On much lighter note; my family had a few guests around the other day and whilst I was on the phone with my younger sister she told me that there was this little girl (aged 4) that was speaking Somali so fluently she sounded like an adult who has never left Somalia . Now, I like to flatter myself and say I speak Somali much better than my younger siblings but they do tend to understand pretty well (except my youngest brother).
I was told that this little girl was trying to get my younger brother to help get her a glass of water (she couldn't reach the cups in the kitchen) and she kept asking him in Somali, to which he kept replying 'huh??'. She got so annoyed with him, she turned to my sisters (who were laughing at the communication barrier between the two) and said ...
'Dabaal miya?!'
'Is he r.etarded or something?'
Now, my lil brother understood that and just stood there and said that he wasn't and what she said was rude. She replied...
'Dagaha maxa iskutiresa then?'
'Then why are you playing deaf?'
The funny bit is that my brother didn't understand that part! She then turned to him and said 'oh are you doing it again? ....ufffffffff' and went to my sisters.
Wallahi, this little girl managed to figure out my lil brother in the few hours she was there.
I love him to bits, but goodness at the age of 15 his Somali is non-existent. At least the rest of us understand it (speaking is a different matter altogether)...but he's horrible.
Oh I can't wait to go home!