[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Because you have, no, because you have to put your hand back in the bowl.

[Assistant] Back in. That's right, that's right. Of course, it wouldn't be hygienic.

[User] No.

[Assistant] Oh, boy. I'm thinking of all the bad habits I'd have to break if it were me. So you're all sitting around in circles? One great big circle or small group?

[User] Well, small groups. So it's, you know, 6 or 7.

[Assistant] Because you have to reach to, reach that communal bowl. So you can't have too many of you. Yeah. Okay. And so that was your introduction.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] Oh, boy. I'm thinking of all the bad habits I'd have to break if it were me. So you're all sitting around in circles? One great big circle or small group?

[User] Well, small groups. So it's, you know, 6 or 7.

[Assistant] Because you have to reach to, reach that communal bowl. So you can't have too many of you. Yeah. Okay. And so that was your introduction.

[User] That was. Yeah.

[Assistant] Then what happened. You probably were allowed to rest for the rest of the day.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. And then we started classes, language classes and cross cultural section with the Peace Corps volunteers of the different regions came to speak to us. We did a, um, during our training, we did, um, family visits. So we went and would live with a family for one week. So we did French and depending on where you were going, you did, like I did Arabic because that was the, I was going to the north. So people who were going south were doing other languages.

[Assistant] Maybe Wolof?

[User] Wolof, yeah. Pulaar.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] Um, yeah.

[Assistant] So you were learning both French and Arabic?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Wolof, yeah. Pulaar.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] Um, yeah.

[Assistant] So you were learning both French and Arabic?

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Wow. Wow, what a challenge.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, yeah.

[Assistant] So you were learning both French and Arabic?

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Wow. Wow, what a challenge.

[User] It was very challenging.

[Assistant] Two at once. So let's, let's talk about the language stuff. There's, um, so much that I want to know about your training, but since we're on language, how did you do that? Were you, were you in small groups?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Wow. Wow, what a challenge.

[User] It was very challenging.

[Assistant] Two at once. So let's, let's talk about the language stuff. There's, um, so much that I want to know about your training, but since we're on language, how did you do that? Were you, were you in small groups?

[User] Yes, very small group. Maybe 2 or 3.

[Assistant] Oh. Oh, excellent. Excellent. Um, for. And then you had a few hours of French and then a few hours of Arabic?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was very challenging.

[Assistant] Two at once. So let's, let's talk about the language stuff. There's, um, so much that I want to know about your training, but since we're on language, how did you do that? Were you, were you in small groups?

[User] Yes, very small group. Maybe 2 or 3.

[Assistant] Oh. Oh, excellent. Excellent. Um, for. And then you had a few hours of French and then a few hours of Arabic?

[User] Mm hmm. And then cross-cultural.

[Assistant] And were you, how were you learning it? Was it, um, I'm still on the language thing. Um, was it all conversational or were you given any written?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, very small group. Maybe 2 or 3.

[Assistant] Oh. Oh, excellent. Excellent. Um, for. And then you had a few hours of French and then a few hours of Arabic?

[User] Mm hmm. And then cross-cultural.

[Assistant] And were you, how were you learning it? Was it, um, I'm still on the language thing. Um, was it all conversational or were you given any written?

[User] No, it was all conversation.

[Assistant] So you couldn't see what it looked like in writing?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, yeah, you could write it, but that wasn't, the focus was really on, you know, just learning. It was about living the language.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And, you know, what do you need to know? How do you ask? How do you, when you arrive, how do you introduce yourself? How do you ask where the bathroom is?

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] That sort of thing.

[Assistant] So in both French and Arabic.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And, you know, what do you need to know? How do you ask? How do you, when you arrive, how do you introduce yourself? How do you ask where the bathroom is?

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] That sort of thing.

[Assistant] So in both French and Arabic.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Um, I, I'm thinking about how I learn languages. Um, visually I need to sort of in my mind's eye, I need to see how you spell it, and then I can move on. But this, that wasn't an option. You just had to remember the sound.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That sort of thing.

[Assistant] So in both French and Arabic.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Um, I, I'm thinking about how I learn languages. Um, visually I need to sort of in my mind's eye, I need to see how you spell it, and then I can move on. But this, that wasn't an option. You just had to remember the sound.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And reproduce that sound for various situations.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Um, I, I'm thinking about how I learn languages. Um, visually I need to sort of in my mind's eye, I need to see how you spell it, and then I can move on. But this, that wasn't an option. You just had to remember the sound.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And reproduce that sound for various situations.

[User] Yes. I mean, they did have some booklets, but, you know, the problem with the Arabic was that it was the Peace Corps wrote it, would write it phonetically. Um, so it's, I mean, you know, it couldn't. I mean, you would eventually have to study Arabic, classical Arabic.

[Assistant] Yes. To get the writing.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And reproduce that sound for various situations.

[User] Yes. I mean, they did have some booklets, but, you know, the problem with the Arabic was that it was the Peace Corps wrote it, would write it phonetically. Um, so it's, I mean, you know, it couldn't. I mean, you would eventually have to study Arabic, classical Arabic.

[Assistant] Yes. To get the writing.

[User] To get the writing alphabet, yeah. Um, so that's why the focus was on learning to speak, using it.

[Assistant] Right, right. And who were your language teachers?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. I mean, they did have some booklets, but, you know, the problem with the Arabic was that it was the Peace Corps wrote it, would write it phonetically. Um, so it's, I mean, you know, it couldn't. I mean, you would eventually have to study Arabic, classical Arabic.

[Assistant] Yes. To get the writing.

[User] To get the writing alphabet, yeah. Um, so that's why the focus was on learning to speak, using it.

[Assistant] Right, right. And who were your language teachers?

[User] These were Mauritanians.

[Assistant] Mauritanians. Okay. And they were fluent in both French and Arabic?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] To get the writing alphabet, yeah. Um, so that's why the focus was on learning to speak, using it.

[Assistant] Right, right. And who were your language teachers?

[User] These were Mauritanians.

[Assistant] Mauritanians. Okay. And they were fluent in both French and Arabic?

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] And probably something else too.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] These were Mauritanians.

[Assistant] Mauritanians. Okay. And they were fluent in both French and Arabic?

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] And probably something else too.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] So at least three languages.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] And probably something else too.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] So at least three languages.

[User] Yes. If not more.

[Assistant] Puts us to shame.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And during that time, and the only reason I say this is so at least it's, uh, documented. Documented because the Mauritanian government put all these Mauritanians who were claimed to be Senegalese in the stadium, and then Peace Corps volunteers were brought in to translate because they knew the local languages of these people.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] Yeah. So it was a very ugly experience.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] So these were some of our trainers.

[Assistant] But this was a little bit later?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. So it was a very ugly experience.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] So these were some of our trainers.

[Assistant] But this was a little bit later?

[User] These were right before, right before we arrived. So we were not sure if we were going to go to Mauritania.

[Assistant] Oh, because that happened. That tension was already going on when you entered the country.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So these were some of our trainers.

[Assistant] But this was a little bit later?

[User] These were right before, right before we arrived. So we were not sure if we were going to go to Mauritania.

[Assistant] Oh, because that happened. That tension was already going on when you entered the country.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] So and in Frogmore, you're, you're actually living in the Peace Corps house when you're not with a family in Frogmore.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] These were right before, right before we arrived. So we were not sure if we were going to go to Mauritania.

[Assistant] Oh, because that happened. That tension was already going on when you entered the country.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] So and in Frogmore, you're, you're actually living in the Peace Corps house when you're not with a family in Frogmore.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't mean Frogmore. I mean in Nouakchott.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't mean Frogmore. I mean in Nouakchott.

[User] Yes. No, we're living in a, um. During the training, we were living in a hotel.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Like, it's like the training center, but it looked like a Chinese hotel or something. Yeah.

[Assistant] So you were living, your classes, your language classes.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. No, we're living in a, um. During the training, we were living in a hotel.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Like, it's like the training center, but it looked like a Chinese hotel or something. Yeah.

[Assistant] So you were living, your classes, your language classes.

[User] We're all in this training.

[Assistant] All your cultural, uh, cultural orientation, and everything was all in the same building where you were sleeping?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We're all in this training.

[Assistant] All your cultural, uh, cultural orientation, and everything was all in the same building where you were sleeping?

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Yeah. Um.

[User] And which was right next to the stadium.

[Assistant] Next to the stadium, which you had just been talking about, where people had been held?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Yeah. Um.

[User] And which was right next to the stadium.

[Assistant] Next to the stadium, which you had just been talking about, where people had been held?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Sort of like imprisoned?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And which was right next to the stadium.

[Assistant] Next to the stadium, which you had just been talking about, where people had been held?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Sort of like imprisoned?

