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!