FluenTLV

Over the summer I started going to a language exchange event called FluenTLV. This event facilitates mother-tongue speakers of at least a dozen languages helping others practice their language. I have regularly gone as an English "ambassador". I spend half of the evening helping others practice English and then I practice whatever language I want during the second half of the evening.

About a month ago I started "working" with the event! I now help a few times a month with coordinating the ambassadors during the evening. This includes setting up the tables, making sure that there are enough ambassadors at each of the tables, ensuring that ambassadors switch half way through the evening, and other such tasks. It's fun to once again be a part of a team that is very language focused!

I don't get to practice my Hebrew or Dutch as much, now that I'm working, but I still find time to wander over to those tables and get in brief conversations.

I think every international city should have a similar event.

Baba Ronit

This past week I got the news that one of my former guards became a dad for the first time! Sarah wrote about how we helped him get married (Hongera Mr. Sakwa) and his wedding (Anticipation of a Wedding, Experience of a Wedding) in her blog.

I used to call him Mista Sakwa, now I will be calling him Baba Ronit. He named his daughter after me!

Baba Ronit was the first guard that I hired for my house in Tanzania and he was with me to the end. He is a wonderful man of God and was a very faithful guard. I was sad not to be there for his wedding but I am honored to be a part of his family through this new Ronit in the world.

I also got an additional East African gift this week when I got to meet a Kenyan and chat with her in Swahili. We spoke fondly about chips mayai and chapatti and I addmited that I'm not a huge fan of Ugali. I'm so grateful for the continued connections with my life and home in Tanzania!

All About Languages

I've completed my first week of Arabic studies and I now know the alphabet. That might not sound like much for a whole week's worth of work (6-8 hours of work a day), but it is. The Arabic alphabet is complex! I've thoroughly enjoyed learning it and my brain is still recovering from the amount of stretching that it has been through thus far.

It hasn't been all Arabic though. I've also been working on improving my Hebrew. There is a group in Tel Aviv that gets together on a weekly basis providing opportunities for language learners to speak with native speakers. I signed up as an "ambassador" for English. I spent the first half of the night improving my Hebrew with native speakers. Then I spent the second half of the night speaking English to help others. What fun!!!

Polyglot-hood here I come!