first of all, mad props to the haiku authors...i was highly impressed with your skills.
this weekend i learned some random cultural things. things that i've done dreadfully wrong for the past 8 months...way to go tatum. the first is the word "stupid". apparently that translates into a super bad word. i can't tell you how many times i've said it since i've been here. again, way to go. the second needs a little more explanation. pretty much everyday, someone yells "oburoni" at me. it means "white man" or "foreigner". it's not derogatory, just a fact...i'm white. so, being the clever girl that i am, i decided that would yell back "obibini" which means "black man". they always laugh...its funny. but i learned that its not very nice to say that. after 8 months of saying it daily. nice. i guess i'll have to think of some other clever response.
on saturday, i learned another side of culture...things that cross cultures. i wish you could have been with me when i experienced this...i know it won't be as funny in writing.
every saturday, some kids from youth group go to a street kids home about 45 minutes away. its so fun. the kids are SO cute!!! and they love hanging out with us. i was playing with one little girl named stephanie. she wanted to teach me a song, so she was singing...singing...singing...then she stopped and said "go like dis" and make a face like she was sniffing. well when i sniffed, it did not smell nice! and i said "hey what is that" and she broke into laughter and said "i flaturnate!" i just died. she said "i can do it again"...i told her that wasn't necessary. she didn't listen. and when she did it again, one of the boys in the room said "ah! stephanie, you flash again! you need to go out if you have to flash, and say excuse me! ah! its smellin!" and ran out of the room. which of course made her roar with laughter. toots. they cross cultures. who knew? and they call it flash. that's funny.
the rest of saturday was spent at youth group. i love it! the worship, the teaching, the games...its always wonderful! for you old school bill and mark youth: i taught them pass the shoe...they loved it! but everyone went to wash their hands when it was over. i guess thats the difference when playing in ghana. this week we played classic telephone...its always funny. then i got to go watch american idol at our navy friend's house. thank you armed forces network. we also ate peanut m&ms and macadamia nuts that he just brought back. i'm so spoiled.
today, its back to work: organizing files for michael, working on last minute details for our team that arrives SUNDAY!, and enjoying the RAIN!!! yep, it's raining again. torrential downpour really. its dark outside. i love it!!
9 comments:
My bosses daughter farted in my lap the other day. I thought that was funny. but this whole "i flaturnate" stuff... HILARIOUS. I'll pull that one on Adam tonight... JUST PLAYING. Or am I?
YOU are funny. but you forgot to tell them what she was singing... "Everybody pull your pampers, panananana, pananana". thats good stuff no matter who you are
Flash away, sister. Wait, that doesn't sound right in American English.
"i flaturnate!"
HAHA! Thanks for sharing that HILARIOUS story. Made me laugh outloud.
Yay for it still raining!
It's because of our clever haikus.
Pass the shoe is a CLASSIC.
I sang that song every day last summer.
Good to hear (read) from you.
Take care, sister.
Miss your butt!
flashing and flaturnating...that is some good stuff. I laughed outloud as well. Random nugget of info for you to pass on to your friends (...or not...): Have you ever seen the light signals that flash to let you know a manatee is in the area? Well, in Florida they have these strobe light looking things that go off when a manatee is near so boaters slow down. And how do they know a manatee is near? There is a sensor underwater that picks up the sound of them flaturnating! I cracked up when I learned that in vet school...yes, I learned that in vet school. The correct term is "flattis." No lie. Thanks for the laugh.
that rain is so hot right now....
you are such a good writer. really, i feel like i'm there. we aren't getting any rain and we sure need it to come wash away the pollen. i'm sorry, am i talking about the weather? old.
Caroline's right, except I don't feel like I'm there because my hair isn't in a french braid and I'm not constantly sweating. That's what it feels like to be there.
Flaturnating... Fabulous. Go on my blog to see pictures of my rainy day Monday. (I got Dad and Candra to come out and play in it.)
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