy,
My dear friend Remmy,

Napenda kukusalima katika jina la Bwana Yesu.
I would like to greet you in the name of Lord Jesus.

Kila mtu anajua hilo unapendeza na una akili.
Everyone knows that you look smart and are smart.

Nafikiria una jambo la kusema kwenye semina.
I think you have fine things to say at the seminar.

Nataka kusikia unapoongea!
I want to hear you speak!

Usikate tumaa.
Never give up.

Ubarikiwe.
Blessings.

So at the beginning of each day, they read the letters out loud to everyone before it is delivered to you. When this letter was read out, everyone laughed and thought it was funny and Remmy smiled and kissed the letter when he took it. A kind of laughing gesture of appreciation. Success! Too bad it took me like four hours to write five lines!

4 comments:

kate said...

i love it. oh i wish i new more languages. i love hearing your updates. thanks for blogging. ps. where do you go to use the computer?

Shannon said...

haha, that's awesome leisha.

i forgot about double meaning of smart and how the writing style is sooo different.

that's a fun idea though. i like it!

do you have a mailing address yet? that new place of yours comin' up?

LexieJ said...

Already hitting on the men in the church, eh? You don't waste your time.

;)

Leisha said...

Thanks for the love, ladies.

Kate - the church has a brutally slow internet connection, but it gets the job done.

Shan - You can send me mail c/o Amos Muhagachi, PO Box 3230, Dodoma, Tanzania. Eventually I'll get my own box when I'm a little more settled in.

Lexie - You know me! Nothing like a baby-faced teenager to get me fired up! (that was a joke for all non-sarcasm-getters)