Conversatin’

As I mentioned before, in The Gambia, greeting is very very important. If you come to someone, and don’t greet them first, then try to start a conversation, there is a good chance that that person will not help you, or will outright ignore you. I’m pretty good at the Mandinka greetings at this point, and they go as follows, in any order, but always with the same response.

Peace be with you.
-And also with you

How are your home people?
-They are there.

I hope there is no trouble there.
-No, no trouble.

Are you in peace?
-Peace only.

How is the morning/afternoon/evening/night?
-It is here only.

How is your mother/father/wife/husband?
-They are there.

How are the children?
-They are there.



Once you get through all that, then the roles reverse and the other person gets a chance to ask the questions…..then from there a large part of the conversation starters involve stating the obvious. I think that because in the US people do not state the obvious, that I had a very hard time understanding what people were saying to me. I would hear them, but not understand at all because what they had said was right in front of me. Some examples are
“Faatu, you came!” (true fact, I just walked in)
“Faatu, you are sitting!” (true fact, here I am on the mat)
“Faatu, you are water fetching!” (good chat. There is a bucket on my head, and I‘m trying not to slosh)

Or, to start a conversation, usually we just ask what the other person is doing, even if it is perfectly obvious. I was really proud of myself when someone asked me what I was doing today while sitting idly in front of a fire, and I was able to reply “I am fire watching.”

I realize that this entry may make it sound like I think Gambians are stupid. They’re not. Its just an aspect of conversation that we don’t have in the US, and I find it endearing. Also, I just recently found that I had enough language understanding to be able to participate. Since so much of the day is spent sitting around chatting here, you have to start somewhere, and so why not begin with “You are sitting!”