swahili

I am learning Swahili now with a teacher contracted to VSO, yesterday I had lesson of 2 hours so now I can greet people properly esp. reply to the typical tourist "jambo" shout in a more decent way (to show off that I know a little). Besides greeting, the only 2 things I really know are:
1, to say what is my name and quest about others
2, to ask do they have wife or husband and further on asking how many children do they have

the latter one has become the laugh of my office (I am happy to be the entertainer every now and then). Obviously you do not ask around people how many children do they have but this is the sentence that I really want to practice, so I chase people around with this silly question. "Una watoto wangapi?" I am not good at guessing people's age, and esp. not good at that in Africa. I think some africans are just having really perfect smooth skin that lasts long. My swahili teacher Mwalimu Charles has 5(!) and even one mjukuu (grandchild) which I could never tell - I thought he's only around his 40 or so. We practised my new acquired sentence to ask about how many children do his brothers and sisters have. It turned that he has 4 brothers and 2 sisters, and in total his parents have 27 grandchildren (not known number of grand grandchildren)! When he heard that my parents have me as the only kid, he said "pole" (sorry) in such a sentimental way that made me feel pity about this fact as well. Hmm, big family. I do not see yet what is so good to have a big family except for sports purpose, but maybe I will be enlightened someday...

oh how I enjoy learning swahili, it is a lovely and not very complicated language (compared to German).

on a different tone, a voluteer (Kenyan) in Achim's office was very curious about Germany and asked a lot of questions. Some interesting and some not. e.g. "do your people teach your girls that career and work are more important and that is why they do not marry and have kids?" well, I was never educated in Germany so I leave my judgement aside, but I thought what I've been taught was that I have my choices, just like the others.