[User] Yes. Before they were deported to Senegal.

[Assistant] Oh, I see, I see. So by the time you were there, this wasn't. had passed.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Sort of like imprisoned?

[User] Yes. Before they were deported to Senegal.

[Assistant] Oh, I see, I see. So by the time you were there, this wasn't. had passed.

[User] Yes. No.

[Assistant] The, the stadium was no longer containing these Senegalese Mauritanians. Okay. Ah. So training consisted heavily of language, very heavy on language learning and cultural things. Can you remember what some of the cultural stuff was? You know, some of it you already talked about. Some of the basics.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Before they were deported to Senegal.

[Assistant] Oh, I see, I see. So by the time you were there, this wasn't. had passed.

[User] Yes. No.

[Assistant] The, the stadium was no longer containing these Senegalese Mauritanians. Okay. Ah. So training consisted heavily of language, very heavy on language learning and cultural things. Can you remember what some of the cultural stuff was? You know, some of it you already talked about. Some of the basics.

[User] Yeah. In terms of being covered up, in terms of dress, in terms of, you know, you would go into a meeting and people, men would not, if you were a woman, would not, um, give you the hand.

[Assistant] Oh, so you didn't shake hands.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. No.

[Assistant] The, the stadium was no longer containing these Senegalese Mauritanians. Okay. Ah. So training consisted heavily of language, very heavy on language learning and cultural things. Can you remember what some of the cultural stuff was? You know, some of it you already talked about. Some of the basics.

[User] Yeah. In terms of being covered up, in terms of dress, in terms of, you know, you would go into a meeting and people, men would not, if you were a woman, would not, um, give you the hand.

[Assistant] Oh, so you didn't shake hands.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] If you were a woman.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. In terms of being covered up, in terms of dress, in terms of, you know, you would go into a meeting and people, men would not, if you were a woman, would not, um, give you the hand.

[Assistant] Oh, so you didn't shake hands.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] If you were a woman.

[User] Yes, sometimes. Well, you could extend the hand, but they wouldn't.

[Assistant] They wouldn't take it.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] If you were a woman.

[User] Yes, sometimes. Well, you could extend the hand, but they wouldn't.

[Assistant] They wouldn't take it.

[User] They wouldn't take it. Um, and then just, you know, history of Mauritania, the different ethnic groups and. Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did that seem good?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, sometimes. Well, you could extend the hand, but they wouldn't.

[Assistant] They wouldn't take it.

[User] They wouldn't take it. Um, and then just, you know, history of Mauritania, the different ethnic groups and. Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did that seem good?

[User] Yeah, that was great.

[Assistant] Like a good orientation?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, that was great.

[Assistant] Like a good orientation?

[User] That was very good.

[Assistant] All right.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] How long were you there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That was very good.

[Assistant] All right.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] How long were you there?

[User] I, I think that was the whole. We did, we were, um, sworn in in September, so three months.

[Assistant] Oh, good. That's a good, good chunk of time.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] How long were you there?

[User] I, I think that was the whole. We did, we were, um, sworn in in September, so three months.

[Assistant] Oh, good. That's a good, good chunk of time.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And during that training time, did you mention that you were sometimes living with a family?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And during that training time, did you mention that you were sometimes living with a family?

[User] Yes. So we would do, um. Oh, I can't remember. There was a word where they would go out and you live with a family for a week. So a village. Yeah.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] So a village, in a village setting.

[Assistant] Yeah. And you didn't have responsibilities other than to just kind of be there and participate in whatever, whatever it was going on with the family.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. So we would do, um. Oh, I can't remember. There was a word where they would go out and you live with a family for a week. So a village. Yeah.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] So a village, in a village setting.

[Assistant] Yeah. And you didn't have responsibilities other than to just kind of be there and participate in whatever, whatever it was going on with the family.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] What was your experience like? Where did you, what village, do you remember what village you went to?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So a village, in a village setting.

[Assistant] Yeah. And you didn't have responsibilities other than to just kind of be there and participate in whatever, whatever it was going on with the family.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] What was your experience like? Where did you, what village, do you remember what village you went to?

[User] You know, I don't remember the village, but, uh, you know, I just remember the discomfort.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. Yeah.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, I don't remember the village, but, uh, you know, I just remember the discomfort.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[User] Uh, and I did get sick. Um, um, you know, just sleeping outside and practicing outside.

[Assistant] Sleeping outside?

[User] Yes. I mean, you slept outside.

[Assistant] Wow. Under a mosquito net or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh, and I did get sick. Um, um, you know, just sleeping outside and practicing outside.

[Assistant] Sleeping outside?

[User] Yes. I mean, you slept outside.

[Assistant] Wow. Under a mosquito net or?

[User] No, no, it was dry. It was the desert.

[Assistant] Okay. That's right.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. I mean, you slept outside.

[Assistant] Wow. Under a mosquito net or?

[User] No, no, it was dry. It was the desert.

[Assistant] Okay. That's right.

[User] Yeah. So it's, uh. And then just eating with the family, um, you know, the hospitality that, you know, they would not have, for a meal they would not have meat, but they would roast, um, a goat because you were a guest.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. So they were knocking themselves out for you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, no, it was dry. It was the desert.

[Assistant] Okay. That's right.

[User] Yeah. So it's, uh. And then just eating with the family, um, you know, the hospitality that, you know, they would not have, for a meal they would not have meat, but they would roast, um, a goat because you were a guest.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. So they were knocking themselves out for you?

[User] Yeah. So that was, yeah, it was, it was good. And then, you know, it gave us an opportunity to practice the language.

[Assistant] And this was towards the end of your three months or so of training that you had, you already had some language?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. So it's, uh. And then just eating with the family, um, you know, the hospitality that, you know, they would not have, for a meal they would not have meat, but they would roast, um, a goat because you were a guest.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. So they were knocking themselves out for you?

[User] Yeah. So that was, yeah, it was, it was good. And then, you know, it gave us an opportunity to practice the language.

[Assistant] And this was towards the end of your three months or so of training that you had, you already had some language?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And was your family predominantly speaking Arabic or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. So that was, yeah, it was, it was good. And then, you know, it gave us an opportunity to practice the language.

[Assistant] And this was towards the end of your three months or so of training that you had, you already had some language?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And was your family predominantly speaking Arabic or?

[User] Arabic, yeah. Because I was going north. Yeah. Well, once you left the capital it was Arabic.

[Assistant] Okay. So French is not spoken throughout the country unless you're highly educated.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And was your family predominantly speaking Arabic or?

[User] Arabic, yeah. Because I was going north. Yeah. Well, once you left the capital it was Arabic.

[Assistant] Okay. So French is not spoken throughout the country unless you're highly educated.

[User] And, you know, you were part of the ministry or. Uh.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you were functioning in Arabic?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And, you know, you were part of the ministry or. Uh.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you were functioning in Arabic?

[User] I must have.

[Assistant] Yeah, clearly.

[User] I don't remember much, but I must have been.

[Assistant] Thinking about the, the scary part here is not having any control over the food that you're eating and how it was prepared. So you did get sick.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I must have.

[Assistant] Yeah, clearly.

[User] I don't remember much, but I must have been.

[Assistant] Thinking about the, the scary part here is not having any control over the food that you're eating and how it was prepared. So you did get sick.

[User] I did get sick.

[Assistant] You couldn't do your own cooking. You couldn't make sure the water was boiled. It was.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So I mean, you know, the, the advice was always you don't drink. Um, you try not to drink, but, you know, one of the, one of their hospitalities is once you arrive, they come and bring you a bowl of milk.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah.

[User] Yeah. So you don't know.

[Assistant] There you go.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I mean, you know, the, the advice was always you don't drink. Um, you try not to drink, but, you know, one of the, one of their hospitalities is once you arrive, they come and bring you a bowl of milk.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah.

[User] Yeah. So you don't know.

[Assistant] There you go.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] I suppose if you drank tea, you'd be pretty sure the water was boiled.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. So you don't know.

[Assistant] There you go.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] I suppose if you drank tea, you'd be pretty sure the water was boiled.

[User] That was fine.

[Assistant] But, uh, milk. Yeah. Um, that's probably what did you in.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] I suppose if you drank tea, you'd be pretty sure the water was boiled.

[User] That was fine.

[Assistant] But, uh, milk. Yeah. Um, that's probably what did you in.

[User] I know. Yeah.

[Assistant] Ah. And then you come back to Nouakchott, the capital, for some sort of, uh.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That was fine.

[Assistant] But, uh, milk. Yeah. Um, that's probably what did you in.

[User] I know. Yeah.

[Assistant] Ah. And then you come back to Nouakchott, the capital, for some sort of, uh.

