The other day, I saw my host brother, Diaxari, helping his younger brother write a correspondance letter to his Canadian pen-pal. First, I read the letter from the Canadian. This young boy recounted stories from his summer. He talked about going to the zoo, going on hikes, swimming at the pool and doing a peace walk. He also gave some info about his family and what his parents do.
In response, Diaxari wrote similar things, but as I read what he wrote, I noticed that some of these were lies. Why was he lying? I asked Diaxari a couple questions about what he wrote, but I felt that he was trying to hide some humility, so I didn't ask him why he was lying. For example, he told the Canadian that over the summer, he went to the National Park, he also did a peace walk and when he talked of his family, he said that his mother was a vendor and she had sold a lot of tomatoes (FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE!).
I began to wonder, why he felt the need to lie? What was wrong with saying that he played soccer with his friends, played cards with his American and Canadian friends, and helped his family in the fields? What did he think of the Canadian's letter? How was he imagining the life of this boy? Did he think it was better and so he wanted to fabricate his own life to sound more like the Canadian's? Is he not happy with his own?
I often wonder, what is happiness here? These days, more people have televisions, and they can see the Western life-style. It looks so clean, so shiny, so colorful and there's a bunch of stuff. And then, you look around here and see dust and dirt, rust and cracked ciment, it's dull and there's a whole lot of nothing. It's hard not to compare. Maybe, Diaxari was just trying to make himself feel better......
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thoughts on God/Love
I think that one big difference between God and us is that, he gave first and continues to give without expecting anything in return. But, in order for us to give, we have to have had something given to us first. So, God had to give first to make the world go 'round.
I came to this realization today, as a shared three meals with three different groups of people. I've never witnessed this type of sharing in America, and I'm still a tiiiiiiny bit hesitant when food is first offered to me, but this is one particular aspect of Mali that I truly admire and appreciate.
It's the "It takes a village to raise a child mentality," that has such a strong presence here and it's so awesome. Everyone (mostly) invites others to eat with them, because they know that their children are being fed at someone else's home. I see this as a true act of love.
Furthermore, I think that whoever receives, should give, and it doesn't have to go the other way around, but it does, someway or another. Which got me thinking about my service here, as it comes to an end, what else can I do? Who else can I help? With all of my general projects, I like doing them and I see purpose in them, but I would really like to find a young person who I can really pour into and see flourish.
There is this young girl, Awa "Gaffou," who I've taken a real liking too. I've come to know her since I've asked her to help me conduct my Girl's Empowerment course. She's a senior in high school who plans to continue her studies at university to become a lawyer for women and children's rights. Sounds like an awesome girl, right!? She's a nice, respectful and vocal person, who seems to have a good head on her shoulders. And I'd like to help her stay motivated, even after I'm gone.
Okay, so I know I've gone on some tangents here, but my point is, with all this love shown to me over this 1.5 yr, there's still so much I want to give back. And I hope that the love that I plant here will continue to grow, and contribute to the greater good that keeps the world spinning.
I came to this realization today, as a shared three meals with three different groups of people. I've never witnessed this type of sharing in America, and I'm still a tiiiiiiny bit hesitant when food is first offered to me, but this is one particular aspect of Mali that I truly admire and appreciate.
It's the "It takes a village to raise a child mentality," that has such a strong presence here and it's so awesome. Everyone (mostly) invites others to eat with them, because they know that their children are being fed at someone else's home. I see this as a true act of love.
Furthermore, I think that whoever receives, should give, and it doesn't have to go the other way around, but it does, someway or another. Which got me thinking about my service here, as it comes to an end, what else can I do? Who else can I help? With all of my general projects, I like doing them and I see purpose in them, but I would really like to find a young person who I can really pour into and see flourish.
There is this young girl, Awa "Gaffou," who I've taken a real liking too. I've come to know her since I've asked her to help me conduct my Girl's Empowerment course. She's a senior in high school who plans to continue her studies at university to become a lawyer for women and children's rights. Sounds like an awesome girl, right!? She's a nice, respectful and vocal person, who seems to have a good head on her shoulders. And I'd like to help her stay motivated, even after I'm gone.
