• HOME
  • Latest blog entries
  • BLOG
  • My books
  • Press mentions
  • ABOUT

The Kenyan Explorer

  • HOME
  • Latest blog entries
  • BLOG
  • My books
  • Press mentions
  • ABOUT
  • Menu

Shikomori for beginners + Leaving Moheli for Ndzouani

September 27, 2016

Marahaba = Thank you (while in Kiswahili it is a response to a greeting, “Shikamoo” “Marahaba”)

Lala unono = See you later (while in Kiswahili it means “sleep well”)

Watiti = children (while in Kiswahili the word is watoto)

Fahamu = Listen/Pay attention/be cautious (while in Kiswahil it means “to know”

Fundi = teacher (while in Kiswahili it means “repairman” e.g. carpenter, plumber etc.)

Kizungu = French (while in Kiswahili it means “English”)

This last one in particular fascinated me. I realized kizungu in the Anglophone sense is English, only because the wazungus in our context were British, but in a Francophone sense, kizungu (i.e. the language of the wazungus) would be French while it would be portuguese in a lusophone context.

Someone needs to do a study on coastal people and mysticism. Before we left the hotel at Moheli, I ate breakfast by the beach. There was a certain guy on the beach who looked unstable. The hotel owner told me that he had stolen a mattress from his mother’s house. His mother had then gone to see a witchdoctor to place a curse on whoever stole the mattress -not knowing it was her son. Ever since that day, he had lost his mind. The hotel owner told me he also had a friend who stole a necklace from his own mother because he wanted to sell it and use the money to go to Europe (I’m assuming it was a very expensive necklace.) His stomach started growing and growing – finally he died. I vowed there and then never to steal anything from my mum -  and if I did, to make sure she doesn’t go to the witchdoctor.

We left the island of Moheli for Ndzouani on a Sunday morning. We got to the airport at noon even though the flight was at 3pm. It was a long wait. I was pleased to see a female pilot and co-pilot. After the flight I chatted a bit with the pilot and she was actually Kenyan -  born and raised in Malindi. On arrival, I met a lady who was half French, half German and I was so excited to speak in German. It had been a while. This was the first time I noticed my French was interfering with my German. It’s as if my mind only has space for one foreign language at a time.

I got to Hotel Papillon (butterfly) and it was ok. I spent the rest of the day resting – discovered our hotel had a bar later on and took the first beer of my time in Comoros. That beer felt so refreshing! You never miss the water till the well runs dry. 

In Comoros Islands Tags Comoros, Comoros Islands, Moheli, Ndzouani, travelling, travel, travel blogger, traveling, travelblogger, trip, vacation
← The school at the top of the mountain and other scholarly talesAdjusting to a different culture and finally getting rid of a certain bugga--boo →
Amsterdam.JPG Arembepe beach.jpg Bahiana beauty.jpg Berlin Communist pic.JPG Berlin Schloss.JPG Colloseum.JPG Convertible pic.jpg Copenhageen.JPG Cristo redentor.jpg Desert tracks_Bolivia.jpg DSC09058.JPG DSC09343.JPG Dune and Kenyan flag.jpg Eiffel Tower.JPG Ferris.JPG Graffiti.JPG Hungary.JPG Lake Titicaca.jpg Lindi.JPG Louvre.jpg Oktoberfest.JPG Oktoberfest2.JPG old couple tango.jpg Paris.JPG Qatar.JPG Ricoleta cemetery floating lady.jpg Ricoleta cemetery mourning ladies.jpg Slovenia.JPG St Michael.JPG Storymoja pic_Ciku Kimeria.jpg Vatican.jpg Yamoussoukro.jpg Zambia.JPG
  • Africa general
  • Argentina
  • Austria
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burundi
  • Cape Verde
  • Chile
  • Comoros Islands
  • Cote D'Ivoire
  • Cuba
  • Czech republic
  • Denmark
  • Europe general
  • France
  • General
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Guatemala
  • Hungary
  • Italy
  • Ivory Coast
  • Japan
  • Kenya
  • Netherlands
  • Nigeria
  • Senegal
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Somaliland
  • South America general
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Togo
  • Uganda