Today I had another meeting for my trip to Malawi, Africa in May. We had two guests visit the class: Provost of Aquinas College Chad Gunnoe and Rev. Gerald Guduli. The Provost wanted to speak on behalf of the college how excited they are for us to be given such a unique opportunity and wanted to wish us safe travels.
Rev. Gerald Guduli taught us some common sayings and nonverbals for when we visit Malawi. English is the second most popular language, while Chicewa is the most popular. Here are some of the phrases he taught us:
How are you? .............. Muli bwanji?
I am fine (good) and how are you? ...........Ndili bwino kaya inu
Thank you .............. Zikomo kwambiri
Stay well ......... Mutsale bwino
How much? ................ Mukuchita bwanji?
See you later ........... Tionana nthawi ina
I am hungry ......... Ndili ndi njala
Hello ....... Moni
I also learned a few useful nonverbal cues. The first one was for waving good-bye. When waving good-bye, keep a flat palm, otherwise it looks like you're inviting the person you're saying good-bye at to come to you. Another was how they shake hands, first you do the standard hand shake, then you move forward and grip their hand, then you go back to the normal hand shake. I liked the hand shake because it felt more personal, almost like a "hand hug". And for women who greet their elders, it's polite to kneel or slightly kneel, similar to a curtsey.
Another important note is that even if you're from another culture and you don't perfect the language, people in Malawi are still grateful and impressed that you're willing to try!