Life is Grand

I am sitting by the pool in Segou, using whi fy internet. Isnt that great?!

This most eventful part of my week was going to Segou. The bus schedule listed that a bus would leave sikasso at 8 am, but we ended up leaving at 9. But, what was so memorable was sitting and waiting while people watching. A teenage Malian girl and an adult Malian woman were getting into it. I dont know what was said, until a Malian who spoke impressive English sat beside me and explained it to me. Apparently, the teenager told the woman that nobody could beat her in this area. The woman said oh yeah, well i can, and then proceeded to try to hit her. A Malian man broke it up, and in Mali, they use 3rd party intervention. The individual listens to both sides of the story, and it really helps calm them down (most of the time). The woman just thought it was disrespectful.
Then in Koutiala, some body thought they were getting gyped out of money. That "discussion" (as the guy beside me told me...i would have probably used yelling match but whatever) lasted 30 minutes. TIA.

Segou is wonderful, except the harrassment from garabos, tour guides, etc. Laying by the pool, reading, listening to an ipod was how I spent my afternoon. Just like an enthralling book, I forgot where I was for a few hours today!

Segou is a much needed break. So glad I'm here!