Inkqubela phambili

'i-Mud Hut Fallacy' kukuba umntu omhlophe weza eMzantsi Afrika waza wenza inkqubela. Kukho iingcamango ezahlukahlukeneyo malunga nokuba kutheni abantu abamhlophe (kwaye kungekho enye indlela) abaye benza iikholoni. Ukukhangela kwiindlebe zeembali ukuba ingcamango ihluke. ENgilani yayikholoni yiFransi ngeenkulungwane. Abazange bashiye. Ngaphambi koko, IIngles yayikholoni iBrithani. Abazange bashiye. Ngaphambi kwaloo nto, amaRoma yayikholoni iBrithani. Ekugqibeleni bafuneka bahambe xa iRoma iwahlukana. Ukulwa nabantu abathiwa yiBarbarians. Ekugqibeleni amaBarbarians aqalisa kwakhona uBukumkani Oyingcwele baseRoma. Abantu baseNgesi ngumxuba. IsiNgesi ngumxube. Oku akuyikukhomba umnwe kwiqela labantu njengento embi. Wonke umntu ukhangekububi (kwaye kakuhle) xa sivula iincwadi zeMbali. Siwa phantsi. Sifunda. Sibuyela kwakhona. Ungalokothi ulibale. Inkqubela yileyo wonke umntu.

UWilliam uMnqobi wayengesiFrentshi

ukuphindaphinda

Enye yeendlela iindlela abantwana bafunda ngazo, kukuphindaphinda. Bazokopisha abazali babo nootitshala. Amagama nezenzo ziphindaphinda ngokuphindaphindiweyo njengomdlalo. Ukuqonda akukho, kodwa bafundisa imizimba yabo. Imizimba yabo iyazuza ukuqonda ngendlela. Xa ndizama ukufunda iSiXhosa, andizange ndikwazi ukuphinda ndiphinde ndiyidlale. Into endiyibonayo inegama lesiNgesi eliqhotyoshelweyo. Iimvakalelo zesiNgesi. Ngcamango zesiNgesi. Andikholelwa ukuba ukufunda iilwimi malunga nokukwazi ukuguqulela igama elinye. Ngokuphathelele ukwakha iwebhu yokuqonda. Ukufumana imibuzo emihle. Ukusebenzisa ukungaqondi, kodwa ukhululekile kunye nokungahambi kahle kokufunda.

umBubble Wam

Ndiyathemba ukuba, ngokwandisa umBubble wam, nokwenza iimpazamo ezininzi, ndinokususa ezinye izithintelo ezithintele ukuba ndibone. Ukhuphiswano luyanyanzeleka njengabantu abadala. Siva ngathi kufuneka siqinisekise ukuba sifanele sihlale esihlalweni. I-Hereditary Status sasimisa abantu ukuzama kwiindawo abazikhethileyo. I-Meritocracy yayifanele iwanike umntu ithuba. Esikhundleni saloo ndawo, ithatha indawo yokuba 'wazi indawo yakho' 'ngokufumana indawo yakho'. Impumelelo. Zombini zimbi. Sinika abantwana ithuba. Siyabathanda nantoni na eyenzayo. Ngokukhawuleza, xa siba ngabantu abadala, uthando kunye nentlonipho ziyaxhomekeka. Ubudlelwane buvakalelwa ngathi bahlala besengozini yokuwahlukana. Ndifuna ukukhululeka ngakumbi ngokungakhathaleli loo mngcipheko. Ukuvulela iimpazamo kunye nokungakwazi. Ngenxa yokuba sifunda apho.

