Learning languages!

One of my favorite things to do when in a new place is to learn the local language.  Even though I usually butcher the pronunciation, I still love trying to learn basic stuff.  While in my South African homestay, I learned a bunch of words and phrases in Zulu. Some basics:
-Sonibonani: Hello, how are you (plural)
-Sawubona: Hello, how are you (singular)
-Mamella: listen (which we heard a lot from our 6-year old boy who needed a lot of attention)
-Mkuku: slums/metal shacks
-Isitimela: train

Dumela: Hello (in Sotho)

A typical conversation could go like this:
Sawubona (Hello, how are you?)
-Yebo. Kunjani? (I'm fine, how's it going?)
Ngikhona/Ngiyalaphila (Me, I'm well/I'm alive and well)

Once we got to Namibia, I started teaching myself Oshiwambo at my internship one day when they just left me in the office without anything to do.  The one other girl in the office is a native Oshiwambo speaker, so she taught me a few more words and helped me with pronunciation. Some things I learned:

oshilumbu: foreigner (usually someone with lighter skin)
walala po?: Good morning, & how are you?
wu uhala po?: Good afternoon & how are you?
wa tokelwa po?: Good evening & how are you?
ongeipi: Hi (informal)
onawa: I'm fine
ondjamba: elephant
okambishi: cat
oshingulu: pig
ombaka: duck
ombuku: mouse
ongolo: zebra
onkoshi: lion
ohi: fish
ongobe: cow, ongobe ilai: stupid cow
oshikombo: goat
omwe: mosquito
ondjuhwa: chicken
indapo nawa: goodbye
ombili: sorry

Yesterday we had our first Oshiwambo language class taught by our program intern Ndaku.  We got a big packet full of basic words and phrases that we may need for our rural homestay in a couple weeks.  I'm really excited!

And today we had our urban homestay prep where we found out about our families that we will be staying with starting next week Monday.  I found out my family speaks Oshiwambo and English, so I'll be able to practice even more before my rural homestay in Northern Namibia where our families may not speak much English. Hopefully I'll be able to understand and talk to my family by the time 2 weeks rolls around. Yikes it's so soon!