"What ARE you doing HERE?"

14.Jan.2011

One can only laugh at this statement. Let me tell you the story:

I was “passear”ing just the other day (there is no direct translation for passear. It’s basically leaving your house for no purpose, just to go out and walk or do whatever.) So, I was out passearing in my small community of Makwakwa. I was finally getting some kind of responses from the community. They would smile and be surprised when I would say good afternoon in Shitzwa (nshakanee). Of course, I’m sure my pronunciation is not so good…but that’s why I think they like it also. I mean, this strange white girl is trying to speak their language. Here’s what I know so far:

Gicheelee = good morning

Nshakanee = good afternoon

Gipileilee = good night

Kanimambu = thank you

Oovikeilee = How are you?

Zivookilei quats = I’m good/fine.

(The language is actually not written anywhere, so this is my way of spelling it)

So when they respond with more words after I say nshakanee or gicheelee….I look at them with a blank face. I mean, how can I tell them I don’t know any more when they don’t know Portuguese either?? J

Wow, I totally got sidetracked from the basis of this blog! Anyways, I was out passearing in my small community of Makwakwa and this guy on a motorcycle stops and asks me, in English and very matter-of-factly, “What ARE you doing HERE?” What can you really do but laugh at that? What is a white person doing in a place like Makwakwa? It’s not like any tourists would really take their time to come out to the bush like this. There really isn’t anything to do besides for everyday living things. And on that note, that’s exactly why I am here. I get to see inside of Africa. Believe it or not, this was my thought of a true Peace Corps experience for me. Everybody has their thoughts on it, and this is mine. Except for the house. I like my house; I had just originally thought of one made of kinisu (bamboo) with an outside latrine. No big deal. I get less spiders (and snakes) this way!