Out of kontrol

The world would be a simpler place if "cat" started with "k" and "knife" started with an "n" and "face" was spelled "fase." At least in English-speaking countries.

Why do we even have a letter "c" anyway? And why does "s" sound like "sh" in sugar?

I'm not sure how all these variations on exceptions came to be (kame to be), but they never really bothered me until I started teaching English to someone from a totally different culture with totally different language experience. And no writing or reading at all.

How on earth can one teach the differences of the shapes like b and d and p and g, when they're so similar in looks with such a minor variation in sound? Couldn't somebody have come up with symbols that were easier to distinguish?

This falls into the ever-enlarging category of: things I can't change because they're out of my realm of control.

Things like winter coming before you're ready for it.
Or health-care legislation that takes reams of paper to print when all that really needs to be passed is law #1 -- everybody has to have health insurance and law #2 -- nobody can sue doctors for more than $x million.
Or like oil refineries that are eye-sores and safety hazards to your community but that got there before you did so you're stuck with them.
Or like effects of aging that are no fun but better than not aging.

When things are out of your control (kontrol), you just have to go with the flow. That's the lesson that I'm giving my friend from Somalia along with the English lessons. As I try to show how letters become words, like how "b-o-w-l" becomes "bbboooowwwwllll" by sounding it out, and then how "c-u-p" becomes "cup" by sounding it -- oops doesn't work -- I just shrug my shoulders and shake my head and smile and say, "funny English."

That's all you can do sometimes. Shrug your shoulders, shake your head and say, "funny world."