Bridget's Bunia Blog 35

Happy New Year!

'Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.' Proverbs 17:22

"Yes, Gosapa, you have a question?" I was bringing to a close an English lesson dealing with prepositions of position and I wanted to give the students opportunity for clarification. "Could you explain about 'by the door'? I heard it on the radio and I didn't understand it." "Let's look at that tomorrow since there are several prepositional phrases that involve the door."

So the next day we duly explained - complete with sketches and example sentences on the blackboard - the difference between 'by the door' meaning 'near the door', 'at the door' which has the connotation of someone wanting access or egress and 'on the door', and for good measure we added the adverbs 'outdoors' and 'indoors' and the adjectives 'outdoor' and 'indoor'.

"Gosapa, does this make it clear for you?"
"Not really."
"OK. (Sigh) Well, tell me about the radio program where you heard the expression 'by the door' mentioned. Was it a news program? Was it a reporter? Was he talking from another country?"

Light was beginning to dawn.
"Do you think they were reporting from Somalia? Are you sure the phrase wasn't in fact the name of the town 'Baidoa'?


As I picked up the returned library book, the pages fell open to reveal a razor blade. Evidently it had been used as a book marker or placed there for safe keeping. I didn't interpret it as having any malevolent message. But I did find it ironic (or appropriate) that the title of the book was 'Kill Me Quick' by Meja Mwangi! It led to an interesting exercise in creative thinking. What would be left in 'Arrow of God' by Chinua Achebe? Or 'White Teeth' by Okot p'Bitek? A return ticket from London to Paris would be a very acceptable find in 'A Tale of Two Cities'. Any suggestions for 'Great Expectations'?


Doesn't this misspelling conjure up a wonderful picture?
'My mother gave berth to seven children.'

For those of you familiar with the premise of 'Poisonwood Bible'* by Barbara Kingsolver, the Congolese mispronunciation 'Holly Lord' balances out the error.

With all good wishes for a jocund 2007,
Bridget

*(The white missionary refuses to take seriously the tonal aspect of a Congolese language and so calls the Bible, not holy, but by the name of a bush that gives off a poison that makes the skin itch.)