High School!

Speaking English is WEIRD. Two days ago I got a call from someone who told me there was a meeting at the high school today at 9am, so I said I'd be there (it sounds worse than it is). When I showed up today I was immediately greeted, in English, and whisked off to a session about how to teach English, for English teachers. The session was taught by a really nice American fellow (as in she has a fellowship not as in fellow = guy) who's traveling the country teaching English teachers. It was interesting to listen the teachers talk about what "works" with their students and think to myself either "yeah that totally is working with my Wolof!" or "you might think that works, but I'm learning 2 languages and that does NOT work." The American woman was really nice and offered to let me stay at her apartment whenever I'm in Dakar. She was in the Peace Corps a while ago and her daughter just started training too, a Peace Corps family! I also learned that Senegalese school benches are horribly uncomfortable - they're not long enough to do anything but sit straight up, and that there are goats and at least 1 cow at the high school. I also had a conversation with some people in Wolof, it was a simple conversation, but it was AMAZING to not have to say "I don't understand,"!!!
Back to the purpose of this story though - speaking English is weird (unless I'm talking to other PCVs then it's normal)! I'm usually so taken back when people speak to me in English that it takes me a second to respond, I'm sure they doubt if I really am American. In most situations I'm a little offended when people try to speak to me in English (it's an overreaction, I'll admit it) but today it made sense. Once I got used to people speaking to me in English it was still weird. I've kind of created PCV Katherine who speaks French and Wolof and then regular Katherine and what I say in both roles is totally different. I guess the best comparison would be how someone acts at work and how someone acts hanging out with their friends. When I have to speak English it's a weird mixing of the two that normally ends in me speaking very stale English. Part of that is because I know how hard it is to understand when people speak quickly so I try to slow down and use phrases I would know in French. The other interesting thing is noticing the phrases that are taught and how they influence speech. For example, somewhere along the line these teachers were taught "um" and "like." Also the word "okay" is used a LOT and it's used in response to questions "how are you?", "I'm well, yourself?" (I say trying to speak proper English), "okay that is good." The other odd thing about speaking English is that it's hard to break out of when I get home. Overall it was a great morning with an interesting session and I had the chance to make some good contacts in Bambey and surrounding towns (as well as the American fellow, that time it meant fellow as in nice person).

This afternoon I went to the monthly meeting of the Presidents for the women's groups... when I was sorority president I tried to run an organized ship and today was the farthest from any meeting I ever ran. The meeting "started" at 5pm, people were still showing up at 6:30pm. They spent the entire meeting counting money (dues and money owed). It didn't bother me too much, though, because I was expecting something along these lines. Eventually I gave the little introduction I had prepared. I wanted to show these women that I was serious so I gave it in Wolof (after a disclaimer to be patient). It turned into a fun game where the women were guessing the Wolof words I was trying to say (I wasn't upset, my Wolof is bad and they were all really encouraging). After I struggled my way through it they applauded me! When one of them said something huffy about how I didn't have money a whole bunch of other women jumped on her and started talking about what I could do. I'm really hoping a lot of work projects come out of this - Bambey has 65 women's groups and I would love to work with as many as possible.

We had rice and beans for dinner, it was delicious as always.

Weather: Walking home from the women's group meeting as the sun was almost done setting it felt like it used to feel in the suburbs on a summer night when I would drive home with my windows down at 11pm aka still hot here.

Ba Suba,
KO