[User] Ceremony, and we were. Yeah. And then from there, we packed up and went, and went with the APCD, which is the person for the ag. And he went and he took us each to our villages and.

[Assistant] APCD means Assistant Peace Corps Director?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I know. Yeah.

[Assistant] Ah. And then you come back to Nouakchott, the capital, for some sort of, uh.

[User] Ceremony, and we were. Yeah. And then from there, we packed up and went, and went with the APCD, which is the person for the ag. And he went and he took us each to our villages and.

[Assistant] APCD means Assistant Peace Corps Director?

[User] Yeah, something like that.

[Assistant] But he was the guy who was in charge of the agricultural?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, something like that.

[Assistant] But he was the guy who was in charge of the agricultural?

[User] Yes. And he was actually Mauritanian. So that was really good. And he spoke Arabic.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] All right. So he had a vehicle.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. And he was actually Mauritanian. So that was really good. And he spoke Arabic.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] All right. So he had a vehicle.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And you piled into that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] All right. So he had a vehicle.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And you piled into that.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And you say we. So it wasn't you by yourself.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And you say we. So it wasn't you by yourself.

[User] Well, I mean it was everybody that was going to this region.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So he took us.

[Assistant] How many of you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So he took us.

[Assistant] How many of you?

[User] Um, there were about six of us. So that we were going to different villages. You had, um, English people who were going to be teaching English.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] Then you had some that were doing agriculture.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. So during training, you were mixing not just, not exclusively with agricultural volunteers, but with English teachers as well. But you all had to go through the same language training.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, there were about six of us. So that we were going to different villages. You had, um, English people who were going to be teaching English.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] Then you had some that were doing agriculture.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. So during training, you were mixing not just, not exclusively with agricultural volunteers, but with English teachers as well. But you all had to go through the same language training.

[User] Correct. Yeah.

[Assistant] So. Yes. Okay. Um, and then you're taken to your site.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Then you had some that were doing agriculture.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. So during training, you were mixing not just, not exclusively with agricultural volunteers, but with English teachers as well. But you all had to go through the same language training.

[User] Correct. Yeah.

[Assistant] So. Yes. Okay. Um, and then you're taken to your site.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Were you alone at that point?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct. Yeah.

[Assistant] So. Yes. Okay. Um, and then you're taken to your site.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Were you alone at that point?

[User] Yes, at my site. But then, um, so my first site was called Mekanet and M-E-K, Mekanet.

[Assistant] We can talk about.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Were you alone at that point?

[User] Yes, at my site. But then, um, so my first site was called Mekanet and M-E-K, Mekanet.

[Assistant] We can talk about.

[User] So that site, um, we couldn't find it the first time.

[Assistant] Even the, even the Peace Corps assistant director couldn't?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, at my site. But then, um, so my first site was called Mekanet and M-E-K, Mekanet.

[Assistant] We can talk about.

[User] So that site, um, we couldn't find it the first time.

[Assistant] Even the, even the Peace Corps assistant director couldn't?

[User] And the problem was, first of all, we didn't speak Arabic, so we were trying to find it. We didn't speak Arabic.

[Assistant] Or read the signs.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So that site, um, we couldn't find it the first time.

[Assistant] Even the, even the Peace Corps assistant director couldn't?

[User] And the problem was, first of all, we didn't speak Arabic, so we were trying to find it. We didn't speak Arabic.

[Assistant] Or read the signs.

[User] Well, there were no signs. It was in the desert. And we would stop and ask people and we must have been pronouncing it wrong. So we didn't get it until we had our APCD arrived and he knew. And then the person, then they directed us to go through the dunes, zigzag our way through until we came to this flat area. And there was Mekanet in the middle of nowhere.

[Assistant] Wow. Surrounded by dunes. Really, truly a sand desert?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Wow. Mekanet.

[User] Mekanet. Which translated to a place that does not exist.

[Assistant] Really?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] That's how you, nowhere.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mekanet. Which translated to a place that does not exist.

[Assistant] Really?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] That's how you, nowhere.

[User] That's probably why we couldn't find it.

[Assistant] Oh that's nowhere.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] That's how you, nowhere.

[User] That's probably why we couldn't find it.

[Assistant] Oh that's nowhere.

[User] Anyways.

[Assistant] Oh my goodness, how isolated can you get?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That's probably why we couldn't find it.

[Assistant] Oh that's nowhere.

[User] Anyways.

[Assistant] Oh my goodness, how isolated can you get?

[User] Well, it wasn't that far. It was less than ten miles. But it's still.

[Assistant] From the capital city?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Anyways.

[Assistant] Oh my goodness, how isolated can you get?

[User] Well, it wasn't that far. It was less than ten miles. But it's still.

[Assistant] From the capital city?

[User] No, from the, from this regional capital.

[Assistant] Okay. What's the regional capital?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, it wasn't that far. It was less than ten miles. But it's still.

[Assistant] From the capital city?

[User] No, from the, from this regional capital.

[Assistant] Okay. What's the regional capital?

[User] Ayoun el Atrous. Ayoun, A-I-O-U-N [sic], el Atrous.

[Assistant] Okay. We'll worry about the spelling later. Ayoun el Atrous is the regional capital?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, from the, from this regional capital.

[Assistant] Okay. What's the regional capital?

[User] Ayoun el Atrous. Ayoun, A-I-O-U-N [sic], el Atrous.

[Assistant] Okay. We'll worry about the spelling later. Ayoun el Atrous is the regional capital?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] How far is Ayoun el Atrous from?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Ayoun el Atrous. Ayoun, A-I-O-U-N [sic], el Atrous.

[Assistant] Okay. We'll worry about the spelling later. Ayoun el Atrous is the regional capital?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] How far is Ayoun el Atrous from?

[User] Probably 20 hours from Nouakchott.

[Assistant] From, 20 hours?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Over land?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] 20 hours.

[User] That could be wrong. I could be wrong. But it seemed far.

[Assistant] Yeah. So. Oh, my goodness, that's a long way away.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] 20 hours.

[User] That could be wrong. I could be wrong. But it seemed far.

[Assistant] Yeah. So. Oh, my goodness, that's a long way away.

[User] I'm trying to think, maybe 13 hours, maybe 13.

[Assistant] Even 13 is a long way if you need.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That could be wrong. I could be wrong. But it seemed far.

[Assistant] Yeah. So. Oh, my goodness, that's a long way away.

[User] I'm trying to think, maybe 13 hours, maybe 13.

[Assistant] Even 13 is a long way if you need.

[User] Yeah, it's very far.

[Assistant] It's a long way to go. And then from Ayoun el Atrous how far to Mekanet? Oh, you said about ten miles.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I'm trying to think, maybe 13 hours, maybe 13.

[Assistant] Even 13 is a long way if you need.

[User] Yeah, it's very far.

[Assistant] It's a long way to go. And then from Ayoun el Atrous how far to Mekanet? Oh, you said about ten miles.

[User] Yes. So it was less than an hour to car drive because you had, you're going through the desert. Yeah.

[Assistant] And thinking about taking less than an hour to go ten miles is shocking.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, it's very far.

[Assistant] It's a long way to go. And then from Ayoun el Atrous how far to Mekanet? Oh, you said about ten miles.

[User] Yes. So it was less than an hour to car drive because you had, you're going through the desert. Yeah.

[Assistant] And thinking about taking less than an hour to go ten miles is shocking.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] From our perspective here in the United States. Okay. So you get to Mekanet. And, um, has there ever been a Peace Corps volunteer there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. So it was less than an hour to car drive because you had, you're going through the desert. Yeah.

[Assistant] And thinking about taking less than an hour to go ten miles is shocking.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] From our perspective here in the United States. Okay. So you get to Mekanet. And, um, has there ever been a Peace Corps volunteer there?

[User] No. That was the first time.

[Assistant] You were the first volunteer.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. That was the first time.

[Assistant] You were the first volunteer.

[User] In this, um. And so what was happening is that a lot of these, these were Moor, which is white, the white Moors, and they had Black Moors as either slaves or did all the work, physical work for this village. And in terms of, it wasn't really a village. I mean, it was a place that had a few one room cement houses and then next to it is a tent. So the Moors would really use the tent as their living quarters and use the one room house, cement house, as a storage area.

[Assistant] Oh, okay.

[User] So then they would, I lived with the chief of that village and he rented the one room house to me.

[Assistant] Okay, so you lived in a one room house that maybe was designed to be a storage shed?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So then they would, I lived with the chief of that village and he rented the one room house to me.

[Assistant] Okay, so you lived in a one room house that maybe was designed to be a storage shed?

[User] Yeah. I mean, it was just the one room. Yeah, it was just a one room. Yeah.

