Update

I am currently sitting in the hospital, in between my sleeping/recovering mom and the window.  I'm freezing cold.  The window gives me the view of the fresh snow that has just blanketed the North East.  In Albany, we are up to about 7inches.  A small amount for this area.  

I have not really enjoyed my time back home.  This trip was totally unexpected and unwanted.

The light of my world, my most favorite person in the world, my best friend ever passed away on Friday, November 21st.  My Grandma was the most amazing person in the world.  Always happy, always smiling, always with something funny to say.  I am reminded by many to be thankful that I was able to say goodbye to her, yet right now that is not comforting.  I was not ready to say goodbye.   I spent days at her bedside, watching her suffer, watching her rapidly deteriorating.  Not getting more than 1hr of sleep at a time because of the nursing staff that came in the room to take vitals, change the sheets, administer medicine.  I couldn't leave her though, I did not want her to be alone.  Death is not a pretty thing.  My grandma was more than a grandmother to me.  She was always my rock, in my crazy, uneven life.  A piece of me goes with her passing.  She was going to be 90 on Jan. 28. 

  

Now my mom is battling breast cancer, stage 2 so there is a high survival rate.  Again, I am reminded it could be worse, that breast cancer is 'one of the better cancer's to have.'  One must look on the bright side...I am constantly being beaten by my own positiveness.  She will be ok, nonetheless this still sucks.  This is just the beginning of her battle.  She is so positive though; a quality we inherited from my grandma.

I'm so thankful for the big family I have; their constant support.  I've now gotten in touch with friends from long ago.  Unfortunately, I feel that I have lost a friend or two along this rough road.    I am grateful for my gains, I cannot dwell on those losses.  Overall, I have never cried as much as I have in the past few weeks.  I hurt.  My heart hurts.  Nights are often sleepless because that is when I think of my grandma the most.  Sleeping in my childhood bed that my grandma would share with me when she stayed with us when we were young is the most painful.  She would always warm her feet up on me and call me 'a hot tamale.'      Everything I do reminds me of her.  She was such a huge huge part in my life.  

So many emotions right now, but over all complete sadness hovers over me. I know I will be ok, but right now this double whammy is still in process.  My grandmothers wishes were to be buried with her husband, in Arlington Cemetery.  She passed on Nov.21 and the earliest they could get her in was the 6th of Jan.  So, we wait.  At least I'll be able to spend the holidays with my family.  Thanksgiving was a rough one though.  I'm not looking forward to Christmas (my favorite holiday).

Lastly, I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.  It's nice to know people care.  I I truly miss Mali, my friends and my life.  I am anxious to get back and get out of this unbearably cold, dreary weather!

nseeeeee

Going back to USA.  Family emergencieS-plural.  Life really throws you things that you never think possible, but I will deal and will be ok.  Malian adventures to be continue in 1 month...in sha allah.  Por favor recuerda me en tus pensamientos. K'an ben soooooni.

Elections

Elections are tomorrow!  Pretty important times.  I am in my little Malian bubble, waiting on news from home.  Things are pretty  upside down for me right now.  I am with good friends right now- what I need the most.  

For Every High, There is a Low

Well, I had a feeling that I would jinx myself by writing about how good life is...yesterday I got some very hurtful news from a best friend (not you Shauna)- that threw me off and my head was in an upset fog for my bike ride back to Megans chateau.  I went to buy some bread and on my way from to bakery to her house I dropped my wallet.  The money is not a big deal, it's that I bought the wallet in Amsterdam, had my AZ license in it, and my Visa card.  Just a big inconvince.  As a result of my absentmindedness/deshelved state of mind I am now learning of the inner workings of the justice system in Mali.  I went to the police station to report the lost wallet...after waking up at 5am (as soon as the sun rose, but only got 1hr of sleep because I was up all night thinking) to search the scene of my possible self-imposed crime.  No wallet found.  Anyway, it took about 45min. to get an official paper with a real fancy stamp on it saying that my wallet was reported missing.  I am now off to the local radio station to make an announcement:  The white girl lost her wallet.  Please return it.  This radio announcement will be aired throughout the Segou region, I don't want to think of how many people will be listening to the plea for my wallet.   I am hoping it will be someone that knows about the whereabouts of my wallet.  Things could be worse.  A wallet is replaceable.  

I am going to try to be positive about this-as a result:  Megan and I sat outside with her neighbors last night and drank our 3 cups of tea.  We chatted, I learned about Malian/West African Music, gave some English lessons,  and learned about Togo (one of the guys is from there).  Alfa Blonde-check them out; good reggie group from Cote D'Ivoire.  I stayed long enough to chat with Brian, my dad, and get an email from my new Spaniard friend!

Anyway, my stay here in Segou is now being extended until tomorrow.  I now go get to drink Lebanese coffee and attempt to do belly dancing lessons again (we ate too much last time, so we just couldn't do it).  Megan will visit me in Kamona for the weekend so she can experience 'the real Peace Corps' for 2 days.  I am excited for a visitor!  I'll be back in Segou for the elections.  I get to work on my organic garden for the next 10 days!  

Living Abroad, Life is Great

Anyone that gets an opportunity to live abroad should go for it!  I am having amazing experiences over here in Mali (as well as in Bruxelles and Nicaragua).  As I've said before, I never know what the day is going to bring me when I wake up in the morning.  Yesterday was going to be a calm saturday, sit at the pool and go on the internet.  I ended up hanging out at my favorite Segou spot-L'Auberge until about 11pm, then continued on to places I had never been to before.  It was one of those nights that I was expecting nothing big to happen and ended up having my best night in Mali so far.  Awesome company, live music, dancing, laughter, and great pictures!  I have been lucky to befriend the locals here.  Locals meaning they are not originally from here, but now reside in Segou because of work or family working here.  Megan and I were chatting with our Lebanese friend and made fun plans for today.  In about 1hr I will have belly dancing lessons! I  can't wait!  I have also been introduced to really good Lebanese food, and am simultaniously learning French and even some Arabic words.  Learning about other people cultures and way of life is so fun and really opens  your eyes to life.    I now have plans to go kyaking up the Niger next time I come out to Segou, as well as other fun excursions.  

Life is really great.  On my bike ride home from last Segou trip I was thinking.  I am truely happy right now.  Despite being without all of the luxuries that I am accustomed to ie: electricity, running water, tv, constant internet, a refridgerator, a car, et al. I am really happy.  I am doing exactly what I've dreamed of doing- working in Africa, doing development work.  I don't have to go into an office building everyday, or have to eat lunch at a scheduled hour.   I have formed some really great friendships, am learning a few languages, and overall just doing something totally crazy and adventurous!  Of course everything is not perfect.  I miss my family and friends back home, I don't have a special someone to share this experience with, and I can't just hop on an airplane whenever I want to get out of town, but I will have all of that when I get back to the US.  Right now, I am focusing on my work that I need to accomplish while here, but also completely savoring every moment that I experience here.  I have been given an amazing opportunity, and I am happy that I am able to share it with everyone in this blog and through pictures.  