Okay, so I know I've gone on some tangents here, but my point is, with all this love shown to me over this 1.5 yr, there's still so much I want to give back. And I hope that the love that I plant here will continue to grow, and contribute to the greater good that keeps the world spinning.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Inheritance/Emirati-Miracle
One thing that really gets on my nerves is the nerrrve of Malians always asking for their share. Whenever I go out of village, people are always asking me to bring them a gift. Whenever I come back, people are always asking for their gift. Where does this sense of entitlement come from? If I ever asked that after the age of 10, I think my mom would've slapped me. It's just rude to ask, at least from a Western perspective. But, a recent conversation I had sparked a new way to think about this.
Although I still find it rude, the African nations are owed a lot. I mean, this entire continent has been (and still is) ripped off and so many others have made their riches off of a land that doesn't belong to them. Very few Africans have benefited from the many riches this land has, but why only a few?
I know that there are many different reasons as to why. I mean, the same situation has happened to many other indigenous people taken over by colonization, but I couldn't help but notice that the Emirates stand out. How did they escape being robbed by the British?
The Emiratis are a small nation, and 40 years ago, the United Emirates didn't even exist. They were a migrant culture. They moved with the sands, ate dates, rode camels and lived in tents. Now, they take vacations to Austria, eat anything they want, drive Bentleys and live in mansions. And although the Emiratis are only 20 percent of the population, they are the biggest shareholders of their oil dynasty. How in the world did this small nation, with very few educated people, outwit the British?
The British had found the oil in the Emirates and they told the people, brought in drilling equipment, took their share, and they left. Luckily for the Emiratis, colonization wasn't looked upon very kindly in the 60's and they flourished. But, how did they protect themselves from being taken advantage of? They have written in their law that no non-Emirati can be head of any governmental position, and any business venture must have an Emirati partner, that's how. The Emirati's have their hands on all operating powers in their country.
When I learned all of this, I felt so proud of them for learning to protect themselves from theives. I only wish that some of the African nations had had this luck too.
Although I still find it rude, the African nations are owed a lot. I mean, this entire continent has been (and still is) ripped off and so many others have made their riches off of a land that doesn't belong to them. Very few Africans have benefited from the many riches this land has, but why only a few?
I know that there are many different reasons as to why. I mean, the same situation has happened to many other indigenous people taken over by colonization, but I couldn't help but notice that the Emirates stand out. How did they escape being robbed by the British?
The Emiratis are a small nation, and 40 years ago, the United Emirates didn't even exist. They were a migrant culture. They moved with the sands, ate dates, rode camels and lived in tents. Now, they take vacations to Austria, eat anything they want, drive Bentleys and live in mansions. And although the Emiratis are only 20 percent of the population, they are the biggest shareholders of their oil dynasty. How in the world did this small nation, with very few educated people, outwit the British?
The British had found the oil in the Emirates and they told the people, brought in drilling equipment, took their share, and they left. Luckily for the Emiratis, colonization wasn't looked upon very kindly in the 60's and they flourished. But, how did they protect themselves from being taken advantage of? They have written in their law that no non-Emirati can be head of any governmental position, and any business venture must have an Emirati partner, that's how. The Emirati's have their hands on all operating powers in their country.
When I learned all of this, I felt so proud of them for learning to protect themselves from theives. I only wish that some of the African nations had had this luck too.
Islam
In my travels, I've seen many different faces of Islam. I have seen Islam in a fairly liberal setting and a strict, conservative, and from the mouths of some Muslims, even crazy, setting. And from having several conversations with friends and listening to the happenings of Egypt and Syria lately, I'm beginning to wonder how a religion so caught up on not manipulating the words of Prophet Mohammed, can make up so many man-made, pseudo-religious laws? And from seeing Islam practiced in different settings, I'm beginning to wonder, when does culture become a religion?
