joy givers

when we were in language acquisition training we were told that while we were learning Shona we would be "joy givers"- as in we would make attempts and it would give joy to the people we were talking with. if we say it right or wrong we can have opportunity to spread joy.

yesterday in class i provided a large amount of laughter in my first huge language blunder. we had to translate the following sentence: chokudya chaibva, asi tafura haisati yagadzirwa. it means: the food is ready, but the table has not yet been prepared. i however translated it as: the food was stolen, but we died before it was prepared. opps!

laughs all around!

-m