[Assistant] Window?

[User] It was two, two lower windows on the bottom. You know, windows couldn't be on the top because of the sandstorm. So they were on the bottom.

[Assistant] Oh. So you can't really see out, but you get a little bit of light coming in.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. I mean, it was just the one room. Yeah, it was just a one room. Yeah.

[Assistant] Window?

[User] It was two, two lower windows on the bottom. You know, windows couldn't be on the top because of the sandstorm. So they were on the bottom.

[Assistant] Oh. So you can't really see out, but you get a little bit of light coming in.

[User]
Yes.

Yeah. But you didn't spend any time in that room. Only if there was a sandstorm.

[Assistant] You just slept in there.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was two, two lower windows on the bottom. You know, windows couldn't be on the top because of the sandstorm. So they were on the bottom.

[Assistant] Oh. So you can't really see out, but you get a little bit of light coming in.

[User]
Yes.

Yeah. But you didn't spend any time in that room. Only if there was a sandstorm.

[Assistant] You just slept in there.

[User] No.

[Assistant] You didn't even sleep there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User]
Yes.

Yeah. But you didn't spend any time in that room. Only if there was a sandstorm.

[Assistant] You just slept in there.

[User] No.

[Assistant] You didn't even sleep there?

[User] You slept outside. Only if there was a sandstorm.

[Assistant] Oh my goodness. So it was a place you could go and get away from the sand if you had to. And that was its reason for being there. So what was inside? You have a chair?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You slept outside. Only if there was a sandstorm.

[Assistant] Oh my goodness. So it was a place you could go and get away from the sand if you had to. And that was its reason for being there. So what was inside? You have a chair?

[User] So I had my, a Peace Corps trunk. No. My Peace Corps trunk. My Peace Corps mat, my pillow. You know, just posters and postcards. My writing material.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Um, yeah. I mean.

[Assistant] If you wanted to write, you didn't have a table and chair.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, yeah. I mean.

[Assistant] If you wanted to write, you didn't have a table and chair.

[User] No, I didn't.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] You just said on, on the, on the mat.

[Assistant] Right. Or I suppose you could sit on your trunk.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Whew. Boy.

[User] You know, Arab, Arab countries, you don't sit on. You don't, I mean, I don't know if you've ever seen where they have a bunch of pillows in a room. So it was like that.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Um, in a sense that you sat on, you know, the, the trunk was used as a table, and I used my mattress, my sleeping mattress as a chair.

[Assistant] Okay. Um. Um. I'm still trying to digest this. This is really shocking, um, bare bones situation.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, in a sense that you sat on, you know, the, the trunk was used as a table, and I used my mattress, my sleeping mattress as a chair.

[Assistant] Okay. Um. Um. I'm still trying to digest this. This is really shocking, um, bare bones situation.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Electricity?

[User] None.

[Assistant] None in all of Mekanet?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, no. So Mekanet was really just, um, you know, this, this valley surrounded by sand dunes. There was a water well, and so a lot of animals would go there to drink, and it was probably not a village always. Uh, but because of the desertification and the lack of movement of people, they just, you know, it was really a place to store things and to come to. There was a palmery not very far.

[Assistant] A palmery?

[User] A palmery where you go and get dates.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] Um, so maybe they would come and set their, um, tents, uh, up, um, during the, the date season. And you know.

[Assistant] That well with water seems to be for a reason why.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] A palmery where you go and get dates.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] Um, so maybe they would come and set their, um, tents, uh, up, um, during the, the date season. And you know.

[Assistant] That well with water seems to be for a reason why.

[User] Mekanet.

[Assistant] Something surface to be gathering. Um, telephone?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, so maybe they would come and set their, um, tents, uh, up, um, during the, the date season. And you know.

[Assistant] That well with water seems to be for a reason why.

[User] Mekanet.

[Assistant] Something surface to be gathering. Um, telephone?

[User] No electricity, no running water. No.

[Assistant] And you didn't, you didn't have your, you were not issued a phone by Peace Corps because it wouldn't be used?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mekanet.

[Assistant] Something surface to be gathering. Um, telephone?

[User] No electricity, no running water. No.

[Assistant] And you didn't, you didn't have your, you were not issued a phone by Peace Corps because it wouldn't be used?

[User] Well, there were no phones then.

[Assistant] Okay. This is 1989.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No electricity, no running water. No.

[Assistant] And you didn't, you didn't have your, you were not issued a phone by Peace Corps because it wouldn't be used?

[User] Well, there were no phones then.

[Assistant] Okay. This is 1989.

[User] Right.

[Assistant] Um, so no phone, no electricity, no running water?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, there were no phones then.

[Assistant] Okay. This is 1989.

[User] Right.

[Assistant] Um, so no phone, no electricity, no running water?

[User] No.

[Assistant] Um, if you wanted to drink water, did you have a way to boil it?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] Um, if you wanted to drink water, did you have a way to boil it?

[User] No, I just, I filtered it.

[Assistant] You filtered.

[User] And then I put, um, drops of, uh.

[Assistant] Chlorine? To kill whatever bacteria might be in it after you filter it?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, I just, I filtered it.

[Assistant] You filtered.

[User] And then I put, um, drops of, uh.

[Assistant] Chlorine? To kill whatever bacteria might be in it after you filter it?

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. And so you sleep outside, so you haul your mat out of your little tiny house, which isn't really a house, and you sleep on it outside. And the reason you do that is because that's what everybody else does?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And then I put, um, drops of, uh.

[Assistant] Chlorine? To kill whatever bacteria might be in it after you filter it?

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. And so you sleep outside, so you haul your mat out of your little tiny house, which isn't really a house, and you sleep on it outside. And the reason you do that is because that's what everybody else does?

[User] Yes. And it's also very hot.

[Assistant] Oh, okay. It would be hotter inside that concrete tiny storage area than outside at night?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. And so you sleep outside, so you haul your mat out of your little tiny house, which isn't really a house, and you sleep on it outside. And the reason you do that is because that's what everybody else does?

[User] Yes. And it's also very hot.

[Assistant] Oh, okay. It would be hotter inside that concrete tiny storage area than outside at night?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Did it get very cold at night?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. And it's also very hot.

[Assistant] Oh, okay. It would be hotter inside that concrete tiny storage area than outside at night?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Did it get very cold at night?

[User] It did like, you know, December, January, you know, the. I don't know if it was very cold, but it was relatively cold. For there.

[Assistant] Yeah. Um, how close are, so you're on a compound sort of or in a big tent with?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Did it get very cold at night?

[User] It did like, you know, December, January, you know, the. I don't know if it was very cold, but it was relatively cold. For there.

[Assistant] Yeah. Um, how close are, so you're on a compound sort of or in a big tent with?

[User] A family.

[Assistant] A family. And this, was this considered your host family?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It did like, you know, December, January, you know, the. I don't know if it was very cold, but it was relatively cold. For there.

[Assistant] Yeah. Um, how close are, so you're on a compound sort of or in a big tent with?

[User] A family.

[Assistant] A family. And this, was this considered your host family?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Okay. So you had a host father and a host mother. Let's talk about those people. Because when you came home from wherever you went to do your work, you'd come home to these people.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] A family.

[Assistant] A family. And this, was this considered your host family?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Okay. So you had a host father and a host mother. Let's talk about those people. Because when you came home from wherever you went to do your work, you'd come home to these people.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Who were they?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Okay. So you had a host father and a host mother. Let's talk about those people. Because when you came home from wherever you went to do your work, you'd come home to these people.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Who were they?

[User] So he was the chief of the village.

[Assistant] Uh huh. What was his name?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Who were they?

[User] So he was the chief of the village.

[Assistant] Uh huh. What was his name?

[User] He could have been Mohammed.

[Assistant] What did you call him?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I don't remember.

[Assistant] All right.

[User] And, uh. And her name was, oh my God, Aisha, I think it was.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Um, and the only thing I remember about, she was very big, physically big and.

[Assistant] Both tall and wide.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And, uh. And her name was, oh my God, Aisha, I think it was.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] Um, and the only thing I remember about, she was very big, physically big and.

[Assistant] Both tall and wide.

[User] Big, wide. Yes. And that was considered beautiful.

[Assistant] Okay. All right.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Big, wide. Yes. And that was considered beautiful.

[Assistant] Okay. All right.

[User] For the, yeah, and it was considered a sign of wealth.

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] Um, but she was one of the people that kept saying, you know, we do not work.

[Assistant] We do not work?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] For the, yeah, and it was considered a sign of wealth.

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] Um, but she was one of the people that kept saying, you know, we do not work.

[Assistant] We do not work?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] We meaning women or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, but she was one of the people that kept saying, you know, we do not work.

