Rwandan English

I really love Rwandan English, I really like Kinyarwanda also but still can not speak it. Rwandan's transpose R's and L's in speaking and also many times in writing. The word 'English' is sometimes pronounced and spelled with an L the next time you hear it it is with an R. This makes it very interesting around election time (think about it). Now that we have been in Rwanda for a year dealing with and speaking with Rwandans on a daily basis we have got so we can figure out most English words they are speaking, although on occasion we still have to ask a few times for them to repeat it. In addition to the R and L issue is the use of some words. Sometimes it just makes me laugh. As most of you know I have a great assistant, Asiimwe Sam. (What we would call a last name they put first). We work very well together and have much fun. He tries very hard to teach me words in Kinyarwanda, but my brain is old and fuzzy. And I have taught him to drink strong black coffee. Sam speaks very good English and has been invaluble to me in dealing with government officials and his translating skills have made a huge difference in the amount of time it has taken to start receiving children at the village. But he really makes me laugh at some of the words he uses. Last week we were in the villages picking up people to transport into Nyamata, there was one family that was not ready, which is not at all unusal. There is a saying that "Umuzungus (whites) have watches, Rwandans have time". Sam thought they were taking to long and said, "I will go up to the house to 'pressurize' them". I had not heard him say that before and I just had to laugh. Thank the Lord he is very good natured. Another word is 'clothes', but they pronounce the 'es' at the end. Milk is 'millick'. There are many other that I can not remember right now, as I said the brain is old and fuzzy. I will try to jot them down and add them a a latter time.