Lending A Hand
Last week, while mending the fence, my neighbour’s wife came over to chat with me. While talking, her seven year old son joined us, asking if he could help me. The woman was astonished. I suppose with five kids in the house she could do with all the help from the children she could get.“Why don’t you ever ask me that?” she asked him reproachfully.
The boy looked at his mother and asked;”Mommy, can I help the uncle?”
I suppose that boys, even at that age, don’t want to do “a woman’s work”.
Eish, Sunday allready. the weekend is allmost over!
Comments (110)
Yes, 'uncle' is in fact the brother of your father or mother, but here in South Africa it also is the polite and informal way to address any male person more than ten years older than you. Correspondingly an older female person will be addressed as 'aunt' and sometimes as 'auntie'.
just do it iron boy!
No still weekend, dont give up Cat
Oh uncle ... Love love love
This is more so with the Afrikaans speaking. Where the terms 'oom' and 'tannie' is used, it would be nothing funny for a elderly post office clerk to be sddressed that way by a complete stranger. Respect to those older than yourself is a big thing here.
Some for our coloured population. Only they prefer 'pa' (father) and 'ma' (mother). South Africans generally are very polite and informal.
Not a likely scene here in SA. I don't think I have ever seen a boy that age using an iron.
Yes, I hated it, but it was my job to wash the dishes. And the kitchen floor. At least, as the oldest I could pick first.
Funny, I did not mind mowing the lawn. In fact I liked it then. Only now I don't like to do it. The disadvantage of not having a son!
I can mowing the lawn and driving ur car for u
he should mowing the lawn and i will drive ur tractor
okay i see... myself like play with water too
Lets go to ur beach Mary and playing with sands and water
We can wait there for bottles.... for our everlasting life
Lets go swimming La la la la
Do u want to come with us??? Who??? hands up...lets goooo
The exact Afrikaans equivalents of 'uncle' and 'aunt'.
Could also be used on a child sarcastically. My mom referred to me as 'oom' when she was displeased with me, specially for being too verbal for my age.
See, I was like this even then.
I won't easily entrust an expensive steam iron to a kid! Nevermind any garments!
So much for me to learn...
No son. Only two daughters. One of the few things I regret in life, but then my daughters more than made up for it in joy.
That is pretty conventional. Straight translations.
'Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night' translates to Goeie more, goeie middag, goeie naand en goeie nag. Hello stays hello. To sat good bye translates to ‘tot siens’ (until we see).
The funny one is ‘hi’. It translates to ‘haai’. Pronounced exactly the same, but it is also an exclamation of surprise. Also, the word used for a shark! Those in the sea.
I think I agree with you. He is also a very friendly lad. Well liked by everybody around.
@Life.. I have arrived! Where are you?.. and I haven't got any bottles here, but I got a star fish
WOW,thats a happy pict
I am here exactly infront of camera
I got a bottle but i was broke it, because it was empthy
And no worry Cat is here too,
He hide himself behind me
Yes, I think respect towards age is pretty much a universal thing.
You enjoy your Sunday too, Wel!
Ur pict smell so fresh
La la la la
Let's get to the boat, and have fun la..la... laaa..
SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA lets go with her, she invited us to her boat
La la la la what a pretty Sunday we have.... cat dont forget foods
The menu?
Mutton, mushrooms, potatoes (crossed with a sponge
Will spoil myself afterwards with custard.
in that water we wont need to take food. Spearing fish would be much nicer. such clear water!
Life and Dad Cat I have caught them
let's have barbeque for lunch.. la..la..la...
It looks perfect for a bed of charcoal.
Some prople here do it with the scales still on the fish, but I don't like it that way. You lose the skin and that's the part I like most.
You must remember this Uncle ?