[Assistant] We do not work?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] We meaning women or?

[User] Yes, women. So because I was always trying to encourage them to go to the garden.

[Assistant] Oh yeah. And this was outside her cultural concept of what women do.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] We meaning women or?

[User] Yes, women. So because I was always trying to encourage them to go to the garden.

[Assistant] Oh yeah. And this was outside her cultural concept of what women do.

[User] Yeah. She said women, they, we do not work. Look at our hands. And all henna.

[Assistant] Oh, of course. They would decorate their hands with henna. Oh, well, that puts you in kind of a predicament, isn't it?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, women. So because I was always trying to encourage them to go to the garden.

[Assistant] Oh yeah. And this was outside her cultural concept of what women do.

[User] Yeah. She said women, they, we do not work. Look at our hands. And all henna.

[Assistant] Oh, of course. They would decorate their hands with henna. Oh, well, that puts you in kind of a predicament, isn't it?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] That you're there to work. And yet the cultural norms of your family are that women don't work.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. She said women, they, we do not work. Look at our hands. And all henna.

[Assistant] Oh, of course. They would decorate their hands with henna. Oh, well, that puts you in kind of a predicament, isn't it?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] That you're there to work. And yet the cultural norms of your family are that women don't work.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] Ah, well, we'll get back to that later. Did she work in the kitchen? Did she, did she have a kitchen? Or who cooked?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] That you're there to work. And yet the cultural norms of your family are that women don't work.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] Ah, well, we'll get back to that later. Did she work in the kitchen? Did she, did she have a kitchen? Or who cooked?

[User] The, the, um, African slaves from the village across that would bring the food in.

[Assistant] Okay, so you're talking again. You talked about white Moors and.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] Ah, well, we'll get back to that later. Did she work in the kitchen? Did she, did she have a kitchen? Or who cooked?

[User] The, the, um, African slaves from the village across that would bring the food in.

[Assistant] Okay, so you're talking again. You talked about white Moors and.

[User] And then the Black Moors would bring the couscous.

[Assistant] Okay. So your mother, your host mother, Aisha, was a white Moor.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] The, the, um, African slaves from the village across that would bring the food in.

[Assistant] Okay, so you're talking again. You talked about white Moors and.

[User] And then the Black Moors would bring the couscous.

[Assistant] Okay. So your mother, your host mother, Aisha, was a white Moor.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] White, meaning her skin, her complexion was white.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And then the Black Moors would bring the couscous.

[Assistant] Okay. So your mother, your host mother, Aisha, was a white Moor.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] White, meaning her skin, her complexion was white.

[User] Yes. Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Uh huh. Okay. And so the people who did the work were the Black.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] White, meaning her skin, her complexion was white.

[User] Yes. Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Uh huh. Okay. And so the people who did the work were the Black.

[User] Black skin.

[Assistant] Yes. And were they actually slaves? Were they owned by the family?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, with my family, this, uh, this woman would bring the dinner every night, and her husband did all the physical labor for the family.

[Assistant] Oh. Okay.

[User] Um, you know, there was slavery in Mauritania until the '80s.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] Um, but, you know, there was, uh, it was outlawed in 1980.

[Assistant] Okay. Which doesn't mean it didn't happen.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, but, you know, there was, uh, it was outlawed in 1980.

[Assistant] Okay. Which doesn't mean it didn't happen.

[User] Correct. So I think there was definitely a relationship. Uh, it was not a reciprocal relationship.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] I mean, these people, you know, when I decided to visit the Haratin across the dunes, I was told to be careful that, you know, they, they didn't have, they were not very hygienic. Um.

[Assistant] This is what you were told?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct. So I think there was definitely a relationship. Uh, it was not a reciprocal relationship.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] I mean, these people, you know, when I decided to visit the Haratin across the dunes, I was told to be careful that, you know, they, they didn't have, they were not very hygienic. Um.

[Assistant] This is what you were told?

[User] Yes. Yeah. By the White Moors.

[Assistant] Yeah. So they warned you to be careful when you went over there.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I mean, these people, you know, when I decided to visit the Haratin across the dunes, I was told to be careful that, you know, they, they didn't have, they were not very hygienic. Um.

[Assistant] This is what you were told?

[User] Yes. Yeah. By the White Moors.

[Assistant] Yeah. So they warned you to be careful when you went over there.

[User] So they didn't speak of ownership, but it was a very, um, uh. I mean, other Blacks, other ethnic groups would speak of the Haratin as slaves of the white Moors.

[Assistant] Yeah. And were they paid, did they get something in exchange?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Yeah. By the White Moors.

[Assistant] Yeah. So they warned you to be careful when you went over there.

[User] So they didn't speak of ownership, but it was a very, um, uh. I mean, other Blacks, other ethnic groups would speak of the Haratin as slaves of the white Moors.

[Assistant] Yeah. And were they paid, did they get something in exchange?

[User] Well, they got paid in, uh, in food. Not money.

[Assistant] Ah, okay. So they had to grow the food. They had to do the labor of farming?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, they got paid in, uh, in food. Not money.

[Assistant] Ah, okay. So they had to grow the food. They had to do the labor of farming?

[User] They did the farming of the, um, uh, the, what was turned into couscous. The wheat.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah.

[User] Um, but they, you know, they, the, the family would bring in produce from the, from Ayoun el Atrous and then they would parcel out a portion to give to this family.

[Assistant] I see, I see. That's what they got in exchange for their labor. And then they had, but they had to provide the couscous.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] They did the farming of the, um, uh, the, what was turned into couscous. The wheat.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah.

[User] Um, but they, you know, they, the, the family would bring in produce from the, from Ayoun el Atrous and then they would parcel out a portion to give to this family.

[Assistant] I see, I see. That's what they got in exchange for their labor. And then they had, but they had to provide the couscous.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] And also cook those vegetables and things.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, but they, you know, they, the, the family would bring in produce from the, from Ayoun el Atrous and then they would parcel out a portion to give to this family.

[Assistant] I see, I see. That's what they got in exchange for their labor. And then they had, but they had to provide the couscous.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] And also cook those vegetables and things.

[User] There were no vegetables.

[Assistant] Oh, there were no vegetables?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] And also cook those vegetables and things.

[User] There were no vegetables.

[Assistant] Oh, there were no vegetables?

[User] Strictly couscous or meat, and milk. That's it.

[Assistant] No carrots even?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] There were no vegetables.

[Assistant] Oh, there were no vegetables?

[User] Strictly couscous or meat, and milk. That's it.

[Assistant] No carrots even?

[User] No.

[Assistant] Wow. No greens?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Strictly couscous or meat, and milk. That's it.

[Assistant] No carrots even?

[User] No.

[Assistant] Wow. No greens?

[User] No greens. That was my job, to introduce vegetables to this community.

[Assistant] Oh, okay. We'll get to that in a minute. I just want to, I just want to get straight on your living situation here. What, what it meant for you living there. Uh, so the meat that you were eating would be?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No greens. That was my job, to introduce vegetables to this community.

[Assistant] Oh, okay. We'll get to that in a minute. I just want to, I just want to get straight on your living situation here. What, what it meant for you living there. Uh, so the meat that you were eating would be?

[User] A goat, they would kill a goat.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] Or a cow or a camel. You know, something special. It would not be all the time that they had meat.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. So sometimes it's just.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] A goat, they would kill a goat.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] Or a cow or a camel. You know, something special. It would not be all the time that they had meat.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. So sometimes it's just.

[User] Just couscous and milk.

[Assistant] That's it. Couscous and milk.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Or a cow or a camel. You know, something special. It would not be all the time that they had meat.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. So sometimes it's just.

[User] Just couscous and milk.

[Assistant] That's it. Couscous and milk.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Could you boil the milk? I mean, how could you keep yourself from getting sick when you were out there? Yeah. You're shaking your head.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Just couscous and milk.

[Assistant] That's it. Couscous and milk.

[User] Correct.

[Assistant] Could you boil the milk? I mean, how could you keep yourself from getting sick when you were out there? Yeah. You're shaking your head.

[User] There's nothing. There was nothing to do. That was it.

[Assistant] Right. That was it. Yeah. You had no access to a little propane burner.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] There's nothing. There was nothing to do. That was it.

[Assistant] Right. That was it. Yeah. You had no access to a little propane burner.

[User] A store.

[Assistant] Nothing. Wow.

[User] Well, also, you know, like if, if I did, where would I, where would I have done that? You know, like, then you would have done it. If I did it in my house and I would have people coming in, you know. Yeah.

[Assistant] It would, it would, it.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] A store.

[Assistant] Nothing. Wow.

[User] Well, also, you know, like if, if I did, where would I, where would I have done that? You know, like, then you would have done it. If I did it in my house and I would have people coming in, you know. Yeah.

