It was finally time for our long overdue language test. Over a month ago or so we had arranged for this language test, but bad weather meant the helicopter couldn’t get in. This time around we had miserable weather again, but it opened up just enough for the helicopter to get in. The next 2 days were intense for our language consultants as they met with us and took us through our paces in language evaluations.
In preparation for our language test next week our language consultants asked us to prepare a little something. They asked us to speak a story into a recorder about an event we experienced together with a Kovol friend. We then need to ask the Kovol friend to tell the same story, write them both down and be ready to compare them.
A couple of days ago I wandered into our village intending to arrange for someone to take me to their garden to spend some time together. I wanted to get out of the confines of the village, but not too far! The Kovol people have learned that we white people don’t hike so well! Amon agreed to take me to her garden close by, just 10 minutes away. I had asked to go on Monday, having arranged for Steve to teach Oscar that day. But then on Friday Amon came by and said she wanted to go to her garden the next morning. Meaning Saturday, our day off. Of course, I said I would come though.
As language learners, time spent working on our computers processing language material is necessary, but we make sure it’s not the only thing we do. With that in mind Monday was a hike out to Kumus, a village about an hour and a half away. I don’t look forward to these big hikes that much, but whenever I do them it’s very refreshing to get away from the 4 walls of our house and experience the rainforest. We are in the “big bush”, as we say in the Kovol language. We are in a remote patch of rainforest, yet it’s so easy to get into the mindset of just grinding out the language learning hours week after week and failing to take it in. I can easily end up seeing the 4 walls of my office all the time and miss the whole rainforest thing.