Learning Krio (small, small)
on Freetown Blog (Sierra Leone), 24/Nov/2009 20:16, 34 days ago
Last Thursday I had a barb, although I wasn't aware of the fact at the time. I only realised the next morning, when I arrived at the office with my shorn head, to be greeted by the comment "Eh, nice barb, Tim!" (It's obvious when you think about it - what else would a barber do?)Alhough English is the main spoken language in the office, many conversations soon move into Krio and exchanges on the street, with the neighbours or in the taxi are almost always in Krio. According to my Bradt Guide, the language started as a trading language for tens of thousands of freed slaves across West Africa, Europeans and other merchants, and uniquely blends words from different sources. There are many recognisable words from English, but the grammar and vocabulary make it a language in its own right.People sometimes comment that I should know more Krio by now, and Iwish I did,  because judging from the laughter, conversations in Krio have the best jokes. As it is, I can manage greetings: "Ow di bodi?" ("How are you?"); reply: "A tel God tenke" ("Can't complain"). Given my short time here, I'm never going to be fluent, but I have realised that just trying will often crack a smile on even the most serious face.