Alhumdulillah!

Studying verbs one last time

Just got the results of my final language test...Intermediate Mid! That means tomorrow I'm going to Dakar to officially swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Its amazing to think that before I came to Senegal I had no clue Seereer even existed, and just nine short weeks later I can not only communicate basic needs, I can haggle down a pair of shoes in the market from 12,000cfa to 4,000cfa and fend off three marriage proposals at the same time! I've still got a long way to go on the road to fluency, but I'm excited to "leave the nest" and start testing my wings. In honor of the occasion, here are a few of my favorite Seereer proverbs:

O kiin a tet a andu ndaa andee a kar.
A person knows when he will leave, but not when he will come back
A daat jam godee.
The road to peace is not far.

A caf a mofangee, xan a dak dung.
If a foot does not stop, it will step in shit.

O koy a anda metee foop o raq um.
A monkey knows where is own ass is. (mind your own business)
Muusomuus fo ne te xobid'taa xoox cooxum.
Each cat has its own method of removing a mouse's head.

O naagaa naagaa bo andatiiro me o jofaa, nomtooxi mam inoor oona.If you no longer konw where you are, go back to where you came from.