Je ne comprendes pas!

One thing I’ve really never thought too much about when travelling is the language barrier. While I try to learn the greetings and VERY basics of the language of the countries I’m in to be a polite visitor, I’ve always been able to fall back on my English. Every time I’ve visited Europe, I’ve been in big cities where most people speak at least a little English or been with friends who speak German and French. During my trip to Africa in ’01, we stayed in British-colonized countries, so English was most peoples’ second language. In the Philippines, again, people spoke enough English for us to communicate effectively. And in Mexico and Central America, I never really thought the language as a barrier because after 5 years of taking Spanish, I know enough to get by.

This is not the case in Madagascar…there is no more weaseling my way through each day with some English here and there. It’s Malagasy and French. Sometimes a combination of both which is even more confusing.

I guess I should make a correction here: people here know some English…enough to say “You don’t speak French?” while looking at me like I’m a complete idiot. I try to explain that I learned Spanish because it’s more useful in the U.S…but that’s almost certainly lost in translation. So, pretty much, I feel like a total ignoramus…and an uncomfortable one at that. I’m a talker. I like to yap. When I’m not talking and am quiet, I feel like I’m being snobby and rude to people. It’s also very isolating.

I think it finally hit home today (how screwed I am) when the project director emailed me a bunch of national disaster management documents. In French. My job this week is to translate them into English. Naturally, the first step in accomplishing this task is writing a blog about how much my French linguistic skills suck tuna water.

Anyway, I’m determined that not only during this trip am I going to soak up experience with disaster management, but I’m also going to become AT LEAST survivable in French. Maybe I won’t be able to interpret complicated policy documents, but I’ll be darned if I can’t speak at least a little French before I return to the U.S.

Luckily 2 of the workers here, Ben, and his wife, Gil, are from France and the UK, so they can speak both languages as well as some Malagasy. They’ve kindly offered to help me interpret all these disaster policy documents, and Ben even offered to give me French lessons at night. I’m very excited about the prospect of learning how to communicate at least a little bit better in French. Regardless of how much I won’t be using it back in the U.S., I think it’s important that I use my time here trying to learn the language and doing everything I can to soak up the culture.

So…wish me luck. Au revoir! haha