The US navy has come to town for 10 days and I've been employed as one of four interpreters on board while they're here! So far it's been a great experience, with the crew on board so nice it's like a fresh breath of "back home" here in our little African hide-away. Of course up to now my experience with Navy officers has been pretty...well...non existant, but I can tell you there is nothing nicer than spending a day with such a friendly, welcoming group of people.
One of the many highlights thus far has been eating the American-style canteen lunch in the officer's mess, where things taste just like I remember from hot lunch in high school!! Mashed potatoes with strange meat and gingerbread cake with frosting for desert. WOW has it been a looooooong time since those flavors hit my palate. There seems to be some sort of store on board too and the other interpreters and I are dying to get a peek and see if we might be able to grab a few 'Mercan goodies.
This here is Jerry Mosley, a very funny guy (he is a Chief, whatever that may mean...) who gave a tour of the boat to a group of Gabonese Navy sailors, with me as the interpreter. Pretty interesting cultural experience, I may add!!
Here are three of the four interpreters, with me in the back. This was as we left the boat at the end of our first day of interpreting.
Sailors looking on as we left the ship.
I'll write more specifically about what the ship is doing here and what our work on board entails, but in short it seems the US is taking on quite an interest in the west coast of Africa these days (oil!) and will be carrying out this type of goodwill mission regularly up and down the coast on a permanent basis now. Luckily for me very few of these guys speak French! For a bit more info, click on the title of this post to read a military article about the boat's mission here in Africa.Tomorrow we're taking a bunch of the officers to our island and beach cabana for a lazy day of fishing and BBQing. Will post more soon!
