Comments on: Top 7 Signs You Have Been an Immigrant too Long http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/ African's personal development blog Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:51:39 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1344 Mwangi Mon, 26 May 2008 10:53:15 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1344 @godwin: I am going to doing a series on where I live, Melbourne, Australia, which should give you a bit more information about that. @godwin: I am going to doing a series on where I live, Melbourne, Australia, which should give you a bit more information about that.

]]> By: godwin benson http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1343 godwin benson Mon, 26 May 2008 10:50:56 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1343 tell me more on how to How to Immigrate to Australia Within a Week thank tell me more on how to How to Immigrate to Australia Within a Week
thank

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1342 Mwangi Sun, 04 May 2008 13:07:03 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1342 @Mo Ma: Cheers for that, I'll have a look at it now. @Mo Ma: Cheers for that, I’ll have a look at it now.

]]> By: Mo Ma http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1341 Mo Ma Sun, 04 May 2008 07:54:00 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1341 http://coreofthematter.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/ich-learnen-deutch/#comments The comments are also worth checking out. http://coreofthematter.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/ich-learnen-deutch/#comments

The comments are also worth checking out.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1340 Mwangi Sun, 04 May 2008 01:42:01 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1340 @ Mo Ma: Thx 4 complimenting the layout. I can pretty much relate to losing my mother tongue. I was never able to speak it, but I was always able to understand fluently. Now, I can't even understand it. I think Kiswahili, or at least the butchered version we speak in Kenya, is actually a bit like riding a bike. I never used to speak it at all when I was in Kenya but after a few years here I became so used to speaking Kiswahili and Sheng that I even began to think in Sheng and Kiswahili. Which post is this that talks about languages? Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to what you have to say about my other posts. @ Mo Ma: Thx 4 complimenting the layout. I can pretty much relate to losing my mother tongue. I was never able to speak it, but I was always able to understand fluently. Now, I can’t even understand it.
I think Kiswahili, or at least the butchered version we speak in Kenya, is actually a bit like riding a bike. I never used to speak it at all when I was in Kenya but after a few years here I became so used to speaking Kiswahili and Sheng that I even began to think in Sheng and Kiswahili. Which post is this that talks about languages?
Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to what you have to say about my other posts.

]]> By: Mo Ma http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1339 Mo Ma Sat, 03 May 2008 19:32:08 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1339 My uncle recently came back to Kenya after 11 years away and he could still speak fluent Sheng...from another era. It was indescribably funny hearing him spout 'buda', 'beste' and other phrases from the 90's. After 4 years away, I just stick to standard Swahili when I go back for hols. Don't even get me started on keeping up with the latest local hits. I watched TV and it felt like I was listening to a Zimbabwean music channel. I'm losing my mothertongue and, as another blogger mentioned on her recent post, it seems that preserving languages is not like riding a bike. You either use it or lose it and the new language or local dialect you pick up sort of 'overwrites' your least used language which often turns out to be your mothertongue. Cool blog layout btw. My uncle recently came back to Kenya after 11 years away and he could still speak fluent Sheng…from another era. It was indescribably funny hearing him spout ‘buda’, ‘beste’ and other phrases from the 90’s.

After 4 years away, I just stick to standard Swahili when I go back for hols. Don’t even get me started on keeping up with the latest local hits. I watched TV and it felt like I was listening to a Zimbabwean music channel.

I’m losing my mothertongue and, as another blogger mentioned on her recent post, it seems that preserving languages is not like riding a bike. You either use it or lose it and the new language or local dialect you pick up sort of ‘overwrites’ your least used language which often turns out to be your mothertongue.

Cool blog layout btw.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1338 Mwangi Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:08:37 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1338 @Sunny: Yeah, the whole thing of personal space is over-rated in my opinion. I used to love the feeling of being in each other's lives up close and personal that I got back home. You know, I think one of the great debates that you black women have never had that you really should are over natural vs synthetic hair. African women hate on other women so much for either going short, el natural or the dreadlock way. Usually this hate comes from women who have, no offence lakini it's true, hideous bird-nests on their head that masquerade as weaves - especially the middle age women, ga ga ga ga! It just saddens me the heat that the natural mamaz get...but I digress. Don't underestimate the power of that Kiswahili school, a couple of years from now a brand will probably need to be set up to educate people such as my 10 yr old sister who doesn't know A WORD of Kiswahili. @Sunny: Yeah, the whole thing of personal space is over-rated in my opinion. I used to love the feeling of being in each other’s lives up close and personal that I got back home.
You know, I think one of the great debates that you black women have never had that you really should are over natural vs synthetic hair. African women hate on other women so much for either going short, el natural or the dreadlock way. Usually this hate comes from women who have, no offence lakini it’s true, hideous bird-nests on their head that masquerade as weaves – especially the middle age women, ga ga ga ga! It just saddens me the heat that the natural mamaz get…but I digress.
Don’t underestimate the power of that Kiswahili school, a couple of years from now a brand will probably need to be set up to educate people such as my 10 yr old sister who doesn’t know A WORD of Kiswahili.

]]> By: Sunny http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1337 Sunny Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:19:23 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1337 I noticed the way back home people speak to you very close to you holding your hands etc, and I have been here so long I noticed the way I minded people being so in my face.Have I become so accustomed to the concept of 'personal space' Also, I realized that hairstyles are different. I was quickly shut down when I wanted to have a ka-Afro, people said, I will pay for you if it is a question of $$$. The natural DO is not as popular as it is here. As for the vernacular. I have a pretty solid ear for my mothertongue but speak it like a foreigner to my home area, to the amusement of my fam. On the issue of a Kiswahili language school, I may well be able to offer some elementary instruction. Applicants welcome. I passed my exams and used to recite mashairi(poetry) so any interested parties, holla. I noticed the way back home people speak to you very close to you holding your hands etc, and I have been here so long I noticed the way I minded people being so in my face.Have I become so accustomed to the concept of ‘personal space’

Also, I realized that hairstyles are different. I was quickly shut down when I wanted to have a ka-Afro, people said, I will pay for you if it is a question of $$$. The natural DO is not as popular as it is here.

As for the vernacular. I have a pretty solid ear for my mothertongue but speak it like a foreigner to my home area, to the amusement of my fam.

On the issue of a Kiswahili language school, I may well be able to offer some elementary instruction. Applicants welcome. I passed my exams and used to recite mashairi(poetry) so any interested parties, holla.

]]> By: Mwangi http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1334 Mwangi Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:58:01 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1334 @acolyte: The track can definitely become the next anthem. It would be hilarious to hear about people's experiences especially when dealing with banks and parastatals where punctuality is about as existent as Big Foot @acolyte: The track can definitely become the next anthem. It would be hilarious to hear about people’s experiences especially when dealing with banks and parastatals where punctuality is about as existent as Big Foot

]]> By: acolyte http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/2008/04/top-7-signs-you-have-been-an-immigrant-too-long/comment-page-1/#comment-1333 acolyte Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:52:27 +0000 http://www.thedisplacedafrican.com/?p=228#comment-1333 That nameless track is timam! I'm sure the time issue will hit me when I get back to Kenya. That nameless track is timam! I’m sure the time issue will hit me when I get back to Kenya.

]]>