No trip to the orphanage this week. My "driver" is out of town. I'm still spending my week with kids, though. I have a missionary friend who is going to the U.S. next week for a month. Her husband and kids are staying here so this week Daniel and I are taking school to their house to get acquainted with the way she does school with her daughter. The plan is for me to be her teacher while her mom is gone. Yesterday went well. It helps that Daniel is a good reader, has a cooperative spirit, and doesn't mind doing some of his work independently.
The MAF blog is now featuring a weekly posting about raising kids on the mission field, called
Moms on a Mission. This week spotlights one of my recent posts
Daniel's Bottle Bucket Battle. You can check out the MAF blog
HERE.
Sometimes we see things here that strike us funny either because their intended meaning was "lost in translation" or because they mean different things in different cultures. Living in a third world culture can affect one's sense of humor. Our family's sense of humor was already weird to being with, but I hope you enjoy these. Some of these photos were taken from a moving vehicle and/or with a cheap phone camera because taking photos here can invite trouble, so please excuse the poor quality.
Sometimes the folks who stock the shelves in the stores don't know what an item is so they make a guess about where it ought to be placed. Here the Odor Eaters foot spray is shelved between the bug spray and the rat poison. Our guess is that it was because the can says it "kills odors" and someone recognized the word "kills."
Everyone likes to drink "mildew,"right? This is actually coffee and it wasn't too bad, but the name just doesn't sound very appealing to those of us who speak English.
This is not where all the expats go to exchange their money. It's actually a new grocery store that the owner named after his wife Monique.
Another good food with a not-so-appealing name. This is not a cough inducer or a cough suppressant. It's applesauce.
We love the name of this store that we pass on our way to and from the orphanage. If I said to someone in the states, "I'm going to Fanny Wax," this is probably not what they would imagine. "Wax" in Congo refers to the way local fabrics are made. This is actually a store that sells fabric and clothing.
I loled at fanny wax!! HAHA!!!
ReplyDeleteVery Fun!!!
ReplyDeleteUm, I hope there are no Australians or New Zealanders living in the area. They would find the name of such a shop highly offensive!!! (Just goes to show that things can get lost in translation between English speaking countries too).
ReplyDeleteJules, I had no idea! Both here and in the U.S. it can be a person's name (which is the case in the photo)! or a harmless name for one's backside (sort of like calling your head a noggin). or a type of pack you wear on your waist like a small version of a backpack. I hope I did not offend you. I've never met an Australian or a New Zealander here but there could be some. All of the embassies are here in Kinshasa, plus there are the UN, the NGO's and the missionary communities, which have people from all over the world.
DeleteNancy, I wasn't offended. Just thought it was funny. There is a word commonly used here in NZ that means that something is broken or useless but which has seamier connotations in Australia. It took me years before I stopped blushing every time I heard it and even after 16 years I cannot bring myself to use that word the way it is used here. BTW, I never knew it was a pack that you could wear. You learn something new every day!
ReplyDelete