Mwen pa kompren

So I'm taking a Creole language class through George Washington University. There are a number of amazing things about the entire situation. First of all, it is incredible that there is even a Creole class offered! Creole is not exactly an "in demand" language. I think there may be one university in the United States that offers any sort of Creole class and I'm not talking about the one here in DC! Second of all, it is FREE! It is some sort of funded program at GWU called global immersion and they offer a huge range of language classes. You have to put down a $100 deposit at the beginning but as long as you attend most of the classes, the check is refunded to you at the end. They just want to make sure people are serious about the class and don't waste the instructor's time.
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Unfortunately there is really no "standard" for Creole. Pronounciation, contractions, spelling, etc. can all differ a good deal. On the one hand, it is "easy" in the grammar sense. Verbs aren't conjugated in the regular sense but use helping verbs to verify the tense. The grammar breaks down to "subject, verb, direct object" sort of thing. Literally translated it would probably sound like 3-year-old English. But because it is so simple and the vocab is so limited, it can be very challenging because it relies so heavily on context.
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When Jack was with me I learned so much! Just having him talking to me in Creole improved my vocab and pronounciation tremendously. For a while I just kept backsliding into Spanish. I knew I shouldn't but I couldn't help it! With him gone, I already feel like I'm losing what little grip on Creole that I had.
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I have class again tomorrow and I can't even complete all my homework because I don't even understand some of the questions! Frustrating and discouraging. I can't exactly look up the mystery words either because like I said before, there is no standard. Not really anyway.
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I've got some audio cds to listen to, which funnily enough, anyone who is or has learned Creole is familiar with because it is pretty much the only thing to turn to! I'm also listening to a lot of Wyclef Jean just to get used to the sound of the language.
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When I first arrive in the Caribbean at the end of April I will be staying in the DR for a little bit to acclimate...being able to communicate in Spanish will help I'm sure! Although it is intimidating to think about, I know that being in Haiti and immersed in the language is really the only efficient way I will learn. Until then, I'm sort of drudging along......