Mi tsliosan ans gabroel is a phrase in a constructed language known as Lojban. Lojban is a logical language designed to be unambiguous and expressive. Each word in Lojban has a specific meaning and grammar rules that allow for precise communication. "Mi tsliosan ans gabroel" can be broken down into individual words. "Mi" translates to "I" or "me" in English. "Tsliosan" means "listen to" or "hear", and "ans" is a word that indicates continuation or joining two parts of a sentence.
Print out riddle clue #10 (one per team), but you keep these in your own envelope to give to girls when they've completed 1-9.
Then while trying to come up with a fun activity for the Detective badge, it hit me We could do a scavenger hunt and have the clues reveal the story. A little backstory I love to tell stories, and one time, during a stormy troop meeting, I told the girls a story about some giants and a thunderstorm just to distract them from the real storm outside.
"Tsliosan" means "listen to" or "hear", and "ans" is a word that indicates continuation or joining two parts of a sentence. Finally, "gabroel" means "a good noise" or "pleasant sound". Putting all the words together, "Mi tsliosan ans gabroel" can be translated as "I hear a pleasant sound" or "I am listening to a nice noise".
Wutch dotsor halloweem somg
I used this as an extra part of our Junior Detective badge, but this would work for many levels, I think, with some adjustments where needed.
It was a really fun event and the girls loved it! It took some prep time (mostly coming up with the riddles -- which I've shared below, and that should cut out a good chuck of prep time for you!), but it was worth every minute. We had a blast!
A little backstory: I love to tell stories, and one time, during a stormy troop meeting, I told the girls a story about some giants and a thunderstorm (just to distract them from the real storm outside). When it was over, one little girl asked me if the giants had anything to do with tornados and I flippantly responded that giants had nothing to do with tornados. Then I added, "THAT was a witch. But that's a story for another day."
Then that little girl proceeded to ask me, at every troop meeting that followed, to tell the story about the witch and the tornado. I promised them I would, at some point, once I'd made up a good tale.
Problem was, I tried for a long time, but couldn't make up a good story involving a witch and a tornado that wasn't super scary. I didn't want it to be scary (a tornado story should be funny, or at least not scary, since tornados aren't nearly uncommon enough around here).
Then while trying to come up with a fun activity for the Detective badge, it hit me: We could do a scavenger hunt and have the clues reveal the story.
And they LOVED it!
You can give your girls any amount of information ahead of time that you wish. I didn't say a word to them about the story I'd promised to tell them one day (the scavenger hunt was how I told it, with clues leading up to the reveal). I just let them find the clues and figure it out themselves. Halloween was the perfect time for this tale.
I required RSVPs for this event, in order to prep ahead of time for teams of two. I had each girl bring a food item for potluck, as it was also a Halloween party for the troop. You can do it however you wish. :)
"THE WITCH AND THE FLY" SCAVENGER HUNT
You Will Need the Following (scroll way down for details on where to hide Morse Code clues):
- Printer paper
- Printer
- Laminating sheets (if desired)
- Scissors to cut clues, etc.
- Witch hat
- One paper pad and pencil per team
- Fly printables, cut out and laminated (see below)
- Glue dots or tape (to adhere flies/Morse Code clues)
- Extension cord (optional -- for speaker dock)
- iPod (or similar) with speaker dock, with bird song on repeat. I used this bird song. (Don't have an iPod or dock? Get creative! See below)
- Old digital clock with "2:00" taped on it (see below)
- Old cooking pot with fireplace ashes in it (need something with a burned smell. We just scooped out charcoal ashes from the grill, dumped them in a pot, then put the pot on the [cold] grill, and shut the lid)
- Fake poop (I found this at the local dollar store -- you could make your own out of clay? This is gross but the girls laughed so hard!)
- Hand fan
- Wand (see this post for tutorial to make your own)
- Riddle clues 1-9 printed, cut, and folded (one per team -- place in envelope
- Riddle clue 10, printed, cut (one per team -- you keep)
- Morse Code Clues (only need to print out ONE copy each of these. Cut and laminate if desired, then hide them accordingly and mark hiding spot with a fly)
- 2 envelopes per team (one marked "Completed")
- 1 envelope for you to keep copies of riddle clue #10 in
- Master Answer Sheet (see below -- For Your Eyes Only)
- Pencils (one per team, but you'll need spares)
- Notepads (one per team)
- 1 print out of Morse Code key per team (corresponds to riddle clue 10)
- A large area (preferably outdoors) where you can place the clues before girls arrive (more info below)
- Another adult volunteer to help place clues and set everything up beforehand (optional)
Ahead of Time:
Print out enough 1-9 riddle clues so each team gets one of each clue, cut the clue strips out and fold them up, then place in an envelope. (You're folding them so they will draw one random clue at a time. It's more fun to do it out of order initially, plus that way you don't have teams searching for the same clues at the same time.) Make sure each envelope has all 1-9 clues in it.
Print out riddle clue #10 (one per team), but you keep these in your own envelope to give to girls when they've completed 1-9.
Print out copies of Magical Key and place at riddle clue #10's spot (wand). Each team takes one when they find it. So print out enough for each team to have one.
But save riddle clue #10 until they've finished 1-9. It's likely you will have some teams working on it sooner than others, and if you want them all to work together to decode the final message from all the Morse Code clues at the end, then have them take a break to eat once they've gotten all 9 clues plus #10 with the key. Then work together as a group to solve it.
