my name is...nyemo

I have a new name, simply because the name Carla is almost impossible for Tanzanians to pronounce. They say 'r' and 'l' almost the same way, and cannot pronounce the two letters side by side, so if they try to say my name, it sounds like "Cala." Our houseboys, Zawadi and Gilbert, chose a new name for me: Nyemo. Nyemo means "happiness" in Kigogo--it's not a Kiswahili word. I simply introduce myself as Nyemo to new people, and they find it very funny that the mzungu ("white person") has a name like Nyemo.

So I'm going to show off a little and write a paragraph in Kiswahili so you have proof that I can almost speak this language. Don't worry--I'll translate. Remember--I'm not using a dictionary or a textbook. Prepare to be impressed.

Jina langu ni Carla au Nyemo. Nyemo ni rahisi kusema; Carla ni ngumu kusema. Mume wangu anaitwa Tony. Mimi ni mwalimu wa afya, na mume wangu ni mwalimu wa mazingira. Tulifika Tanzania tarehe kumi na mbili, mwezi wa sita, mwaka elfu mbili na saba. Sasa tunaishi Kibakwe, karibu na hospitali. Tutakaa Kibakwe kwa miaka miwili. Tunaweza kusema na kuelewa Kiswahili kidogo, lakini tunajaribu kila siku. Tafadhali, sema pole pole. Asante sana.

Now, the translation:
My name is Carla or Nyemo. Nyemo is easy to say; Carla is difficult to say. My husband is called Tony. I am a health teacher, and my husband is an environment teacher. We arrived in Tanzania June 12, 2007. Now we live in Kibakwe, near the hospital. We will stay in Kibakwe for two years. We are able to speak and understand Kiswahili a little, but we try every day. Please, speak slowly. Thank you very much.

Are you impressed??
More juicy details about our lives later--it's lunchtime.