Shepherd's pie and a crazy babboon

We had some local friends over tonight. It was a nice evening. We had supper together- I made shepherd's pie, broccoli and baking powder bisquits. The guys who came over to visit don't eat much western food so it's always fun to serve them stuff.
The shepherd's pie- I gave them forks and knives to eat it with, then noticed out of the corner of my eye that the one guy had put the fork down and was getting down and slurping it off his knife. (these guys don't use knife and fork much) It wasn't that he can't use a fork, it was that slurping it off the knife was more comfortable... so I went and got him some local utensils.

The broccoli- they found it strange that we didn't put any sauce on it, so I found them some sauce for it.

The bisquits, M and I had some butter for the bisquits, and the guys wanted to try it. So, upon eating the butter, one of them made the pronouncement: " Nothing!" he kept saying that over and over "Nothing!" He was so surprised that it didn't have much taste. Then M brought out some cheese and let them try it, and then the guy said "Something!" (Generally here, people aren't that crazy about the taste of cheese.)

He said "First I say 'Nothing!' then I say 'something!' then I say 'Never!"(meaning 'never again) He was just referring to the cheese thankfully!

That was the meal.

After the meal we played cards. The one guy was goofing around and started beating his chest when he would win a round. So I called him a babboon in the local language. He thought that was quite funny so he kept doing it. So, I called him a "crazy babboon." He gave that the thumbs up. If one of his friend's called him that he would think it a little funny, but because I'm just learning the language- it's more funny coming from me.

What I find funny is that I can not say useful stuff like "remember" and "No MSG please" and "paper towel" but I can call a guy a crazy babboon.



Note: You might think that "remember" is pretty basic, and I did look it up once, but then I promptly forgot it. ANd you'd be surprised how far you can go without having to use the word "remember" Besides, I do know how to say "Don't forget" so I make as much milage from that as I can.