What is "chalkboard"?

As a Peace Corps volunteer, I am an employee of the U.S. government living abroad. A representative, if you will, of all that America stands for. As taxpayers, I want you to know that I take this role very seriously and I only present the best of what the U.S. has to offer.

Case in point: Jeopardy! I’ve taught over 100 African children how to play this game already. You’re welcome. But seriously, whether it’s learning about HIV/AIDS in my girls club or reviewing for an English test with my collège students, they love it. I tape the double-sided candy-colored papers up on the chalkboard (one side with the category and amount of points and the other side with the answer… like I said, I take this seriously). The grand prize: American candy. Twizzlers, jelly beans, you name it. And the crazy thing is they actually started studying. I don’t think it’s to do well on the test but rather so that their team can win the “Jeopardy! English Review Edition” the day before.

And for a village and ethnic group that I’m told started out as entirely communal, when there is candy (and glory) at stake, these kids get pretty competitive, demanding that I review the points I gave to a team or quietly humming the Jeopardy! theme song when a kid is taking a long time to answer. Okay, okay, so I taught them that. But you can’t really have Jeopardy without the theme song, right?

So maybe I introduced Jeopardy a little for my own benefit, too: to bring a tiny piece of my former American culture to my now very African village life so that I feel at home. It may not be exactly the same thing (I’m the host instead of Alex Trebeck and we skip the boring life story segment in the middle) but I actually think it’s an improved version.

And nothing puts a smile on my face like Adama shooting his hand into the air and then rising, stoic and scholarly-like in true Jeopardy fashion, to say “Wat eeez thee chokebowd?” (Clue in French “L’enseignant écrit sur cet objet pendant la leçon.”) Their team erupts in cheers as he quietly takes his seat, motioning with his hands and saying “la silence” so that everyone quiets down (I’ve explained that Jeopardy is not like a football match, it’s a serious academic quiz show which requires etiquette).I correct his pronunciation before giving them their 1000 points. They’re so close they can almost taste the jelly beans…