Ajaaraama (the aloha of Pullo Fuuta) after the first homestay experience! Goodness, where to start. Well, I just got back to Thies to the PC center after our introductory one week immersion where we had intensive language and basic garden prep activities (making compost, double digging garden beds and a vegetable pepinier). In short, my family is wonderful and I have it pretty well! I feel a bit sheltered though and am going to make a point of going out more next time (which will be a two week homestay). It’s easy to not go far though because my house is the meeting point for our group, where we conduct language classes, and is across the field from the school where our garden is. I literally have only walked around the town once to see where Robert (Lirouane), Kyle (Ibrahim), and Pape (our language teacher from Ziguinchor) live on the second day, and on Sunday we went to the beach to meet up with the group staying in Mdoube. The ocean felt so wonderful!! I’m looking forward to it being a weekly tradition during training! It felt funny to be in a swimsuit (e.g uncovering my shoulders and knees! Scandalous!) Anyway, back to Darou: I always hear interesting stories from Kyle and Robert about their walks to and from my house (i.e. greetings, town regulars, marriage proposals, lunch invites, etc) so when we go back they have made it a point to make me walk around. At the Diallo house, I have my own room, an 8” foam mattress, and there is running water (a faucet that is not locked), electricity most of the time, and vegetables at every bowl (e.g. lunch and dinner). A bowl is typically rice or couscous with some sort of sauce, occasionally fish or beef. For me, it is followed by an apple or mango. My family is really, so good to me! I have four younger siblings, a baby boy (Mamadou), a one year old (I share the name Aminatou with her), a two year old boy (Jodi), and an eleven year old sister (Binda)- who I spend a lot of time with! She speaks French and is really helpful with learning Pullo Fuuta. The family (there is the grandmother, Mere, mother, Malado, father, Ibrahim, another Aminatou, and another woman who I am not sure of her relationship or name…) is really great about giving me space when I am studying, but are also just really generous and helpful. However, the grandmother has made it a habit it to give me a second dinner, which is certainly do not need, but can’t really refuse either… A typical day would be as such: wake up at 730, have an 8” baguette with butter for breakfast with a cup of Nescafe with sugar.
Then Pape, Robert, and Kyle come to my house between 9-10 and we have language class for about three hours. Then Pape will leave, the boys will stay and study, they will go home for lunch, then come back to study and have ataaya (tea). My mom typically prepares ataaya while Robert and my father converse in French and he helps us with vocabulary and clarifies things. At 1700, it cools down and we go across the sandy soccer field to the school to the garden. We work for an hour or so, but then it is prayer time and we take a break. We work until sunset and I am walked home.
Then, I will either play with the kids or study and then have dinner number one at 2030 followed by a bowl with the family 2130 or so. Then the tv is on in the family room or Binta and I stay up chatting or playing hand/rhythm games in French/Puula until I decide I am too tired and go to bed typically around 2330. It’s a nice little routine. I feel so dependent I am going to make a point of going to the market or helping in the kitchen next time! I do go with Binta to get ice sometimes in the evening so we have cold water after dinner.
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