Yes doesn't always mean yes

I have learned when someone nods his head and responds "yes" to the question "do you understand?" that he doesn't always understand. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I was warned about this during training, but I forgot. I'm not sure why they do it. Take, for instance, my (previous) tailor. A couple of weeks ago I went to him and asked him to make me a pair of pants. I provided the material AND a model - I had a pair of pants (my fav) from the states and asked him to make the exact same thing, except a little smaller because the old ones are too big and long (since I don't wear heels anymore:). I said it slowly, multiple times and when I asked if he understood, of course he nodded and said yes he would have them for me at the end of the week. I was so excited to have a pair of pants that were going to fit perfectly, but when I picked them up and tried them on total confusion took over. I am realtively certain he did not even look at the pants I gave him as a model. So I've been back to him a couple of times to "fix" them, but to no real avail, so I'm tailor-hunting now. Another instance was earlier this week. I came into the capital city to get an xray (not broken, no worries:) and had to take a taxi from the bus station to the hostel. First of all, negotiating prices for taxis in the capital city is a NIGHTMARE, 100 times worse than in Bobo. So I explain where I need to go and finally find one who will charge me a reasonable (only 200% of the going rate - heck, after a 5 1/2 hour bus ride, I'll take it). The taxi system here is pretty basic. Essentially, it costs 200CFA in the day time and 300CFA at night to go anywhere within the taxi's "region." (but that is only if you are Burkinabe. Foreigners have to fight for that price and often end up paying 5 times more. I have passed on up to 4 taxis in one day for refusing to give me the going rate. It sucks sometimes!). Sometimes he will take you to the edge of his region, where you have to catch another taxi in the other region. The interesting thing is that the taxi will stop and pick up people along the way (usually people going in the same direction, but not always) until the car is jam packed. In addition, the charge is per person, so if I had 5 people with me all going to the same place, each of us would have to pay the 200 or 300CFA. So I am riding with this taxi guy, who seems pretty nice (I always try to talk to them, mostly they think I'm funny and I even taught one old guy A LOT of english one night on the way home. It makes the ride seem shorter and if they are distracted talking to me, sometimes they forget to pick up more people to sit on my lap:) and he picks up people along the way, and drops them off, and picks more up and drops them off (all while I'm sitting in the front seat right next to him), and after about 25 minutes of driving around he looks at me and asks where I am going. Are you kidding me? Please be reminded that this is after a 5 1/2 bus ride, before which I had a 20 minute bike ride, 20 minute walk and a 15 minute cab ride back in Bobo - I had already had a LONG day. So I explain it to him and he tells me that he now wants me to pay him 3 times more than he originally said (which was the reason I got in his cab in the first place). Clearly I was not a happy camper, but at that point I was so tired and just wanted to get to the hostel and didn't know where I was in the city and if I tried to negotiate with him it would have turned into a negative situation, so I gave in and we were on our way. I did get a tour of the city, without someone on my lap, and I learned (again) that the head nodding and affirmative response doesn't always mean what I used to think it meant.

Mike Hertel - you rock. I miss working with you. Thanks for the words of inspiration and encouragement. That goes for all my friends and family.