A delayed post due to a faulty internet...

July 8, 2011

“Oakwom lakalo!” My Temne speaking neighbor tells me.

“wetin?” I reply Krio, Salone’s lingua franca.

“Di rain de pan kam”

Right on cue, a blissfully cool breeze sweeps across the compound and the rain begins to pound against the roof of my host family’s porch .

“Yu don col?” my neighbor asks.

“No I no col.”

“Eeee!” She surveys me skeptically   - probably wondering how it’s possible th at I’m never cold, even when the weather dips below 80 F. How can I possibly explain the concept of the cold that I’m used to?

I can hardly believe training is almost half over. I’ve loved exploring Makeni , spending time with my host family, and getting to know the other volunteers. On a typical morning, I wake up when the call to prayer sounds from the mosque across the street at 5:30am. I wait half an hour for the sun to rise, then go outside where my host grandma is just starting the fire. I quickly discovered that the morning is the best time to run here – not necessarily because of the heat, but because fewer children are awake before 7am. Fewer children means fewer shouts of “opoto opoto!” (white person) The kids here love foreigners and never get tired of yelling at any white person they see. At least the kids who live near me know my African name, so I’m greeted with calls of “Baliya!”, which is much better than opoto!

After running, it’s time for a bucket bath, a breakfast of fresh mangos or boiled plantains, then it’s off to training by 8 am. Training can be a bit tedious  at times, but we get to visit our sites this weekend. The principal from my school, which is called Kankaylay Islamic Junior Secondary School, is coming to Makeni on Friday to meet  me and take me  to my site. I’m stationed in a town called Sembehun 17, which is located 17 miles south of a city called Bo.  My host family is very disappointed  that I won’t be learning Temne or staying near Makeni, but I’m enjoying learning Mende and looking forward to seeing a new part of the country. (I do seriously doubt my ability to learn both Krio  & Mende anytime soon though…) I’ll be in my village from Sunday until Wednesday, then we go back to Makeni for  5 more weeks of training.

Okay, internet time is up so we go si bak! (Krio for see you later)