When I visited Dubai, I was shocked by the seperatism of sexes. Men and women can't socialize in public. They can't flirt, they can't even stand in line together. In fact, an employee will call the women to the front of the line so no one will be uncomfortable! It is illegal to flirt in public! At first, I thought that this was Islamic law, only to later be told that this was merely cultural, by my Muslim-American friends. They told me that no where in the Koran, does it say that men and women should be seperate to this extent. I began to think of Malians in this respect, they are Muslim, but I see men and women flirting all the time, I'm flirted with all the time. So, where does this seperatism come from if it's not Islam, and why is this idea spreading within the Arab-world?
As my friends gave me further insight, of how the population is being effected by these ridiculous rules, I was shocked. How can the government think that they can nullify lust by restricting all contact with the opposite sex? Nature will prevail folks, and it does, secretely. In this secret, underground world, with the help of technology, most flirting is initiated using one's Blackberry. With one glance and one push of the bluetooth setting, the lines are open to hook up. And according to my sources, things have gotten so bad, that people are hooking up with random strangers because the families are so intertwined and they don't want everyone knowing their business.
Furthermore, the incidents of rape are growing because of this secrecy and build up of hormones. Some men have met girls, raped them and in some incidents, killed them to hide their own shame.
Also, there is a higher rate of homosexuality because of this suffocation. They are so starved of contact with the opposite sex, that they go for each other. In fact, I later learned that an Iman was accused of raping a young boy. I don't think that Islam approves of any of this behavior, so what does this say about the laws put in place?
What's funny, is that my friends told me that it didn't used to be like this. Things have gotten worse and worse over the past 10 years, as far as they know, given that they're only in their early-20's. So, again, I wonder why this is happening, not just in Dubai, but in Egypt and other Arab countries? What is there to be gained from this restrictive culture? What is there to gain from shutting women up and hiding them under a veil? According to my friends, the Koran specifically speaks to the importance of reading, not only the scripture, but to also seek knowledge. And it does not say that women are subservient to men, in fact it says that Muslims should kiss their mothers many times more than their father. To me, that says that women should be educated, respected and loved. So, where is all this other stuff coming from?
When I visited Dubai, I was shocked by the seperatism of sexes. Men and women can't socialize in public. They can't flirt, they can't even stand in line together. In fact, an employee will call the women to the front of the line so no one will be uncomfortable! It is illegal to flirt in public! At first, I thought that this was Islamic law, only to later be told that this was merely cultural, by my Muslim-American friends. They told me that no where in the Koran, does it say that men and women should be seperate to this extent. I began to think of Malians in this respect, they are Muslim, but I see men and women flirting all the time, I'm flirted with all the time. So, where does this seperatism come from if it's not Islam, and why is this idea spreading within the Arab-world?
As my friends gave me further insight, of how the population is being effected by these ridiculous rules, I was shocked. How can the government think that they can nullify lust by restricting all contact with the opposite sex? Nature will prevail folks, and it does, secretely. In this secret, underground world, with the help of technology, most flirting is initiated using one's Blackberry. With one glance and one push of the bluetooth setting, the lines are open to hook up. And according to my sources, things have gotten so bad, that people are hooking up with random strangers because the families are so intertwined and they don't want everyone knowing their business.
Furthermore, the incidents of rape are growing because of this secrecy and build up of hormones. Some men have met girls, raped them and in some incidents, killed them to hide their own shame.
Also, there is a higher rate of homosexuality because of this suffocation. They are so starved of contact with the opposite sex, that they go for each other. In fact, I later learned that an Iman was accused of raping a young boy. I don't think that Islam approves of any of this behavior, so what does this say about the laws put in place?
