I’m back in Sierra Leone (Salone, as it is oft called locally), and this evening I was unable to communicate with my taxi driver over the phone (telling him where to come and pick me up). So he picked me up late and I was very annoyed.
So, to the take the edge (read, my edge) off, I asked him to teach me some Krio on the ride back to my hotel. There is nothing like learning a new language to humble you, especially Krio, which is a blend of English and local languages. So my first query
Q: How do you say “8 o’clock” in Krio?
A: 8 o’clock
Nice. But it’s not all identical, although that would disappoint Mallory’s boyfriend Nick. Here are a few lines I “learned” (read, wrote down in my little book and read back).
Mi na mi neim [my name]. – My name is [my name].
Mi a di go tumara. – I’m going tomorrow.
Yu na Krio cheecha. – You are a Krio teacher.
Da ooman na mi ooman. -That’s my wife.
Yu tok na reit ting. -You speak the truth.
Dis neim bi fein. -Nice name.
By the time we got home, we’d both laughed a lot. Good night.
David Evans' personal blog 