Christmas Time in Mali

On Christmas Eve, I went to the post office and received two more Christmas cards, along with a Christmas box from my Aunt Sue. It’s interesting how some cards get here so fast (one was postmarked 12/10) while the others don’t (the other cards was postmarked 11/15). That afternoon was spent making delicious treats! I made peanut butter blossoms, Jessie made Mexican wedding cakes, Anna made chocolate chip cookies, and Laura made pumpkin bread. We decided to get pizza and burgers for dinner. The only problem with American food is that it is really expensive so I buy it for special occasions only. I split a pizza with Laura. It was so good! Afterwards, Anna, Laura, and I went to the Protestant church for the Christmas Eve service. We arrived 10 minutes late. We waited one hour and forty five minutes and it still hadn’t started, so we decided to leave. I was so tired, and the service would have been in Bambara anyway.

Christmas Day was extremely different not being with my family. I woke up at 8 am (which is EXTREMELY late for me on Christmas day), and opened 2 presents (I was a bad girl and opened a few of them last week.) I got an Auburn cell phone cover and bike accessories. I then had a wonderful pancake breakfast with the other volunteers (Calita’s dad went to town…he mailed her Aunt Jemima’s syrup! And she was so kind and shared!) and omelets. I then dozed off while a movie played. I then called my family in SC. I talked to my Mom (she was coming in from the hospital, visiting my aunt’s sister-in-law who just broke her hip), my Dad, and they woke up my little brother. Sometimes I wonder about him. Who doesn’t wake up at the crack of down and wait in anticipation for the magic hour? My little brother. Even when he was little and suppose to be the most excited (one would think), my older brother and I ALWAYS had to wake him up. Even in our twenties.

It was nice talking to everybody. I then called my older brother. I left a message, but called back later and got him. I then spoke to his finance. It was nice talking to them. We got vegetables and potatoes for dinner. Anna and Laura were making “twice baked potatoes”, but they were only once baked before the gas went out. Sigh. We tried getting more gas, but nobody was open. So, we had once baked potatoes, watched Home Alone. The exciting part of the day was when the rat/mouse the size of a large kitten made it’s appearance. I didn’t realize how a rodent can get me so worked up. I immediately stood on the chair, just screaming. We had to get a Malian to come in and kill it. I’m so chill with insects, fish, etc. But rodents? Not so much.

I got home 11ish, showered, and wanted to talk to my family again, so I called again. My Mom and brother took Kramie (our dog) and Edy (brother’s fiancés’ dog) to Miliken to run around. Miliken is great because there are lakes and ducks and it is acres upon acres to run around. Basically, it’s a dogs’ paradise. It was Edy’s first time, and she just loved it! Kramie always loves it. When we turn down the road, Kramie knows what’s coming, and begins to cry and wiggle with excitement. When they got home, the Edster conked out watching the new HP. My Dad got my Mom the Malian mud bag from Hallmark, which is really nice. My Dad has been know to forget to buy presents on Christmas, birthday, etc., so I think my Mom was extremely surprised. All in all, it sounded like they had a very merry Christmas, as did I, so I had a smile on my face before falling asleep.

I went back to work on the 27^th. It was definitely hard getting out of the bed because I hadn’t been in over a week (trip to Gao, day of rest, Tabaski, post Tabaski, Christmas Eve, Christmas, post Christmas). I felt productive. PC gave us this sheet we needed to fill out (actually, 3 pages of questions), and I got most of it done.

On the 28^th, I completed the rest of it. It’s challenging because a lot of the questions are for rural volunteers and don’t really apply to me in the city.

On Saturday, I went to a SIDA ceremony. I watched them play soccer. It made me think of my little brother.

Today, I have 3 hours of tutoring.

Like I said before, I am spending New Year’s in Sikasso. On January 3^rd, I will be going to Bamako. I am planning on visiting my Malian family and doing some fabric and spice shopping. I am looking forward to seeing everybody at Tabinso!

Tabaski in Mali (WARNING: THERE ARE SOME GRAPHIC PICTURES ON THIS POSTING)

After my time in Gao, I spent a day doing absolutely nothing. I felt bad because I should be integrating more. Oh, well. Some days are like that.
On December 20th, we had the big Tabaski feast. It was so much fun! I saw a sheep being slaughtered for the first time. It was…gross. I was kind of hiding behind a tree and almost got sick. I think Echin’s family really got a kick out of me going around taking pictures of the ram. When the man was done and they started cooking it, I began to yawn. Echin asked if I needed to rest. I said sure, so I thought I would go inside and lay down on the couch. Nope, they had a little iron bed outside, and they dragged it under a tree. The girls then brought out a mattress, so I took a nap, in a bed, under a tree while they were cooking the ram. When I woke up, I had a smile on my face. How funny I thought! Lunch was absolutely delicious! I stuffed myself silly and didn’t even eat dinner.
Then next day, I didn’t go to work, because Tabaski is 2 day holiday or something. (I found out today that it’s a 7 day holiday…wish we holidayed like that in the States! Even though it’s annoying that the things that I use i.e. internet cafes are also closed.) The banks, post office, etc. were closed. I did some wash, and hung out with another volunteer who is in town and is about to leave for Christmas.
Yesterday, I did more wash (it takes a lot longer when you don’t have a washing machine). I also went to a photo exhibit. The website for it is http://www.globalization.com/ . I made the executive decision to stay in Sikasso for Christmas. It would cost 10,000 CFA for just transportation. I would probably be sharing a hotel room with 8 other people, and I will be going to Bamako in about 2 weeks. So, Christmas in Sikasso, NY in Sikasso, and January 5th or 6th, I will be heading to Bamako. I’ll go a few days before training in Tabinso so I will have time to go spice shopping and visit my Malian family.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

And lastly, my favorite picture

I was going to write captions, but the pictures are definitely self explanatory.

Dirt is to Sikasso as...Sand is to Gao!

