N bε Bambara kalan bi Relax la!

Today I had my first Bambara lesson! I’ve felt like a dork, being here for three months already (five including last summer) and not knowing anything. I am no kind of auditory, intuitive language learner – I need to see things written down and to analytically, almost spatially understand patterns and relationships. My tutor is great – he works with Peace Corps and the Embassy and clearly is used to dealing with Anglophones. I can now do basic greetings, conjugate 3 classes of verbs in the present tense, and count in the thousands! En principe, at least. I need to make flash cards. And to not be shy talking to taxi drivers, my Malian colleagues, etc.