Alright, I better go now.  Dancing lessons and special food!    

Lessons Learned

Text originally written on Oct.10

Yesterday, as I was about to leave my counterparts home after picking cotton, it was brought to my attention my rear bike tire needed air.  Possibly there was a hole it in, I didn’t know.  I pumped it up and off I went.  Maybe it was just a slow leak?

This morning I had plans to pick beans- I went to pull my bike out of the house and noticed the tire was completely flat!  No bid deal I thought, this will be as good a time as ever to learn how to change a bike tire- a rear bike tire no less!  I took out my PC bike manual, got the replacement tube and the special bike tools we were given.  I then flipped the bike upside down and started:

Step 1-release the brake.  How do I do this I thought to myself….after some tinkering and picture diagrams, I managed to release it.  So far so good.

Step 2-Lift the tire quick release.  This is the step that I’ve seen done before, didn’t look too hard, and thought I could do it without too much trouble.  Well, it wouldn’t be so difficult if I had a bike that had been maintained. I am currently using a loaner bike, a recently departed old vols bike, until our new bikes come in from Cote d’Ivorie.  The tire release handle didn’t want to move, so I had to hammer it loose.  This noise caught the attention of a young boy (there is ALWAYS someone passing by that wants to know what is going on).  He tried to put his two cents in but at this point I started getting annoyed and didn’t want to hear it.  He left.  I got my Gerber knife out- tried to unscrew the bolt.  Nada.  Then took the bike oil out to try to loosen the screw.  The young kid came back with two wrenches.  I appeased him, tired using the wrenches but still couldn’t loosen the bolt. I am now at the height of my frustration because if only this bike was taken care of this small task of changing a bike tire wouldn’t have been so difficult.  My little friend then tried himself to unscrew it.  It worked!  I was so excited and felt like a real jerk for not wanting to accept help.  I asked the boy how old he was, he didn’t know.  I played the guessing game…10yrs old I asked? ‘Yes’ he answered.  He didn’t look 10.  14? Yes, again.  I thought then that maybe he really didn’t know his age.  I took another stab in the dark. 100years old?  ‘Yes’ he replied. We finally agreed that he was 1000years old, with a big smile on both of our faces.  So myself and my 1000year old friend proceeded to take the wheel off the frame and from there he took over.  I stepped back and let the pro handle it.  At his point my homologue dad-Etienne stopped by with his little radio playing. He also wanted to know what the commotion was about going on in my front porch.  I told him I had a flat tire.  He then grabbed the old tube, sat on the ground with us and started looking for the hole to repair.  Within a minute, he found the hole, I gave him the repair sticker and he did the Malian “ehh?!”  It’s a great noise people make here when we see/hear something we don’t’ believe or think is crazy!  It’s great.  So, I explained to him that’s what we use to cover up tire holes.  He thought it was great, with a smile on his face he adapted to my western concoction and successfully patched the tube.  At this point person #3 stops by.  He wants to see what is going on.  This is the young man that runs the grain-grinding machine about 50meters from my house, and the apparent owner of the borrowed wrenches. 

Well, now my rear bike tire is repaired!  Together Mr. 1000 yr old and I put the tire back on frame, placed the chain back into position, tightened the cleaned screws, and I let my new friend test it out.  Now, to put things into a little perspective, I haven’t owned a bike since my pink, banana seat Huffy.  I stopped riding because the helmet law came into effect in New York.  Kids under the age of 13 had to wear them.  I thought they were ugly and swore off riding until I was old enough to not wear one.  Dumb right?  You all know me though, and know I am telling the sad truth!  I have been on a bike since then- my proudest bike moment was riding over the Golden Gate, into Sausalito, and all over San Fran.

Moral of story: I am proud to now be able to change a bike tire, but more importantly, what I learned from a 1000-year-old kid (he was most likely 12).  It is ok to ask for help, you can find it in least expected people or places.  Don’t expect to rely solely on yourself all of the time.  The sense of community here is amazing.  If anyone seess you working on something, they want to help.  I am sure glad they did help because I was ready to kick the bike over and wait for my new bike to come.  Instead, I fixed it, rode into Bla, bought some eggs and produce.  I had a nice eggs sandwich for lunch…which brings me to lesson #3, learn that day:  don’t buy eggs and transport them on Malian dirt rode 10k- they will break.  I managed to salvage 3 out of 4, but one of them being cracked. 

Finally, lesson #4 learned today- I can mess up even Easy Mac!  I left too much water in it when adding the instant cheese mix.  I successfully made it a few days ago though and it was just right! 

Overall, it was a great day!  Many things learned. 

 

Update, Oct. 18.  My new bike arrived the following Sunday.  It’s a pretty bike; it’s a brand new, dirt free bike!

Back to Village Life

I will be heading back to Kamona today.  My wonderful friend Megan lets me stay at her palace here in Segou whenever I want.  I say palace because it has the following:  running water, a toilet, a shower, ceiling fans, electricity, a place to sleep, tile floors, and of course-my good friend Megan.  I am so grateful to her hospitality.  Megan is a fellow PCV serving here in Mali. Her job is to work with the artisans here.  So, if you want any Malian hand crafts, she's your woman.

I am going to attempt to spend the next 11 days in my village.  It won't be bad at all.  It makes coming into Segou even more rewarding.  This week I plan on working in the fields more, getting to know more of the locals, and exploring my environment on the bike.  I don't think there are any special events going on in town.  School started yesterday for the kids, so it should be a bit calmer now.  I start my Bambara lessons this Saturday.  In a few months I will start French lessons.  My goal is to be quadralingual: English, Spanish, French, and Bambara.  I love languages!  

 Until then....

A link to Pictures!

I am having a really difficult time getting pictures up on this blog, so here is a link for you to use to look at my pictures.  Hope it works!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2126438&l=aceae&id=10508052

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125314&l=37e5a&id=10508052

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125314&l=37e5a&id=10508052  

Toubab

For those of you who forgot: a Toubab is to Mali what a Gringo is to Mexico/Latin America=white person.

Oktuburu

 It’s October!  ‘Octuburu’ in Bambara.  If I were in the NEast fall would be starting; apple season coming into full swing, the leaves turning, and cold nights. Instead I am in Mali.  Mini hot season is starting as rainy season is ending.  Its hot/humid!  School is starting for the kids here and the crops are beginning to be harvested.  Ramadan is over.  The parties lasted about 3 days.  I didn’t attend any of them, sad to say.  I sure did hear the music blaring though!  I did decide to ride my bike into ‘dugu kono’ (inside of town), and saw a bunch of kids in a big crowd dancing to music….as soon as they saw me they yelled ‘Toubabu’ I very quickly rode away from the mob!

