“Désolée, je ne comprends pas…”

was the most common phrase spoken during my French phone interview last week. Translation: I’m sorry, I don’t understand… Often followed by “répétez, s’il vous plaît?” (Repeat, please?). While the woman from Benin was very kind and patient, the exhausting 15 minutes of confusion and embarrassment were only a preview to what I can expect during my first few months in French-speaking Africa. But the worst part was after the struggle of the interview was finished and I spent the rest of the day having what-I-should-have-said moments and ah ha! epiphanies as to what she was asking me. For example, when I thought she kept asking about “décor” (Is she asking how I will decorate my new hut? What the place I am now looks like? What tense was that? “Répétez, s’il vous plait…”), it took me about an hour post-interview to figure out she was saying “de corps” as in the corps as in Peace Corps, the thing I am going to be doing for the next two years… idiot.  Alas, I should probably forfeit the blog and go pratiquer mon français.