Ja-Nee Kyk
Some years ago, I started writing down some of my fondest memories of early days in South Africa. These memories contributed to shaping me over time, and they are precious in my treasure box of experiences.
The title of the essay is “Ja-Nee Kyk”, which translated directly from Afrikaans would be “Yes-No Look”. It’s a phrase used often that leans itself more to something like, “Yes, well look…” but without one every needing to finish the sentence. An unfinished bridge that the teller and listener cross together, as if the bridge continued but one couldn’t see it visibly… like the bridge in the old Indiana Jones film.
The expression suggests an emotional expression of what one is thinking about that has nuanced layers of different emotions and thoughts about the topic one was sharing about because there are added dimensions that are not being shared but happened. I mean, as I grew older, I found out things my parents were facing at the time, things I had no idea about as a toddler. And that gives my memories even more depth and emotional landscapes, and thoughts about things further considered. I guess the phrase culminates into a sigh in a sense.
I share it here to keep it safe. I hope you enjoy it.
Ja-Nee Kyk. Written by Yvette P.
My mother-tongue is Afrikaans. My father-tongue is the same. Before I was six, I could only speak this language.
I remember, the year I was six, I went to an English school.
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