A BIKE!

I finally got my temp. .bike from PC.  All vols get a bike loaned to them for their 2yrs. of service.   It’s great bc now I can bike to Bla, which I am working on my time, but so far is taking me about 40min. to bike the 10k.  I am laughed at by the Malians, saying that it only takes them 20min, but I don’t know how that is possible when it takes a motorbike that much time.  The concept of time is pretty relative here-you say something will start at 830am and maybe if you are lucky things will be rolling by 1030am.  I digress.  Anyway, the 10k is all dirt, little hills, and always the occasional heard of cows that I get deathly afraid of when passing.  I also have to always greet people when I pass them, tell them where I am going, and that I will greet everyone at my destination for them…so that always takes some minutes away from my time.  My goal is to ride at least 3-4times a week into Bla.  Round trip is about 14miles.  Good exercise.   

This leads into my next small topic: my fear of cows!  This is a fear that I forgot I had, but it’s alive and well here in Mali.  I used to think cows were nice, docile animals that gave us all milk.  I’m totally wrong.  The cows here all have big horns that are just staring at you, ready to take the plunge into your body.  An acquaintance here actually got mauled by one.  Blood, stitches, surgery, fear.  Those thoughts are always in my head when I see some cows coming my way.  The herders always see that I’m afraid, get a big kick out of it, then clear a path for me.  I am convinced it is something with my white skin that draws the cows to come near me….maybe it’s just my paranoia.  Either way, I don’t like them…especially bc they don’t even provide milk for me here!  Last week I got stuck behind a heard on my bike ride back from Bla.  It slowed me down about 10min. bc I couldn’t pass them!  They are huge animals!  Come out here and you would be afraid too.  I just know it. 

I’m a cotton picker!  I have now done it twice- it was pretty cool!  My neighbors have a cotton field and as I was passing by one day, they yelled for me to come over and work!  I laughed and said I would watch them bc they were doing such a good job all on their own.  Well, they finally convinced me to come over and that Awa would teach me.  This is how it works: you pull.  Haha, pretty easy.  Not so easy when your allergies start bothering you and your nose is running endlessly.  I forgot to bring toilet paper with me, and wanted to blow on a freshly picked ball of cotton but KNEW I would totally offend/surprise/shock my fellow pickers.  Tissues for blowing your nose or wiping your butt are not used by the locals here.  That can be another story for another day.  So, the allergies persisted.  Cotton picking isn’t as difficult as I thought it was.  Maybe I’ve been lucky so far bc I have seen other friends hands cut up, but my delicate soft hands are still just that way!  I was told the cotton would be sold and shipped off to the US, so next time you go to bed in your nice cotton sheets, or put on a soft cotton shirt think of where that cotton may have come from and who picked it!  After the cotton is all pulled, the millet will need to be harvested!  I will need to buy a machete for that one.  Just kidding.   I think they chop it down with some knife though.  No tractors or heavy machinery here in my village!

On a last note.  I am pretty happy here. I am meeting some really cool people from all over the world: Malians, Spaniards, South Africans, Lebonese, Swedish, Germans-all here doing development work.  It’s a great community of people that are all so friendly.  I’ve been able to use my Spanish, but unfortunately I throw Bambara words in by accident. 

This is it for now.  I really do have a ton more things I could write about, as everyday something crazy/cool/akward/funny happens.  I am going to try and stay in village for the next few weeks, until Halloween is my goal.  I feel bad for leaving Kamona, but then again I am a traveler and get really restless being in the same place for an extended period of time (6days is the norm).  Also, the temptation of running water showers and toilets, ice cream, pizza, internet, ceiling fans, and English speaking friends is always in the back of my mind.  We shall see how long I last en bruce .

Ps-I just remembered to write this.  My friend in village is a French teacher, I am always interested in education abroad, so had a ton of questions for her.  Well, she is a 2^nd grade French teacher.  Last year she had 61students in her class.  They have a little paper book that is about 4pages long, that has some French grammar in it.  I am awed that you can have 61 little ones in a classroom.  They write on little individual chalk boards. At least chalk is provided to the teachers.  I am sad she will be leaving Kamona to go teach in another city.  She was a good friend in village.    

Kamona My New Homa

I have a house!  Technically I am now moved into my first house.  I am still arranging things, but I have a gas stove, a full sized bed, my wonderful Nicaraguan hammock, and food!  

I lasted 10 days in my new community and am happy to announce that I LOVE where I will be living.  The community seems fairly active and there are a lot of projects I can possibly work on.  I have already started thinking of what I want to plant in my garden plot (the women here have a huge fenced in garden space...I get prime location next to the well).  This next week I will try and yaala yaala around the community more, to chat with people and let them get to know me a little.  There is also work in the fields to do.  Corn is just coming out, and soon the cotton fields will be needing tended to.  Pretty fun.  

Last sunday I went to my first Malian Christian church service.  It was great!  I didn't understand a word anyone was saying, but somehow I managed to figure out that the new people in attendance had to stand up and say there names-of course everyone stared at the Toubab (me).  The coolest part of that experience was the music.  They played the drums and were singing, clapping, and swaying so happily!  Like, the real african drums that you would think would be here in Africa!  My church has them!  

To stay on the topic of religion, Ramadan is over this tuesday.  There will be a big party tues. night.  I am all over it!  Not a typical party I am used to.  I am sure there will be dancing, def. no alcohol involved though.  Men and women kept separate...but I usually am the exception.  More cultural experiences!  Pretty cool.

Lastly, these past few weeks have been really up and down.  Things back in the US are fine now, grandma is out of the hospital and happily walking again.  On my bus ride into the city yesterday I had my realization that yes, I am living in Africa.  I am living in AFRICA!!!!  I can do this!  It's pretty intense.  I have an amazing opportunity, great people to work with, and some real potential to positively help some people and their families.  

Oh, one side note- for those of you who know me well....I am eating EGGS!  I decided it's time that I just like them.  There are many benefits to eating them.  So, I've been making scrambled eggs with fresh onions, peppers, and tomatoes!  So good!  I think the fresh veggies makes them though! 

Pictures that are posted, you'll have to guess which is which because it is a miracle I can even post them: A big, beautiful Baobob tree.  We have many of them throughout the Segou region.  There is also a picture of me on my hammock at my new pad.  There is also a picture of me in front of our broken down Bashee.  I was on my way to my friends village and the 'mobili' broke down.  After about 10 min, and a push start we were on our way again.  Oh yeah, and about 20 people were crammed into that thing!  There is also a picture of me with Shea nuts.  They were some beautiful nuts!

Going Home (Malian Home)

This picture is of the Niger River, taken here in Segou.  Sunsets are the most beautiful here. 

