Haunjoe! Haunjoe - also spelled haunjo. It is a new word recently added to my vocabulary. It is beautiful, intriguing, imaginative and one of the most multi-purpose words I know. You can be in a haunjo; going to, on, under, over or behind a haunjo; you could have a haunjo of a time, or time could itself be haunjo; you could have eaten haunjo, or seen one; beaten a haunjo, or caressed one; you could spend money on haunjo, or make money off it; you could write in a haunjo, about a haunjo, or be a haunjo writer; you could have been overtaken by haunjo on the road, or seen one stranded on the road-side; you could actually haunjo a haunjo, or be haunjoed by a haunjo. The possibilities are endless, and to think that the word comes from Talhaese, and its usage has been perfected by Talhah - my adorable three year old. (Masha Allah)

Not that he is short on words these days. He seems to have learnt a new phrase every time we meet, and we meet quite a few times in a day. But, perhaps his expanding vocabulary, however quickly it might be expanding, has not been able to keep pace with the flow of ideas that he needs to articulate. I am delighted that he has fulfilled that void himself. I am delighted that he seems to have inherited the flair for languages I have secretly (albiet unabashedly) fancied myself gifted with. I am glad he is improvizing already - actually, can't wait to see what his next haunjo will be... well, we should find out in a haunjo!

Haunjoes.



  ¶ 8/23/2004 11:05:00 PM