funny, I left two months ago today.

Hello Hello

Bono once told me over tea, that he doesn't know which way the wind will blow. I couldn't agree more.
Winter is coming here, you can really feel it in the mornings. I still really like it though, I have always loved waking up and being able to smell moisture and freshness everywhere. It is quite comparable to Vancouver weather right now

This picture shows the beginning of my winter project. Some how these hats have turned out much better, less bowl like, then ones I have made before! 8 down... 1 999 992 to go!


On the weekend we went to a place called Kwa-Zulu weavers. South Africa is divided into provinces, we live in the Free State where black people are mostly Sutu, but in the Netal province the people are Zulu, and that is where we were. It was quite a neat shop, just on the side of the road. They had all sorts of hand woven rugs and then crafted candles and things.

This sign was hanging over the shop. In Zulu it means 'Go well'. To say that in Sutu it would be Sala-hantle.


Here is me again trying to bribe the kids with candies to count.


And then, our class pet. The ladies are not too pleased that I made a home for the frog that they had a horrible time discovering inside of some cabbage... but I have high hopes that he can become part of the family. He doesn't have a name yet, I struggle enough to say his Sutu name. Sin-nthan-nthan.



Let me leave you with some new Sutu words that I now use.. I have only really picked up basic commands to help me teach. Caution, the spelling is not even close, but it should help you with pronouncing them. Again.. language geek.

Ja...Eat (I tell them that from across the room during lunch, sometimes I repeat it to a nice tune over and over)
Qui-ma... Who is that? (When we say good morning Nicole, good morning Martha, and so on I ask them who that person is. The kids now call me something that sounds like may-knee-ole-eh)
Di-kai...How many (they answer fooh, or die, or oot, and I usually give in and pretend they got it right)
Bana... children (boo-ya bana! is come here children!)
tati/mem... sir/mam (de-mela tati is good morning sir)
E-Fey-deal-eh...finished (They are never hesitant to say that one after I have made them count to 10 over and over.)
Robala...sleep (We have a scheduled nap time where Bernard puts on 'soothing music' and shuts the blinds. I really can't take it seriously.)
Hantle...well (you can attach this one in so many places, onto sleep-well, go-well, listen-well)

So maybe you can decipher this sentence.. Ah De-mela tanti, sheyba! poola! muya metsi!... Ish-wenya bana, booya, du-la-fatsi, ja, ja ja ja. E-Fey-deal-a?? Ok, ro-bala, ro-bala hantle! (If you know anyone who knows Sutu, do not show them that embarrassing effort to the language!)

Enjoy yourselves, take care of each other and thank you for reading about me.
love love love