School? Oh yeah, the reason why I am in Nigeria. Classes are going fine. I am studying the Yoruba language. Ironically, my teacher here in Nigeria is one of my teachers from Madison! It’s a small world? On a typical day, we spend the morning speaking, reading and listening to Yoruba. We learn A LOT of vocabulary. I need to spend more time studying, but I have been distracted. Besides, I forgot my flashcards. How am I supposed to learn my vocab? The early afternoon is spent with a conversation partner. Ellie, a classmate of mine, and I have a conversation partner who is a student at Obafemi Awolowo University. Her name is Feyi. She studies Yoruba, therefore, she is an excellent resource for all of our questions. I don’t know her well yet, but I get good vibes from her. She is a friend, rather than a teacher. This makes speaking Yoruba much more comfortable for us. During our time with Feyi, we walk around campus and talk. It is my thing. I love it. After that, we have lunch. Most days, we trek to “New Buka” which is 2 blocks of various Yoruba restaurants. New Buka is organized in the same way that a food court is set up in a mall, but there is not a common area for everybody to sit and eat. New Buka is cool, but a few of us have discovered places and people much more interesting. Behind New Buka, there are a bunch of stands that serve the same Yoruba food, but for much cheaper. The conversation is usually better too. As with many things, you have to dig a little to find the local treasures. So far, we have found a little place with all of our favorite food as well as a woman who sells oranges. I am so happy that we have discovered these places within the first week. I am saving money and improving my speaking. Although the Yorubas love their food spicy, I have managed my way around the Pepa! Needless to say, I am eating well!
(left to right): Me, Feyi, Ellie
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