Hausa Update

I have added considerably to my Hausa vocabulary since my last post. Here's what I know:

Numbers:
1. Daya
2. Biyu
3. Uku
4. Hudu
5. Biyar
6. Shidda
7. Bakwai
8. Takwas
9. Tara
10. Goma
11. Goma sha daya
12. Goma sha biyu
13. Goma sha uku
14. Goma sha hudu
15. Goma sha biyar
16. Goma sha shidda
17. Goma sha bakwai
18. Goma sha takwas
19. Goma sha tara
20. Ashirin
21. Ashirin da daya
22. Ashirin da biyu
23. Ashirin da uku
24. Ashirin da hudu
25. Ashirin da biyar
26. Ashirin da shidda
27. Ashirin da bakwai
28. Ashirin da takwas
29. Ashirin da tara
30. Talatin

It continues on in this manner until you reach 100. Then it takes a different form, but follows a similar pattern. I wowed my co-workers with my counting abilities yesterday, and I think it helped me to win over the housekeeping staff, whom I was supposed to be managing for the day, but who did not want to do what I was asking them.

Useful phrases:
Sannu--Hello
Ina Kwana?--Good morning (Response: Lafi ya)
Ina Gaji Ya?--Good afternoon (Response: Ba Gaji Ya)
Na wa ne wannan?--How much is this (for use in the market. You will then procede to bargain.)
Kyao--Good
Na Gode--Thank you
I--Yes
A'a--No
Babu--Nothing (used to respond to "what are you doing?")
Oga--Boss
Bature--White or foreigner (the Indian doctor is considered a Bature, as well)

I really like learning Hausa, and my co-workers seem to generally enjoy teaching it to me. They also enjoy my accent. The patients all greet me as I walk past them (they line the various walkways while they wait--and so do the relatives who accompanied them to the Eye Hospital), and they always laugh and smile when I am able to reply in Hausa. Sometimes they try to keep talking, and then I am in over my head, but they seem to be pleasantly surprised that I know anything.

It just really reinforced my previously held belief (acquired through my various travels), that it is usually greatly appreciated if you make the effort to learn a few words in the native tongue where ever you happen to be. Just knowing how to say "hello" "how are you" and "thank you" goes a long way, even if you switch to English afterwards.

I've been very surprised by some of the AUN students' complete lack of interest in learning any Hausa, which is the main language used in the area, and is spoken widely throughout Northern Nigeria and is a sort of lingua franca in Muslim West Africa. I've been told a number of times that my very limited Hausa (what's written above is the extent of it), is still more than many AUN students know. Which I just find strange, but, also, being a foreigner, I do not have any sort of stake in the ethnic, geographic, or religious cleavages that exist here. I just like learning more languages, and I like being able to (sort of) communicate with the patients and my co-workers in their own languages. I'll keep you posted on my Hausa progress, and I'll let you know if I learn any Fulani, which I probably will, as many of the Hospital's patients are Fulani.

I hope you're all well, and you'll be amazed to know that (a) I am slowly but surely getting acclimated to the heat here and (b) I have not gotten sunburned yet!