What did you learn in school today?

This morning, students were paired up and were told to make small talk on a given topic. We do this most mornings with the EAL students and it gives them a great opportunity to get to know each other a little better and to practise their English. Topics include work, family, shopping, cooking, marriage, children-all the things that many of us chat about.

I was eavesdropping on the marriage conversation between 2 African women today and they were talking about dowries. More specifically, the cows that their husband's families had to give to their fathers. I half jokingly asked how many cows their husbands had to pay for them and one woman said that her husband had to give her father 5 or 6 hundred cows.

That is a lot of cows. Then the other woman said that she was worth 1,000 cows because she had a university education.

This is big business! The women told me that there were negotiations between the 2 families and if an agreement could be made, the marriage would take place. In addition to cows there was gold and other gifts that were given to the bride or her family.

I wonder how many cows Wes' dad would pay for Wes to marry me.

Actually, I'd rather not know.