kwiNye

Abantu abaninzi baphendule kwi-Social Media chaos ngokunciphisa inani labantu abadibene nabo. Ndikhethile ukwenza okuchaseneyo. Ndandisoloko ndikunandipha abahlobo beentlanganiso zabahlobo kwimibutho yendlu. Oko kuthetha ukuba ubuncinane unxibelelwano. Abanye banomdla olwabelwana ngawo odibanisa nawe kumhlobo oyedwa. Ngoku ndenza okufanayo kwi-Facebook. Ndiye 'ndidibana' nabanye abantu abalungileyo, kwaye ixesha lam eli ligcwele iingxoxo kunye neengcamango endingazibonanga ngaphambili. Ewe, andinakuzilandela zonke. Kodwa awunayo. Asiyilandeli yonke into abahlobo bethu bathi ngayo ebomini bobomi. Umlambo onokuhlala kuwo. Unokugxila kwintonga enye njengoko ihambayo. Enye ingcamango njengoko ihamba nawe kwindawo ongayicingi ngayo.

umNatha yeMemori

Ngexesha elide ndasebenza nomhlobo wam uLister, ukwakha uluhlu lwamagama aqhelekileyo kwisiXhosa. Ndandiyifunde incwadi ebizwa ngokuba yi-Fluent Forever ephakamisa indlela yokufunda ulwimi. Ibonisa ukuba kunokuba ufunde ngokuguqulela, ufunda ngokwakha iwebhu yezinkumbulo. Abantwana bafunda ulwimi lwabo lonina ngale ndlela. Abanalo olunye ulwimi oluya kuguqulela. Bona izinto kwaye emva kokuva isandi ngokuphindaphindiweyo, kuvuza. Xa bebona umthi, bacinga ngokuzenzekelayo igama. Akunomthi kuphela, kodwa neengcambu, amaqabunga, ilanga, ihlobo, intwasahlobo, imvelo. Iwebhu yezinkumbulo. I-Fluent Forever ibonisa ukwakha loo web ukususela ekuqaleni kolwimi olutsha.

Sincede Sincedisane

Esinye sezizathu endikufumene kunzima ukufunda isiXhosa, ukungabikho kweengxoxo kunye neencwadi. Oku kungenxa yokuba ndihlala eNgilani. NdingumSoutie. Ndizama ukufunda ezinye iilwimi. IsiFrentshi kunye neArabhu zincedo kwezinye iindawo zaseAfrika. IsiSwahili yilona ulwimi olubhekiselele kulwimi lwaseAfrika. Ngokusebenzisa i-Google translate, kunye nokwakha isigama, ndiyathemba ukuba ndiyakwazi ukukhupha ngaphandle kolwimi lwam lwesiNgesi kuphela. Andikwazi ukuhlala ngokwenyama kwiindawo ezi zithetha ngeelwimi ixesha elide ukuze ndizicwilise. Ndizama ukujonga ukuba eli lizwe elitsha, lidibaniswe yiMidiya yezoLuntu, lunokusinceda sincedisane.

IiLwimi ezisemthethweni eAfrika

Kufunda

Ndifuna ukuzama ukubhala izithuba kwezinye iilwimi. Baya kuba buhlungu, kodwa ndivulekile kakhulu kwimpendulo. Ndiza kusebenzisa izixhobo ezikhoyo. Oyintloko, kuba ndikulungele ukubukeka njenge-idiot ebantwini. Esinye isixhobo kukuba kukho abaninzi abantu abakwaziyo ukusetyenziswa kwezinye iilwimi. Njengoko i-bubble yesiNgesi ndihlala ngokuqhelekileyo kuthetha ukuba asiyi kuphulaphula amagama angaphantsi. Nceda undincede. Ngokucacileyo ndandizibhalelanga ngokwayo. Ndisebenzisa i-Google Translate. Ndisebenzisa iMemrise.

Kufunda

Stokvel 2.0

A fellow Basic Income fan describes it as 'the Stokvel that went to Harvard'. A Stokvel is a by-invitation club that pools money and then assists each member of the community in turn. The word derives from the stock fairs of English Settlers in the Eastern Cape. Post Napoleon, the English pushed into Southern Africa to establish settlements on the frontiers between the isiXhosa and the Dutch colony. There is a beautiful twist that the word now has an Afrikaans (African Dutch) flavour and the concept is used by approximately 1/3 black South African adults. Stokvels have a commonly agreed constitution, dictating contributions, how the money is paid out, and the roles and responsibilities of the members. A Community Wealth Fund that paid 150 basic incomes to its members would be a self-financed Stokvel.

