Jul 7, 2008
Posted by Caitlin Cohen
I think it's worth recording the many different
kinds of interactions I have with people
here.
One big category: communicating
with the host fam. I'm staying in a compound
that houses about 35 people. Though I haven't
yet figured out the exact relations between
them all, I'm pretty certain that they're all
related somehow. Only a very small percentage
of them speak French – the dad (one of them)
and two teenage girls. Everyone else speaks
strictly Bambara. I'm taking a course in
Bambara 3 days/week, but my skills aren't quite
where they need to be for easy conversation. I
talk to the two girls a lot. Their names are
Aisha and Kadya. They explain a lot and teach
me words in Bambara. Very helpful.
My
interactions with the women of the household
are a little different. Both parties are
acutely aware of the language barrier, but I
feel like there's a mutual desire to "bond" or
what have you. We exchange a lot of smiles,
greetings, and handshakes. Sometimes they say
something complicated to me in Bambara, and I
respond with a quizzical look. Then they repeat
themselves, maybe a little more slowly, and
wave their hand around. It's actually the most
frustrating thing ever because the vague hand
motions DON'T HELP! I would appreciate
something a little more sign
language-esque.
Another category of
interactions: women on the microfinance
committee. They've been taking me around
Sourakabougou for the past couple weeks,
visiting borrowers. They are all relatively
educated (the women on the committee) and can
speak French well. It's nice being able to
communicate verbally with them, and I learn a
lot from our conversations. As Mariam Coulibaly
and I passed by a group of kids taunting me
with "tubabu, tubabu" chants (tubabu = white
person). It's easy for me to assume that the
taunts come solely from their desire to
embarrass me, but Mariam explained that they're
just curious. Of course that makes sense,
seeing as we may be the only white people
living in Sikoroni right now. I'll try to
remember that next time, and not feel so
embarrassed.
On a similar note, some
borrowers whom I've visited recognize me on the
street! So far several of them have called me
over to say what's up (or "I ka
kεnε", as it were). One of them –
Aminata Konaré – runs a mini food stand that
sells pasta and beans, and I pass by it quite
often. We've established a routine of greeting
each other and shaking hands each time. Her
food, by the way, tastes great.
Until
next time,
Julie
