It's a typical conversation in these typical times.

Conversations with Senegalese:

I thought it'd be fun to give you guys some insight into what my life is REALLY like here and why I have days that are quite challenging and some that are quite ammusing. These are all very typical and very common conversations. You will see why, as Senegal Peace Corps volunteers, we have to adjust to monotony and repetition and pointing out the obvious. You will see why it's hard (generally) to reason with Senegalese and why it's hard to get things done and why everything takes sooooo frikin lonnggg!!

Background: I'm riding my bike with my 5 gallon water jug strapped to my bike... going to the well pump to get water (obvious to villagers). I pass by people on the way.

Senegalese woman: Did you lie in peace?

Me: Peace Only. Did you lie in peace?

Senegalese woman: Yes. Was there no evil when you laid down?

Me: Peace only. Was there no evil when you laid down?

Senegalese woman: Peace only. Did you sleep?

Me: Yes. A little. Did you sleep?

Senegalese woman: Yes. Did you wake up?

Me: Yes. Did you wake up?

Senegalese woman: Yes. Did your mom wake up?

Me: Yes. Did your husband wake up?

Senegalese woman: Yes.

Me: Did your kids wake up?

Senegalese woman: Yes. And your Nioko**?

Me: Peace only.

Senegalese woman: Did she eat poridge?

Me: Yes she ate.

Senegalese woman: Are you going to get water at the forage?

Me: Yes. I am going to get water at the forage.

Senegalese woman: Take your mom!***

** Nioko is my dog's name

*** Take [name of person, village, etc]! is an expression that people say, almost like, “take my greetings to [said person]”

Background: I am at the market... or anywhere with a Senegalese friend of mine and a Senegalese person who doesn't know me.

Me: (To the new person) Is there peace in your afternoon?

New person: *laughs* (to Senegalese friend) She speaks Pular.

Senegalese friend: Yes.

New person: (to friend still) What is her name? She speaks Pular.

Senegalese friend: Yes. She speaks Pular. Her name is Kadjatu.

New person: Where is she from?

Me: I speak Pular. You are able to ask me.

New person: *Laughs*(...again). (Finally to me...) Is there no evil in your afternoon?

Me: Yes.

New Person: Your mom?

Me: She is in peace. I am going now. Thank you.

Background: I am sitting in my host mom's compound cracking Juujuube seed shells between rocks so I can plant them for a living fence. (Juujuube has a hard exterior shell and the seeds are embedded inside... and the kids LOVE eating them and these tree-ey-shrubs have nice thorny branches for keeping cows and other annoying animals out of my gardens... potentially)

Family member 1: Kadjatu, what are you doing?

Me: I am cracking Juujuube to obtain the seeds. (He continues to stand around watching me crack seeds)

Family member 2: (shows up 30 seconds later) What are you doing? (She stays around watching)

Me: I'm cracking juujuube to obtain the seeds.

Family member 3: (shows up) What are you doing? (She stays around watching)

Me: I'm cracking juujuube seeds.

Kid 1: (shows up... asks the 3 adults standing around watching me) What is she doing.

Family member 2: She's obtaining juujuube seeds.

Kid 1: (tries to help but keeps breaking seeds in the process)
Family member 2: (to me) That is not what you do! You just plant it. It will grow.
Me: This is what I learned.
Family member 2: You don't have to crack the shells. It will germinate.
Me: Have you ever planted Juujuube?
Family member 2: No.
Me: Finished**

**To say "finished" at the end of a conversation is polite and just puts a final point at the end of the conversation... like, "case in point"

Background: I show up to the mortar and pestle where my host mom and host brother's older wife are pounding corn. I want to help pound corn. There is an out of town visitor who doesn't know me.

Me: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Host mom: Yes. Is there peace in your afternoon?

Me: Is there no evil there?

Host mom: Yes.

Me: Yes. Are you pounding corn?

Host sister in-law: Yes.

Me: Yes. (to my host sister in-law) Can I help?

Guest: She speaks Pular.

Me: Yes.

Host mom: (to me) You can't.

Me: You think I can't pound corn? I have strength.

Guest: *laughs*

Host sister in-law: *gives me her stick for pounding corn*

Me: *I start pounding corn*

Host mom: (after a minute or two) *takes me stick from me* Rest. You are tired.

Guest: She can pound corn.

Me: Yes, I am able to (to host mom). I am not tired. I will continue.

Host mom: Rest. You are tired.

Background: I pass a senegales man in Senegal... anywhere, any time.

