Random Details

So 1) emily, I love the questions and comments. They make me happy. hahaha. And congrats on the CNN job!! (I want everyone to know about your amazingness). Kristine - I forgot to tell you that your crossword puzzle book has been like a saving grace in times of boredom and fatigue from speaking bambara!!!! Also, I will try to tell more stories because I feel like I havent really been able to do this place justice. Its hard to give an overview and get details, but I shall strike a balance. So I never mentioned the stars. I thought that we could see the stars really well back at home, but I have never ever seen a sky like the ones here. The constellations are the same b/c I'm still in the Northern hemisphere, but lower down, like the big dipper is close to the horizon. And the stars are just amazing, there are so so many. And the rain storms are my favorite, they are CRAZY, the lightening and the sheets of rain are just unbelievable. And the storms roll in pretty fast so there is literally a line in the sky of black and blue. I have some pics so when I go to my site permanently I can finally upload them. Ok, that is all for now. I probably won't be posting for a while b/c we are in homestay for 20 days, but then we have swear in on september 12th, which is supposed to be sooooo fun, its at the embassy and ambassador's house. So I am looking forward to that! Miss everyone!!

Site Visit!!

So I just got back from my site visit! I spent a week there. It was really awesome, I was nervous at first because its kinda scary to see where I'm going to be for the next two years!! So i dont even really know where to start. So I'm replacing a previous volunteer, so he was there throughout my site visit, which was amazing. He put up pictures around my hut and left me a ton of stuff, which was awesome b/c as far as my decorating skills go, I would be living in an empty box for the next two years without him. I dont know how I would have survived without him! hahaha. He showed me around, introduced me to people, and all that stuff. The week went really fast. We went into the regional capital to check that out. And just kinda hung out for the week. I really like the site...its going to be tough in the beginning since I cant really communicate, but after the first three months it'll get a lot easier. And a bunch of people speak french, which is AMAZINGLY helpful. My host brother makes me sit and talk with him every night in bambara, which is exhausting after a full day, but one day I will love him for it. My house is pretty nice, its two rooms with my outdoor bathroom. My bedroom and then my kitchen/living area. I live within my host family concession, which is nice to have people around, although sometimes I'm sure I'm going to have to have me time and lock myself in my hut. hahaha. Just kiddddding. The town is a decent size, like just under 3000. There is a danish NGO there too, Borne Foundation, which does awesome work in the schools and with healthcare. There are a bunch of boutiki's (like general stores) and bread place, a gendarme station, the CSCOM which is like a doctor's office, a school, a refugee camp, and some other stuff. Its on a main road, which makes transportation pretty easy, as far as Malian transportation goes.

The guy I'm replacing also had started a project that hasn't been completed yet, so I'm going to attempt to finish them. its a little daunting, but It'll keep me busy for the first few months which are supposed to be the hardest and it'll get me into the community faster than if I didn't have anything to do. And it's a really great project that I think the town will really appreciate. Plus if all else fails, I told him that I would frantically call him up and he would have to fix whatever I mess up. hahaha. Ok my computer is running out of battery and I need to find a plug, but I will report more soon!!

Site Visit Here I Come

So!! We found out our sites, I'm in the Sikasso region which is south eastern mali. It is supposed to have the best food in Mali (its all relative, hahaha). Speaking of food, i guess that one came up a lot, what I eat. Well, its a LOT of starches, potatoes, rice, millet, bread, macaroni. hahaha, its always exciting to get beans, meat, or veggies. Vegetables have to be bleached or totally cooked so they dont really give us many in homestay. Once I get to site I can cook for myself (well, eat things raw) and Sikasso has a lot of fruits and vegetables. My family gives me a lot of fish, which is awesome and sometimes chicken or mystery meat which I choose not to ask what it is. hahaha. My daily routine now is I wake up at around 6:30, take my bucket bath (which I actually love, its in an inclosed area with no roof and the walls are low enough so I look out over the sun rise or the sunset), greet everyone in my compound (greeting people in mali is realllllly important), my mom brings me bread with peanut butter and tea. Then I get an oatmeal like food. Then I go to class until 12, come back for lunch, sit around with my family, sometimes make tea (its this whole long amazing process that involves cool pouring techniques, which I have yet to master), then I go back to class until like 5, then come back, hang out, take another bucket bath, eat dinner around 8, then chat with the fam or make tea until I got to sleep. The latest I can stay up is like 9 o'clock. hahaha. We've actually had some good conversations too. I told them about how there are african americans, which they were really surprised about. The other night I told them how long it takes to get to mali from america and how you cant get directly there. They always think its funny when things are the same in america as they are here, like the fact that we can see the moon and have corn and goats, they think is hilarious. These conversations take place all in bambara, although sometimes if I'm lucky there is some french thrown in if someone is visiting. And the other night I walked past the boys who were watching TV (they don't really have electricity in my village but they have literally a car engine hooked up to a black and white television, and everyone in mali watches this brazilian soap opera that is dubbed in french) anyway, so it was in french, and I was like do you guys understand this? and they were all like yeah of course. And I was like WHY HAVENT YOU BEEN SPEAKING FRENCH TO ME THEN?!?! hahaha, they thought it was great, especially when I said that they know i cant speak bambara but they speak french but refused to speak french with me. haha. Ok, i'm trying to upload pictures but the internet here really sucks, so I will try again but no promises!!! And i will report back more after the next two weeks b/c we are going on our site visits so I will see where I am going to spend the next 2 years!!!