Malagasy language lessons

Tena tsy saraotra ny teny malagasy, fa tena mora!

Apparently.

It means, “The Malagasy language is really not at all difficult, but it’s very easy”. This was one of the first phrases I learnt when I started my Malagasy lessons on Tuesday. I’ve only had four lessons so far, but already we’re advancing at quite a pace. It’s challenging – as absolutely none of it resembles any other language that I’ve ever learnt – but most of you know that I love languages, and I’m really enjoying it. I’m really thankful that so far it’s been coming to me reasonably easily (mostly due to the skill of my teacher who is very patient and generally fantastic) – but God’s nonetheless not letting me get complacent with it or letting me think that I’m good at it – I regularly get total mind blocks and get completely frustrated with it and can’t seem to move forward or remember any of the words with 8+ syllables – and then God reminds me that I’m learning this language so that I can serve Him in this place, and that I’m learning it for Him. We pray before every lesson, which is such a reminder as to why I’m here, and concentrates me on the task ahead for the following hour and a half.

I also find it hilarious that the phrases I’m learning are so geared to this little corner of Madagascar. A sample from lesson 1:

Tsara Andriamanitra = God is good.
Tena vitsy ny dokotera = There are very few doctors.
Betsaka ny marary = There are many patients.
Tapaka ny jiro = The electricity is cut off (Very apt, as I'm sitting here in the dark, hurrah for Macbooks with keyboards that light up...)
Tapaka ny rano = The water is cut off
Mafana ny andro = It is hot

Apparently next lesson includes other particularly useful ones such as ‘the bridge is down’ and ‘the truck has broken down’.

Some of you know that my e-mail and certain internet-type-stuff has been playing up this week. Have got a temp fix on the e-mail at the moment, but things are not behaving as they should, and it's all very frustrating - couldn't even log into the blog for ages. A test in patience perhaps?

Amin’ny manaraka indray! (Until next time...)