This morning I am finally leaving to settle into my new home.  I am nervous, excited, anxious, and don't want to leave all at the same time.  My new house is cute- 2 rooms, I have my own nygene attached to the back, and I have a nice gwa (hangar) in front of my house that I will hang up my hammock and read endlessly there!  Over the next 10 days or so I will be doing a lot of cleaning, organizing and making my new house a home.  I will also get to walk around my new community meeting new people, and attempting to not have little kids scared to death of me....it happens.  I have literally scared kids so much because I am white that they peed of fright on the spot-no diapers on.  Nice.  

So, wish me luck!  I am still waiting on hospital news from back home, so day by day I am taking things here.  I'll be back in 10 days-more or less, not quite sure.    

My New Name

I have a new name.  It is Khadijah (or Kaja for short) Malle.  No more BaUmu Kante.  I decided to change it because I just didn’t feel like the BaUmu fit me.  I really liked Kante as my last name, but my entire village that I will be living in is pretty much Malle’s.  As a side note…last names are super important here in Mali.  There is this whole thing called ‘joking cousins’.  I think it’s a really cool concept here.  This joking cousinship goes back centuries.  The whole idea is that certain ethnic groups can joke with each other- ex: the Coulibaly’s joke with the Kante’s.  I can say “Coulibaly be sho dun” "Coulibaly eats beans" (meaning they fart).  It’s really funny because it is a way to get people to laugh at the white person making jokes…in Bambara.  Coulibaly can say “I be n ka jon” “you are my slave.”  I am told the Coulibalys at one time were big landowners and the Kante’s were blacksmiths…so the Kante’s worked for them.  This was also told to me by my teacher who happened to be a Coulibaly!

In my language village, everyone was a Coulibaly- even the 4 vols I was with.  I was the lone Kante.  I got made fun of all the time, people telling me that I was a bean eater, and that Kante is ‘a mein’ (sp).  Meaning Kante “is bad”.  These jokes are always said with a smile.   Now, those guys get made fun of all the time by people because Coulibaly just gets ragged on by everyone!  Payback guys!

Your last name can be very useful here.  When bargaining at market, if you are getting a really high price for something, you can mention your last name and you may get a big discount.  If someone has the unfortunate luck of getting into a fight, I am told they may break out the last names and if they are joking cousins, they will stop the argument.  Really.  This is one that I will have to see to believe.  However, I do believe in the strength of the joking cousin philosophy. 

Now that I am a Malle, I have to learn who my joking cousins are.  I can no longer tell a Coulibaly that they eat beans because we are not joking cousins, and rule is you have to stay within your joking family.  Malle is a Malinke name-I think.  That is another ethnic group of Mali.  Coulibaly and Kante are Bambara.

Another interesting fact about my name is that it is Muslim.  Khadijah was Muhammads (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) first wife.  She was also the first person to convert to Islam.  Anyway, my village has a good number of Christians.  They asked me what religion am I?  I told them Christian.  I don’t know if anyone will mention the fact that my name is not Christian, and I am not a Muslim.  We shall see.  It will be a great conversation topic.  Also, I figure may help in the future when working with the community. I chose my name.  I really like it...I'm stuck with it for the next 2 years, so I better.  

Posted is a picture from our swear in ceremony.  It is myself and the bean eaters (Coulibaly's) of Tamala.

 

So there you have some Malian culture.  Hope you liked it!  Feel free to leave comments on my blogs.  That way I know people are actually reading this thingJ

It's Official!

As of yesterday morning, at the US Embassy here in Mali, it was made official that I am a United Stated Peace Corps Volunteer.  I will join the 3000 people that have served here in Mali since the 1970's.  It is actually a good feeling to be official.  We had a really nice ceremony at the embassy, then we went on to the pool at the American club.  Highlights of this event were: eating hot dogs and hamburgers,  hanging in the pool, just having the feeling that I was in the US.  

Reflecting back on the last 2 months, I realize I'm really lucky.  I have met some incredibly cool, genuine people.  I have an amazing opportunity, and although it is not always easy, comfortable, or fun, I know that I will be making a difference.  Even if it is just in my small village.  

Tomorrow I am off to Segou for the next few days.  There I will be able to meet some local officials, upload some pictures, and buy some things for my house.  I need a washboard for doing laundry, and big bucket/trash can to store clean water in, and some other odds and ends.  Today I did a little grocery shopping in Bamako.  I was able to buy 2 ceramic mugs and bowls, 4 forks, and 4 spoons.  So, when you come visit me you won't have to eat with your hands-as the locals do (you are more than welcome to try though!).  Soon I will be in my new house.  I will have painting and cleaning to do.  I think I'm going to paint the inside a nice bright color.  Any suggestions?  Adventures ahead!  

Last Week of Training

My last week of training.  It’s been a real up and down week so far.  I am done with home stay.  I passed my language test!  Went on a fun field trip into Bamako and learned about Shea nut buyers, and how I can help women of my village make some money. I also got some bad news from home, grandma isn’t doing so well.  I am told it is nothing too serious, and she’ll be home soon, but please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.   I was debating on whether or not to post that, however all of you know me, and know how important my grandma is to me.  It is really hard to be here, knowing that grandma is in the hospital.  I guess there is never a good time for bad things to happen; people getting sick or injured.  Right now just really sucks though.  I am about to swear in as a PCV.  I have been through 2 months of language and culture training, as well as a total change in lifestyle.  C’est la vie.

Other than that depressing news, things are going well.  A lot of the people are getting things sent from back home, and it’s nice that everyone is good about sharing.  I managed to get 2 Cliff Bars and an Easy Mac from my friend Jen.  Speaking of friends, I’ve met some really cool people here.  Jen is actually a fellow Upstater!  Oddly enough we didn’t realize we were both from Albany until about 1 month into training.  I’m a little frazzled right now, so I’ll stop this torture of a blog.  The next few days may be busy, with finishing up training and all. I also have a ton of laundry to do.  Since it will all be done by (my) hand, it will take a good 2hrs. 

 

Ps- Sorry about the ‘family picture’ missing.  I thought I uploaded it properly, but it was brought to my attn. that it is not up.  I will try again, but I seem to not have any luck getting pics up on blogspot here at the training center.  Again, if you are a member of Facebook, I have a ton of pictures up there.

My Homestay Family

This is the picture of my homestay family.  They were great.  Not all the kids were there for the picture.  Chiaka is the tallest-he's the dad.  The two older women are Kaja and Umu, wife #1 and #2.  The rest are the kids.  I will really miss them! 

On another note, I got a nice package of Whole Foods Oatmeal from my dad last week!  It was great.  I shared one of them with my friend, Syndey.  She was equally greatful!  Keep the packages coming!  It's great for moral here!  