I have had such a long week! I’m trying to remember what all happened!
Last week, I thought I was getting strep throat, so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to go to Gao. It was so weird because only half of my throat was swollen and painful. Go figure. I ended up getting medicine, and away I went to Bamako! I was really tired when I got in, but I did take my first hot shower (since July)! I don’t know how long I was in there! It was wonderful! I then got a pizza, also wonderful! It was so expensive (but so is all of Bamako), but I thought totally worth it. I slept until…5 am and took another shower. Pretty rare, but so is hot water showers! At 5:30, they got a taxi driver to come. I handed him a map and pointed to where I needed to go. Unfortunately, he didn’t know how to read. I really can’t imagine life without reading! We were supposed to be there at 6 am sharp. I don’t know why but I was stressing. When we pulled up at 6:15, everybody was hanging out. We didn’t leave until 9:45 am! Oh, Mali! The ride was uneventful but really long. I’m not going to lie. I was so annoyed at how many times we stopped! I think they don’t know what killing 2 birds with 1 stone means. We stopped to pray, to pee, to buy snacks, etc. etc. We got to Gao at 7:45 am! I was dog tired! I stayed with another volunteer. It is incredible that his house is like a bureau, so whenever somebody comes in, they stay with him. I would go crazy! He doesn’t cook, but there were a pile of dirty dishes. Don’t get me wrong. I love having guests. But not 24/7. After sleeping a little, I had lunch with Sara. Sara made this incredible pasta with tomatoes and tuna. Delicious! I then went around with Meg. It was very nice of her to show me around. I saw the market. It is so much more organized than Sikasso! We had salad and beans for dinner, and then played Apples to Apples. Apples to Apples is such a fun game!
Sunset in Gao





Tomeschec (misspelled, I know) homes in Gao

Then the next day (Saturday), I went to the festival. I definitely should have called to see what was going to be on the agenda before my 30 hour trip! I did get to see camels and horses. There was a “parade” (but in Malian parades, they stand in a formation…that’s it) and a lot of introductions. When the festival was over, I went back to James’ place to get a bike. Every 50 feet or so I would come close to crashing down! If you want a real workout, try biking in the sand! I then had lunch at Sarah’s house (she is the Gao tourism volunteer), and then saw Kelly’s house.

Kelly and me

Kelly is in my stage, so it was fun to see where she lives. All the Gao volunteers have little fridges, and it makes me want one real bad! I have been a good girl this year….maybe Santa will bring me one! Cold drinks are absolutely amazing!!!! I then had a lovely dinner with Meg. It was so much fun! I unfortunately couldn’t stay awake for ‘smores, but sleep was more important to me than staying awake.

Sarah and me: Tourism Volunteers

On Sunday, I went back in…A PC CAR! I didn’t know that a car was going up to Gao…grrrrr….I have to let it go. I saw cows, camels, goats, sheep, and lizards crossing the road during the ride, but no chickens. (sorry couldn’t resist). I can’t read in the car and I didn’t bring my ipod, so I looked out the window the whole time, and occasionally dozed off. I rode with another volunteer named Brie. She is actually the volunteer before me in Droit II, so it was fun to talk about our family! We spent the night in…some town I can’t remember the name of. But, we hung out at the bureau. Our bureau in Sikasso is a one room hole in the wall, but we don’t have mice! I didn’t know this about me until I went there; I am a squealer when I see mice. They had like 6 mice running around the place!
This brings me to yesterday (Monday?). We drove from the town to Bamako. We stopped in another town (I’m terrible) and had lunch with 3 other volunteers. It was fun catching up! When we got to Bamako, I asked to be dropped off at the bus station. Bamako is expensive, and since I’m going back for Christmas, I decided it would be best if I went on home. I got there at 4:15 pm, but didn’t get on the bus until 6:30. I did talk to my daddy, so that was nice. I unfortunately picked (excuse me, led to) a terrible bus line because I didn’t get home until 5 am this morning! I heard the rooster’s crow before I went to sleep! It typically takes between 6-7 hours…but the bus was having multiple issues. I won’t be taking that bus line again.
What a week!

Group shot of the Camels

I'm out of time at the cyber cafe, but i'll try to include some of Trinh's birthday pictures on the next one.

I Can't Believe it's December!

I am in awe that we are already in December! Like I said before, the weather is definitely not “frightful”, but it is getting a little chilly (coming from the person who wore a skirt, long of course and a short sleeved shirt). I probably could have used a light coat today. Malians prefer down coats in this weather.
Sunday was the big SIDA day! Trinh gave me the job of taking pictures and I failed because my battery died and I forgot my backup. It was fun and over 30 people got tested for HIV and probably wouldn’t have done so unless we were there. A bunch of PCV came. It was cool to see how much PCVs support each other!
A Malian boy
Kid playing on the basketball stand

neck support?

