Hey cow!

Here's a follow-up on the previous post about

Aliou has become my unofficial Pular tutor, and we meet almost daily just to chat or walk around town.  I've learned to say many things, including:

"The cow is looking at me" 

Naage ngen no yiiyii an.  

(You can tell this has become a common theme)  

"The moon is bright."

Leeru ndun no jalbi.  

"Scram!  I want to eat my mango alone."

Yahu!  Midho faalaa gnamugol mango an ngon min tun.  

"Excuse me, ma'am.  That's my bread."

Acceeneelan, neene.  Ko dhun bireedi an

"No, I don't want to buy a pile of avocados.  They look rotten."

O'owee, mi faalaaka sooduude saadere piiya.  They look rotten.

(I generally don't translate that last part.)

I'd say the lessons are going swimmingly!  Another friend is Alimou, though sadly, he's left to go live in the capital city.  While he was still in Ditinn, however, he was a great conversation partner, and he even took me to a tea bar/convenience store/multi-media teen hangout where we played Mortal Combat and Dragon Ball "Zed" on a Playstation 2.  

It's moments like this that make me wonder - 

Is this REALLY Africa?

My favorite friends are the Madams Diaraye and Kalivogui.  Madam K manages the use of the well near my house.  She's taught me how to make various leaf sauces, and constantly piles peanuts and gigantor squashes into my lap.  It's nice that she makes a point of feeding me, but dear LORD, you've never seen squashes so big.     

Madam D is  a boutique lady that lives in the village center.  She sells all sorts of things, but my favorite is the "gingembre" drink that she makes.  One day she invited me to learn how to make it.  Here's how:

1. Pound some "earth pepper" (literal translation of ginger root in Pular) until you feel like your arm is   about to fall off.
2. Put the mushy ginger into a clean cloth and squeeze it into a huge basin of clean water.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2
4. Add sugar (like, 5 or 6 handfuls)
5. Add a packet of "vanilla sugar"
6. Add some powdered drink mix (pineapple)
7. Add a couple drops of concentrated pineapple flavoring
8. Stir until everything is dissolved, then put into random bottles that you have
9. Sell for 1,000.00 GF each (that comes out to about 15 cents)

You've got yourself some pure Deliciousness in a bottle.

Madam D also took it upon herself to go to the weekly market to get me a mortar and pestle.  She haggled with the salesperson to get me a good price.  

Conclusion: She's a boss.