Barrytown

Life in Lokossa is so fun and interesting. I had my first adventure yesterday, when I decided that I would walk alone to the school in the afternoon. Turns out that even though I knew how to get to the school, that’s not where we were supposed to meet. So, as I was walking along the path, a little boy comes running out of his house. I, of course, figure it’s another little kid wanting to say hello to a yovo; however, he precedes to inform me that all the Americans are over there (pointing in the opposite direction I’m going). I ask him, “All the Americans?” Oui. “Do you know where to go?” Oui. Then I stand there and look confused. “All take you.” He says. Hurray! Turns out that he is the little brother of another Peace Corps volunteer and he had walked her to the meeting place earlier. Needless to say, I was very grateful as I would have flipped out a little bit if I had walked to the wrong place. When I did arrive, however, we took a walking tour of Lokossa. Probably most importantly, we found a basketball court that is open all the time. I’m planning on pumping up my basketball and getting all the volunteers to come play on Sunday. I’ve been talking a lot of trash to some people, so I have to make sure that I can back up my game. I should though. I mean I am kind of a legend. : )

Today also marked the first day of language training! I was so happy to begin learning. Hopefully I will start to understand my family better and be able to communicate with them in a more competent way. Right now I’m so glad that I don’t really know what I’m saying, because I think that I would be embarrassed by just how badly I am butchering the language. Ignorance is bliss. I also bought my first items of clothing today. 750 francs each (roughly one dollar and fifty cents). I just bought two “panyas,” which are essentially strips of cloth used for skirts, towels, carrying babies, etc. (anything really). I think they look pretty sweet and this will buy me some more time to try to figure out how to ask my mama to show me how to wash my clothes. My t-shirts could really use a washing. Perhaps tonight I will venture into the washing question. I have to learn at some point, right? Anyway, more language tonight, but right now, the time calls for a shower (or a douche--haha, makes me giggle every time).

Oh! And today some man stopped me on my way to school and was trying to get me to ride on his zemi. I wanted to but figured it was against my better judgment in addition to the fact that I still don’t have a zemi helmet. (I did get my bike today though!) The man was super nice. I told him my French was really bad, and he said that his English was really bad, so we talked about what we could understand then laughed at each and we continued on our separate ways. But just another example of how nice the people here have been to me. Love Love Love