Eastern Cape

Spel en Grammar

Ek het verleede jaar na Holland toe gegaan. Dit was lekker om Afrikaans te praat. Een rede was dat hulle het nie geweet net hoe sleg my Afrikaans was. Wanneer hulle my nie kan verstaan, het hulle gedink dat dit was net omdat Afrikaans en Hollands nie die selfde is. My Afrikaans is nie goed nie. Daar is definitief baie spel foute en ek weet nie a fraksie van die woorde wat ek ken in Engels. Ek voel nie asof ek die beste van myself kan maak. 

Wanneer 'n groep van mense Afrikaans praat, luister ek versigtig en stil. In Engels, ek moet hard probeer om net te luister. Ek praat veel. In Afrikaans, elke woord kom stadig uit. Ek probeer om nou isiXhosa te leer. Die interesante ding is dat as jy baie 'goed' praat, dink mense dat jy van die rural Ooste Kaap kom. Die mense in die stad praat isiXhosa wat sit a 'i' voor baie ander taal se woorde. Die belangrike ding is om mense te verstaan.

Dit maak my lag 'n bietjie. As jy probeer om te show off met jou goeie Xhosa, dan sal mense dink dat jy 'n bietjie backwards is. Eusebius McKaiser dink dat dit tyd is om te 'decolonise Afrikaans'. Ek is keen om sy battle call te antwoord. Afrikaans en Xhosa is taale van die mense. Engels ook! Daar is geen 'korek Engels'. Die Queen praat net een soort engels. 

Die rede hoekom ek so lekker Afrikaans gepraat is met die mense van Holland en die Flemish is dat hulle het groot geglimlag. Wanneer ek probeer om isiXhosa te probeer praat, het mense ook groot geglimlag. Ek moet net 'kunjani' se, en die klein kinders het gese, 'Hawu, umlungu uthetha isiXhosa'. Net een woord!

Die laaste week was nie lekker vir my hart. Ek glo in 'n wereld sonder grense. Ek glo in 'n wereld waar almal het 'n kans en almal is belangrik. Ek woon in London. 'n Stad wat vir my belang na die wereld. Ek dink een maneer om te wys dat ons van ons geskiedneis geleer het, om te wys dat ons kan leer, is om mekaar se taale te leer. Nie al daardie vrek moeilik rele, maar genoeg woorde om te kuier. Genoeg woorde om te kyk vir die dinge wat belangrik is.

Om nie 'n spel en grammar check te doen op elke ding wat mense se. Ek sal probeer om meer mense te kry om in ander taal guest posts te skryf. Dit lyk nie asof ons vir die politicians kan wag om grense te laat sterf. Ons moet die werk doen om dit self te doen.

Direct Unedited Google Translate: (Bad) Afrikaans to English

I verleede year went to Holland. It was nice to speak Afrikaans. One reason was that they did not know just how bad I was Afrikaans. When they can not get me, they thought it was just because Afrikaans and Dutch are the same. My African is not good. There is definitely a lot of spelling mistakes and I do not know a fraction of the words I know in English. I do not feel like I can make the best of myself.

When a group of people speaking Afrikaans, I listen carefully and quietly. In English, I have tried to just listen. I talk a lot. In Afrikaans, every word coming out slowly. I'm trying to learn now isiXhosa. The interesting thing is that if you have lots of 'good' talk, people think you come from the rural Eastern Cape. The people in the city speak isiXhosa sitting a "i" for many other language words. The important thing is to understand people.

It makes me laugh a little. If you try to show off your good Xhosa, then people will think you are a little backward. Eusebius McKaiser think that it is time to 'decolonise Afrikaans'. I am keen to answer his battle call. Afrikaans and Xhosa taale of the people. English too! There is no 'is filled in correctly English. The Queen speaks only one kind of English.

