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!