[Assistant] It would, it would, it.

[User] I didn't have a private space.

[Assistant] Right. It would have been culturally inappropriate.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, also, you know, like if, if I did, where would I, where would I have done that? You know, like, then you would have done it. If I did it in my house and I would have people coming in, you know. Yeah.

[Assistant] It would, it would, it.

[User] I didn't have a private space.

[Assistant] Right. It would have been culturally inappropriate.

[User] Awkward. Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah. Wow. So there you are. And they've never had a Peace Corps volunteer before. And so you're quite the oddity.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I didn't have a private space.

[Assistant] Right. It would have been culturally inappropriate.

[User] Awkward. Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah. Wow. So there you are. And they've never had a Peace Corps volunteer before. And so you're quite the oddity.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Um, they don't get it.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Awkward. Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah. Wow. So there you are. And they've never had a Peace Corps volunteer before. And so you're quite the oddity.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Um, they don't get it.

[User] No, they did not.

[Assistant] They had, maybe they had not asked for a Peace Corps volunteer?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, they did not.

[Assistant] They had, maybe they had not asked for a Peace Corps volunteer?

[User] No, they did.

[Assistant] They had?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Why? The family, the family or the?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, they did.

[Assistant] They had?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Why? The family, the family or the?

[User] No, the, the village, so I think.

[Assistant] So how big is the, how many families?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, the, the village, so I think.

[Assistant] So how big is the, how many families?

[User] I mean we're talking maybe 100 people. Yeah. I mean it was very small. Um, and not everybody was always there. That was the other thing. You know, it was hard to tell how many people it had, because you had elder and little ones. I mean, there weren't those middle aged sort of working population. People would leave.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Or they would. Yeah.

[Assistant] And the grandparents would take care of the children when, say, if people in their 30s and 40s would go out to do something and, and the grandparents would take care of the kids?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I mean we're talking maybe 100 people. Yeah. I mean it was very small. Um, and not everybody was always there. That was the other thing. You know, it was hard to tell how many people it had, because you had elder and little ones. I mean, there weren't those middle aged sort of working population. People would leave.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Or they would. Yeah.

[Assistant] And the grandparents would take care of the children when, say, if people in their 30s and 40s would go out to do something and, and the grandparents would take care of the kids?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Schools, were there schools?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] There was one school.

[Assistant] There was?

[User] A one room school, but it was all in Arabic.

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] Yeah, it was religious school. It wasn't necessarily a school. A madrassa.

[Assistant] A madrassa. Yeah. Okay. So let's talk about this. So your first day, the Assistant Peace Corps, the AP.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] A one room school, but it was all in Arabic.

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] Yeah, it was religious school. It wasn't necessarily a school. A madrassa.

[Assistant] A madrassa. Yeah. Okay. So let's talk about this. So your first day, the Assistant Peace Corps, the AP.

[User] APCD.

[Assistant] APCD brings you here, introduces you to your family, shows you what your accommodations will be.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] APCD.

[Assistant] APCD brings you here, introduces you to your family, shows you what your accommodations will be.

[User] Well, so you want me to tell? Let me tell you the little story, how it really went.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] It was pretty traumatic. So we, uh, because of, um, so the way they did it in Mauritania was that a Peace Corps volunteer would stay with you overnight the first night to help with the language, the translation, and kind of adjustment.

[Assistant] A Peace Corps volunteer who had been in the country for some time?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, so you want me to tell? Let me tell you the little story, how it really went.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] It was pretty traumatic. So we, uh, because of, um, so the way they did it in Mauritania was that a Peace Corps volunteer would stay with you overnight the first night to help with the language, the translation, and kind of adjustment.

[Assistant] A Peace Corps volunteer who had been in the country for some time?

[User] Correct. And spoke that language. So it worked with that group.

[Assistant] Okay. All right.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was pretty traumatic. So we, uh, because of, um, so the way they did it in Mauritania was that a Peace Corps volunteer would stay with you overnight the first night to help with the language, the translation, and kind of adjustment.

[Assistant] A Peace Corps volunteer who had been in the country for some time?

[User] Correct. And spoke that language. So it worked with that group.

[Assistant] Okay. All right.

[User] Um, so as a woman, but I got a man to stay with me.

[Assistant] Oh. That'd be awkward.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Correct. And spoke that language. So it worked with that group.

[Assistant] Okay. All right.

[User] Um, so as a woman, but I got a man to stay with me.

[Assistant] Oh. That'd be awkward.

[User] Uh, because there were I don't think there were female that worked in the North.

[Assistant] Oh, you were the first female up there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, so as a woman, but I got a man to stay with me.

[Assistant] Oh. That'd be awkward.

[User] Uh, because there were I don't think there were female that worked in the North.

[Assistant] Oh, you were the first female up there?

[User] I'm not sure why. Yeah, I'm not sure. We, yeah, why would they? I don't understand why they sent a man. But anyway.

[Assistant] A white guy.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I'm not sure why. Yeah, I'm not sure. We, yeah, why would they? I don't understand why they sent a man. But anyway.

[Assistant] A white guy.

[User] A white guy. Yes. Who was, who spoke Arabic.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So he stayed with me that night and he had dinner with us, and it was wonderful. And then so I was already nervous because I knew he had to leave the next morning, the minute the Peace Corps driver would come in.

[Assistant] Oh, off you go.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Off he'd go. So, you know, we get up in the morning and we're having our tea because it's what you do in the morning. You have tea.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] Um. And sometimes eventually they'll bake bread, but not all the time. Um, so you could, you could hear the sound of the, of the, of the car long before you could see the car.

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] Because of the dunes.

[Assistant] That's right, I remember those. Yes.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Because of the dunes.

[Assistant] That's right, I remember those. Yes.

[User] Yeah. And then so I'm sitting down with him and we're talking and, and I can hear the car.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So at that point, you know, I, I get very, I got very nervous and, uh, and then the car is coming and all the kids are following the car. And then the driver gets out and he has a bunch of bread on his arm, and he hands it to me. He says, here, here's the bread for you. Good luck. And then the Peace Corps volunteer turns to me. He takes his mattress, puts it in the car. He says, you're a woman, I cannot give you my hand, but good luck.

[Assistant] What you really want is a hug at that point.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So at that point, you know, I, I get very, I got very nervous and, uh, and then the car is coming and all the kids are following the car. And then the driver gets out and he has a bunch of bread on his arm, and he hands it to me. He says, here, here's the bread for you. Good luck. And then the Peace Corps volunteer turns to me. He takes his mattress, puts it in the car. He says, you're a woman, I cannot give you my hand, but good luck.

[Assistant] What you really want is a hug at that point.

[User] Yes, yes. And then he goes and gets in the truck.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Uh, and the truck starts going away. And, uh, and at that point, I just started bawling.

[Assistant] I was just going to say, I would cry.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh, and the truck starts going away. And, uh, and at that point, I just started bawling.

[Assistant] I was just going to say, I would cry.

[User] So I was crying. And then my family came over. And then one of the young boys who spoke a little bit of French, uh, they came over and said, habibti, don't cry. We're your family now.

[Assistant] Aww.

[User] I know, that was very sweet.

[Assistant] That's very nice.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I was crying. And then my family came over. And then one of the young boys who spoke a little bit of French, uh, they came over and said, habibti, don't cry. We're your family now.

[Assistant] Aww.

[User] I know, that was very sweet.

[Assistant] That's very nice.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] What did they call you, habib?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] What did they call you, habib?

[User] Habibti, which is dear. It's an endearing term.

[Assistant] Habibti?

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] How lovely. How lovely.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Habibti, which is dear. It's an endearing term.

[Assistant] Habibti?

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] How lovely. How lovely.

[User] So that, I.

[Assistant] It was one of the children?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So that, I.

[Assistant] It was one of the children?

[User] Yes, uh, no. The mother of the family.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] But the boy translated to me.

[Assistant] Oh. I see, I see.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, uh, no. The mother of the family.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] But the boy translated to me.

[Assistant] Oh. I see, I see.

[User] Yeah. So yeah, that was, yeah, that was very touching. But that was very, uh, never to be forgotten.

[Assistant] No kidding. No kidding. You are so isolated.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But the boy translated to me.

[Assistant] Oh. I see, I see.

[User] Yeah. So yeah, that was, yeah, that was very touching. But that was very, uh, never to be forgotten.

[Assistant] No kidding. No kidding. You are so isolated.

[User] Yes. And it was far.

[Assistant] Yeah. Talk about the, the first few days, the first week. Uh, what did you do?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, well, you know, I try to talk. I drank a lot of tea. Um, I was locked in the. So there was only one latrine in the whole village, and I was going to have a latrine built for me because my family didn't have one.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah.