Senegalese man: Psss psss**

Me: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Senegalese man: Yes. Where do you come from.

Me: Matakosi.

Senegalese man: Where is your husband?

Me: I don't have one.

Senegalese man: Really? Why not?

Me: Because I don't want one.

Senegalese man: You don't want one? You mean you don't want one YET.

Me: No, I don't want one.

Senegalese man: When you go home, will a man take you (alternatively they will say, will a man marry you?)?

Me: I don't know. I don't want a husband.

Senegalese man: Why not?

Me: Nothing***

Senegalese man: Do you like me?

Me: No

Senegalese man: Why not?

Me: because you are ugly.

Senegalese man: *laughs* You won't take me to America? I want a white wife.

Me: No.

Senegalese man: Why not?

Me: *get irritated and walk away*

(alternative ending 1)

Me: I can't

Senegalese man: Yes you can. You can take me.

Me: *get irritated and walk away*

(alternative ending 2)

Me: I don't have money.

Senegalese man: You have money, you can take me if you marry me.

Me: You can't be my husband. In America, when a woman has a husband, the woman works outside the home and the man has to cook and clean and sweep the floor and get water from the well and do laundry and pound corn and feed the baby. You can't do that.

Senegalese man: I can cook.

Me: When did you learn to cook?

Senegalese man: A while ago.

Me: What can you cook?

Senegalese man: rice.

Me: You hear?**** I want American food. I don't like rice.

Senegalese man: I can learn!

Me: Your food is bad. I have to go now.

Senegalese man: *laughs and walks away*

**People hiss at you to get your attention whether they know your name or not. No matter how much I tell people that this offends me because in the U.S. we only do that to cats, they don't listen and continue to hiss at me (and every other person) even when they know our names...

***They use the word for nothing as we use the phrase *just because*.

**** You hear? Is an expression that people use all the time.

Background: I am at a funeral in a nearby village greeting the family of the person who died.

Me: Is there no evil there?

Senegalese: Peace only. Did you lie in peace?

Me: yes.

Senegalese: Your mom?

Me: Peace only.

Senegalese: Your father?

Me: yes.

Senegalese: Did your brother come back from Tamba?

Me: yes. He and his wives came back from Tamba.

Senegalese: Are they in Peace?

Me: yes. Your father?

Senegalese: Peace only.

Me: Your mother?

Senegalese: yes.

Me: Are you patient?**

Senegalese: Yes. I will have patience.

** this is what you say to friends and family of people who died. Even when a family member has you are expected to be in “Peace only” and everyone in everyone's family is in “peace only”.

Background: We had just finished dinner and were sitting outside. It had rained so the Senegalese are typically cold when it gets below 85. My elderly host mom is sitting next to me with a shawl around her shoulders.

Host mom: Kadjatu, it is cold.

Me: It is not cold.

Host mom: How do you say 'I am cold' in English.

Me: 'I'

Host mom: 'I'

Me: 'am'

Host mom: 'am'

Me: 'cold'

Host mom: (in a crackely E.T. Sounding voice) 'cold- I ooolllddd

Me: *unable to control my laughing hysterically* Neene, say, 'I am kkkooolllddd'

Host mom: 'oolllddd- I oollddd'

Me: 'kkkoolld'

Host mom: 'koolld'

Me: Yes! Say it.

Host mom: 'I OOLLDD'

Me: *I laugh and give up*

Background: I am walking my dog... the only trained dog any Senegalese from my village has ever seen.

Senegalese: Mother of Nioko!! (they call from a short distance)

Me: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Senegalese: Yes. Are you walking your dog?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: Is she in peace?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: Come here.

Me: *I head over and shake her hand*

Senegalese: Make her greet.

Me: 'Nioko, sit!' *she sits* 'Nioko, greet!' *she puts her paw out to shake*

Senegalese: *laughs hysterically* Will you bring her to America?

Me: If Allah agrees.

Senegalese: *laughs* You are going to take your dog?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: Can you take my baby to America?

Me: No. I can't.

Senegalese: Yes you can.

Me: No I can't.

Senegalese: So you can take a dog but not a person?

Me: Yes. Of course! I can't put a baby in my baggage!

Senegalese: True, you can't put a baby in baggage. You put your dog in baggage? And it doesn't die?

Me: Yes.

Senegalese: But you could carry the baby on your back.

Me: No. You need papers and a lot of money.

Senegalese: You have money.

