Yesterday I had my first refresher French lesson. I met my teacher, who is not really a teacher but a hairdresser from the DRC, at a hotel bar near my home base in Kiliminjaro. I walked to the place early and had the great joy of drinking a Kiliminjaro beer. Our home base is a dry zone, so that Kiliminjaro was heavenly, especially because I walked for thirty minutes in the boiling sun to reach the restaurant. Patrick Bologna is a very nice man so he didn't mind that I directed the French lesson myself. I don't expect to learn a lot of new things, but it's good practice just to sit and talk to him in French for and hour and a half. We will meet two times a week and unfortunately for me, he wants us to meet at his shop rather than the hotel restaurant because it is far for him to travel and it is a bit noisy there. I guess I could bring a Kiliminjaro to the shop.
Originally we agreed to meet from 5 - 6:30, but the sun sets at 6:30 here and it is about a ten minute walk down a dirt road with no lights to get home, so we have been told by many people actually, not to walk that road after dark. Patrick agreed that I should get home before the bandits come out, so we'll meet earlier in town with enough time for me to take the daladala back.
I am looking forward to talking to Patrick more about his life here and in Congo and smoothing out my basic French in the process. I am paying him $10 and hour which is quite a good wage for someone who is not really a teacher.
This weekend I am going on safari! We'll be away for two nights in a crater called Ngorogoro where you can see the big five on a good safari weekend. More on all that later.
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2 comments:
Hi Denise, I am thinking about going to Tanzania to study French and to volunteer. What kind of work do you do there?
Thanks!
Raquel
A SUPPORTED BY THE DEVELOPER TOOLS? It was interesting. You seem very knowledgeable in ypour field.
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