Print out each Morse Code Clue, cut and laminate. You only need one of each of these, because they will be hidden all over, and the girls copy it down. (Make sure to tell them not to take or move it. Just copy the code on it, leave everything as they found it for the next team, and move on.)
Print out the flies (you will need nine small and one large -- see below). Laminate and use glue dots or tape (as needed) to stick them near the objects hiding the Morse Code clues. Don't stick on painted surfaces unless you're okay with the glue peeling the paint.
You don't have to laminate anything but the weather forecast for us was iffy with possible rain, and I was using a standard inkjet printer -- the colors would've run if wet. So I laminated the Morse Code clues and flies, and covered the speaker dock with a plastic bag.
Make a list of girls attending, and put them into teams. I labeled the teams by color, and each team received corresponding envelopes.
You can have them draw names if you prefer to make teams that way. We have a large troop, and it was just easier to assign teams beforehand. We had two girls per team, but you can do it however you want. Don't go above three per team though, and some of the clues ended up being a bit challenging, so I was glad we didn't have them do it all individually.
Each team receives one envelope full of folded riddle clues 1-9 to find, one envelope to place completed clues, a pad of paper, and a pencil.
Do not include riddle clue #10. The girls will come to YOU to receive those, once they've completed 1-9.
It worked out so that we had the girls all come together at the end to work on deciphering the end puzzle together. It was great!
The Day of the Scavenger Hunt:
My Camp Mom helped with this and we both dressed up as witches, and decorated the house with Halloween decor.
We hid the Morse Code Clues with corresponding objects, all over the front and back yard. We kept it outdoors because the weather ended up cooperating, and spread clues out all over so the teams wouldn't be stumbling over one another.
When the girls arrived, we put them into teams, explained that they would take ONE riddle clue out of each envelope (doesn't matter which one), then try to find the item that corresponded to that clue.
You can tell them that each hiding spot is marked with a FLY, but we didn't. They figured it out quickly enough.
We did tell them but they weren't to touch any object they found unless it corresponded to the riddle clue they were working on. Because once they figured out the flies marked the hiding spots, it would've been tempting to not solve the actual riddle clues in order to find the Morse Code.
They did great and ignored flies in random spots, focusing only on the clue they had drawn from their envelope.
Once they'd found the right item from the riddle clue, they were to look for a Morse Code clue, and copy it EXACTLY as it appeared, and mark it with the riddle clue number.
This is very important, because they were solving the riddle clues out of order, and copying down Morse Code out of order, but in order to decipher the end message, they had to have the clues in the right order from 1-9 (the Morse Code spelled out a sentence). Clue #10 lets them find the Morse Code key (don't tell them that though -- let it all be a surprise!).
Be sure to tell your girls to leave the Morse Code clue, item, and fly where they found it, copy the Morse Code with clue #, then put their used riddle clue into their "Completed" envelope, and pull out the next folded clue.
We told them the clues could be found in the backyard and in the front yard, and all "off limits" areas (garage, parts of porch, etc.) were marked off.
We handed out the envelopes (don't open them until we say go!), then gave each team the "Before you begin" sheet, notepads, and pencils. They were to go off with their teammate to an area of the yard (front or back), and read the "Before you begin" sheet, then start with their first riddle clue.
Once they'd solved riddle clues 1-9 (and copied down the Morse Code) they were to return to us for the final clue #10.
We told them if they were unable to solve a riddle clue, they could come to us for additional hints. At that point, we basically told them front yard or back yard, and off they went! The purpose wasn't to go randomly searching for flies. It was to think of what the answer could be, for each riddle, then search for an item that corresponded to it.
This phrase illustrates how Lojban can be used to express simple statements of perception. However, it's important to remember that Lojban is a flexible language that allows for many different meanings and interpretations, depending on the context and individual interpretation. Overall, "Mi tsliosan ans gabroel" showcases the unique features of the constructed language Lojban and demonstrates how it can be used to express basic ideas and emotions..
Reviews for "Mi Tsliosan ans Gabroel: Cultural Heroes and Legends"
1. John - ★☆☆☆☆
I found "Mi tsliosan ans gabroel" to be incredibly confusing and unengaging. The plot jumped around without any clear direction, making it difficult to follow and ultimately losing my interest. The characters were poorly developed, and I didn't feel invested in their stories at all. Additionally, the pacing was off, with slow and dragging moments followed by sudden rushed scenes that left me feeling unsatisfied. Overall, I was disappointed with this film and would not recommend it.
2. Emily - ★★☆☆☆
Although "Mi tsliosan ans gabroel" had an intriguing concept, I felt that it failed to fully deliver on its potential. The storyline was convoluted and lacked proper explanations, leaving me confused and disconnected from the characters. The dialogue also felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the emotions portrayed on screen. Additionally, the pacing was inconsistent, with long stretches of monotony followed by sudden bursts of action that didn't quite fit. While there were some visually striking moments, they were not enough to salvage the overall disjointed nature of the film.
3. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆
I was disappointed with "Mi tsliosan ans gabroel" as it lacked cohesiveness and failed to create a compelling narrative. The plot felt disjointed and scattered, making it difficult to engage with the story on an emotional level. The acting was underwhelming and didn't bring the characters to life, leaving me feeling detached from their experiences. Despite some visually interesting scenes, the overall execution fell flat, and I was left feeling unsatisfied. Overall, I would not recommend this film to others.