Introducing...Lala!

I am back at the PC area, and I Have so much to say!!!!! I should have brought my journal...if I forgot any huge adventures, I'll write tomorrow.

So, I went a few weeks ago to a town where I am living for about 9 weeks. I got off the bus, and there was music, dancing, and clapping. It was great! I went to my house and I am basically living in a Hilton. Tile floors (even on the outside patio), fans, and ... ELECTRICITY! But, I was really happy that they have a well in the courtyard area so I don't have to get up even earlier to get water. We had orientation, and I ate my first dinner with my family. We sit on the floor and eat with our RIGHT hand!! Just to clarify, not everybody is right handed in Mali. My brother is lefthanded, and he eats with a spoon. I also recently met a little girl who is lefthanded. I eat with my mom, Mariam and sister Bentwo (phanetically spelled). My mom is so funny! She speaks 3 langauges and a little English, so we make do. She loves posing for the camera! My father formerly worked for the food bank, but has been disabled for the past 7 years. I have 3 brothers. Hibip is 29. He owns a botique and is really nice. Next is Isumel. He is 22 and is studying to become a judge. Muhammed aka Papa is 20. Bentwo is 12. We have a house keeper. She is 12 and works so hard!! She cooks, cleans, is always up before me and goes to sleep after me. I'm still not crazy about the yagen. There are so many flies all the time!!!

I got sick when I first got there. Not fun. I had a fever and was burning up in my room! But, I would rather throw up than have dirareha. And, I did make it to the yagen. The next day, my mom was upset because I was refusing to eat. All I wanted was bread. So, I got bread for dinner. I was almost done, and she sent the housekeeper to get me butter. They don't have a fridge, I didn't want to refuse, so I put butter on my bread. I ended up getting sick, and not making it to the yagen. The next day, she told my brother to tell me when I am full to quit eating. I was so appreciative of that.

Everybody gets a new Malian name when they arrive in homestay. My mom named me Lala Maiga. I am named after her sister. I love my name! We are somewhat like rockstars. Everybody wants to shake your hand, etc. Kids chant "Tubabu" which is white person. I was so tired of that, so I introduced myself, so now kids chant "Lala!!!" It's so much better than "tubabu".

Typical day at Homestay:
Wake up at 7 am. Put water in my bucket for a bath. It takes 30 miunutes to bathe. No joke. Eat bread and jam for breakfast. Go to class. Class starts at 8:30, but I'm usually early. Language, language, and more language. I leave at 12:30 for lunch. Lunch is rice and a sauce with meat in it. I don't always know what the meat is. I think it's better that way. We watch these horrible French soaps. I go back to class at 2:30 and we do language and cross culture (i.e. gender roles in Mali, etc.) I go home at 5:30, and sometimes stop for a soft drink (heaven in my mouth.) I sometimes bath, depending on if it's raining or how gross I am. I hang out with my family and do homework. We eat about 8:00, rice and sauce, and
I'm beat. I write in my journal and go to sleep. I sleep outside because it's too hot to sleep inside.

We are back at "House of Doves" for a few days. Emily and I were in our room telling stories from our homestay when the turtle came up to our door. We were like what do we do? He was trying to get in and broke our screen! We got Susie to distract him. It's craziness.

Alot of PCT say TIA. So, I'll end it with "This Is Africa".

picts: my house, my mom, and my brother Ismel and me