The reason why I'm talking so nice African with the people of Holland and Flemish is that they have big smiles. When I try to try to speak isiXhosa, people also smiled big. I just need 'Kunjani's, and the grandchildren said, "Hawu, umlungu uthetha isiXhosa'. Just one word!

The last week was not good for my heart. I believe in a world without borders. I believe in a world where everyone has a chance and everybody is important. I live in London. A city that for me, to the world. I think one maneer to show that we have learned from our geskiedneis, to show that we can learn, is to learn each other's taale. Not all those die hard relay, but enough words to socialize. Enough words to look for the things that are important.

Not to make a game and grammar check on everything that people say. I will try to get more people to write in another language guest posts. It does not look like we're the politicians can wait to kill boundaries. We must do the work to do it yourself.

isiXhosa

There are about 11 million isiXhosa speakers with 8ish million who use it at home (18% of the population of South Africa). One home speaker was Nelson Mandela. It is one of 11 official languages although English is the main common tool of commerce and government. There are 18 clicks demonstrating the influence of interaction with the San. An estimated 15% of the language comes from the first nation of South Africa. English & Afrikaans also traded words & flavour with isiXhosa. The people were at the forefront of the interaction with the Europeans, the San and the Khoikhoi. About 1000 words separate the language from the mutually intelligible isiZulu.

Areas where isiXhosa is spoken at home 

Caged in Homework

Cause and effect have an interesting dance. Lots of things are random dance partners. Tyler Vigen has a fun website on Spurious Correlations. One shows how the number of people who drowned by falling into a pool is correlated with the number of films Nicolas Cage appeared in. A lot of people don't run because they get injured. Because it hurts. Because they are 'not natural runners'. Not completely spurious, but the running isn't causing the injury. It is the sitting. It is the inactivity and neglect, then followed by use which is the problem. Starting is hard, but is very disconnected from the activity once it becomes normal.

I went to my first formal Xhosa lesson today. It was pretty dry stuff despite a very lively, and entertaining teacher, kindly giving of her time. I then had to start my (still to finish) homework which feels very much like a flashback to school days. It isn't all that fun. It is like the first few runs when slowly starting to get moving. The muscles don't work. 

The fun bit of the language is singing songs with the kids, or banter that happens because of a connection. None of that happens without a little bit of effort. A little discomfort. A little homework. We don't learn purely by falling into knowledge.

Accepting Discomfort

I was helping my 8 year old isiXhosa teacher with her maths homework yesterday. She was struggling to understand a division sum, and it just wouldn’t sink in. Fortunately she could see just how long it was taking for the isiXhosa to sink in for me! If you aren’t uncomfortable, you aren’t learning. The girls’ grandmother says the clicks came much later than their first words. Years even. Some quicker than others. Learning is as much about dealing with the emotions of being comfortable with discomfort, as it is about the content. Emotional Intelligence comes first.

The English struggle to say 'Qongqothwane'

Intloko Neenzwane

Two of my Xhosa teachers for the next two weeks are Uyanda (8) and Sibahle (5). Like most 5 year olds, Sibahle is actually more keen on seeing how many selfies she can take on my phone. Uyanda is teaching me some songs to learn the bits of the body. You touch your head (intloko) down to your toes (neenzwane), getting progressively faster. Hopefully my post-Comrades body recovers quick enough to cope with the lessons. Fortunately any mistakes I make just result in giggles, and my teachers have endless desire to share their wisdom. I just have to wait for them to get home from school. They learn, then I learn.

A Start

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. There seems to be a clear path. We can remember the things we got wrong, and wonder how it would have been different. I learnt lots of lessons during my 12 hours of running on Sunday. Well, 12 and a bit. Like a one point sports game, it is tempting to think of all the little tweaks that would have changed the 'and a bit' to 'just less than'. Doing something is very different from reading about it. The learning is intense. I am spending the next two weeks in Langa, Cape Town. I am going to put some of the same intensity of that run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban into getting some Xhosa words to sink in. I will be learning alongside the same friend that tried to get me to Durban on time. Time to listen. That's a good way to start.

Start of the Comrades

Pic: +Em Gatland