Some Malian History

I have been meaning to write this since I found out I was coming here.  I am just now getting the opportunity to do so.  Since I will be spending the next 2 years in Mali, I feel it is my duty to educate my readers a little bit about this wonderful country.  So, in a few short paragraphs I will tell you about my new country of residence.  The following information was found from a trusted source.

Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa.  To the north of us is Algeria, to the east of us is Niger.  Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, and Guinea are all south of Mali.  Senegal and Mauritania border the west.  Mali is twice the size of Texas (fun fact!), however 65% of this land is Sahara Desert.  The majority of the population lives below the Sahara in the southern part of the country-mostly below the Niger River. 

There are basically 3 seasons here: rainy, cool, and dry/hot.  Right now we are in the rainy season (June-Oct).  It’s great because it’s not super hot, although the humidity can be brutal sometimes.  Soon it will be ending and a brief cool season (Nov-Feb) comes right before we are hit hard with the heat.  That season lasts from March to May…don’t plan on visiting during these months!   They say it can get up to 115degrees, no A/C of course. 

Facts: Mali’s pop. is approx. 12 million people, with around 1 million people living in the capital, Bamako.  Life expectancy is 49years old.  Mali is a Muslim country; Sunni being the dominate sect.  Mali was a French colony until 1960, when it won its independence. They have presidential elections every 5 years with a 2 term limit.  Right now the President is Amadou Toumani Toure or ‘ATT’.  Mali is currently ranked the 3^rd poorest country in the WORLD, according to the 2006 Human Dev. Report (Sierra Leon and Niger are ranked 1^st and 2^nd respectively).

 

So, there you have it.  You all know a little bit about Mali.  On a personal note, I really like it here.  Of course everyday isn’t great, but is it anywhere?  It’s a different world out here, but what I find really important is that the people I am surrounded by are really great. 

 

PICTURE!!

I am at a different location in BKO and I am finally able to upload pictures.  The one posted below is of my host family little sister.  She is the sweetest little girl! Her name is Dunumba. I will post some more random pictures of Mali.  

Quick Update

I am in Bamako for the day.  We are almost done with training.  One more week left in our language villages.  I'm excited to start my service here in Mali.  I have been looking forward to today for the past week.  I ate pizza and am now about to feast on home-made chocolate ice cream.  Ice cream is such a treat here because: it's hot, and ice cream is great in hot weather.  Also, because it is just soooo good and it's a treat!

I am doing well out here.  No more sicknesses, and I'm starting to feel fairly comfortable with the language.  I got my first package!  Shauna, you are awesome.  I got Fritos and some trashy US/People magazines!  I am now caught up on the latest gossip-at least from Aug. 11 and before.  Hey, I need some way to keep up with American culture!  More fun stories to come!

Short funny story:  Yesterday I was asked how much my dad would ask for me.  Meaning, how many goats/cows/$CFA for someone to marry me in America.  I laughed and said he couldn't afford me! 

More stories later!

My Future Home

I had a really fun/interesting/adventurous week.  Sunday morning we headed out to the city of Segou.  It’s a really cute little city that every January holds a music festival: Festival on the Niger.  I checked into the nice little hotel that PC puts us up in.  It has nice rooms with air conditioning and flush toilets; I didn’t get one of those rooms.  They put us up on the top floor dormitory.  It is actually pretty cool (minus the bed bugs), the room was big with about 10 beds lined up, and my favorite part was that we get a shower and toilets.  It takes very little to make me happy here. 

So, after checking in the PCT and myself with me grabbed a bite to eat, then met up with other volunteers at the pool.  Yes.  The pool!  It was like a mini vacation for me!  I thought I wasn’t going to see a pool for a very long time, but now I know that I have one available to me 2hrs away from where I will be living.  At the pool we got some amazing homemade ice cream-mango for me! 
Monday morning came and we left for my village.  I opened a bank account in Bla (my banking/market town).  This is the first time that I’ve opened a bank account and am already in debt to the bank.  Here, you are charged to open an account- even if you have money to put into the account.  No ATM card though, just a big card about the size of 2drivers licenses put together with my picture on it and my account number, laminated.  That whole ordeal took about 2 hours and I was told that that was pretty fast!

I met the girl that I am replacing and she took us into the village.  By car my future village is reachable in 15minutes.  By donkey cart it is a 2hr. ride (I have now logged in 6hrs of donkey cartage, but will get to that later). The road: it is a dirt road, but it is in fairly good condition.  There is no public transportation that goes in/out of Kamona so my transportation means are either: car, donkey cart, or bicycle.  It’s about 8k into town. 

I had a really good experience overall at my future ‘So’ (Bambara for house).  It has 2 rooms- a kitchen area and my bedroom.  I have my very own, high-walled nyegene attached to the back of my house.  This is a great luxury now: to have your very own nyegene.  The house is pretty much furnished because of the previous vol. that I am replacing. 

The village is very lush with many crops right now.  We have corn, cotton, watermelon, peanuts, millet, beans, and sweet potatoes fields all over!  It’s great to see crops thriving.  AH! Almost forgot- most importantly my village has palm trees!  They make me so happy, even though I’m pretty far from the coast- I have my palm trees.  Great.

 

I am off to my home stay site one more time.  I will be there for 3 weeks of language training.  Not looking too forward to it, but it’s not going to be that bad.  Hopefully when I get back I will have letters and/or packages waiting for me!  Overall I am still doing well, nothing drastic is happening.  Will write when I get back!

 

When I get back, it will be almost time for ‘swearing in.’  This is when it will be official that I will be a Peace Corps Vol. (PCV)!  Can’t wait. Training is almost over.

Things to Send Me

I've been asked before, so here is a list of things that would be great for anyone to send me:

1-Cambells Extra Noodle soup-the powder mix, not canned

2-Cliff Bars- I particularly like Peanut butter crunch

3-Any kind of drink flavoring: Gatorade, Crystal Lite, Kool Aid, those Vitamin C drink mixes(Strawberry, Cherry are my favorites)

4-I really like the 365 Cinnamon/Apple Oatmeal pouches sold by Whole Foods.  Most any type of flavored oatmeal would be great though.

5-Cheerios!  I can eat it dried at least, good source of fiber for me.  Go ahead, send a bag (take it out of the box)

6-Fritos/Cheetos/Nacho Chips from AZ or CA (east coast just cant get them right)/Doritos (Ranch or Nacho Chz).  I would absolutely love seeing any of these unhealthy products.

7-Easy Mac!!! Please!  All i need to do is add warm water-I think?  I will not have access to milk or butter all the time, so Easy Mac is my best hope.  The cheesy goodness is already mixed.

8-Blowpops/Jollyranchers/ any kind of candy that will not melt en route.

9-Pancake mix!  Unfortunately just the kind where you add water.  No more bisquick pancakes...Aunt Jamima or a healthier alternative is fine.

