My acting job

Au village
I feel like a monk.
I feel genderless.
I feel asexual.

I feel like an actress with a role in a Guinean play.
I dress the part:
brightly colored skirts with a matching top
I talk the talk:
Did you sleep well? How is your family? How is work?
I eat the food:
all ingredients mashed into a sauce served over rice
I drink the water:
300 mL of water in little sealed baggies
I am hospitable:
give cookies and candies to my fellow taxi passengers
I teach:
lecture and write on the board and am a stern disciplinarian
I deal with daily life:
there is no time for thoughts about philosophy or abstract ideas

My American identity takes a back seat.
I wonder how my American identity will change
as I suppress it for two years.