Would you like to go to church?
Eske ou ta renmen al legliz?
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Haiti Superstitions - Besides the black bird bringing bad luck, what are some others superstitious beliefs from Haiti?
Like in every country, Haiti has its share of superstitions and false beliefs.
I mostly remember some from my childhood days living in Arcahaie.
I mention Arcahaie because these beliefs may vary slightly from one region to the next.
1. If you swear by thunder, you'll die by a strike of lightning.
2. If you sharpen both ends of your own pencil, you'll lose both your parents on the same day.
4. If you walk around with one shoe on, you're calling one of your parents to the grave.
7. When you're cooking rice especially, filling up your mouth with air so that your cheeks are "super" inflated will double the size of the your meal.
8. Rain on a sunny day means that the devil is having a domestic dispute with his wife.
I mention Arcahaie because these beliefs may vary slightly from one region to the next.
Here's a list of the most popular ones that I remember.
I must tell you that, though these beliefs have been part of Haiti for hundreds of years, I'm not sure whether they all originated from Haiti.
As you go through this list of silly superstitions, you'll notice that they make it hard to go through your day without stepping into some bad luck. That should also explain why voodoo priests and priestesses in Haiti remain in business... They're busy removing bad luck from people's lives! Ain't that a shame?!
2. If you sharpen both ends of your own pencil, you'll lose both your parents on the same day.
3. Walking backwards will cause you to lose a member of your family.
4. If you walk around with one shoe on, you're calling one of your parents to the grave.
5. Never walk past under someone's extended arm. If you do, you will experience no more growth spurt.
6. Pointing to the rainbow will cause you to lose a finger. In order to prevent that, one should only point a muddy finger to the rainbow.
In Haiti, when I see a rainbow, I used to stick my finger in mud before I pointed and said, "Look at this rainbow!"
7. When you're cooking rice especially, filling up your mouth with air so that your cheeks are "super" inflated will double the size of the your meal.
9. Rocks of thunder: Precious shiny "rocks" are deposited on earth whenever it thunders. A person that finds such a "rock" will live a fertile, healthy, and prosperous life.
Actually, a few people in Haiti have claimed to have found some of these rocks. ( I hear that they look really shiny : -)
10. If you open an umbrella indoors, death will loom over the whole house.
11. If you eat standing up, you'll end up with a swollen leg.
12. If you walk around on your knees, you'll cause the death of one of your parents.
13. If your feet get swept by a cleaning broom, you'll never marry.
14. On your wedding day, if you let your new husband slip the ring on your finger pass the big knuckle, he will dominate the relationship.
That's why you'll see a Haitian bride use her thumb to block the ring from being slipped too far into her finger.
15. Rain on your wedding day means that your marriage will last.
16. To outlive your husband, you must wear a black pantie on your wedding day.
17. It's bad luck to walk across a broomstick. It that ever happens, you must go back and "un-cross" the broomstick.
18. Having a strong hatred of your unborn baby's father during pregnancy will cause your unborn child to look too much like his father.
19. Pregnant women must satisfy their cravings immediately, if they don't, their newborns will receive a birthmark for each unquenched craving.
19. Pregnant women must satisfy their cravings immediately, if they don't, their newborns will receive a birthmark for each unquenched craving.
20. A black butterfly in your path is the precursor of bad news.
21. If a black bird flies into your home you must kill it, otherwise death will come to someone close to you. People will usually shut all doors and windows of their home to trap a black birds that flies in.
Can you just imagine the distress that some people might experience over an escaped bird?
22. People not in good health do not attend funerals. If they do, they'll be the next one to be buried.
23. If a funeral procession passing in the streets suddenly stops in front of your house, you have to quickly throw a bucket of water at the entrance of your house to prevent death from coming into your home.
Oh! My aunt used to do that a lot! In Arcahaie, we lived not too far from the cemetery. A funeral procession (which comprises of the priests, the altar boys, men carrying the coffin, followed by the family members of the deceased) often passes in front of our house. Sometimes the coffin is heavy and the men have to take a break, so the procession stops for a few seconds. When that happens it is said that the deceased is reluctant to go to the cemetery. God forbid! this should happen in front of your house. It is a big deal.
24. Ringing in the ears means someone is talking about you.
25. If your right hand itches, you're about to receive some money.
26. Severe and recurrent acid reflux in a pregnant woman means that the baby will have a lot of hair. The acidic stomach means that the baby is growing hair.
27. Pointing to a baby gourd or a baby watermelon on a tree will prevent it from reaching full maturity.
28. If you run into some kind of misfortune on New Year's Day, this same misfortune will follow you throughout the whole year.
I specifically remember trying to avoid corporal punishment from my dad on new year's day so that I won't be whipped thoughout the whole year. My friends and I used to feel so sorry for those kids that get whipped on new year's day. "There goes his luck!" we said to ourselves.
22. People not in good health do not attend funerals. If they do, they'll be the next one to be buried.
23. If a funeral procession passing in the streets suddenly stops in front of your house, you have to quickly throw a bucket of water at the entrance of your house to prevent death from coming into your home.