10-ANYTHING that isn't Perishable.  Please.  There are very few comfort foods here, so anything that you may want to through in their go for it...no beef jerky though:-)

Here's my cooking set up: I will have 2 gas burners.  This means I can fry stuff, and boil things.  I can store things also, so canned goods would be ok, but you don't have to send that stuff.  

I would also love to be sent books, DVD's (new, used, burned), Magazines-The Economist, Time, Cosmo, Self-I'll take it!

Here is my new address:

Monica Garcia PCV

Corps de la Paix

Bla, Mali

West Africa

*I am pretty much the only white person in the city of Bla, so my mail will get to me.  Shauna said there is a flat rate box you can send, it's $40 but you can fill it to whatever poundage you want.  It's a lot, but come on- I am out here in Africa saving the world one person at a time:-)

**Mail takes anywhere from 1-3 weeks to get to me.  Average seems to be about 3 weeks, so think ahead.  

Finally made it into the capital.

Today I was one of the few lucky ones to get a free day.  I was able to sleep in (until 830am), then I sat outside and did my bucket of laundry on the washboard with 3 other girls.  I then hung out in my little hut, cleaned out my suitcases, and then took a nice long shower.  I even did my hair-well wore it curly.  Since it's just so hot here in Mali, the typical hairdo is pulled back.  I do get creative: braids, pigtail braids, ponytails, or bobbypinned, but today was special.   

The big event of the day was to go into town and eat at the Toubob restaurant, and shop at the grocery store.  I used a flush toilet for the first time in 1 month!!!!!  That was highlight #1.  The toilet was in the nice restaurant that we ate in.  I started out with an appetizer of fries, then followed that with a main course of cheese pizza.  It was a glorious event.  I washed down these food items with a cold Castle Grosse.  Bliss.  Oh yes, and cake for dessert.  

After the restaurant we walked over to the grocery store.  I really had to stop for a moment to see if i was really dreaming this up!  It was a nice little European grocery store that had cold items in it, Corn Flakes, and to top it off....Nutella!  I opted to just buy some Lays, bleach, and a Popsicle,  but the fact that there is a little bit of heaven right here in Bamako makes me so happy.  

Bamako.  I finally went into the city.  It was not really what I expected, but then again I really didn't know what to expect.  Most of the buildings I saw were 2 floors or lower, there were a lot of cars/motobikes, and a lot of people.  I am looking forward to exploring the city more... right now it's jut a big disorganized mess to me.  I'm sure it's not though.

So, I finally had a recharging day!  I feel great!  I am ready to go out into the Mali real world and see where I will be living for the next 2 years.  

ShoutOut....Aunt Kath-you win the person of the month for me!  When I was cleaning out my bags this morning I remembered that I did have battery solar charges, but was mad that I didn't go buy rechargeables before I left HOWEVER, I opened the solar charge and voila! There they were.  4AA's and 4AAA's.  I shouted a 'Thank God/Tia Kath!!'  So, that just added on to my great day.  I'll be back next week.  Enjoy the nice amenities of the U.S. I hand washed cloths for 1.5hrs this morning, and now I have sun-dried hard jeans.

Mango Lotion

2 Christmas' ago my cousin Mary Beth bought me some really nice mango lotion.  I could never bring it back to PHX with me bc I always carried my luggage on and it was over the 3.4oz rule for liquids.  It was left in Philly until I decided to take this lotion with me to Mali.  Mary, can I tell you how nice it is to actually smell like a girl!???  It is so relaxing and calming for me.  Oh the mango lotion.  

Thank you Mary, thank you.

1 Month Down, 26 to Go!

It is August.  1 month down, 26 more to go!  Time really feels like it is flying by, but then again I feel that my life has flown by-especially the last 3 years.  I went from living in Nicaragua, back to Philly, then to Brussels, back to Philly, next came Arizona.  Now Mali, West Africa.  I am still not even settled here yet!  Right now I am in just in the training process of Peace Corps. I am not officially a volunteer yet; that will come on September 12^th.  During this training process I am staying in my small village for language and cultural training.  This week we are taking a little break and I will be going to my actual site (another village about 6hrs. from the Bamako) where I will be working and living.  The name of the closest city is called Bla.  Yep, I wrote ‘Bla.’  Mali is a country that has really cool names for places: i.e. Tombouktou (Timbuktu)! 

I am nervous, anxious, but also kind of just going with the flow.  For the last 4 weeks, everyday has been scheduled for me-this is just another thing on my schedule of things to do.   Now, don’t get me wrong-this isn’t really ‘just another thing to do,’ it’s actually really important.  I will be doing site assessment, meeting the townspeople and starting a rapport with them.  It is really important that I make a good first impression (which I’m not worried about), and that I use my time there wisely. 

Now, what will I be doing here in PC Mali?  The big questions many of you may have.  Well, here we go:  I will be taking over for a current volunteer that has finished her 2 years of service.  In my sector NRM (there are 5 here in Mali: Natural Resource Management-NRM, Health, Water Sanitation, Education, and Small Enterprise Development) it will be my job to work with natural resources!  Specifically I will be doing things like environment education, planting gardens, making compost piles, and will be able to work with other sectors to maybe market our Shea butter that is so widely produced here….maybe even ORGANIC certification (that’s for you dad!).   It seems like a lot that I will be doing, and I am really happy that I have the flexibility to do different projects.  I also couldn’t be happier that for the next 2 years I don’t have a 9-5desk job!  I get to work outdoors and with people.  This is really the type of work environment that I love. 

 

My last week in a few sentences:

No funerals, but I did have the baby naming ceremony and a wedding-I got gypped on both through my own fault!  Since I am living in a Muslim community their process is a bit different than the baptizing I’m used to.  Now, I would love to tell you all the details of this ceremony, however I didn’t wake up early enough to attend…I was there just in time to see the mother, take a picture, give a little Muslim blessing, ask it’s name, and give them the $200CFA that my host dad gave me to give them.    Bada boom.  Done.

The wedding was nice…we got to see the bride leaving the village to attend her wedding in another village.  Miscommunication.  Damn.  I’m sure I will have more weddings to attend in my 2 years here. 
Amoebas.  I had uninvited visitors in my stomach for a little while.   It was uncomfortable, I’ll spare the details but after 3 heavy dosages of meds I am now better!  Apparently it’s pretty normal for every PCV (Peace Corps Vol.) to get them.  There are various ways that I could have gotten them- I have been drinking filtered water, but really I have no idea where/when they invaded.  At least I’ve been christened!  I have now had amoebas, and parasites as visitors to my intestinal system….I’m an experienced woman!

 

This should be all for now.  I am really trying hard to get pictures posted, I even tried to email them to Brian so he could put them on, but it just wasn’t working.  I would love for you all to see my environment…it is pretty cool!  I’ll be back in about 8 days. 

 

 

My 1st Letter!