[User] But there was one latrine, and I'm not sure who it belonged to. But, you know, I had to walk a little bit ways, a ways to do that. And, um. And the kids locked me in the latrine.

[Assistant] No.

[User] Yes. That first week.

[Assistant] They thought that was funny.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But there was one latrine, and I'm not sure who it belonged to. But, you know, I had to walk a little bit ways, a ways to do that. And, um. And the kids locked me in the latrine.

[Assistant] No.

[User] Yes. That first week.

[Assistant] They thought that was funny.

[User] They thought that was hilarious. So, of course, you know, somebody opens the latrine and lets me out, and I go back home.

[Assistant] And were you hollering? I mean, what?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] They thought that was hilarious. So, of course, you know, somebody opens the latrine and lets me out, and I go back home.

[Assistant] And were you hollering? I mean, what?

[User] I don't know. I don't think so. I don't know, I don't know, I just kept knocking, you know. Yeah. It was horrible. And, uh, but the kids got a real beating for doing that. So that was nice. So but, but the kids had it in for me. There was one boy who just, you know, um, and he was one of the instigators of the locking of the door. So at another point, he also threw like dung, like cow manure, at me.

[Assistant] Oh my!

[User] So once again, he also got a beating for that. And after that he stayed away. But, um, you know, that first week was a lot of adjustment. You know, I walked a lot and tried to understand, you know, they didn't really have a garden, a very big garden. And, um.

[Assistant] And what they had was growing wheat to make couscous?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I don't know. I don't think so. I don't know, I don't know, I just kept knocking, you know. Yeah. It was horrible. And, uh, but the kids got a real beating for doing that. So that was nice. So but, but the kids had it in for me. There was one boy who just, you know, um, and he was one of the instigators of the locking of the door. So at another point, he also threw like dung, like cow manure, at me.

[Assistant] Oh my!

[User] So once again, he also got a beating for that. And after that he stayed away. But, um, you know, that first week was a lot of adjustment. You know, I walked a lot and tried to understand, you know, they didn't really have a garden, a very big garden. And, um.

[Assistant] And what they had was growing wheat to make couscous?

[User] Uh, no, that one was, uh, the wheat was done in where the Haratin lived. It wasn't done there.

[Assistant] Okay. What was this family trying to grow?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh, no, that one was, uh, the wheat was done in where the Haratin lived. It wasn't done there.

[Assistant] Okay. What was this family trying to grow?

[User] You know, there was just a, a community garden, but, you know, the goats would get in there, and it's just horrible.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Um, and then I, you know, just trying to make friends with some of the young people. It is very hard.

[Assistant] So you're walking around.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, there was just a, a community garden, but, you know, the goats would get in there, and it's just horrible.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Um, and then I, you know, just trying to make friends with some of the young people. It is very hard.

[Assistant] So you're walking around.

[User] Walking around, drinking a lot of tea.

[Assistant] Okay. And you didn't really have a function yet.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, and then I, you know, just trying to make friends with some of the young people. It is very hard.

[Assistant] So you're walking around.

[User] Walking around, drinking a lot of tea.

[Assistant] Okay. And you didn't really have a function yet.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] So people were looking at you, saying, huh?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Walking around, drinking a lot of tea.

[Assistant] Okay. And you didn't really have a function yet.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] So people were looking at you, saying, huh?

[User] Yeah. I know. What are you doing here? Why does your family not like you and they've sent you so far away?

[Assistant] Oh! Is that their perception of it?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That's right.

[Assistant] So people were looking at you, saying, huh?

[User] Yeah. I know. What are you doing here? Why does your family not like you and they've sent you so far away?

[Assistant] Oh! Is that their perception of it?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah. How could anyone let their daughter go?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. I know. What are you doing here? Why does your family not like you and they've sent you so far away?

[Assistant] Oh! Is that their perception of it?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah. How could anyone let their daughter go?

[User] I know. Why aren't you married?

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah, because by then you're 24.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I know. Why aren't you married?

[Assistant] Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah, because by then you're 24.

[User] 24, 25. Yeah.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] So. Yeah. But it was, um, so it took a lot of adjustment and then, you know, I did some gardening there, but they didn't get it. You know, I would bring in an onion and they would throw it to the goats because they said it's not red like a tomato. So red, a tomato turns green and then turns red. Um. So, and.

[Assistant] But tomatoes are not indigenous to Africa. They came from here.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So. Yeah. But it was, um, so it took a lot of adjustment and then, you know, I did some gardening there, but they didn't get it. You know, I would bring in an onion and they would throw it to the goats because they said it's not red like a tomato. So red, a tomato turns green and then turns red. Um. So, and.

[Assistant] But tomatoes are not indigenous to Africa. They came from here.

[User] But you know, we were introducing things. We're introducing green peppers and onions and.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Um, so that was hard. At one point there was a caravan that came in, um, and that had one of the Peace Corps volunteers from the capital, from the regional capital, Ayoun el Atrous, so that was kind of nice.

[Assistant] Arriving in a caravan?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But you know, we were introducing things. We're introducing green peppers and onions and.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Um, so that was hard. At one point there was a caravan that came in, um, and that had one of the Peace Corps volunteers from the capital, from the regional capital, Ayoun el Atrous, so that was kind of nice.

[Assistant] Arriving in a caravan?

[User] In a caravan of camels, yeah. Uh, so that was kind of, you know, I remember having just this good feeling like, oh, I'm not as isolated as it seems.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah. How, was there a postal service or something like?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, so that was hard. At one point there was a caravan that came in, um, and that had one of the Peace Corps volunteers from the capital, from the regional capital, Ayoun el Atrous, so that was kind of nice.

[Assistant] Arriving in a caravan?

[User] In a caravan of camels, yeah. Uh, so that was kind of, you know, I remember having just this good feeling like, oh, I'm not as isolated as it seems.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah. How, was there a postal service or something like?

[User] In Ayoun, in Ayoun.

[Assistant] So if you wanted to, really the only way to communicate with your parents at this point is by letter.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] In a caravan of camels, yeah. Uh, so that was kind of, you know, I remember having just this good feeling like, oh, I'm not as isolated as it seems.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah. How, was there a postal service or something like?

[User] In Ayoun, in Ayoun.

[Assistant] So if you wanted to, really the only way to communicate with your parents at this point is by letter.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] So you would write a letter. Did you have paper and envelopes?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] In Ayoun, in Ayoun.

[Assistant] So if you wanted to, really the only way to communicate with your parents at this point is by letter.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] So you would write a letter. Did you have paper and envelopes?

[User] I did, but you know, the letters. We would write the letters and send them to New York via somebody that was leaving from the community.

[Assistant] Okay, you, got it, you wouldn't send it to the Dominican Republic.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] So you would write a letter. Did you have paper and envelopes?

[User] I did, but you know, the letters. We would write the letters and send them to New York via somebody that was leaving from the community.

[Assistant] Okay, you, got it, you wouldn't send it to the Dominican Republic.

[User] No.

[Assistant] You would send it to New York. And then somebody in New York would send it on.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I did, but you know, the letters. We would write the letters and send them to New York via somebody that was leaving from the community.

[Assistant] Okay, you, got it, you wouldn't send it to the Dominican Republic.

[User] No.

[Assistant] You would send it to New York. And then somebody in New York would send it on.

[User] Would get it to them. Yeah.

[Assistant] Take a long time before your parents would get it.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] You would send it to New York. And then somebody in New York would send it on.

[User] Would get it to them. Yeah.

[Assistant] Take a long time before your parents would get it.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] How long from, um, Mekanet? Because it has to go from there to.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Would get it to them. Yeah.

[Assistant] Take a long time before your parents would get it.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] How long from, um, Mekanet? Because it has to go from there to.

[User] Well, there was no post office in Mekanet.

[Assistant] No. So you would have to, you could only post it when you went.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] How long from, um, Mekanet? Because it has to go from there to.

[User] Well, there was no post office in Mekanet.

[Assistant] No. So you would have to, you could only post it when you went.

[User] In Ayoun.

[Assistant] In Ayoun. And then from Ayoun to New York, how long would it take?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, there was no post office in Mekanet.

[Assistant] No. So you would have to, you could only post it when you went.

[User] In Ayoun.

[Assistant] In Ayoun. And then from Ayoun to New York, how long would it take?

[User] You know, probably three weeks. 3 or 4 weeks.

[Assistant] Just to get to New York, 3 or 4 weeks. And then from New York to Dominican Republic, another week?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] In Ayoun.

[Assistant] In Ayoun. And then from Ayoun to New York, how long would it take?

