The four wheel drive Toyota was hurtling along the rugged Loitoktok highway. It was early morning and the sun was smiling its golden presence in the east horizon. ‘Jua limetangaza siku mpya!’ The sun has announced a new day, Msonobari said. He was seated in front of the Toyota, next to a weary driver.
Msonobari was on his way to Amboseli, Kenya’s jewel national park. It is the only park in the country that sits next to Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro. But the renowned Swahili Online Tutor and expert wasn’t going to view Kenya’s world famous wildlife. He was going to visit a Maasai village and have a Swahili session with them. Together with him were film producers who were going to capture this pristine culture on film.
‘Habari ya asubuhi!’ Good morning! He shouted at a group of school children who were racing to school. ‘Nzuri Sana!’ Very Fine!They shouted back smiling like the sun. The vehicle tumbled past Kimana, a rustic town that was just a few miles away from Loitoktok, their destination.
‘I will marry a Maasai girl,’ Bwak, one of the film producers said when they saw a dazzling Maasai girl donned in traditional Maasai attire. She was carrying a pot full of water on her head. ‘I will marry this Maasai girl!’ Washika the other producer said. ‘Habari binti!’ How are you young lady, Msonobari greeted. ‘Asante kwa kazi njema’ thanks for the good work, he added. Like the school children, she too flashed a sunny smile.
Loitokok is a border town that is right on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. But the truly special thing about it is that it sits at the foot of the heavenly Mt. Kilimanjaro. ‘Tazama mlima wa milima,’ behold the mountain of mountains, Msonobari said quietly, respectfully. He strolled alone to the roadside and gingerly climbed a thorn tree in order to get vantage view of the Mountain.
‘Unafanya nini?’ What are you doing? Some three school children shouted at him, giggling. He looked down at them, wiped the dust on his face with his right palm and answered cheerfully, ‘ninataka kutazama Mlima Kilimanjaro!’ I want to watch Mt. Kilimanjaro! The children looked back at him with puzzlement. They had been born in Loitoktok and always saw the mountain. To them, it was the neighbor’s house.
Msonobari’s eyes travelled past the vast savannah terrain, past the many Maasai villages dotting this terrain, past the equally plenteous zebras, wildebeests and gazelles to the majestic mountain in the background. Its two peaks rose past the azure sky, right into the white clouds. It was like a beautiful, crooked later M flowing like a river the heavenly realm. He had never seen anything like that in his travels across Africa.
‘Kweli huu ndio mlima wa milima,’ truly this is the mountain of mountains, Msonobari whispered in awe. His eyes started travelling back. They paused at a lone zebra, leaping around as if dancing to the tune of the morning breeze. He sniffed that breeze and smelt the sweet scent of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
‘Urembo wanukia hivi,’ this is how beauty smells like, he said quietly.
Join our PAMOJA GLOBAL GROUP of Swahili learners!
Once you join this group, you will have direct contact with Mpasua Msonobari the Swahili Guru himself as he takes you through the HILD system of learning Swahili using the revolutionary Swahili adventure series of articles. This is how languages should be studies – in a fun and exciting way! So enroll today and learn Swahili!
Click here to enrol as an online student and listen to the audio of the Swahili words used in the above article as well us much more!
Msonobari was on his way to Amboseli, Kenya’s jewel national park. It is the only park in the country that sits next to Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro. But the renowned Swahili Online Tutor and expert wasn’t going to view Kenya’s world famous wildlife. He was going to visit a Maasai village and have a Swahili session with them. Together with him were film producers who were going to capture this pristine culture on film.
‘Habari ya asubuhi!’ Good morning! He shouted at a group of school children who were racing to school. ‘Nzuri Sana!’ Very Fine!They shouted back smiling like the sun. The vehicle tumbled past Kimana, a rustic town that was just a few miles away from Loitoktok, their destination.
‘I will marry a Maasai girl,’ Bwak, one of the film producers said when they saw a dazzling Maasai girl donned in traditional Maasai attire. She was carrying a pot full of water on her head. ‘I will marry this Maasai girl!’ Washika the other producer said. ‘Habari binti!’ How are you young lady, Msonobari greeted. ‘Asante kwa kazi njema’ thanks for the good work, he added. Like the school children, she too flashed a sunny smile.
Loitokok is a border town that is right on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. But the truly special thing about it is that it sits at the foot of the heavenly Mt. Kilimanjaro. ‘Tazama mlima wa milima,’ behold the mountain of mountains, Msonobari said quietly, respectfully. He strolled alone to the roadside and gingerly climbed a thorn tree in order to get vantage view of the Mountain.
‘Unafanya nini?’ What are you doing? Some three school children shouted at him, giggling. He looked down at them, wiped the dust on his face with his right palm and answered cheerfully, ‘ninataka kutazama Mlima Kilimanjaro!’ I want to watch Mt. Kilimanjaro! The children looked back at him with puzzlement. They had been born in Loitoktok and always saw the mountain. To them, it was the neighbor’s house.
Msonobari’s eyes travelled past the vast savannah terrain, past the many Maasai villages dotting this terrain, past the equally plenteous zebras, wildebeests and gazelles to the majestic mountain in the background. Its two peaks rose past the azure sky, right into the white clouds. It was like a beautiful, crooked later M flowing like a river the heavenly realm. He had never seen anything like that in his travels across Africa.
‘Kweli huu ndio mlima wa milima,’ truly this is the mountain of mountains, Msonobari whispered in awe. His eyes started travelling back. They paused at a lone zebra, leaping around as if dancing to the tune of the morning breeze. He sniffed that breeze and smelt the sweet scent of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
‘Urembo wanukia hivi,’ this is how beauty smells like, he said quietly.
Join our PAMOJA GLOBAL GROUP of Swahili learners!
Once you join this group, you will have direct contact with Mpasua Msonobari the Swahili Guru himself as he takes you through the HILD system of learning Swahili using the revolutionary Swahili adventure series of articles. This is how languages should be studies – in a fun and exciting way! So enroll today and learn Swahili!
Click here to enrol as an online student and listen to the audio of the Swahili words used in the above article as well us much more!
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