Me: I am a volunteer. You know I don't have money. *I walk away*

Background: My family got back really late one night from a funeral. I ate with an extended family member and got ready for bed. When they come back they talk through my door.

Host sister in-law: Kadjatu! Kadjatu!

Me: what?

Host sister in-law: Come eat!

Me: I already ate. I'm full.

Host sister in-law: Increase the amount. Come eat.

Me: REALLY REALLY, I'm full!

Host sister in-law: Where did you eat?

Me: I ate with Neenejo.

Host sister in-law: You are still hungry. Come eat.

Me: Really really, I'm full. I'm very tired.

*she goes away* A minute later my host mom comes to my door.

Host mom: Kadjatu, come eat. You did not eat. We were at the funeral.

Me: Yes, I ate with Neenejo. I'm full. I am tired.

Host mom: Increase your eating. Come eat.

Me: Really, Neene**, I'm very full.

Host mom: I don't think so. No you are not. You are angry.

Me: Really! I am not angry. I am just tired. I took away my clothes and I am lying down. Really, really I am happy. REALLY! Thank you!

Host mom: Really, really?

Me: Really, really. I hope you lie in peace.

Host mom: I hope you lie in peace.

**Neene is the word for mother.

Background: I packed my bag the night before to bike out to Kedougou early the next morning. I was very clear with my host mom that evening that I would NOT be eating breakfast in village and I would have breakfast in Kedougou. I have a meeting at 11:00 that day so I MUST get to Kedougou on time. I'm ready to go now and I just need to say my goodbyes.

Me: Neene, I have to go now.

Host mom: Kadjatu, wait until you eat breakfast.

Me: Neene, I told you I will eat in Kedougou.

Host mom: You will be hungry.

Me: I have to go. I have a meeting and I will be in a hurry.

Host mom: You can wait a little. Eat!

Me: Neene, If I wait I will be late and I will arrive in the sun.**

Host mom: Ok. Go slowly.

Me: Thank you. Until tomorrow!!

Host mom: If Allah agrees!

Me: If Allah agrees!

*I repeat this conversation several more times with 4 or 5 more people to whom I MUST say goodbye. FINALLY 20-30 minutes after schedule, I leave.*

**I find this to be the easiest argument for people to understand because keeping appointments is not something that people really understand. The concept of inconveniencing people in general is not in their mindset especially not with being late for a meeting or waking people up at midnight or 6 in the morning to ask for matches or powdered milk or a bag to pack some clothes in for a 3 month trip. BUT... Senegalese have a strong fear of sitting, working, eating, playing, or doing ANYTHING in the Sun because it is hot.

Background: Sitting around a dinner bowl with 6-14 people.

Host sister in-law: (to me) Are you courageous of the chili powder?

Me: Yes. I like it.

Host sister in-law: *passes me the chili powder*

Background: A child misbehaves.

Senegalese mother of child: Selu! I am going to make you piss!** Take the battery out of your mouth!

**Parents threaten to beat their kids by saying “I am going to make you piss”. USUALLY it is only an empty threat. Parents do on rare occasion beat their kids but usually only for more serious infractions.

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Background: I go to the weekly market and go to a vendor I don't know yet to buy some bitter tomato (a vegetable that I have grown to LOVE).

Me: Hello.

Vendor: Is there peace in your afternoon?

Me: Yes, peace only. Is there no evil in your afternoon?

Vendor: Peace only.

Me: Did you wake up?

Vendor: Peace only.

Me: Did your husband wake up?

Vendor: Yes.

Me: Did your kids wake up?

Vendor: Yes. Did you come to the market?

Me: Yes.

Vendor: Did you arrive in peace?

Me: Yes.

Vendor: What do you want?

Me: I want 20cfas** worth of bitter tomato. *I take my pile of bitter tomatoes and pay her 100cfas* Thank you!

Vendor: What is your last name?

Me: Diallo

Vendor: Ahh! That is bad! The last name Ba is good. Diallos steal***.

Me: You made a mistake. Diallo is good. Diallos never steal. Bas steal and they eat a lot.

Vendor: No no. Ba is good. Diallo is bad.

(this goes on back and forth as long as I let it) *We both laugh*

Vendor: What is your name?

Me: Kadjatu.

Vendor: OH!! You and my daughter have the same name!

Me: That is good! She has the same name as I do! Thank you, Neene is waiting!

** When buying things, the market prices are all divided by 5 so when you ask for 20 cfas worth of veggies, you really want 100cfas worth.
*** or eat beans or eat a lot or they simply say, Diallo is bad.