Kenyan-isms

I love Kenyan English.

Today, after school Alicia and I were talking about American rap with some of our students. (If you're wondering why we were talking about rap, I am too...) Somehow we arrived at 50 Cent.

Let me stop for a second and clarify something: my students may be black, but they are the farthest thing from hood you've ever met. They haven't a clue what "hood" even means. They've heard of Soulja Boy, Brandy(...), 2pac, and 50 Cent, but they have no idea about the culture that comes with rap music.

Nevertheless, I uttered the phrase (in my best hood impression) "Fiddy! He's been shot fo' times!" (You can go ahead and judge me. I won't be offended.)

To which Ismail enthusiastically responded, "YES, Madam! He HAS been shot four times!"

Okay, it's not as funny when it's typed out in a blog post, but I'm STILL laughing. He was so proper in the way he said it!

I'm still getting used to Kenyan English. Example: Alicia is pointing out to Jonathan where he is in a picture she took:

Jonathan: "Yes, Madam! I am seeing!"

Not "I see"..."I am seeing." Love it.

The only problem with understanding Kenyan English is how quietly they speak it. Kenyans are SO soft-spoken, and then half of the time they try to convey what they want to say without using words and instead using facial expressions and hand gestures. Most of the times my students try to talk to me I have to respond with a "HUH?" "WHAT?" "Could you repeat that, please?"

But it's getting better. Slowly. (VERY slowly!) But slowly is better than not at all!

(On a complete side note, can you guess which famous action hero all of my students have heard of? That's right...Chuck Norris. Walker, Texas Ranger plays every Saturday afternoon here in Kenya!)