On Monday morning, I went to…the POST OFFICE! I received a letter from my mom and older brother (still waiting on my letter from my younger brother), and a package from Bethel UMC women’s Circle One. It was so sweet that they thought of me during this holiday season! I was thinking it was from my mom, and definitely had to do a double take when I read who sent it. That afternoon, I went to a baby shower. This one wasn’t nearly as grand as the former, but I still had a good time. When they announced “Lala Maiga” I had to get up and dance. I was happy a woman went with me! One thing that I found out during the shower is my camera is really irritating me. Sometimes it will take great shots, and others, it turns out fuzzy and distorted. My picture with the newborn didn’t turn out. On Monday night, I decided to write a little Christmas card. It’s just a small update, but it felt good to send Christmas letters out.
I went back to the post office on Tuesday (they know me by name to say the least) and mailed the letters. I went to the tailor that afternoon. I bought this really cute fabric and am getting a skirt and purse made.
On Wednesday I washed clothes. I had to wear a Malian outfit because I had no clean clothes! I received lots of compliments, but if I rode my bike back to my apartment, I would have ripped my skirt. I bought some more fabric because my Vera Bradley bag couldn’t handle Africa, so I need a new purse. I went to 4 different tailors. I was frustrated because people would say (all in French) “I don’t speak English” while I was speaking French to them! My pronunciation definitely needs help. I went by my homologues house (on the way to the bakery), and told him that he is the only person that understands my French. The two guys beside him told me that they understood me. I said great, 3 people in Mali understand me. Sigh. Another issue I ran into was I bought eggs from this lady who is friendly, knows my name, etc. Well, one of the eggs had blood in it, so I felt so guilty when she sent the kid inside to go get eggs and I chose to buy eggs elsewhere. That is my right as a customer, but I still felt bad and don’t want to burn any bridges (especially for eggs).
I get to work on Thursday and am told that I am fat! Talk about a great start to a day! It didn’t bother me when a student who is interning at OMATHO told me how fat I was because she said that she was fat too. I don’t know, but it really upset me (perhaps because it was coming from males) and tears were definitely forming in my eyes. But, in Mali, this is not an insult. It means that I am “well fed”. So, I wasn’t happy at work. But, I did pick up my purse and skirt I got made, and was delighted! I love the fabric! It is a dark blue and light blue! It’s really cute.
On Friday, I woke up on the verge of a migraine, so I took some medicine and went back to sleep. I was feeling better enough in the afternoon to be tutored. I practiced joking because there are a lot of Maigas and Trores in Gao, and I wanted to make sure that I am ready to joke. Malians love “bean jokes” i.e. you eat beans, you like beans, would you like some beans (while eating lunch or dinner), so I practiced those, and I also practiced you are a donkey, you are my slave (I can’t see this joke flying in the US), you are my son/daughter. I feel ready for Gao. Trinh has a lot of joking cousins here (I really like my name and refused to change), and while buying a watermelon, she discovered it was from a joking cousin so she said, your watermelon probably has beans in it! It’s hard to explain, but people love joking. Yesterday, I did buy eggs from that lady. She told me if any were bad, to come back and exchange. I’m glad that turned out well. On my way to the bakery, I stopped and talked to Echin. Echin is sick (I don’t know what’s going on), but he is probably not going to Gao, so there is a possibility that PC may not let me go either. I really hope they let me, especially now that I’m ready to joke!
Today was the last day of English club for the year. I really like the club and will continue to be a part of it in January. The kids are starting to understand my southern accent, so it’s really cool to see how they are progressing.
This Monday, I have another purse to pick up. And, it’s Trinh’s birthday. Trinh informed me she’s “not a big birthday person” which is weird because I’m all about my birth month (perhaps I’m narcissistic, I don’t know)! So, I’ll try not to go overboard. And, hopefully, my next blog will be posted when I’m in Gao!

What a Long Week it's Been!

Thanksgiving Week was so exciting! But the week after? I never thought it would end! On Monday, I got my power back! Echin is fantastic! I talked to my landlord and my neighbor, but after I while, I realized Echin would be better, so he talked to them both. There was a “misunderstanding”. My neighbor paid the bill, but he did so by check (which I think it extremely rare here), but the company lost the check, didn’t deposit the check, something, but they were convinced he didn’t pay it. I’m glad my neighbor is intelligent and kept the receipt! Also on Monday, I got a Christmas box from my family! I know lots of people wouldn’t be able to wait to open the presents, but I want to because I want to have something to open! And, I’m appreciating the little things: the box was covered with Clifford the Big Red Dog Stickers! How great is that? It definitely brought a smile to my face!
On Tuesday, I went to the post office to mail some letters. The guy who gives us letters and boxes told me I had a box! I only pick up things on Monday, but since I was already there….Anyway, my aunt Donna mailed me a Christmas box too! What a great start to a really slow week! On Tuesday night, I ended up making peanut butter balls. Peanut butter balls are terrific (in Ohio, they call them Buckeye balls) and they remind me of Christmas because that is when they are made most often. My mom sent the ingredients, and they were superb!

Life is Terrific!

On Wednesday, I got a call at work. Two Mauritania volunteers were coming down to Sikasso. It was great because I still didn’t do an intense cleaning job after Mexican Night, so this got me moving! They didn’t arrive until 1 am on Thursday. I am relieved I woke up because I have been know to answer my phone and not know it!
On Thursday, I showed them around. They cooked dinner. They made tortillas, guacamole, salsa. Overall, it was a really good meal.
On Friday, I ate lunch with Trinh and her homologue. His dog had puppies. Only one is left! She is precious! (It’s still a debate of what “it” is but I’m convinced it’s a she) I think the Malians thought I was crazy because I was rocking it back and forth like a baby! They named it Police, which is a pretty popular dog name here.
My landlord called me twice on Saturday to ask when I was going to pay rent! Hello, it’s December 1st and a Saturday! I informed him I would pay him on Monday. A little strange, but it is a different culture! Yesterday, I also began listening to Christmas music! I talked to another volunteer and it made her cry. But, probably because I’m going home in April, I didn’t find it sad. I found it funny. “Oh, the weather outside is frightful…Let it snow?!?” Obviously, the individual who wrote it didn’t live in Africa!
This weekend, is the big SIDA (French for AIDS) weekend. This afternoon is the big finale of the basketball tournament. People are coming in to test people for AIDS, condoms distributed, and basketball will be played. It should be a good afternoon!


English Club

Yesterday Afternoon Before the SIDA meeting

The Sky After the SIDA meeting
Coming Events:
December 10th: Trinh’s Birthday!
December 14th: Leaving for Gao! (Check out a map! It’s reallllly far away!)
December 22th: Tabaski (Muslim holiday where a lot of lamb is consumed)
December 25th: Christmas in Bamako!
December 31st: New Year’s in Sikasso!
January 8th: Training in Tabiniso
End on January: African Cup in Ghana!

Thanksgiving and Mexican Night 07....Huge Success!

