Learning the Lingo

Coming from England has such advantages when you go travelling as almost everywhere you go they speak English (in some cases better than we do!) however it has the tendency to perhaps make us a little lazy. I always imagined if I moved to another country that I would learn the local language. I’m sure somewhere we can hear my language teachers laughing at the absurdity of this idea. After 2 years of Spanish I can only remember one phrase which is to ask if there is a chemist nearby. Perhaps not the most everyday phrase but I do it with a killer accent!

So far, after living here for 3 months I have nailed ‘Dumela Mma / Rra’ and if I’m feeling really brave I may ask them ‘Le kae’ to which they may answer ‘Re teng’ which I then repeat. As I’m sure even the non-Setswana speakers have guessed this is just Hello, how are you and fine. Not exactly the longest conversation but enough for an initial greeting at the various Council offices I have been lucky enough to visit. I do know a few other words but they are mainly gathered from Big One’s Setswana school books and don’t naturally fit into my everyday conversation…and even if they do I lack the confidence to actually use them.

However, what I have discovered is that there is a whole other language within the English that is spoken and there are certain phrases I have had to master. I would like to share them with you now.

1.      Just now.

This is one of my favourites, though it also annoys me the most! It is usually used in response to a question such as ‘when are you leaving?’ and though it would be logical to think that by answering ‘just now’ the person would be walking out of the door, only a fool (or newly arrived English girl) would think that. Just now could mean any time from within the hour to the next 18 days – I am learning patience… slowly!

2.       Now now.

I like the greater precision insinuated with this phrase, though it is still open to some variance. It can also be used in some time related question and does literally mean ‘now’….or within the next hour…or so. But generally, a much shorter time frame!

3.       Washing the car

      Now this isn’t really a difference to in England – the car does get washed - but there are hidden meanings to it that it took naïve me a few weeks to pick up. I did think it a little unusual that one Friday evening my brother in law stated that he was going to wash the car and would my husband like to go with him. An unusual Friday night ritual perhaps? A slightly different form of male bonding maybe but that is ok. I went with it and the car always came back clean.

  It actually took me a couple of Friday night car washes to realise that all is not as it seemed. It was all a ruse and that Wishy Washy car wash (https://www.facebook.com/Wishy-Washy-Car-Wash-246017585804108/ ) have some prime retail space. I have mentioned this car wash before (see my first post, http://abeehoneycomb.blogspot.com/2017/09/pula.html ) as they do an amazing job. But another reason I like them so much is that they also text you when your car is ready meaning you can disappear for the duration. When I have been, I have used the time wisely by doing the shopping and then taken the boys to the play area to await the message to collect my beautifully shining car.

 My brother in law and husband also like to spend the time wisely,  however their way revolves around one of the local restaurants / bars at Mowana Park and usually a gathering of their friends! They drop off the car, head to chosen bar, receive the text, go across to pay and then return to the bar. Who knew? Friday nights is washing the car night!

 (NB. For those concerned, there is also the most amazing service here called Home Rra http://www.homerra.co.bw/  where they will come and drive your car home for you – genius. Everyone gets to enjoy a night out without the question of who is the designated driver!!)

Technically not from a 'Go Straight' but from our recent
adventure to South Africa - but I thought it suited
the title!

4.       Go Straight

     

 This is quite possibly my absolute favourite phrase but partly because there was a large misunderstanding on my part when I first heard it 6 years ago, and I only realised my mistake this last Saturday. We were at a friend’s house and we were talking about what we were going to do the next day. My exact response was ‘We’re all going on a Go Straight. Check me out, I’ve only been here 3 months and already speaking the lingo like a local!’ Bear in mind I am surrounded by people who have lived here 15 years plus and they are all now looking at me blankly with the odd raised eyebrow and sideways look amongst themselves. From their surprised expressions I realise I have perhaps not said it right (though how many ways I thought you could say Go Straight I am still not sure.) So I try to explain, ‘you know a Go Straight? You pack up all your food and go for a braai in the bush?’ Their response ‘you mean like a picnic?’ does initially lower my confidence but then they start discussing the merits of the phrase and that as it sounds much more adventurous than picnic, they are going to start using it!

 On speaking to my sister the next day, as we are getting ready for our Go Straight, she laughs and says that it is just a family phrase her in laws have used and did I feel like a total wally with my ‘see, I sound like a local?’ comment?!

   As her in-laws are joining us the next day I decide to investigate the origins of the phrase. It turns out that it is indeed a family phrase coined by the McLaggans and Wards. At 11am on the chosen day they used to pack up their truck (do not attempt this in a mere car, only a truck has the muscle for these adventures) with food, dogs and (my favourite part) a transportable cocktail cabinet (with accompanying cooler filled with ice) and head out into the bush for the day ideally finding somewhere with a lovely view. A top tip I have also learned from Mrs Ward is to take a collection of flannels to soak in the iced water for cooling off throughout the course of the day!

 The term Go Straight was because if they ever stopped for instructions, the locals would tell them to ‘Go Straight’ and if Mr McLaggan was directing Mr Ward he would always say ‘you turn here and then Go Straight.’ Since then it has become a phrase used by the families and their friends and they have discovered a number of brilliant places to go on a ‘Go Straight’.

While this may not be a national phrase here yet, it is certainly one that I plan to use frequently as we have weekend adventures escaping the city and I encourage you to do the same! Pack up the car with some food and drink  and head out on your very own Go Straight.

 I hope that over the next year I do actually learn some more Setswana and finding a teacher to put on classes at The Honeycomb Hub is something we are looking into. I would just like to say that the businesses I mention do not know that I am going to write about them and they have in no way asked me to. They just happen to fit in to what I am writing about.

We men, we make fire, we cook meat!

 For those of you who didn’t know, a braai is like a barbeque, though often when in the bush it is just cooked over a fire on the ground. The important features that transcends cultures is that of all the men standing around said fire commenting on the best way to light it and to cook the meat .. then quite possibly getting distracted by a beer and leaving it to the women to finish!!

 I would like to leave you with one other Setswana phrase I am learning:

Sala Sentle – Stay well.         

To which you all will respond:    Tsamaya sentle – Go well