I got mail today!  Thanks Aunt Kath!  I can't describe the instant happiness I felt when my friend Dan handed me the letter.  Yesterday, packages and mail were handed. I wasn't expecting anything, and didn't get anything.  Today, mail came again and there she was....a nice envelope with a letter from my Aunt Kath.  

So- please write to me, send me any dryed-goods to eat(oatmeal, crystal-light drink powders,noodle soup packets).  

Pictures- I've been trying to post pictures but again, the connection isn't that great.  I have 1 pic up on myspace.  Check it out if you can.

Another post coming very soon.....

My Future Post

After another long day of lectures and structure, we were told where we will be serving and what job we will be doing.  I will be up in the Segou region.  I'm excited about this.  I will be with a cool group of people, working on Shea Butter projects.  Shea butter is a really big natural resource that Mali produces right now.  As I become more educated on this subject I will post.  As of now, I know what I will be doing here in Mali.  This makes my reason for being here a bit clearer. Exciting times lay ahead.  I will be away for the next week or so, so don't expect any updates.  I am going back to a nice land where there is no electricity and where I can't walk more than 10 steps without having a little one call my name, ask how I am, where am I going, or offer to hold my water bottle for me.  I keep trying to post pictures, but as I do live in Mali, internet connection isn't always my friend.  

My Last 2 Weeks

Sorry I haven’t written, in two weeks…I’ve been out in the village. You know, the village where literally everyone knows your name. In my case my Malian name happens to be BaUmu, the ‘ba’ stands for mother or elder. Great. Really it is a sign of respect, so I am really not complaining. It’s just different.
In a quick paragraph or so, this is what has been going on in my world:
1. I have a cell phone. If you want my number, email me and I will give it to you. It doesn’t cost me anything if you call. It costs me to call the USofA.
2. My home stay village is complete with 400 people. 5 of us are the white ‘toubobs’ and there are many, many children. PC puts us in home stays so we can integrate with the society, learn the language, and for other governmental reasons…My family is really cool. My ‘dad’ is really caring and interested in me learning Bamanankan (language of the Bambara people). My family is Muslim. They are wonderful.
3. Bambara class. I am learning Bambara. My teacher is good. It’s a lot of info. for a short period of time but it needs to be this way. Bambara is a language widely spoken in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast- learn it). So, when you all come out and visit me we can travel to those three countries and combined with my Francois skills you’ll have your own tour guide.
4. Weight: I’ve lost the 10fat lbs I put on before leaving!! Woot woot! I planned on that happening, which is why I pigged out before I left the US. I lost them the old fashion way: drinking a ton of water, walking-not driving everywhere, and yes, the inevitable Mr. D that travels with me always when I’m in a new country for more than 5 days. My cloths fit!
5. Friends. There is a big group of us out here: 75 more or less. I’m not the only one out here. I am getting to know all these new people that have similar interests as I do, going through the same fears as I am, and are all just as scared as I am. It’s nice. It’s also comforting to hear that pretty much everyone’s parent (mothers) was thoroughly upset at departure time.
6. Brief history: Mali is the 3rd poorest country in the WORD. Yep. WORLD. Sierra Leon and Niger are ahead of us. The infant mortality rate is really high, the literacy rate is low, the GDP is low, they only got their independence in ‘60’s from France, and the country is land locked. I had a lot more planned to educate the masses reading this blog about Mali, yet it’s really late and I don’t want to disturb my roommates. Wikipedia Mali. Timbuktu is here. Pretty interesting history we have here.
7. Funeral: I went to my 1st Muslim/African/Child funeral. I went to bed knowing something was wrong at my house, but didn’t think too much of it. The next morning my sister had my bucket bathing water ready for me like always. I bathed, had my breakfast with one of my moms (she said my sister went into town-that’s why I didn’t have my peanutbutter-sandwhich-breakfast with her like I normally did). Thought that was weird, but got ready to leave for class anyway. As I was leaving my mom #1 was crying. I stink at Bambara right now, and I was late for class, so I just went to class and figured I would ask my prof. what was going on in my house bc nobody was going tell me. I was told that my 1yr old bro. died over night. Sad. We don’t know why, but he was sick? Anyway, we went to the ‘funeral’ I stayed with the women, while the guys in my group went with the rest of the men and buried the little one- all by 10am.
8. Parties: this week in village we are having a wedding and a baptism. Should be more excitement and culture shock for me. They say there is a lot of dancing and drum beatings at weddings. I don’t know what to expect to the baby thing.
9. In conclusion: I am alive and doing well. Of course I have my ups and downs, but we all do. Some days are worse than others- but there are the nights when I just look up at the sky and see so many stars and thank God for this opportunity that I have. We are lucky living in the US. We don’t have to worry about Malaria, if our children will live past the age of 1, or hope for rain during the rainy season so our crops will grow. You all have washing machines and dryers, refrigerators to keep perishable food, access to good education, and knowing that you will live for a long time. Life here is hard, but it’s pure. People talk to each other and think of their neighbors. People discipline others children for the good of the community. I think this is about all I have to write for now. I will be away again for another week- incommunicado. In case you are wondering, it takes about 3 weeks for me to get any mail, so feel free to send me things: Letters, skittles, the Economist or Cosmo, DVD’s, or vanilla wafer cookies.

I'm Really in Africa

Mali….so many things already to report. I am now protected against MMR, Yellow Fever, Hep. A, Rabies, Typhoid, oh yeah- importantly Malaria. Shots were not fun, however one must take the good with the bad. The language I will be learning is Bambara. When greeting someone, it’s not just a ‘hello’ it is a “how are you?, how is your mother, how is your father, how is your family? I am well, my family is well....get the point? I like it though, it’s not like learning Italian though!
It’s pretty hot here, but it is rainy season so it’s a lot cooler than during dry season. Two nights ago I was awoken at 430am by a huge storm passing through. It was amazing! The fresh air that came through my hut was so refreshing- until it started coming the windows. Then we had to shut them until we couldn’t bare the heat anymore. Really though, it was a pretty impressive downpour.
Yesterday we had the cultural fair. There were artisans that came in to sell some fabric, jewelry, there was also a music group, dance troop, and girls braiding hair and putting henna on! I got a really cool henna design on my feet. See picture. I decided against getting my hair braided. The music group was awesome. (See picture/video?). They are from the northern part of mali which has the more Arabic influence. There was also an amazing dance group. They danced a welcome dance for us.

I also had my first laundry experience here.  Not to keep comparing Mali to Africa BUT here in Mali the women just use a little hand held washboard.  In Nica. I had a whole sink to use with the concrete washboard molded into it.  This is going to prove a bit challenging for me.  So when you all are throwing laundry in the automatic, running water- washing machine, just think of me.  I will be in the hot Malian sun, under a tree somewhere hand washing my cloths from water that I had to get from a well.  I will update you all on this experience as my time here passes.  

