I learned my first Afrikaans word today! Mooi. It means good
or beautiful as in “Mooi werk,” “Good job,” “Beautifully done.” My Pilates instructor Tammy said it to during my private lesson. “Do you know that word?” she asked. “No,”
I had to admit.
Even though sometimes I am super grateful - like when you are trying to get your
internet sorted out on the telephone with the Telkom technician who only has a heavy Afrikaans accent but is still speaking English and you can barely understand him - I am still a
little sorry I will not be forced to learn a new language in South Africa. It is another opportunity lost.
When you go to the American College in Paris, you are not forced to learn French as one would be at the Sorbonne. It is the same here. Everyone speaks English and you can get by quite well even though there are ten other national languages in South Africa.
When you go to the American College in Paris, you are not forced to learn French as one would be at the Sorbonne. It is the same here. Everyone speaks English and you can get by quite well even though there are ten other national languages in South Africa.
But even though I don’t have to, I am going to try to find some
classes in Afrikaans or maybe Zulu. I think it would be tres tres mooi.
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