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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 12:52:34
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Oh yes, Dr. Alzheimer is reaching out for all of us... But brain exercise is the best medicament!
I really admire the people from the Netherlands; they are so good at speaking foreign languages. Most of them are VERY good at German (if you go there and shyly try to murmur a few Dutch words, they answer in German - really embarrassing!), English as well, not to mention Spanish and sometimes French. |
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Janky
United Kingdom
92 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 13:03:11
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Anyone that is willing to become our teacher of Mandinka please count me in. I have tried several times to source out a Mandinka teacher but to no avail. I know a few words, which I have learnt when in gambia and also what my husband has taught me, but I dont think he is keen to teach me properley. Maybe I would then be able to understand his telephone conversations more .................................... sacry.
Please Gambian brothers/sisters please help me learn................. |
Janky |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
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ganbi
United Kingdom
20 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 13:31:32
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quote:
Originally posted by kassma
second of all, not all Gambians have the same traditions. i didn't live in a village when i was in Gambia and i'm certainly not speaking for villagers. in fact, i think before arabs came with islam and whites came with christianity, both religions demand women to be chast and virgins, things like virginity being so important for a woman did not exist and probably not so harsh as it supposedly is now. what i mentioned here is what i know of Gambia for the nine years i lived there. although i have stayed in america for a long time, facts are facts, memories are still memories, so im not making up anything i wrote.
Kassma I am not talking about only villages am talking about Gambia and this is one issue which is common to almost all the tribes in the Gambia be it wollof, Mandika, sarahule or fula. It doesn't matter whether you stayed in the village or the capital as a gambian you should have a fair idea of what is practiced in the Gambia, if you don't see, you will hear about it. otherwise don't speak for the whole gambia. If you leave the Gambia when you were nine i guess that's what you meant by nine year, and you don't speak with your family back home every other day then you have no more information about gambian culture than gambianbev for example who goes there every year.
Jamma ak Salam. |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 13:33:52
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quote:
Originally posted by njucks
there is a mandinka/wollof dictionary prepared by the Peace Corps at http://www.africanculture.dk/gambia/langabot.htm
its a good starting point
Thank you, Njucks, I will have a look at it. Maybe it is the one I read some time ago. It was a dictionary for Peace Corps trainees, and I found a some startling expressions there, like 'I always know what you are doing' or something like that. This gave me the impression that power or control are among the aims of this 'Peace Corps'. But maybe this is another topic, I'll go and check it. |
Edited by - serenata on 21 Apr 2006 13:35:19 |
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ganbi
United Kingdom
20 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 13:40:40
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quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
ganbi I agree. A girl I know that was getting married was closely chaparoned and wasnt allowed to be alone with the boy involved.
I had heard that in the village after the wedding night they look for blood on the sheet as evidence she was a virgin...is this true?
If so..in a small village it would be a disaster for a girl NOT to be a virgin when she marries.
Gambiabev you are certainly right that is exactly how it is done. Can you imagine how humuliated the family will be if she is not to be found a virgin because the whole village will hear about it.
Just like Twinkly said, it is still a big deal for any decent family. |
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Janky
United Kingdom
92 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 14:08:52
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| njucks, thanks for that info I will check it out. Hope that there is still a Gambian though who would be willing to teach Mandinka. |
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Janky
United Kingdom
92 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 14:12:02
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| Tried the link njucks but for some reason it does not work.......................any suggestions |
Janky |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 14:21:07
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if you google it, its the first result as well. maybe its because its in pdf? that could be a problem if you dont have acrobat reader
i just tried it and it worked again, both work for me..i hope this helps. if not i could email it to u. |
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Janky
United Kingdom
92 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2006 : 14:52:18
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| njucks, I have tried several times but for some strange reason it will not allow me access in. Can you email me please. |
Janky |
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kassma
334 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2006 : 00:42:59
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quote:
Originally posted by ganbi
Kassma I am not talking about only villages am talking about Gambia and this is one issue which is common to almost all the tribes in the Gambia be it wollof, Mandika, sarahule or fula. It doesn't matter whether you stayed in the village or the capital as a gambian you should have a fair idea of what is practiced in the Gambia, if you don't see, you will hear about it. otherwise don't speak for the whole gambia. If you leave the Gambia when you were nine i guess that's what you meant by nine year, and you don't speak with your family back home every other day then you have no more information about gambian culture than gambianbev for example who goes there every year.
Jamma ak Salam.
back off Ganbi, so i'm no more of a Gambian than Gambev, whatever. don't be mad that i'm not some docile female willing to be quiet and let you, (i think you're a male) tell me how sex is in Gambia. i was raised by Gambians, still live with Gambians and talk to my Gambian family back at home on a regular basis. what i've said already, i meant it. if there was something special to hear, or see, it obviously didn't happen in Gambia or here in america. i was raised in a family compound where there were lots of women from children, teenagers, mothers, grandmothers, please, really if there was something to be heard, i would have already. muslim culture has added a lot of restriction to women in different cultures, i'm not muslim and am not part encouraging stuff like that. since i was not raised by muslims and was not that much involved with muslims, i have no idea what restrictions there are on muslim women in their sexual and daily lives |
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