*Picture: the AIESECERS in abidjan, my boss (in the middle) and the other canadian... sorry if it is backwards!
To tell you the truth when I arrived in Cote d'Ivoire I thought that I would have no problem getting into the culture, instead what happened was that I was in super SHOCK mode. I literally cried and complained the whole night to Jacqui (the other Canadian who is doing the same internship and living at the same house as me)... I just felt so isolated and the french was just too intense. I had thoughts of... can I really handle this?
But as It's been almost a week since I have arrived in Abidjan I have come to love this country and it's strangeness.... I have yet to master the roads and different transits and hope to do so before the end of the internship.
French sessions
I do not know why I did not think of this before but of course you are going to need to speak in french when giving sessions because english is not understood very well. I am trying my hardest to make sense when I speak in french, but at times I feel that the session is not effective unless the students understand me (of course). Hopefully as the months go on I will be more comfortable in french and can give better sessions sur le SIDA. But things have been well and the organization is more that what I expected. For some reason when the children/students see me in the class room they smile and are so nice and interested in why I am here. However... everything things I'm chinese.... weird!
Daily Routine
So far, my days go by at a medium pace maybe it is because the heat gets to me sometimes. Basically since I do not start working in Le Soutien until next week, I have been in the AIESEC office every day. I go here, say "Salut, comme ca va" then go do a session, go home, eat, prepare for my session the next day (need to translate everything in english). Basically I am hot, sweaty, eat a lot and have a constant french-english dictionary in my head... it actually is very WONDERFUL. And I don't know why but I just feel comfortable. What an experience... however next week will probably be a different routine (as each day is brand new)
This is all for now, Till the next blog *hugs* and love (beaucoup d'amour) from Abidjan!
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