#2: Wan han wash de oda
I was having lunch at Jamaica Blue the other day, when a tagline on their napkin caught my eye. It said, “wan han wash de oda.” I wondered if it was English, then realised it said ‘one hand wash the other’, when I read it in — what I imagine to be — a Jamaican accent.
I had heard of the idiom before, but wasn’t sure if my understanding of it was correct. The Oxford dictionary interprets it as, “mutual favours are exchanged”. Which was what I understood, but with extra flavouring:
We wash our hands by rubbing them against each other. The hand that washes the other with soap, ends up cleaning itself, too. If you help someone else, you end up helping yourself, too.
This simple sentence and the thoughts it triggered led me back to my blog. It was a gentle reassurance that the time I spend on it isn’t wasted. I don’t get as much feedback as is possible, but the things I have learnt from running it is beneficial for me, too. We’ll keep this entry short, and discuss the ‘how’ another time.
Thanks for reading entry #2! :)
Related Post on the Blog:
Why I Write, Even Though it Makes me Uncomfortable
- ‘French’ version coming soon!
