Bombaa does not compare.

One of the things that I must constantly remind myself while going through training is to not compare my journey. It is incredibly difficult for me to not do. Honestly everything is great, my host family at my Culturally Based Learning (CBT) is very welcoming and I feel I am learning the language well. There are some specific cases that I hear from others that I wish I had, but, I can’t compare. So I resort to comparing my life to fiction, which is probably a bad idea. Honestly it is just one of those moments that I feel is unbelievable and is a fictional part of my life. This is a story I would write for myself because I feel so lucky that it is actually happening, and so fortunate to be living this life. It is Fiction to me so I think I just resort to comparing it to other fictional stories

I am sitting on my steps of my palace at the beautiful CBT site in Mboro. The sea causes a beautiful breeze to gather in out entry way where we eat that is slowly waking me up. My host sister, Fatou a fellow princess of the castle, likes to take on the duties of walking to the market and says her goodbyes in her beautiful tone. My Queen of a mother has just made sure that I eat my breakfast until I am full, before she starts her day. My host brother, Dembaa, the prince wanting to live a shepherd’s life, is occupying his time by finishing his correspondence over his cell phone. The sun is hitting the trees and front door in the beautiful way that birds sing a morning song and Goats add in the base notes. My other sister, Awa, comes to great me with her contagious smile and leads her little prince, Bombaa, to his breakfast. As she walks away, he follows with his purposeful one and half year-old legs and his mother once again tells him to go get breakfast, as he persists, the fellow Prince, Dembaa informs him of the breakfast offered today. Bombaa finally makes his way back to the breakfast for him in his own time. This heir to the throne begins to slide himself on his belly towards the breakfast plate. He thinks it is absolutely hilarious, he laughs to himself and Dembaa and I laugh at him. I just watch and wait as he takes his time to do what he wants with his own purpose. While I smile and laugh at my entertainment that I love so much I realize that I am waiting for things to happen.

I am waiting for my language to click, waiting for my permanent site to tell me what they need, waiting to get integrated into the culture, waiting to become a volunteer. I think about Pocahontas (the fairy tale Disney created not the true story). I compare my language skills to her. I believe that Grandmother Willow use the power of mother earth to give me the language and I can speak fluently with people around me. I think that I will be integrated flawlessly the same way Simba was to his new jungle lifestyle. Because I wanted “more than this provincial life” I think that yes there will be struggle but Mrs. Pots will be there with a cup of tea to help me out. I am waiting for these things to happen because I dreamed and wished so hard for it to be true and that is all it takes, right?

I must stop comparing. Or at least find other fictional characters to help me and not rely on my wishes and dreams solely to give me the power to speak and integrate. Someone to look to that pushes me and shows me that studying as well as passion will help me learn. So here we are with Hermione Granger. She is a go-to character for a bad ass feminist, but c’mon she is an amazing character to look up to. She was entering a world of unknown at age 11. She had no idea what was in store, and she just wanted to integrate so badly and learn as much as she could to understand about this world she never knew. She had to learn a whole bunch of spells and tactics and weird words. I can identify with that and she put the work into it. So, let’s put in the work.

Then there is Bombaa. A child who gets super cool clothes and a mischievous smile that makes all the bad be easily forgotten. He makes it easy, he makes me not want to compare, he makes me smile, and he makes me not want to even work. He lives his life with the affection of others in his palace that I am squatting at for the moment. He will learn the language, he will learn the culture, but on his own time specific for him. He has people around him to help and he can rest when he needs it. He lives in the euphoria of the day and learns from it. He has no need to compare to others because others know he will get there.

The same way I have put people around me to help me through this training and experience. They are there to help and support me when I need it. There could be people around that expect so much or something completely different, but I will just use the tactic that Bombaa uses. Just walk with purpose. I need to be more like Bombaa and not compare, enjoy my journey.

So I have made the 11 year old Hermione Granger and a one and a half year old my motivation. That sounds good right?

Words in Wolof I learned today:

Ram- Crawling

Cia – type of pants

Binde – to write