Sick. Again!

Today, I'm sick AGAIN! why, why why?! I'm down with diarrhea and a head cold. No one from my family has checked in on me :( I don't know if it's because they've been told to give the American's their privacy or if it's a cultural thing. I think it's the former. I came out for lunch and I thought my diarrhea was gone, but I was wrong! I think I'm going to stay in the whole day and study and sweat and poop. I think the flies and poor hygeine have made me sick. The flies go back and forth from the negen to the dishes and food all day and it is impossible to keep poop out of my food and off my dishes. Man, by the time I leave Africa, my immune system will be able to handle anything. The one thing that made my day was getting lots of PC visitors as word traveled across villages that "Jade has diarrhea, AGAIN!" I even got three hugs :)

Faux pas

Today,I told my mom that a friend was coming over for lunch. However, my friend was not able to make it and behold, when I came home, my mom had more food and meat, than usual. She then asked me where my friend was......I didn't know how to answer in Bambara,so I just said "haketo! haketo! haketo!" sorry, sorry, sorry! maaaan, i think she was pissed because she had bought extra meat for my guest! Later, I had Abdraman explain what had happened and Djenneba forgave me. Plus, someone else got to eat the meat i didn't eat, so it didn't go wasted. Whew!

The facts of life

Today was a very tiring day, but I had a very interesting conversation with my host brother, Abdraman. He really wants to go to America, as I think most people in the world want. He likes what the Peace Corps is about and was wondering if Malians could do the same thing in America. Unfortunately, this will never be because 1. Mali does not have the funds for this endeavor 2. the system is corrupt and it is difficult for people to obtain passports and visas unless they know someone within the system and 3. America is not a developing country. One thing that Abdraman has going for him is the fact that he speaks English and he is attending university. I believe that if he excells at his English, he will have a greater chance of making it to America on scholarship for graduate school in English. As an Education volunteer, I have to believe that education is he key. I really want the best for Abdraman. Why shouldn't he have the same opportunities as me? During my time here, I look forward to helping him achieve his dream, even if it is just talking to him in English, but he must promise to let me practice my Bambara as well.

Rainy season/Sex roles

The sand storms here are wicked! I love them, because they bring in the rain. They are also a beautiful sight to see (I'll have to take pictures of the next one). The sky turns this beautiful color of orange, red, blue and greys. However, when you see these colors, it's usually a good time to start running for shelter.

Men: work the field, take care of the livestock, protect the family, play soccer, drink tea and smoke cigarettes.

Women: work the field, make food allllll day, take care of the children, clean, do laundry.

The women do soooo much work alllll day long. I'm so blessed to have been born a girl in America.

Malian men

The guys here are pretty straightforward. I guess when you live in a place where family is everything and you rely on a big family for support, I'd wanna get married and start making babies too. So far, seven guys have come up and asked if I'm married. Then, they ask me if I pra., I simply answer yes and some people know that I'm Christian, but they still want to marry me. This one guy came up to me and asked me in English, if "I do sex?" I was shocked, firstly because I had just met him and secondly, because he's Muslim. I don't know, it just didn't add up. I wasn't offended that he asked and the conversation turned to an interesting discussion on religion and it confirmed my faith. I definitely couldn't marry outside of my religion or culture. I'm starting to see that I am too strong of a woman for anyone outside of the US.

Random thoughts

I'm starting to notice a change in my weight distribution. My arms are becoming so flabby! Eating all this starch with no nutrients is not good. I startred taking multivitamins today, but maybe I should start exercising......

Today was very hot and the dimogows (flies) are killing me! I got a private Bambara lesson on using the past tense and I found out that Tuesday is Ladies Night. There were drummers and the women were dancing in a circle formation. I joined in, at the insistance of my mother. I had fun, though dancing isn't really my thing. It is a great way to integrate ino the community though, so Tuesday nights, you can find me on the dance floor........

Later, I found out that my initial refusal to dance brought shame to my mother! But I explained that I don't care for dancing and she understood. So, I guess that means I'm forgiven???