For the next 12 days I will be immersed in Malian culture.  I will be staying with a family.  They tell us to be prepared for tons of children coming up to you, touching you, wanting to feel your hair, and just wanting to be around you....the truth is that I can't wait!  I miss being around children, and the thought of having a bunch of little ones with those big white eyes staring at me just thrills me.  Also, they are the best creatures to practice a second (or 3rd, or 4th) language too.  They don't judge and they have fun.   

I already could go on with a bunch of funny stories, but I'll cut it off for now.  I am still happy with my decision to to come out here.  I will get to see a little more of life out here in the following days.  

Now I will try to post some pictures.

Au revoir mes amies y familia (spanish?)

I Am In AfriCa!

 I made it! I finally made it!  After 1 year of looking forward to this adventure, I am finally here.  My excitement started when I boarded the Air France B777 and was in row 41!  I didn't care that it was a middle seat- i was excited to be on a B777!  Ofcourse I compared everything to what I knew from USAirways, but overall it was an awesome experience.  I slept as soon as we hit the tarmac until lights came on for breakfast.  After we landed in Paris-CDG we had about 4hrs of layover.  I was excited to get a nutella crepe or a croussiant(spelled) but in the end i didn't find one...well I cruossiant for 2.5oeuro (4$ no thanks!).

I am here in Mali now.  We are in the training center-about 77  of us. There is a good mix of males and females of all ages...not just people out of college.  I am happy with the people that are here.  We seem to have the same ideas and emotions about this whole experience.  It was great to see that I wasn't the only scared one, it great to see other people crying in the airport when they were saying their last 'goodbyes' to their loved ones.  I was lucky to have Brian come meet me at the airport to say 'au revoir' to me.  I'm really greatful that my brother and I are once again close.  

Well, to tell you a little about my life here so far: I am sharing a cute round hut with 2 other girls.  We are sharing a nygene (outhouse) with 9 other girls.  This outhouse is not like the nicaraguan one that I was used to....this one is just a hole in the ground- as opposed to the nice little seat we had in Nica.  Last night we slept with the windows and door open (screens on them) and i was sung to sleep by all the insects making their noises.  

Malaria med gave me an interesting dream, which I don't remember, but I remember it was crazy!  We are staying in the Peace Corps compound for another 3 days, then off to the homestays.  I like it here so far, but then again I really haven't been exposed to much.  

I'll try and write more as things come up!

My Address

My address until October:
Monica Garcia
PCT
Corps De la Paix
B.P. 85
Bamako, Mali

2 weeks and counting

2 weeks left. To the day. My countdown went from 6 months(still living in AZ) to 3 months (living in Philly), to 1 month and now I just have 2 weeks left. Of course I have been doing the traveling thing (Glasgow, Amsterdam,Dallas,Phoenix,Albany, Lisbon, San Diego to name a few places I've been to in the last 6 weeks). You all know me, and wonder how I will deal without being able to hop on an airplane whenever I feel like it when I'm in Africa. Well, this is my reality: I will be in a brand new continent/country/city/town. There will be so many things for me to explore and it will take me a while to feel comfortable and confident in my new home. I know also that I will travel the second that I get any opportunity. Africa is a huge land mass...one that is just waiting for me to explore her!
I am not ready to leave, but I don't know if one is ever ready to leave their family, friends, and familiarity. I go knowing that this is an amazing opportunity, one that I've always wanted to realize.
I've been really lucky to travel with my brother over the last month. Our latest trip was Lisbon, Portugal. I highly recommend traveling there. What a beautiful country with really nice people.
Mary B. was just here for the week. She really helped me pack some things away, but now I have to start packing my bags. Exciting and sad. I kinda feel like I"m just going on a long vacation- it will be hot and there will be palm trees there! Oh yeah-I'm packing my hammock from Nicaragua too. When there is a hammock in the area, you know it's relaxing:-)

I still have to purchase some things: my fan, a journal,more cotton underwear...
If anyone wants to send me anything, pictures are always great! Ones that are printed out. People in other countries always ask about your (my) family and friends. With pictures, I can show you off!

1 Month Left!

Damn. I just erased my whole blog I just wrote....it is going to take me some time to get used to blogging.

So, here is a shortend version of what I just wrote.

I'm in Scottsdale on a trip with USAirways. I'm getting my Flight Attendant kicks out before I go. I'm off to Tampa tonight, then Denver on Sunday night. What a life!?
Now that I'm back in Scottsdale, I can confirm that I really did love living here. Sun and palm trees are happiness to me! I will get that in Mali.

I have one month left...4 weeks to be exact. Time is flying by. I am still working my 2 jobs, and trying to travel in between. Last week I was able to spend some time with my dad and we made the trip to REI for some shopping. Here is what I bought:

Mosquito net tent. Current vols say it is a necessity. This will be used on the nights that it is too hot to sleep inside (my mud hut). I'll need the netting to keep the bugs out. Don't think it will keep the elephants or lions away though! jk.

Water bottle. Swiss made, aluminum. I opted out on the Nalogene bottle. It's made of No. 7 plastic and it just looked a lot more durable and eco friendly.

Merelle's. I'm just mentioning the shoes I bought bc I liked a kids shoe, and I fit in them! They were also half the price of the $90 womens, so I couldn't resist.

Other things that I already have are:
Gerber knife-given to me be Ed. R from PHX
Solar charging batteries-another invaluable gift given to me by Tia Kath

Things I still need to buy: Travel backpack-yeah the big one. Hand held fan....I'm going to look stupid carrying it, but I think it will be a nice little luxaury for me. Headlamp. I already know what kind is reccommended, I am just holding off. IPod...yep, I live in 2008 and still don't have an IPod. Laptop, I'm waiting on Brian for that one.

Anyway. It's almost time for me to leave. Time is flying by. I'm getting really excited. This will be my 3rd country to live in. Nicaragua, Belgium, and now Mali. I needed to mix it up a bit, I've never been to Africa, and I have always been drawn to helping the people over there.
I'm going to put it out there now, but PLEASE email me, send me anything, update me on the US and your lives. It is going to get lonely out there. Receiving emails is so uplifting for me.
I'll be in touch!

My 1st Blog!

Alright, here goes my first blog. I am starting this blog to share my future Mali experience for all to read. I am getting really excited to live and work in Africa. I have dusted off my French books, and am trying to study while trying to not mix it with my Spanish.
I am leaving for Mali in 2 months-almost to the day. I am trying to travel as much, and enjoy the comforts most Americans enjoy before I leave. I am anticipating living without such luxuries as running water, a toilet, shower, and my nice feather pillows...but you know what? I am really looking forward to it. My time in Nicaragua has taught me a lot, and one of the main things is that these comforts we Americans are so used to are material things. The friendships that I've made down there are incomparable to what most people here experience.
So, please stay tuned to my updates-as I prepare for another crazy journey.