[User] You know, probably three weeks. 3 or 4 weeks.

[Assistant] Just to get to New York, 3 or 4 weeks. And then from New York to Dominican Republic, another week?

[User] Yeah. Another 3 or 4 weeks.

[Assistant] 3 or 4 even?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. Another 3 or 4 weeks.

[Assistant] 3 or 4 even?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] Oh, man.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And so, so there's really no way to have a dialog via letters.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And so, so there's really no way to have a dialog via letters.

[User] No. So but when I would go into, into Nouakchott in the capital. So we went, you know, probably every three months. I would call my parents.

[Assistant] Call them.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] That must have been very reassuring to them. From the Peace Corps office?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. So but when I would go into, into Nouakchott in the capital. So we went, you know, probably every three months. I would call my parents.

[Assistant] Call them.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] That must have been very reassuring to them. From the Peace Corps office?

[User] No, from the hotel.

[Assistant] From the hotel. You had to pay for that?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] That must have been very reassuring to them. From the Peace Corps office?

[User] No, from the hotel.

[Assistant] From the hotel. You had to pay for that?

[User] Yes. Mm hmm. Yeah.

[Assistant] Okay. Um, did you get sick up there? I know you got sick in training.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Mm hmm. Yeah.

[Assistant] Okay. Um, did you get sick up there? I know you got sick in training.

[User] I did not, I did not get sick after that.

[Assistant] You didn't?

[User] No, I was very careful.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. Good for you. So you settle in, you spend some time getting to know people, walking around, getting your bearings about where you are in relation to other things. How often do you get into Ayoun?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I did not, I did not get sick after that.

[Assistant] You didn't?

[User] No, I was very careful.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. Good for you. So you settle in, you spend some time getting to know people, walking around, getting your bearings about where you are in relation to other things. How often do you get into Ayoun?

[User] You know, probably once a month, over the weekend.

[Assistant] Well, that's pretty sparse. So for a whole month at a time, you're not speaking English to anybody?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, I was very careful.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. Good for you. So you settle in, you spend some time getting to know people, walking around, getting your bearings about where you are in relation to other things. How often do you get into Ayoun?

[User] You know, probably once a month, over the weekend.

[Assistant] Well, that's pretty sparse. So for a whole month at a time, you're not speaking English to anybody?

[User] No.

[Assistant] You're totally immersed.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, probably once a month, over the weekend.

[Assistant] Well, that's pretty sparse. So for a whole month at a time, you're not speaking English to anybody?

[User] No.

[Assistant] You're totally immersed.

[User] Out there.

[Assistant] Totally immersed. Um, how did you take care of your mental health?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] You're totally immersed.

[User] Out there.

[Assistant] Totally immersed. Um, how did you take care of your mental health?

[User] So I wrote a lot of letters, and I read a lot of books.

[Assistant] Okay. You had books with you. Did Peace Corps give you books?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Out there.

[Assistant] Totally immersed. Um, how did you take care of your mental health?

[User] So I wrote a lot of letters, and I read a lot of books.

[Assistant] Okay. You had books with you. Did Peace Corps give you books?

[User] No.

[Assistant] Did you get a book locker?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] Did you get a book locker?

[User] You know, we, I bought books with me and then the Peace Corps library had books. And then when we would go into Ayoun.

[Assistant] You'd switch.

[User] We would switch.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, we, I bought books with me and then the Peace Corps library had books. And then when we would go into Ayoun.

[Assistant] You'd switch.

[User] We would switch.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

[User] Um, yeah. So that was.

[Assistant] Did you have a lantern or something?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We would switch.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

[User] Um, yeah. So that was.

[Assistant] Did you have a lantern or something?

[User] Yes. I had lanterns and a lot of candles.

[Assistant] Okay. Yeah. So you're reading by candlelight.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, yeah. So that was.

[Assistant] Did you have a lantern or something?

[User] Yes. I had lanterns and a lot of candles.

[Assistant] Okay. Yeah. So you're reading by candlelight.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Um, and your host, did anybody else in your host family sit around reading in the evening?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. I had lanterns and a lot of candles.

[Assistant] Okay. Yeah. So you're reading by candlelight.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Um, and your host, did anybody else in your host family sit around reading in the evening?

[User] No.

[Assistant] They might have thought that was kind of weird.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Um, and your host, did anybody else in your host family sit around reading in the evening?

[User] No.

[Assistant] They might have thought that was kind of weird.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] But um, you had more education than they did. You were, you read.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] They might have thought that was kind of weird.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] But um, you had more education than they did. You were, you read.

[User] Well, they, you know, they would, they would, um, yeah. They, you know, that wasn't done there, right?

[Assistant] Right. So eventually you set into your routine of how you're going to live there, and then eventually you're an agriculture volunteer.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I realized it wasn't going to work there.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] So then I asked the Peace Corps about getting a transfer.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] To transfer. Oh, so I went from my village. I went to Ayoun, I transferred to Ayoun.

[Assistant] So you realized it wasn't going to work, because any attempts to start a garden were, animals would come in and tear it down, and it just.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So then I asked the Peace Corps about getting a transfer.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] To transfer. Oh, so I went from my village. I went to Ayoun, I transferred to Ayoun.

[Assistant] So you realized it wasn't going to work, because any attempts to start a garden were, animals would come in and tear it down, and it just.

[User] And they were not, they weren't, you know, they were not at a stage to work on having a garden.

[Assistant] Right. And I mean.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] To transfer. Oh, so I went from my village. I went to Ayoun, I transferred to Ayoun.

[Assistant] So you realized it wasn't going to work, because any attempts to start a garden were, animals would come in and tear it down, and it just.

[User] And they were not, they weren't, you know, they were not at a stage to work on having a garden.

[Assistant] Right. And I mean.

[User] They were nomadic.

[Assistant] Culturally, they didn't perceive your role as maybe a white Moor. I mean, if you were going to be living with a white Moor family, that your role was not to get your hands in the dirt.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And they were not, they weren't, you know, they were not at a stage to work on having a garden.

[Assistant] Right. And I mean.

[User] They were nomadic.

[Assistant] Culturally, they didn't perceive your role as maybe a white Moor. I mean, if you were going to be living with a white Moor family, that your role was not to get your hands in the dirt.

[User] Correct. Yeah.

[Assistant] So that was a pretty impossible situation. So how long did you stay there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] They were nomadic.

[Assistant] Culturally, they didn't perceive your role as maybe a white Moor. I mean, if you were going to be living with a white Moor family, that your role was not to get your hands in the dirt.

[User] Correct. Yeah.

[Assistant] So that was a pretty impossible situation. So how long did you stay there?

[User] So I was probably there until, um. Uh, March. So from September to March.

[Assistant] That's a long time.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I was probably there until, um. Uh, March. So from September to March.

[Assistant] That's a long time.

[User] Yeah, a very long time. I mean, it took the whole process to get me moved took a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] A long time. But then I did, and I moved to Ayoun. And there I worked with different groups. You know, I would just go out and seek women's groups, or I did math with a group of Malian women and, um.

[Assistant] With Malian women?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, a very long time. I mean, it took the whole process to get me moved took a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] A long time. But then I did, and I moved to Ayoun. And there I worked with different groups. You know, I would just go out and seek women's groups, or I did math with a group of Malian women and, um.

[Assistant] With Malian women?

[User] Well, they were not, you know, they were not Moors. Okay. So I didn't work with Moors after getting out of Mekanet, because most of the women who were doing marketing, working in the market tended to be, um, Afro, Africans, Black Africans.

[Assistant] So Moors, um, are like the Berbers of North Africa.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] A long time. But then I did, and I moved to Ayoun. And there I worked with different groups. You know, I would just go out and seek women's groups, or I did math with a group of Malian women and, um.

[Assistant] With Malian women?

[User] Well, they were not, you know, they were not Moors. Okay. So I didn't work with Moors after getting out of Mekanet, because most of the women who were doing marketing, working in the market tended to be, um, Afro, Africans, Black Africans.

[Assistant] So Moors, um, are like the Berbers of North Africa.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah. Okay, so now you're in Ayoun and you worked with people of.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, they were not, you know, they were not Moors. Okay. So I didn't work with Moors after getting out of Mekanet, because most of the women who were doing marketing, working in the market tended to be, um, Afro, Africans, Black Africans.

[Assistant] So Moors, um, are like the Berbers of North Africa.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah. Okay, so now you're in Ayoun and you worked with people of.

[User] Different groups.

[Assistant] Of a different race altogether.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User]
Yeah.

So there I used French.

[Assistant] Ah, yes.

[User] Because they spoke French.

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] And then I lived with a Bambara family.

[Assistant] Ah. And Bambara is one of the African groups in Mauritania?