Greetings

One thing that is already getting on my nerves are the greetings and the goodbyes. You have to say them to EVERYONE you see. We don't do this in America. It's nice, but it takes too much time, and in American, "time is money." Also, the greetings are not just "hello", they are: "hello" "how are you?" "how's your family?" "how's your mother?" "how's your father?" "your brother?" on and on if you let it go on and then you have to say goodbyes and blessings. It's exhausting. I'm also not the type to speak to people I don't really know and we are trained from a young age, not to talk to strangers. This is something I've had to make a big effort to do. Greetings are a really big deal in Mali, so I make sure that I do them every morning, afternoon and evening.

Free day

Today was our first day off in village! All the volunteers were sooooo excited to have our Tubob-time climbing the rocks. We found this one spot and we named it "America" haha. It was the first place we found where the breeze didn't stop blowing and it was soooo refreshing. We chilled in "America" all morning, recapping on our first week with our families and playing cards. It was so nice to get away from the monotony of our schedule of eating with our families and going to class all day. At noon, we headed back to our home to spend time with our families. Tonight, at dinner, I realized that I am like a "third sex." Even though I am in a place where women and men are not seen as equal, my American "Tubob" status gives me some leeway in this structure. I'm allowed to wear pants, eat with the men, offered all the meat and I'm always offered a nice chair. This reverts me back to a conversation with my host brother, who speaks English. He asked me why I don't look like the other Americans. We had a 20 minute conversation about African American history and interracial relationships. I think he got it.

What is an American?

So, for dinner tonight, I had macaroni w/misisogo (beef) that I saw being cooked earlier today and I still ate it. We had macaroni yesterday and I told Djenneba how much I liked it, so guess this is why it was made for me again. However, I've noticed that not everyone is eating the same thing as me. I'm served a special dish, with meat. I should backtrack to point out the significance of being served meat. In Malian culture, white people are known as Tubob's and Malians associate America with white people. So, when I introduce myself as an American, people are confused because some of my features aren't necessarily African. One person thought that I was Chinese or Mexican. I don't know how you can confuse the two, but to them, I was not an American. Anyway, Tubob's are given special treatment, so I assume that they categorize me as a Tubob because I am given meat and a lot of it. However, in this heat, it is near impossible to eat a lot of food, plus I'm still getting over my sickness. I would really appreciate a nice salad or some fruit. The Malian diet consists of carbs, carbs, carbs! Awful!

Another noteworthy event of the day is tbat I was able to ask Djenneba if she went to the market and if she sells things, in Bambara, and she understood me! I tried to talk a lot today because we were taught so much in two days and homestay is for practicing speaking. I'm really proud of myself and I can see Djennenba's countenance changing toward me. I mean, she's always nice, but now I can ask her questions about her life and I am making a great effort to understand what's being said in conversation. Djenneba is being quite patient with me.

Homestay

These next few posts are from the last 2 weeks.

07/10/10

Today was the first day of homestay. I am living with the chief of the village (dugutigi) He told me himself that he is a very important man, haha. There are 1,050 people in this village, it is considered small. I live within a concession, which is a compound composed of separate compartments. I have my own compartment and it's just enough space for my suitcase, trunk, bike, bed, water filter, bucket, salidaga and a small chair. The chief has three wives, one of which is named Djenneba. She is my host mom and therefore, I am her namesake. I am now a daughter of the dugutigi!

Here are some things I observed on my first night: the men and women eat separately. they eat dinner around 8:00pm.

During meal time, I usually sit with my host mom. I try and use the Bambara that I have learned. Sometimes, they understand me, sometimes they don't, but they always get a good laugh out of talking to me. Today I learned how to ask " Can you braid my hair?" I'm supposed to get it done tonight, but a storm is coming. The storms here are no joke!