This week went by so fast! I’m trying to remember what happened on Monday. Oh, on Monday, (like every Monday) I go to the post office and I got a card from my Mom with Will’s (my little bro) senior picture and soccer picture. All grown up!!! And, she included my graduation picture. I was grinning ear to ear. And, my friend from Auburn who is getting her Ph.D. in molecular biology (or something like that) sent me a book by one of our favorite authors! Our freshman year, Hannah introduced me to this wonderful author, so I was delighted that she mailed me her newest book! I thought I was going to have to wait until 2009 to read it, so imagine my surprise!
On Tuesday, I had a group of people over for dinner. We made stir fry. I thought it was terrific and so did everybody else (or they could have been really hungry) because we didn’t have any leftovers.
PreThanksgiving Day, I cleaned my place and went over to Trinh’s. I helped a little with the pies. We made 10 pies. Next year, we are going to make 12 or so. The apple pies were delicious! I enjoy pumpkin pies, but I really like cool whip (haven’t found it in Mali yet) on it. For dinner, a group of us ordered these gyro sandwiches. They were so scrumptious; I woke up the next day thinking about it. Sikasso Group Shot
On Thanksgiving, I went over to Trinh’s in the afternoon. I played hearts, and unfortunately didn’t win (the guy who won was definitely a beginner because we had to explain the rules to him…beginners luck), but had a lot of fun. People would come up to us and ask, what are y’all playing. All the guys were such smart allecs, they said, cards. Thanksgiving was so much fun! Dinner was ready at 6. We had 6 turkeys, sooo much mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffing, jay, vegetables, watermelon, pineapples, and pie. I was a little disappointed because after trip 1, I wasn’t full. But, I was able to go back for seconds and stuffed myself silly. While I missed being with my family (and Gramma’s dressing), it was fun being surrounded by other PCVs. When I went home after dinner and hanging out, my power was still out (it when out that morning, but I didn’t think anything of it because it is a weekly occurrence). But, the next morning, my power was still out and the businesses on the first floor had power. They explained that they came yesterday morning to turn it off.
Now let me explain. I pay my upstairs neighbor because the circuits are connected. Instead of paying the bill, the money went elsewhere. And, he went out of town Thursday morning. So, as I am writing this, I still don’t have power at my apartment. I don’t want to pay the bill because what if he doesn’t feel the need to pay me back for HIS portion? While you may think I’m being ridiculous, his portion is much higher because he has a tv and a refrigerator! So, Mexican Night was lit by lanterns. Everybody was giving me a hard time because I didn’t know how to light it. I’m a city girl with power (when my neighbor pays the bill) who has never needed to light my lantern. So, my brand new, never been used lantern was used for Mexican Night. I felt Mexican Night went so smoothly. We ate on the roof because my apartment was so hot. We had tortillas, meat, beans, guacamole dip (which was extremely popular), salsa (both hot and mild), cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and something similar to sour cream. It was absolutely delicious! And, everybody appeared to be having a good time. 2 annoying things about hosting. Somebody took one of my glasses. And, while I deeply appreciate people cleaning the kitchen, it was so clogged; I had to get a repair guy to come today. I guess people forgot I didn’t have a garbage disposal. He not only pulled out so much food, a spoon made it down the drain too!
Saturday, I went to the English Club meeting. I then cleaned some, and had lunch with Echin and the guy I replaced, Adam, and his girlfriend. Echins’ wife make out of control green beans! They had chicken cooked in it as well! I then went to the Basketball Tournament that Trinh is managing. It was suppose to start at 3. But, it’s Mali, so things got rolling at 4:30. The guys played first, and then the girls. The girls were way more fun to watch because they are so aggressive! I went home and had a wonderful olive oil, tomato sandwich (a little taste of Italy), and read by lantern light. I’ve never had a mosquito problem, but because so many people were in and out of my house, I was thankful to have a mosquito net!
This morning, the repair guy came. (I even programmed him into my cell). He fixed the sink, with I am extremely grateful for. I am at the PC office, and am about to head on to the internet café. I then am going to the Basketball Tournament. Guess what tomorrow is? Monday! Post office day!!!Just a side note: my picture didn’t make it into the calendar. I didn’t make the cut (just kidding! The volunteer putting together the calendar forgot to include my picture). So, if you still want a calendar, just let me know.

Boo (Trinh's Dog) and Me

The computer is way slow today. Hopefully next week will be faster so I can post more pictures!

This Week is OVER!!

Well, other than an eventful start to my week, I spent the majority of my week sick. I felt it coming on, and my body was dead on. I missed 2 days of work and had to leave early one day. I was following the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet, but no matter what I ate, I was sick. So I figured that if I’m going to get sick, I might as well eat.
My eventful start: I woke up last Sunday morning 4ish (BEFORE the rooster!) to guys screaming “Voleur”! (French for Thief!) I know that I wouldn’t have received the Good Samaritan award because I stayed in my bed. Why you might ask? Well, my language isn’t that great, (sad, but true…but it is improving…I hope?!) my self defense skills are lacking, and I’m not going to lie. I was scared (I actually knew what voleur meant!). I adore being on the second floor!! Other than dorm life and living with my family, all my apartments have been on the first floor. Well, the second floor is fantastic! It turns out, the guy who sells gas and is technically homeless woke up to a guy stealing his gas. He runs around and the thief steps on the water pipe and cracks it. The guy gets away. Well, when I wake up the next morning, I was wondering what idiot turned off my water. It turns out, when the guy stepped on the water pipe to get over the fence, he broke it. So my apartment complex and the apartments (I’m using the word apartment loosely) or residences behind are all without water. I talked to the landlord, and within an hour, the repair guy was there. According to my neighbor, the guy who sells the gasoline was the thief. My French is lacking but the facts I know are:

