BF Journal: 8/21 to 8/23

8/21/14

My plan for the immediate future is to keep studying every day until Jeff’s botanist friend leaves at the end of the month.  After that, we will take some trips to villages in September and I will select and begin work on a language in October.  I have until then to be able to talk to people better in both French and Jula.  I skimmed through some of the grammars written by others on this project and I have some big shoes to fill!

I tried some local tea today.  This is actually part of a local custom that requires some explanation.  Every now and then you will see people hanging around with little cups and tea pots.  People sit there (usually near one’s dwelling and near a road or foot traffic area), brew tea, and chat.  Maybe some people join you, maybe not.  It seems like the purpose is to just make one’s self available for socialization.  You might think of it as a similar to siting in a café and people watching but people might come up to you to chat or join you.  Apparently you always brew three batches and each one is sweeter than the last (I presume some of the sugar used to sweeten it stays in the pot).  I had some from the second batch.   It was like a warm spicy sweet tea.  I will come back for seconds.

8/22/14

Today was pretty uneventful.  There was more practicing French mixed with some brief Jula lessons.  Jeff and I waited spent roughly two hours getting our shared account set up today.  One hour+ of that was waiting with nothing to read, with someone who doesn’t chat much.  After, we took a trip to the supermarket where I found incredibly cheap alcohol.  It was mostly cheap rum.  Everything else seems about the equivalent of prices in the U.S.  I am tempted to try the cheapest possible rum.  Why do I do this?  I don’t actually think there will be an issue since I usually only drink socially these days.  Oh, yeah, we got some important things there too like water and vegetables and stuff.

It did rain a lot today.  We got out of the bank and everything went from sunny and temperate to the entire ground is flooded.  I think the city might be one big puddle right now.

On another note I have been eating this incredibly bland melon called a corgette (I guess because the yellow skin looks like a squash) at almost every meal.  The actual meat of the fruit is white and this lack of color is fitting for a food that makes rice cakes seem like gourmet meals.  This “fruit” is so uninteresting that I swear it even tastes white.

Tomorrow I may go do some sight-seeing in the country to get a sense of farming practices and maybe the same for some trees and such.  I am going to try to find a place that will let me try dog, if I can.

8/23/14

… no dog, but Zaki promised me some other time.  I think the rain made him not feel like driving any more than he had to.  I am sure you are all heart-broken for me.  That said, I will make it happen.  I am not exactly why I am so set on this, but I think I just like trying new foods.  I did get to see a couple of farming villages and started the process of learning to identify some local flora (one of Jeff’s projects).  It was wet out today, so it wasn’t quite the sightseeing tour I had hoped for.   But I did meet some baby goats!  W-A-N-T.  I snapped a couple photos for you all.  The little brown guy was super cute, but started ignoring me as soon as I grabbed my camera.  OMG s/he’s camera shy!  <<commence squeeing>>

I did fix the gym situation but it was almost not worth it.  The gym is one small room but it almost has all the equipment I need.  Almost.  It’s not really a problem except that it’s like fifty bucks a month.  Whatever.  This why I just bought a bunch of kettlebells and worked out at home in the U.S.  They are so versatile and no fees or waiting.  Also, gyms are stank sausage-fests, but so is this house. 

On that subject, I am supposed to go out for some drinks with the dudes here in the house.  I really have no idea where we are planning to go, but it should be interesting.  I assume we are walking, so I might be okay.  It is rainy night in an area where I only kind of speak everybody’s second or third language (French).  Why would I do this?  I am glad you ask.  I love the idea of sitting at a bar and have no idea what’s going on.  More on that tomorrow, perhaps.