Q & A II

Q: I read somewhere that Gambia is about 90% Muslim. Are religious differences an issue in your village?
A: In my village, not at all.  I am the only non-Muslim resident of Salliyaa.  It took my family a good few weeks to ask whether I was a Muslim or not and even now that they know I am not it does not seem to change things at all.  The kids occasionall ask questions about me not being a Muslim, about Christian prayers, etc and they invite me to pray with them in the mosque every once in a while.  As a white person, it is kind of expected that I am not a Muslim and no one has ever tried to convert me or anything.
The Gambia as a whole is really religiously tolerant.  In many places there are only Muslims, but, as I understand it, in places where there are Muslims and Christians (or any other religious group), people get along well and still seem to see more of their common ground than differences. 

Q: At this point in the learning process, how well can you communicate with your family and other villagers?
A: It amazes me how well it is going.  I can get what I need and just converse with people a little, too.  The village is really, really great at helping me understand what they are talking about.  Just a warning- after this you never want to play charades against me!  Sometimes things get confusing and both parties in a conversation are confused but that doesn't happen all that often.  Between context clues and having an expanding vocabulary I make do pretty well.  I can't have any really in depth conversations but I and my family are pleased with my progress and I'm on my way to language proficiency!