1. there was a thief
2. gasoline was stolen
3. the water pipe was broken

That was the beginning of my week. Then I was sick for several days. On Thursday, I was literally sick, homesick, and it was the first time I ever doubted myself finishing my 2 year service while in Mali (before, I definitely had self doubts, but when I got here, they evaporated…until Thursday that is). I am so glad I have cell phone service!!! I called Trinh and that was good. I then watched the sunset from my roof. I then went to the bakery, and got distracted because Echin lives on the way to the Bakery, so I stopped and chatted. He invited me for dinner, and since I was going to get sick no matter what I ate, I happily accepted. Good decision!!! Chicken, green beans (that could rival Gramma’s), and fried plantains. DELCIOUS!
Last night, I ate dinner with Trinh. She wrote me the sweetest “You can do it” note that said it’s important to celebrate the little victories. Anyway, her dog Boo is a handful (but I think you could say that about most dogs). I was calling him inside because one of his hobbies is terrorizing children. Now it’s not all his fault. If they didn’t scream bloody murder, I’m sure he wouldn’t get a kick out of watching them (excuse me chasing them) around. (The last time I was at Trinh’s he went to the store with me. I told Trinh he would be fine…I was a little wrong…He saw these kids that I didn’t see because it was dark outside. The little boy was hysterically crying, so I picked him up…Boo ended up taking the wrap skirt off one of the girls…) It’s not uncommon for me to call pets food names, so last night, I called Boo Honeybun. Right after I said it, I thought man would a honey bun taste incredible right now! Don’t get me wrong. I like rice, but I think all PCVs have to deal with food cravings that aren’t available here. It’s just funny to me how calling a dog a Honeybun triggered, the oh, I wish I had one now!
Also yesterday, when I was buying vegetables from the market, I was rummaging around trying to find more change. The old lady beside me demanded that I give her some money. I was happy I was able to communicate my idea (while probably not grammically correct). I asked her if she thought I was the bank. I don’t think she got it (she appeared to only speak Bambara), but the guy who was listening thought it was hilarious and told his friends. I probably shouldn’t have said it because she was older than me, and Malians respect their elders. I don’t know. I just get tired of being targeting because I am “blanche” (white). This is my life in Mali.
Today I taught at the English Club meeting. I think it went well. I discussed Women and Children’s Rights. Which reminds me…report cards were given out (Let me rephrase. Each student has a page in their notebook that all the subjects are written down. They are tested on it, and the teacher goes around and writes their scores.) One of the boy’s that lives with Echin (I don’t know if he is Echin’s son or nephew...Here, everybody appears to be brothers and sisters) showed him his scores. Then the girl did. There were 10 subjects, and she got 0s in a few subjects. When I was walking back home, three girls were calling me Tubabu. I explained I was American, not French and asked to see their notebooks. Each girl had a few zeros. I told them it was unacceptable and I would be checking on their next report. Which got me thinking that I hope in February (January is a really busy month), I can go around to different elementary schools in hopes to start a tutoring program for girls. They need (I feel) somebody to tell them that they are smart and zeros are unacceptable. Maybe I can be that person for some girls. I don’t know. I’m also hoping to get a few girl members of the English Club to assist me. It’s one thing for a white American to come in and say that school is important, but it’s another for your neighbor to tell you to study hard. I know school is probably more challenging for girls because they aren’t just students. They go home to become cooks, cleaners, and babysitters.
Mali’s adult literacy rate in 2004 (people 15+ according to worldbank.org) was 26.7% for males and 11.9% for females. Some numbers for thought.
Well, this week is the big Thanksgiving Feast! I was planning on cleaning last weekend, but it never happened, so I will have to do it this weekend. Thanksgiving should be so much fun! Trinh said we are getting 6 turkeys! Because there are so many of us, we are going to be divided into teams: meat team, dessert team (I hope I’m on that one), vegetable team, fruit team, etc. And, the day after is Mexican Night at my house! My next blog should be full of funny stories and lots of pictures.
In case you’re wondering, I’m feeling much better thanks to my new best friend Cipro! I tried to let my body to fight it, but after 4 days of not improving, my body needed medical assistance…Thanks Cipro!

Another Week Has Come and Gone

This week was a good week with the exception of Tuesday (I believe. I forgot my journal, so I’m doing this off my memory.) I was sick on Tuesday. Went I told others, they asked what I ate. I said eggs and bread. They told me that the eggs probably made me sick, but I explained that I ate eggs every day…Go figure. Glad it was only a day and equally as glad that I can vomit in the toilet where I don’t have to see flies and maggots.
Other than that, it’s been a pretty uneventful week.
I broke down Wednesday (I think) because I found out the guy who sells gas is homeless. It just made me really sad. Poverty is everywhere, but because it hit so close to home, I guess it made it more real to me. He speaks Bambara, and I speak a little French, so I told my friend Mama that if he is interested in going to the Caisse (similar to a bank, but you don’t need a lot of money to open an account), I would be more than willing to help him go to the Caisse and help him get an account open (I know you’re thinking what can you do…perhaps just moral support). But again, he may be fine sleeping outside. I personally think his quality of life would be better if he could lock up the gas and truly sleep, not just rest in a broken lounge chair.
I finally got my shower fixed! Hurray! It dripped constantly!! I was trying to make the best out of the situation, so I put a huge bucket under the dripping water, but it got real old. And besides, clothes left in water for 5 days smells bad. I should have done laundry every day, but I think unmotivated would be the best word for doing laundry (by hand might I add) every day. The repair guy came and fixed it. I washed my hands honestly 5 minutes after he left and water was coming out of where the hot water handle should be. (Who would have thought the shower and sink where connected somehow?) I called him back, and it took him 30 minutes to come back! He ended up coming back the next day to fix it. I’m glad I got that taken care of!
Last night, Trinh and I made stir fry. It was delicious! (I actually did the pasta, Trinh did every thing else.) But, I went to the market to get everything. The lady only spoke Bambara, so some guy helped. I didn’t realize my knowledge of French numbers…not so good. I was frustrated. Then, she laughed at me! The guy who spoke some English asked if I were mad. I said no. I was simply embarrassed. I hate being embarrassed. That sounds so stupid. I mean, really, who likes embarrassment? Sigh. Also last night, I got my picture taken at the boutique. We are doing a Sikasso Girls Calendar to help raise money for projects in the Sikasso region. As soon as I know where you can order them, I’ll let you knowJ (all proceeds going to a worthy cause).