I spoke too soon :(

Day 6, July 7th

Today, my Peace Corps training took a slight turn: learning how to hydrate my body, when my body is trying to expel everything inside! It is a definite balance of science and faith, as are most things, in my opinion. For the past 12 hours, I have been pent up in the health clinic and it has been nothing but hell. My insides have been torn apart time and time again, I have had hot flashes soothed by the emptying of my stomach and the room is finally starting to stop spinning. I have never been this ill in my life and it wasn’t caused by a venomous snake or mosquito bite, it was caused by unwashed hands. I admit, when I use the restroom at home back in the States, I do not wash my hands every time, but in Mali, it is imperative that you wash your hands ALL the time. However, washing your own hands is just part of the equation, especially in Mali, where the cultural belief is that the washing of your hands will wash away your good fortune. Everyone needs to know the importance of washing their hands, because it is that serious and today, I’m proof of that. Whatever wrecked havoc to my system today must have had a really fun time, but in the end, I win.

P.S. I'm feeling 98% better this morning!

There's no reason to be afraid of poop.

Bonsoir! Today has been such a loooong day. The heat has been intense and it has worn everybody out. This afternoon, I had culture orientation, as we prepare to depart for our homestays on Thursday! I'm really excited and a little nervous. I'm most nervous about the sanitation of the food and the nyegen (bathroom). The bathrooms here are cement holes in the ground and sometimes there is a placement for your feet, and you squat. My thigh and calf muscles are already 200% stronger. Instead of toilet paper, they use a water jug to wipe, and they wipe with the left hand. The left hand is considered dirty, and so you must never shake or wave or point or eat with it. I've learned a lot already and it's only been two days of training. This evening I had my first interview with my education trainer, Yaya, and we discussed where I would like to be placed and what kind of position I would like to take on. I chose to live in a small village, by the city, and to work with the community to improve their local school. Yay!!!!!! We shall see where I'm posted and if I get my wish. Tomorrow, I start actually learning about what I'll be doing over the next 27 months. Wish me bon chance! (good luck!)

Day 3/4

Yesterday, our plane arrived at 11:00pm last night, we arrived at Tubaniso (Peace Corps Mali headquarters) at 2:00am, and went to bed around 4:00am.Today was our first full day in Mali! It’s rainy season here and it is so humid. We started off our day at 8:00am with a typical French breakfast of baguette, peanut butter and strawberry jam with a cup of tea. It reminded me of a typical French breakfast. After breakfast, we began our first session with introductions of the entire Mali-Peace Corps staff. There are so many people here to help us acclimate to this new and exciting culture. We were given a general introduction to the history of Peace Corps Mali, the household rules and given our malaria pills. Afterwards, we had a delicious Malian meal of rice, “beef” stew, salsa and bananas. The food here has been pretty good so far. The rice here est tres bon and there is always a delicious “beef” vegetable mixture placed on top. This seems to be the typical meal for lunch and dinner. I haven’t gotten sick or had a visit from “Monsieur D” Mr. Diarrhea yet. Let’s hope it won’t come, but if not now, it probably will later. I have to go to training now. Training is quite intense!

Day 2

It's day 2 in the beautiful city of Philadelphia! Already, I've been awake for 8 hours. This morning started with going to the FOH to receive our Yellow Fever vaccination. We waited around for 3 hours to get one shot! This was our first taste of PC (Peace Corps) time. This afternoon, I got a chance to tour downtown Philly, by a horse-drawn carriage under a gorgeous cloud spotted sky. The architecture here is incredible! I forgot that it's one of the oldest cities in America and it is so perfect to be in the city where our nation began. To be in the place where our founding fathers drafted what they wanted our nation to represent, and to leave from this place to bring those same ideals to Mali, is pretty poetic. And Independence day is right around the corner! I've never thought of myself as an American, but I will definitely think about it more once I'm overseas. I feel quite humbeled right now as I'm preparing to board the bus to JFK airport. It's getting real ya'll!

Day 1, part 1

Well, I made it through my first journey to Philadelphia! I've already met four other volunteers at the airport. Everyone is relatively the same age. All bright-young faces ready to take on the world and have a nice nap. I have 44 minutes until orientation begins and I'm still scrambling to complete my paperwork! Orientation is from 12:00-7:00pm. Wish me luck on staying awake.