mbad-da? I am officially learning to speak Fulakunda (Pulaar de Sud or Pulaar of the South) Pulaar is the 2nd most spoken language in Senegal (after Wolof). mbad-da is essetiantially how are you? You should respond by saying Jam Tam (peace only) after which you will be asked about 10 questions rapid fire...and you just keep saying jam tan jam tan jam tan. In my case I have no idea what they are asking so I say jam tan until they laugh, which means they asked a question I wasn't supposed to say jam tan too.
Anyway, after spending some final quality time with the other peace corps volunteers at the compound and having a live guitar slash singing party we all set off to meet our Senegalese families (just our families for pre service training). My family speaks Fulakunda and I clearly don't yet...so the first night and all of the following nights were pretty ridiculous! I have a Dad and two Moms (my Dad's 2 wives). I have a 4 year old sister, a 1 yr old brother and another 10 yr old brother. The first thing the family does when the new volunteer arrives is give them a Senegalese name so they fit into the community better. I am named for my Dad's mother and am called Fatou Seydi (short for Fatumata). My family is so amazingly welcoming its ridiculous! Its considered bad for a guest to lose weight so they are constantly trying to feed me. I pretty much have to eat half a baguette every morning...but at the other meals I can just tell them I'm so full I'm going to explode and they let me get away with eating a normal amount.
And when I visit the other volunteers at their homestays you have to say hi to everyone in their family and then probably drink a shot glass of sugar with some tea in it. Diabetes is a pretty big problem in this country :)
Yesterday my host Mom took me shopping and I bought a new skirt/wrap thing and we got some crazy cried crushed cranberry cookies and peanuts and of course cold soda (since that is pretty much the best thing ever over here).
Anyway, I'll be back at the homestay for the next 12 days struggling to integrate but I'm sure i'll come back with more stories!
en burini han (see you later)!
Kelly
Posts
Guess they didn't know that you already had a name SeneKel! The language immersion is probably crazy at first but also a great way to learn and, if everyone else is feeling the same thing, Jam Tam!
ReplyDeleteIt was great Skyping you, even if only for a while....
<3, Dad