I think the calendar shot...nice tan lines!

The guys working at the store and me

This morning, I went back to the English Club. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how motivated these kids are to come on a Saturday at 8 am! I woke up at 6:55 and seriously considered going back to sleep. Also, the bike ride was 20ish minutes and at an incline. I think if I had to do that twice a day (they get a few hours for lunch for praying), I think I would have played hooky a lot in high school…
I was sitting in class this morning and was thinking, how awesome would it be if every member of the English Club could receive a French/English dictionary? I told Trinh, and she thought that was a great idea too, so we are going to work on getting dictionaries. She suggested writing to a publisher. I’ll keep y’all posted on our progress of obtaining dictionaries.
Today, I hope Auburn can redeem itself. Last year, Auburn lost to University of Georgia (I’m talking about football in case you are wondering) my senior year at Auburn. My last home football game as a student, might I add. I hope I get bragging rights this year! (There are 2 UGA alumni PCV).

Integrating City Girl

This is How I Roll...

Many people have told me that the first three months are slow due to adjusting to the culture, practicing the language and such. I guess it’s different for me because I’m a city girl! Who would have thought that I would ever classify myself as a city girl?

Running daily with Trinh has been good for me. Some days are better than others, and I had a bad running day last week. So bad it made it to the blog! I understand how bullied children feel. It sucks. And, ignoring it always doesn’t work. The kids were tormenting us. I think I have it better because I can’t understand all of what they are saying where as Trinh can. It was sad that I was spending my “clear my head” time thinking about all the kids that were causing me distress [this sentence was edited]. I know, the kids are like 10 and they are getting under my skin…sad but true.

Mama and me after our new 'dos

Halloween 2007 was fun….not out of control crazy fun, but fun. I wore an orange skirt and black shirt. Nobody got it except the other PCVs. My friend Mama whom I haven’t seen in a while held a wig in her hand. She was going to the beauty shop and wanted to know if I wanted to come. I was really tired, but I was thinking earlier how I need to integrate more, so I went. The ladies were really nice. They first braided Mama’s hair and then sewed in the wig. Pretty neat. I didn’t bring any money, but they braided my hair too. They didn’t pull it as tight as I think they would have if I were Malian, but that’s okay with me. So, for Halloween, we made chili, no bake cookies, and I brought a watermelon.

Close Up of my new 'do

The Cutest Little Boy and me (did you notice the orange and black?)

I went to my first Malian baptism. Let me back up a bit. When a Malian is pregnant, people do not talk about it. No congratulations, no when are you due, no baby showers, nothing. It was explained to me that people see it as “we know what you were doing 6 months ago…” I personally think because infant death rates are so high here, people don’t want to acknowledge pregnancy because if they lose the baby, they have to acknowledge death also. So, a week after the baby is born, the men get together at like 6 am (after prayer of course!) and the baby is given a name. I don’t know what else goes on here because it’s “for men only”. But, in the afternoon, the women get together. I can describe this because that is what I attended. First of all, I have never attended a baby shower or baptism like this before! Katy and I went to this ladies house (even though we didn’t know who the mom was, padi problem! (not a problem!) When we got there, we sat on a rug because all the chairs were filled. The baby was the child of a big time person, hence why so many people came. I forgot to introduce myself and I forgot to tell them I worked at OMATHO. Oops. Oh, well. Within the first 10 seconds, they passed the baby to us. She was precious! Her name is Nana, and Katy (Malian name Tata) took a picture of us. Check this blog after Thanksgiving because I’ll get the picture from her and post it. Meanwhile, these 2 ladies with microphone/megaphone type things were singing/shouting out blessing. It was crazy! You would give them money and tell them who to bless. We brought soap as a gift. There was a huge tub that you could put the soap in. There was another tub full of fabric! I couldn’t believe how much fabric these women brought the new mom and her child! (another example of the status of the father). We left before they began to eat. When we were leaving, some lady gave Tata a blessing and asked for money. What? We didn’t give her any money. I’m sure she cursed us, but we couldn’t understand her so whatever. Apparently, we were suppose to give a blessing back, but right now, my French isn’t doing so good…there’s no way I can attempt to memorize Bambara blessings! I still haven’t even mastered the Bambara greetings!!! (Good morning. How did you sleep? How is your family? How is your home? Etc. etc.)

Sign for the Festival

Mymoona, me, Marium at the Kickoff

At The Beginning Ceramony

The Festival “Triangle du Balafon” has been so much fun! I’m so glad I went!!! It’s a 3 day competition, so tonight is the last night. The music and dancing and singing…so much fun! And, last night, I sat 2 seats behind the Minister of Culture. You might be saying, whoop big deal, but people stand when he enters a room. I thought it was cool. I don’t know if people are posting pictures and such online, but I would be curious to see if they did.

Stadium where the nightly competitions take place

Lastly, I went to the English Club meeting yesterday at the local high school. Finally, something I’m good at!!! It was so cool to see 90 plus kids on a Saturday morning at 8 am!!! It was funny contrasting the roads to the school to the roads at Dorman University. It was a dirt road and 2 cars couldn’t pass each other without one of them getting into the ditch. Most kids road their bikes and a few had motos. Not everybody had a seat, so there were kids hanging out the window. I hope the kids continue to be motivated and come regualarly.Whew! What a week!

I encourage everyone to check out www.hallmark.com/red. I actually saw these bags being made in Mali. If you want any more information about them, send me an email. They make great Christmas presents and will be going to a much worthy cause.

When I took out my braids...

Life in Africa

Useful Hint for People Waning Their babies off Breastfeeding:
I learned that sometimes women put chili pepper on their nipple for the children that just don’t want to stop breastfeeding. They will begin to drink, and their mouth will burn. Wahla! They will no longer desire breast milk. Oh, the things you learn in Mali!

