Only a Hooligan: Head-Covers, Hardcore Swahili, and How to Spot an “Mhuni”
Hapa ni simulizi kwa nyinyi. In Swahili, that sentence reads, “Here’s a story for you.” And indeed, here’s a story, one in which Swahili is humorously relevant, as is this outfit (well, mostly just the hat).
My favorite hat taken on a whole new meaning...
In my Swahili translation session my absolutely hilarious professor often shares useful pieces of info regarding colloquial or idiomatic speech. He’s taught us how to say the Kenyan equivalent of , “Eh, whatevs,” has turned me into an A+ slinger of some East African Marxist terminology, and makes sure we know how to discuss hot dudes and randoms with equal skill. All this is typically accompanied by goofy black board diagrams that look nothing like what he says he’s drawing (think a machine-gun looking trumpet or an explosion that’s supposed to be a god). In short, we learn everything we need to know for a full and happy life as Swahili speakers, with a dash of Surrealism on the side.
Hooligan: trench (H&M, $15), dress (thrifted, $3), tights (c/o Hue), belt (found on the ground), boots (thrifted, $10), hat (East Africa Hooligans-R-Us, apparently).
This last week my professor taught us some key vocab, including the term for “hooligan,” (mhuni) which is apparently a very popular insult in East Africa. After trying his best to draw a hooligan on the board, he gave up, looked dejected, and then suddenly shouted, “AHA! There is a hooligan!” It scared the shiz out of my classmates and me, and I turned around to see who he had identified. No one there. Wait, whaaaa? Why is he pointing at my head? Is the hooligan…me? Oh. Err…? He grinned triumphantly and said, with joy at his Sherlock Holmes-style skills of deduction, “Only a hooligan ever wears such a hat!”
Bracelets from southern Africa, where no one speaks Swahili, but where there are certainly some hooligans.
Hooligan behavior!
There you have it, folks. What I thought was a stylish and clever way of hiding my aversion to showering is apparently just the head-cover of a hooligan. Who knew? Well, come to think of it, maybe urchins and hooligans have something in common…
Ohai.
Ha ha ha! Your writing gets me every time. You sure are pretty and welldressed for a hooligan!
Best dressed hooligan I have seen…..this professor is hilarious…..
Mom
Love the ivy, Emily!
Nothing like being singled out in class! Too bad your professor saw through your nice-girl exterior and into the Bond-Villian interior we’ve always suspected you were hiding. Now excuse me, I have all the gold in the world to steal…
Ooh, I like that hooligan=bond girl! This is a very good reading of this incident!
HAHHAHA your prof sounds so awesome and I love your hooligan look with the dress, jacket and sweet ass hat. I’m glad to read someone else also has aversions to showering hahaha
bahahahahaha! i am so calling you mhuni from now on! MHUNI!
I love the image of your prof trying to draw a hooligan. I mean, hooligans are defined by acts of hooliganery, right, rather than hats and things? I can see why he was having issues with the drawing.
Ans what’s the Kenyan equivalent of “Eh, whatevs?”
I adore this post It’s so clever and funny, as always. Love the outfit, too!
Your Swahili course sounds AWESOME, except for the part where your professor points and laughs at you and calls you names. I would be mortified. You, however, make hooligan look GOOD.
It IS awesome, even when I get pointed at and mocked. What girl doesn’t love being humiliated in a fun African language?
So adorable! I love the hat, as usual.
As usual, I’m glad someone excuses my excessive wearing of it.
I am laughing like a crazy woman over here. This is so great. I like the outfit and the ideas!
Hahah, I love that last picture
And very nice touch with the leopard lining!
My Fashion Inspiration.com
Thanks! I wanted to show off the lining, but mhuni self took over and made it a ridiculous photo.
Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!! Hooligan behavior! Only YOU would get called a hooligan in your Swahili class! Bua! I love it! And you got the urchins into it, too!
Also love that dress, btw.