Mango Ubba

I think not being able to communicate much with the people around her has really started to bother Elsa. She seems to sense that she doesn't know the right words to say to be able to make her way around here. Considering how much she loves to talk, I can only imagine how much it irks her to not be able to understand all the other little kids.She's not laying down and playing dead though. Elsa has just decided to combine any Daasanech words she's picked up and put them together, even if we can't quite figure out what it is she is trying to say. Her newest phrase is "Mango Ubba!". She's taken to yelling this at anyone and everyone who comes close, and essentially it just means 'and mango!' or 'also mango!'. I can't imagine what the people think of this little 3 foot high blonde girl yelling 'and mango!' at them. But she's trying. She's trying hard. And she doesn't care what people think of her or what mistakes she's making in the process--she's communicating. And so I'm taking a page from Elsa's books...attempting to take a stab at beginning to learn Daasanech, and to just yell out the words I think I may know. A few times a week the kids and I go back to a house in the village and sit with the main leader in our church (and however many other people may be packed into the house), and I try desperately to figure out, through a little English and a little Amharic and a lot of confusion and miming, what it is they are talking about. I don't know how successful it is, but it's been good for us to at least make a start. So here's to becoming child-like and not being afraid to try...here's to Mango Ubba!