08 Feb Blog Challenge Responses Round-Up #10

Greetings! Our first-ever Blog Challenge bloggers are nearing the end of their six-week adventure in blogging. Early this morning they received their last blog prompt which will bring this incredible Challenge to a close early next week. Before we get into this week’s Round Up, here are a few announcements:

• A “non-boot camp”/start-any-time-you-want version of this same challenge will be ready in the next couple weeks. Sign up on our e-mail list (in the sidebar to the right) to get notifications about this and other awesome resources as they come out.

• Our new Featured Blogs page is now live … and quickly growing. Check it out!

The Prompt

Challenge #10 = Quotes & Proverbs
Choose a cultural nugget of wisdom, quote, saying, or proverb to be the centerpiece of your blog post.

Highlights

• Katey-Red drew her own visuals to demonstrate the languages in South Africa
• Matt and Anne drew out their many conversations in Morocco that include one particular phrase
• Christine focuses on a single word she likes and how it is used in Ethiopia
• Allison in Ecuador uses a list of common phrases that also reveal some cultural norms

There is so much to be discovered in these blog posts! We encourage you to check out the Blog Challenge blog post links below and on our Boot Camp Blog Challenge pinterest board.

Posts

• Pueblo Royalty It’s that time again: Carnaval! Also known as the happiest time in one of the happiest countries in the world, this year’s Carnaval celebration has been filled with everything you…
• To Our Health “God bless you.” “You’re in my thoughts and prayers.” “Well, thank God for….” These are all phrases that most people have either heard or said living in the United States. When…
• Our Top Five Most Used Arabic “God Phrases” Klma = Word. Klmatic Monologues is a semi-regular series on words in Moroccan Arabic (Darija). Note 1: I am neither a linguist nor a native speaker, so this should be…
• Motho ke Motho ka Batho I stood along the main road in Mokhotlong, holding onto my hat to keep is from blowing away in the breeze. After fifteen minutes, I had seen no vehicles-taxis or…
• Politics: Air in Moz is smoldering. Day of the Heroes. February 3rd is a national holiday here in Mozambique; it is the Day of the Heroes. Citizens are expressing their patriotism with ceremonies similar to our Memorial Day…
• Proverbial Wisdom Proverbs are more than just a saying, a list of words strung together.  They are a reflection of the people and the culture that created them; a message that…
• Ça Va Aller The next prompt is “Quotes” and upon reading it, I immediately knew I would have to talk about “Ça Va Aller” (sa va allay) which is essentially the motto of…
• Well, we’re not going to baptize our children together. This is my favorite phrase that I’ve never actually heard.We’re not going to baptize our children together.Тебе же с ним не детей крестить, literally “You don’t baptize children with him.”One…
• My 3 favorite (& funny) phrases in Romanian I’ve been in Moldova for around 21 months… and I still have so much to learn about speaking and reading Romanian. I can get by though,  as some days are better…
• Farewell Sweet World “Death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable.” – Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita…
• My 3 favorite (& funny) phrases in Romanian I’ve been in Moldova for around 21 months… and I still have so much to learn about speaking and reading Romanian. I can get by though,  as some days are better…
• Say What? Peace Corps training during the first 3 months in country includes intensive Language & Culture practice. Part of that practice was to learn common expressions and words unique to Ecuador. I…
• Dichos (Sayings) I haven’t heard many dichos in Panama, but another volunteer told me an interesting one.Here’s the story (as I remember it):There was a family of mice who were being terrorized…
• Izosh #BloggingAbroad There are many, many, many common phrases within the Amharic language in Ethiopia.  One very common phrase that many people tell me all the time is…
• Buh-Bye Ausi Thato! Hidden from the sun by my umbrella, sweat is pouring off me as my face beams brighter than Rudolph’s red nose. It is hotter than I expected today and with…
• Words of Togo Wisdom Proverbs and special phrases are inherently cultural. In Togo I have not found many traditional proverbs used, but there are a few French sayings that I feel like I hear…
• Yichalal There are many wonderful proverbs in Amharic that feel so applicable to my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I wrote about one of them in my previous post K’as…
• Limba noastră-i o comoară – Our Language is a Treasure The official motto of the Republic of Moldova is “limba noastră-i o comoară”, which means ”our language is a treasure.” While I am so very new to the language (entering my…
• Details “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”- William Morris, The Wood Beyond the World …
• Эзэн хичээвэл заяа хичнээн This weeks post is about a common Mongolian proverb. I asked around to see what my CPs thought is the most commons proverb and they all said this one “Эзэн…
• One Nation, Under 11 Languages I wanted to have fun with this and put my calligraphic doodling hobby to use! Here is a quote  (with a bit of background) that…
• Annual Report We recently received our Annual Report.  I was pleasantly surprised to find my work partner featured on one of the spreads, and she said such sweet…
• Sweets & Starfish During our pre-service training in Botswana, we talked about that cliche about the starfish. You know the one. A kid is on a beach…
• When Bahala Na Saved My Life By ricardoespitia