After four weeks of language training, Peace Corps
administers a Language Proficiency Interview (LPI) to assess your speaking
ability. Most of what we will be doing with our local languages will be spoken
so we were not tested on our writing abilities. Each of the PCTs had a
30-minute meeting with one of the LCFs (Language and Culture Facilitators) this
past Monday, March 19. Naturally, we were all nervous about the LPI as we have
only been learning our language for four weeks. We were expected to talk about
ourselves, family members in America and in Ghana, our daily routines in both
Ghana and America (but using the past tense for our routines in America), a
family member’s daily routine, a mock market exchange where we had to ask for
four different items and bargain down the price, what have we seen while we’ve
been in Ghana, and finally we had to ask our LCF a question (which took us all
by surprise as we had not really practiced this).
The day of my LPI didn’t start off so well. I had already
procrastinated the day before figuring I would just study Monday morning
because my test wasn’t until 930am and I wake up at 6am. Obviously my plan
failed. Around 730am, after finishing breakfast, I went to use my phone and
what do you know…it’s gone. Yep. After 6 weeks in Ghana I have already lost my
phone. I am pretty sure it was stolen from me though. I was walking down the
street talking with one of the Dagaari LCFs and I slipped on some mud and I’m
pretty sure my phone fell out of my pocket during that moment. A kid probably
picked up my phone and kept it because it wasn’t in my room or anywhere else I
would have put it. So instead of doing so last minute cramming, my host sister
and I were turning my room upside down looking for my phone. She kept calling
it from her phone but there was an automated message saying my phone had been
switched off, so it makes me believe even more that it was actually stolen and
not lost because otherwise my phone would have rang. So by 845am I was
extremely annoyed and sad that my phone was gone and stressed about the LPI
that I figured I could just wing it. I had practiced enough the few days
before.
I got to start my LPI a little earlier than 930, which was
nice because that meant it was over sooner. It was less stressful than I
thought it would be but I still felt nervous. I understood all the questions
Taj (the LCF) was asking me but I think I spoke a little faster than I should
have. I managed to talk about everything I had prepared in my notes, but I’m
sure I left a couple details out. I successfully bargained down the price of
rice and he even dashed me some extra (in Ghana, at the market, you can ask for
a “dash,” which means the vendor gives you a little extra of whatever you are
buying – some things like bars of soap, silverware, or clothing can’t be dashed
though). I felt good when we had finished but I still felt nervous because he
wasn’t allowed to give me any feedback at that time – we would all be finding
out later that night if we passed or not.
To keep my occupied with something other than thinking about
my LPI results, I located one of our trainers, Tony, to inform him of my phone
situation. Luckily he was going into Koforidua and said he would go to MTN (one
of the telephone companies here, like Verizon or AT&T) and buy me a new
chip (sim card) for 1 Ghana Cedi. If you give the MTN people your phone number
they can cancel your old chip and just push all your information and units
(talking and text credits) to the new chip and you can keep your same number.
Fortunately I brought a spare phone that I used when I studied abroad in
France, so it was already unlocked and all I had to do was put the new chip in.
Still, my old Razor phone from high school got terrible reception in Anyinasin
so I asked him to buy me the same phone I had before.
I am glad to announce that I am back in business and my new
phone is as good as ever. The only downside to losing my phone was paying for a
new one and I didn’t get to play snake for a few days. I’ll be more careful
this time!
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