Lost in Translation

As we prepare to come home, we are wondering if anybody will understand our English.  We've picked up so many "Kenyan-isms" that when we edit our writing we can only cringe.  We thought we'd provide a "decoder ring" in the form of this blog so that if you hear us say something that doesn't make sense, you can have an idea of what's going on in our minds:
1. "Slowly by slowly": If we say this, it means "little by little" more or less.  It can be used in any context to refer to something not really gaining momentum but progressing very slowly.

2. "Small Small": repeating any adjective implies magnifying it.  If something is "far far" its very far away, or "small small" its very small. 

3. "He's not taking anything": to take usually means eating or drinking.  So if Sophie wasn't taking anything this weekend it means she wasn't eating or drinking.

4. "There's no problem": This one can be a doozy.  If, for example, you want to give somebody a ride to town, they might say, "there's no problem."  That means, they are happy to accept your generosity.  It does NOT mean they don't have a problem and you should drive away.

5.  Oleng/Pi (pronounced pee): These are Maasai words we hope to bring back to the US. Oleng means "very" or "much" and can be put in almost any context to add emphasis.  "That car is expensive, oleng".  Pi means "completely" or "entirely" and again can be used almost at will: "I am tired, pi" or "I have no job, pi"

6. "I'm not getting": I don't understand

7. "Nice Time": like goodbye or have a good day

Well, I hope that helps all of you as we re-integrate both our lives and our languages back to Pennsylvania in a few months.