This goes back to the early days of the Peace Corps. To finally be accepted to an assignment, potential volunteers had to take two interviews at the end of training. One was with experts in the field you would be serving; teachers if you would be teaching, engineers if you would be ditch digging, etc. The other was with someone fluent in the language. This was to test if you were good enough in the language to do your job. I did fine with the skills interview, but I was worried about the language exam. My language instructor told me I was fine, especially when a bit relaxed. He said when we sat around over a couple of beers, I spoke very well. It was only when I tensed up that I did somewhat badly. He suggested that I take a glass or two of wine to relax me just before the language interview to help me through it.
So I did. I went in, official tape recorder going, important person from the island I would be serving sitting there, and everything went well, just as my language instructor suggested. And since everything went so well, and since I had a nice buzz on at 9:30 a.m. I asked myself, “Why stop drinking now?” So I got looped to celebrate. By 3 p.m. I was passed out back at the training center. At about 3:15 or so (this part is all a bit of a blur)I was awakened by my language instructor trying to communicate to me that the official tape recorder had not worked and I would have to do my language interview again. It should be noted that thirty minutes before I was having trouble with English much less Woleain. But I was ready to go. I walked none to steadily over to the interview and did…I have since heard the tape and it went something like this,
Interviewer: “How are you today?”
Me (Confidently): “Yes, this is my leg.”
Interviewer: “Is something wrong with your leg?”
Me: “Sunny all day today, if you ask me.”
Interviewer (Clearly confused): "Oh, you would like to discuss the weather?
Me: “Hamburgers when I can get them.”
The bad part is that it went down hill from there. But somehow they accepted me and I had a great time in the Peace Corps and I might have even done some good. I should mention that to this day if someone I knew then greets me, they will begin with “Yes, this is my leg.”