Survival Luganda!

Today was aaallll about Uganda, Buganda, Baganda, and Luganda....alot of gandas i know. Uganda = the country, Buganda = the region of central africa, Baganda = the culture/people of Buganda, and Luganda = their language...which we had our first lesson in today!

Here's some basics about Luganda!

Lesson 1: How to greet someone!

Sammy: oli otya ssebo (how are you sir?)
Mr. Buganda: gyendi nnyabo (fine madam)
Sammy: Mm (confirm)
Mr. Buganda: oli otya (how are you?)
Sammy: gyendi ssebo (fine sir)
Mr. Buganda: Mm
Sammy: Mm

If it's the morning you say: Wasuze otyanno? (how did you spend your night?)
"           " rest of the day:   ossibye otyanno? (how have you spent your day?)

Nze Samantha: I am Samantha
Ggwe Samantha: You are Samantha
Yee Samantha: She is Samantha

some funny key phrases that I thought were extremely entertaining as we mazumgoes aka white-people (also funny) wee all repeating this phrases extremely loudly at our hotel where many Ugandan people are and were probably making fun of us...here's why (i apologize if my humor doesn't come across, it's kinda of hard not in person BUT hopefully you'll see the humor in the situation)

my personal favorite go to while walking through the city...
Salina sente kubanga ndi muyizi aka I DON'T HAVE MONEY BECAUSE I AM A STUDENT
--> I don't really see how that excuse will get small children to stop begging for money, BUT you do see that excuse alot in the states

more great go to's for the mazungo's first time in africa are:

Ddamu mpola mpola: repeat slowly slowly
Ndeka : leave me alone
Sitegedde: I have not understood you
Nsonyiwa: forgive me (i will definitely be using that one maaaaannyy times)

It was a really fun lesson but at the same time a bit overwhelming cause they gave us like almost 50 words to know in order to survive a day in Uganda aka TOMORROW and we just learned it BUT i am definitely goona have my cheat sheet with me. The teachers were sooooo funny and awesome though and it was really fun. The language seems pretty straightforward and the spelling makes alot more sense once you've heard a few of the words, but it was just soo much information all at once it was a little crazy.

Incase you were wondering what in the world a mazungo is (and i'm totally spelling it wrong) but it's what ugandas call white-people and it's not a derrogatory word it's actually just really friendly and they're just identifying you as diffrent from them, but you shouldn't take it as an insult by any means. it's actually just really funny! The teachers will be like "be back in here in 5 mazungo minutes" which means on-time whereas Uganda time is alot like other countries, like Ecuador. Meaning, they're very flexible and are late but that's ok at least they arrived and such. For example! We were supposed to have dinner tonight at 7 Buuuuutt apparently we were on Uganda time and it wasn't served till about 9:45...whoops. LUCKILY i brought two jars of skippy peanut butter and had a decent amount of it which was glooooriouss.

Everyone in the group of 17 is really great. No ones really irked me in any way and everyones soooo different but just so friendly and wonderful...it's just like UVM!!!! : D

Anyways we also learned social etiquette and had a general in the Uganda ARMY come and give us a lecture on safety and security and THEN gave us HIS cell phone number AND the armys cell phone (happy dad? lol)

Weeraba! (goodbye!)
Sam

p.s. i can't decide whether to introduce myself as Sam or Samantha or Sammy. I've been tryin gout Sam and Samantha to see which one is easier for Ugandas to say, but surprisingly I think Sam is harder, but sometimes it's Samantha so maybe I should try out Sammy! ANyways that's really random but whaaatver!