Where do I begin? Brusse life is SO different than city life! I knew that before going to Fata’s site (American name: Katy), but I think it is more so than I could have ever imagined. For instance, I sometimes get ants in my house. On days where I have the light on in the living room, and take my clean clothes outside, more flying bugs come in. Katy sometimes gets bats in her house. BATS! Now, when I see the ants, I am thankful that they are not gross perhaps rabbi infested bats. Her house is lovely, and I think I could live the Brusse life (no electricity, no running water, and cell phone service? Forget about it!) for 2 years. I just don’t know about the bats.
The reason we went to the village was a French group sponsored a bogolon training. We went at the end to see the end result. On Sunday night, they had a dance party. It was so much fun!!! I unfortunately did not take my camera, so I’ll try to capture it with my words. We all piled into a truck and a car to go to the dance party. I felt it was ridiculous to be riding in a car when it was an easy 10-15 minute walk, but that’s another issue/story. When we got there, somebody got us, as Katy calls them, Princess chairs. It was an outside party, but they got us these nice cushioned chairs that would easily belong in a dining room. We all took a sit, and eventually, joined the circle of dancing. There was a big circle and everybody’s’ (except the Americans) feet were all doing the same thing. There were a bunch of kids in the middle. At one point, 2 kids were beginning to push, I began yelling at them. My nature tongue is English, so they had no idea what I was saying, but I confident that I relayed the message that I was not happy. So, we were all dancing and moving in a circular motion. When people saw me, they laughed and clapped and spoke to me in Bambara. I like to think they were saying “You go girl!” but in reality, I have no idea what they were saying. I just smiled and laughed too. The music was awesome! There were drums, balaphones, and a guy singing. After a few songs, the kids were really rowdy. I saw some men pull tree branches down, and they began swinging at the kids. I don’t think anybody was hurt, but the kids moved much faster and immediately sat down. Then, people took turns dancing. It was like 2-5 in a group. These dancers were AMAZING! Their feet were moving SO fast! I kept on thinking, what if a professional dancer gave them a week of tap lessons? It was truly unbelievable how talented some of these Malians are. And, a lot of times they kicked off their shoes and danced on the ground aka dirt. There was this larger lady, and she took a few turns. It was great! It then began to rain, and most Malians don’t like the rain. So, everybody ran for cover. We ended up leaving.
The next day, they had an awards ceremony. It was great seeing everybody hold up their certificate with a huge grin on their face. After lunch, we headed back to the city.

I was talking to Trinh about needing to integrate more. She got this great idea that we would run daily at the stadium. Integration and exercise: kill 2 birds with one stone. So, on Tuesday afternoon, I show up. Not only am I the only white person there, I am the only woman. Talk about intimidation! Trinh came soon after and we began. The kids drive me crazy calling me Tubabu! Tubabu! (French person) and they call her Chin! (Chinese), even though she is Vietnamese American, and I’m not French. And, then they kept on asking for money. I got irritated at the end, which is exactly what they wanted to happen, so I unfortunately began to mimic them, which got an even bigger response. They got to me. I am trying really hard to ignore their Tubabu comments and demands for money. I figured if they realize that they won’t get a response, eventually they will quit. Let’s hope anyway.
On Thursday, the First Lady of Mali came. I was in the middle of my tutoring lesson, and I asked what was going on outside? My tutor told me the First Lady was in town. People lined the streets. I went outside on my veranda and actually saw the First Lady. She was wearing a vibrant green, smiling and waving. On Friday, I actually saw her speak. She came to Sikasso for her foundation. She gave away sooo much food and materials! I would have loved to have seen the numbers of how many tons of rice that was given away and such. At the beginning, the man who was talking was the “griot grande” the grand storyteller. It was phenomenal. He did the introduction in French, then Bambara, then Fulani, and then some language I can't remember the name of! There were a bunch of kids that were edging their way to the front. Eventually, a guard had to take off his belt and began hitting them. There was so much pushing and talking, I understand why they did that. I think that preventative measures would have been more efficient (i.e. a fence) but whatever.
It was so funny talking to Trinh (another PCV) about security. Laura Bush came to Mali in June 2007. Everybody had to walk through a metal detector and Secret Service was swarming the place. When seeing Lobo Troare (First Lady of Mali) speak, we just sat down. There were assigned seats for important people, so they would obviously make you move but other than that, it was fair game (or it appeared to be fair game. It’s amazing at how much that could perhaps be going on but I’m clueless because of my lack of language). Except for kids, and they had to move a lot. It was just interesting observing the difference in security measures.
On Sunday, I went to Marium’s house to make Zama. Marium is the secretary at Trinh’s work. Zama is one of my favorite Malian dishes. It’s rice (surprise!), but delicious! It is red rice with tomatoes, eggplant, miniature green pumpkins (don’t know the name but I don’t like it because it’s bitter), onions, fish, and potatoes. It was a lot of fun! And, I actually understood some of what was going on. Everybody got a kick out of me because first of all, I’m not a big cook in the states (or at least I have help from my lovely friends and packages) and secondly, I don’t really cut things in my hands. So, the 10 year old saw how hesitant I was cutting things in my hands, so she took the knife and onion from me did it in like 5 seconds. I feel good about preparing this dish at home, but I’m definitely going to use short cuts like a stove. Today, we sat outside and put the pot over wood and charcoal. 2 and ½ hours later, we were done!

I’m sure by now you’re wondering, geez how long was she on the computer? But, I decided that I would type my blogs at the bureau, so I could spend more time on other important things when paying for the internet (such as Auburn football, cnn.com, goupstate.com, writing emails, posting pictures, etc. etc.).

Upcoming Events:
October 31st: Halloween
November 2nd-4th: Festival in Sikasso
November 8th: Going to Bamako (another entry material; meeting with the previous volunteer about the Waterfall project)
November 23th: Thanksgiving
November 24th: Mexican Night (@ my place!!! Est. amount of guests: 70!!!)

Side note: Will try to format better when I get more time on the computer.

