“A different language is a different vision of life.”
The early morning was sunny with a blue sky. Since then, the clouds have taken over, darkening clouds. Snow is predicted starting this afternoon. The paper says three inches while Alexa and Google both say an inch. I figure the paper’s prediction is an older one so I’m hoping for an inch.
Today is my only uke-less day so I’m doing errands. The dump tops the list, then gas, a few groceries and a blood test. I figure to beat the snow.
Yesterday I saw another robin on a branch near the feeders. The goldfinches too were back as were my usual birds. I’ll fill the feeders this afternoon. I wouldn’t want to disappoint the birds.
My favorite grammar school teacher was Miss Quilter, my sixth grade teacher. She wore mostly suits. She had thick glasses. Unlike some of the nuns, she didn’t have favorites. On the bulletin board in the back of the room, she’d place names on lists like best speller and highest grades in history. I wanted to be on every list. She encouraged learning in all of us. She made me want to do my best. My name was on every list because of her.
In Ghana, during training, we were divided into language groups based on where our posts would be. The Twi group was the largest as that was the most common language other than English. My group was learning Hausa, and we were the smallest language group. Our posts would be in what was then Upper Region. There were nine of us. First came learning the greetings, and there many greetings. Our language instructor was Lawal, from Bawku. He was gentle and sweet. He was patient.
We had language almost every day we were together, but I stopped going after a while. A couple in our language group still had trouble with greetings so language lessons were a waste of my time. In Koforidua, where we started our 7th week of training, I found out Lawal was no longer my language instructor. Three of us, more advanced in Hausa, were assigned to Bosco Alhassan. He was brutal. Lawal could be distracted by questions, but not Bosco. He was a task master, but I do admit I learned so much more.
When I went back to Ghana after 40 years, I stayed in Bolga, my town. On the first night, I went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. As I passed a table I greeted them, ina wuni, good evening in Hausa. It was the first time I used Hausa since I had lived there. They looked shocked at this random white lady who had greeted them in Hausa. I was both thrilled and surprised I had remembered. While I was there, I remembered and used so much more of Hausa and was able to greet people, introduce myself and ask questions. Lawal and Bosco had trained me well.
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February 21, 2025 at 12:12 am
Hi Kat,
Today the high was 31° and the low was 13°. Luckily the sky was clear and the sun made it feel warmer. But, it was still cold.
When I was in elementary school I don’t remember any of my teacher’s names. None of them impressed me. I’m lucky that I’m not a total ignoramus. The Dallas Independent School District in the 1950s was terrible. I’m not sure it’s any better today. In those days schools were racially segregated. Today, due to white flight, and private schools the district is still racially segregated.
I was very lucky that my father moved my sister and I to New York when my mother developed terminal cancer. I was in the eighth grade and thankfully for some dedicated teachers who cared I am now somewhat educated. The only thing that I did on my own from the fourth grade on, was I read lots of books.
I’m aghast at the going’s on in both Washington and in Austin. I don’t have words to describe or even comment on the nonsense the Republicans are inflicting on our country and the world. Even Mitch McConnell can’t take it anymore and will call it quits at the end of his term. I’m glad that Trump is sending ‘vice something Musk’ to Ft. Knox to make sure the gold is still there. I’m surprised Trump hasn’t claimed that Obama stole it. 🙂
February 21, 2025 at 9:25 am
Hi Bob,
I too am aghast at Trump, his co-president Musk and the Republican drones in congress who sit there mute and watch. I don’t understand how he can still have support. His gaffs of firing essential people then scrambling to find them after all their information has been deleted puts us in danger. FAA firings have already càused crashes. He doesn’t even mention them.
It has been weeks of freezing weather here. Mostly the days are in the 20’s while the nights are in the teens.
I got a really good education, especially in high school. I went to Catholic schools all the way through. I even went from first grade through college with about 6 other kids. My high school was two towns away.
Like you, I read all the time, still do.
Stay warm!!