Oh! My aunt used to do that a lot! In Arcahaie, we lived not too far from the cemetery. A funeral procession (which comprises of the priests, the altar boys, men carrying the coffin, followed by the family members of the deceased) often passes in front of our house. Sometimes the coffin is heavy and the men have to take a break, so the procession stops for a few seconds. When that happens it is said that the deceased is reluctant to go to the cemetery. God forbid! this should happen in front of your house. It is a big deal.
24. Ringing in the ears means someone is talking about you.
25. If your right hand itches, you're about to receive some money.
26. Severe and recurrent acid reflux in a pregnant woman means that the baby will have a lot of hair. The acidic stomach means that the baby is growing hair.
27. Pointing to a baby gourd or a baby watermelon on a tree will prevent it from reaching full maturity.
28. If you run into some kind of misfortune on New Year's Day, this same misfortune will follow you throughout the whole year.
I specifically remember trying to avoid corporal punishment from my dad on new year's day so that I won't be whipped thoughout the whole year. My friends and I used to feel so sorry for those kids that get whipped on new year's day. "There goes his luck!" we said to ourselves.
Everything is fine. All is well.
All is well.
Tout bagay byen.
Everything is fine.
Tout bagay byen.
Everything is going well.
Tout bagay ap mache byen.
"unless" as in "You can't do that unless you do this first."
Unless
sof si (save that)
amwenske (lest)
eksepte si (except)
Si (pronoun) pa (if not)
Unless you study, you won't pass that exam.
Amwenske ou etidye, ou pap pase egzamen an.
These dogs won't bite you unless you bother them.
Chyen sa yo pap mòde ou sof si ou anniye yo.
Unless you believe in yourself, other people won't believe in you.
Si ou pa kwè nan tèt ou, lòt moun pap kwè nan ou.
i LIKE DISCOS OR CLUBS!
I like discos or clubs!
Mwen renmen disko oswa klib/club!
Which one do you prefer?
Kilès ou pi pito?
I prefer clubs!
Mwen pi pito klib!
I prefer diskos!
Mwen pi pito disko!
nightlifewhere do you usually go out?dou you prefer bars, discos or clubs?How's nightlife in your city?
Where do you usually go for nightlife?
Ki kote ou abitye ale anmize ou leswa?
Where does the crowd go for nightlife?
Ki kote moun yo ale pou pran plezi yo leswa?
How's nightlife in your city?
Ki plezi ki gen nan zòn nan leswa?
Do you prefer bars, discos or clubs?
Eske ou prefere ba, disko oswa klib?
or
Which do you prefer? Bars, discos or clubs?
Ki kote ou abitye ale anmize ou leswa?
Where does the crowd go for nightlife?
Ki kote moun yo ale pou pran plezi yo leswa?
How's nightlife in your city?
Ki plezi ki gen nan zòn nan leswa?
Do you prefer bars, discos or clubs?
Eske ou prefere ba, disko oswa klib?
or
Which do you prefer? Bars, discos or clubs?
Kilès ou pi pito? Ba, disko oswa klib?
It's also correct to say "club" in Creole.
Have A Good Flight And Have Fun Be Safe Much Love Your Way
Have a good flight!
Pase yon bon vòl!
or
Have a great trip!
Pase bon vwayaj!
Have fun!
Anmize ou byen!
or
Have lots of fun!
Pran plezi ou nèt ale!
Be Safe!
Pran Prekosyon!
or
Be very safe!
Pran anpil prekosyon!
orBe very Careful!
Fè anpil atansyon!
Much Love your way!
Mwen renmen w!
or
I'll be thinking of you!
M'ap panse avè w!
Does "echwe" mean "failed" or is it used in the sense that it means "eliminate"?
Yes, echwe (from the French word: échouer) means "to fail, to go under, to fall through".
example:
Li echwe egzamen an.
He failed the exam.
Biznis li a echwe.
His business fell through.
Li te eseye anpil, men li echwe.
She tried really hard, but she failed.
mwen bezoin fe yon pain du riz
Mwen bezwen fè pen diri.
I need to make Rice Bread.
Is it Rice Wafers or Rice Bread? I'm not familiar with this recipe.
Friday, September 2, 2011
i just don't know how to put the accents on the letters
On your PC computer,
enable the [num lock] key so you can use the number pad on the right of your keyboard,
alt + 138 Press the numbers 138 while holding down the alt key to produce the accented "e" (è)
alt + 133 Press the numbers 133 while holding down the alt key to produce the accented "a" (à)
alt + 149 Press the numbers 149 while holding down the alt key to produce the accented "o" (ò)
alt + 133 Press the numbers 133 while holding down the alt key to produce the accented "a" (à)
alt + 149 Press the numbers 149 while holding down the alt key to produce the accented "o" (ò)
you accent i do not know to putted on the voyale
I assume this is a question about the accented Haitian Creole letters.
The three letters in the Haitian Creole alphabet which are sometimes accented are : a, e, o.
Check the following post/link for more info on accented letters:
http://www.sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/do-you-pronounce-accented-letters.html
Check the following post/link for more info on accented letters:
http://www.sweetcoconuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/do-you-pronounce-accented-letters.html
dEKABEST-
Correct spelling: Dekabès or 2kbès
Dekabès → jackpòt, a winning hand when playing dominnos, great find, great winnings!
Ou fè dekabès! → you have the winning hand! You rule! You're on top!
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