Watermelon....My new favorite fruit

Hilarious story of the Week:
I had tutoring all week!!!! 30 HOURS!!! Anyway, I ate with my homologue, Echin. He is like my mentor, boss, and friend all rolled into one. He's a terrific person!!! I am blessed to have him as my homologue. (I didn't want to cook all week 3x a day for my tutor...is that bad?) So, I think this past Tuesday (seriously this week has been a big blur) after dinner, we go to the bakery and get eggs for breakfast. While walking there, I saw a dead goat. It was on the ground about to be put in the car. I tried really hard not to look at it, but I did. Imagine my surprise when it made this horrendous SAVE ME noise! I was so startled I SCREAMED!!! There were a bunch of people outside (you guessed it...making tea). They couldn't stop laughing. I honestly believe if someone caught the incident on tape, it would have won something on AFHV (America's Funniest Home Videos). I walk past the same people every day, buying bread and eggs, that I still get people mimicking my scream even 4 days later....I don't know if I'll ever live it down...

I am so glad that this week is over!!! My tutor came Monday night. (I thought she was coming on Tuesday) so of course, my house is a wreck (typically when I say a wreck, I mean it looks like a tornado, but it was only wreckess looking). She went to dinner so I scrambled to get the apartment looking decent. I was really nice at the beginning of the week, but my patience grew thin. Her English is okay, not great. What really annoyed me was when she would spell a word, and get e, i , and a mixed up!! My notes of so many scribbles in them. Sigh. The tutor that PC sent had no idea what she was getting into!! I definitely needed someone with more experience. One good thing that I took away from this is I really need to study French for an hour a day, and practice speaking more. So, there was so goodness out of this situation. (Did I mention she stayed in my house, ate all her meals with me...basically 24/7!!! If (IF) I get married, this guy is going to have to be one heck of a guy....too much of one person=Katie gets easily annoyed, impatience, and 20 other negative adjectives.

Okay, my title. I love watermelons. I think instead of using "rainy season" and "hot season", I'm going to use fruits. It is watermelon season and I am so happy because of this! There are piles of delicious watermelons! And, for about2 USD, what a deal! Watermelons were okay in the states. But here? ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Another thing I like about watermelons, it is definitely a group fruit. Really, how many people can eat a grape? To thank Echin for feeding me all week, I have bought 3 watermelons this past week. It makes me soooo happy that so many people can enjoy them. His house is kinda like our house at Christmas time. So many people and you can't really link everybody. Yesterday, I just sat at his house and smiled....12 people were enjoying the watermelon.

Tomorrow, I am going to live Brusse. Brusse is anywhere that doesn't have electricity, running water, toilets, etc. and is in the middle of no where. There is a program for artisans and I'm just tagging along. I don't know the name of the town, but my next post, I'll put it. I have such a schedule...Internet on Sundays, post office on Mondays (I LOVE MONDAYS!), tutoring on Wednesdays, Lunch with Echin on Fridays, etc. I hope that I will have more places to go and more things to do, I won't have such a rigorous (not the right word but can't think of the right word and I only have 10 more minutes), maybe self-imposed rigid? So, my next blog will be October 29....I know changing it up. My coPCV is getting online, so it will be good to catch up with her. I will definitely take pictures of this city girl living the Brusse life!

A BIG week ahead of me!

Morning of Ramadan, view from my roof. Lovely!
Embarrassing Story of the Week:

There was a big meeting on Tuesday. I decided i would be good if I went to show that I'm interested and I care. I came in late (which is fine...WAIT), and there were a bunch of people sitting on the left side. I thought I would balance it out and sit on the right. I failed to notice that I was sitting on the side with all the elders. And, I didn't realize that I was sitting in the fancy, black executive chair (with all the elders), and I probably should have been on the crappy chair side. I knew I did something wrong by the looks I was getting. They were saying something, and the guy I worked with said "Corps de la Paix", and they let me slide. After 10 minutes into the meeting, I decided I would switch sides. I found out the next day, I sat in the mayor's seat...oops. (The mayor was later than me or I wouldn't have had the opportunity to sit in his seat!)

I think on Tuesday, I went around to all the hotels in Sikasso. Most of them are surprisingly nice! I already found the place where my parents are staying. It kinda reminds me of the Virgin Islands, it's near my apartment, and has a great view.

This past Friday was the end of Ramadan. I went through the market on Thursday night, and it was similar to last minute Christmas shopping. Craziness!!! Ramadan is like Christmas without music, decorations, Santa, church, etc.

I ate with my homologue Echin on Friday. We had 2 types of cous cous (but one wasn't called cous cous, it just looked like it), cow meat, lamb meat, vegetables, yogurt type thing, watermelon, papayas, AND bananas! I bet this is how Muslims feel during Christmas time. It was so cool walking around because all the kids got new outfits. Ramadan...it's a big deal. Some people go into debt 3 months of salary! It is acceptable if a wife doesn't get new clothes to leave her husband!

Lindsay came in from Bamako and we made banana bread in a brusse oven! I turned on the stove too high, so the ends were burnt and the center was cobbler like...I'm confident I will become a BB expert. (It's soooo good!:)

There is a film festival in Burkina Faso every two years, so February 2009, I'm going and am looking forward to it! I was planning on going to Egypt in May 2008, but I think it's going to cost 2 arms and a leg to get there...go figure...same continent! So, I'll try to hit it on my way out, after COS.

This week:

I have a tutor coming this week. Her name is Fati? Anyway, it will be great to have someone to practice my French with 24/7. She is staying at my house, and we get to eat at Echin's for lunch and dinner. (Not going to lie...pretty excited about that!) So, I hope that my French will improve drastically this week!

I go to the post office every Monday. I appreciate the other volunteers getting my mail, but I don't think they understand if they get my mail, I won't have anything on Monday! I love going to the post office! I guess I'll have to explain to everybody that it's one of the highlights of my week.

Right now:

People at the Internet cafe are telling me I'm beautiful, asking me if I'm married, etc. Oh, the people you meet!

Saturday night fun! The next time you want to complain about laundry, it could be worse...