What's funny, is that my friends told me that it didn't used to be like this. Things have gotten worse and worse over the past 10 years, as far as they know, given that they're only in their early-20's. So, again, I wonder why this is happening, not just in Dubai, but in Egypt and other Arab countries? What is there to be gained from this restrictive culture? What is there to gain from shutting women up and hiding them under a veil? According to my friends, the Koran specifically speaks to the importance of reading, not only the scripture, but to also seek knowledge. And it does not say that women are subservient to men, in fact it says that Muslims should kiss their mothers many times more than their father. To me, that says that women should be educated, respected and loved. So, where is all this other stuff coming from?
Adjusting to Being Back in Mali
After a month of adjusting to being back in the "real world," I now have to adjust to being back in village. It's hard having to make the switch so suddenly, especially for my body. After having access to all the food I could ever want, I'm limited again, and when I sleep, I dream of food! I never had such vivid dreams about food before, and with such intensity. For example, the other night, I dreampt that I was in KFC World (which does not exist) and there was fried chicken every where. What torture!
Another thing that I've noticed is that I'm more sanitary. When I was away, I could feel clean all day, I really missed that feeling. It was so good to be able to rub my fingers together and not rub of dirt. I had gotten so used to having dusty hands and feet, that I got used to not washing them all the time. Now, I'm washing and using hand sanitizer about 10-times a day, including washing my face about 4-times a day.
Also, while I was with my sister, I hung out with mostly girls, whereas in Mali, I hang out with mostly guys and old women. Even after being away in "magical-France," a place that everyone would like to go, only men have asked me about my trip, what I did, what I ate, whether I got a new boyfriend.......sigh, girls just don't care about me.
Although, there is one girl who loves me, DAWA! Man, I wish I could've video-recorded her welcoming me back. As soon as I entered the compound, Dawa ran over to me, screaming, bright-eyes, jumping, smiling and laughing and I just wanted to die. She's so cute! I picked her up and twirled her around and for a long 10 minutes she wouldn't leave my side, haha. Best welcome EVER.
Well, "Hello, again, Mali." We have 6-months left with each other. On the agenda, we have planned: Career Day 2 (bigger and better), Girls Empowerment course, and Academic Olympics. Let's go!
Another thing that I've noticed is that I'm more sanitary. When I was away, I could feel clean all day, I really missed that feeling. It was so good to be able to rub my fingers together and not rub of dirt. I had gotten so used to having dusty hands and feet, that I got used to not washing them all the time. Now, I'm washing and using hand sanitizer about 10-times a day, including washing my face about 4-times a day.
Also, while I was with my sister, I hung out with mostly girls, whereas in Mali, I hang out with mostly guys and old women. Even after being away in "magical-France," a place that everyone would like to go, only men have asked me about my trip, what I did, what I ate, whether I got a new boyfriend.......sigh, girls just don't care about me.
Although, there is one girl who loves me, DAWA! Man, I wish I could've video-recorded her welcoming me back. As soon as I entered the compound, Dawa ran over to me, screaming, bright-eyes, jumping, smiling and laughing and I just wanted to die. She's so cute! I picked her up and twirled her around and for a long 10 minutes she wouldn't leave my side, haha. Best welcome EVER.
Well, "Hello, again, Mali." We have 6-months left with each other. On the agenda, we have planned: Career Day 2 (bigger and better), Girls Empowerment course, and Academic Olympics. Let's go!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The Malian in me
There have been times when I hated Mali. There have been times when I loved it. This time, I missed Mali.
It's amazing how humans can adapt. During this round, in Europe, I felt somewhat out of place. Now, I'm back in Mali and I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be.
Today, I rode the soutrema (city bus) and walked around the market. I listened to the sounds of Bamako. I heard the swooshing of the brooms, the rattling of mufflers, the beeping of motos, the rolling of cartwheels and the people bargaining above the kicked-up dust. I couldn't help but smile at the sound of the orchestra playing around me.
I even missed the smells. The smell of grilled meats, mixed with the smell of manure, exhaust, burning charcoal, urine and sweat. These are the smells that I can only equate with being in Mali, and I truly missed it.
I can only imagine how hard it will be for me to leave this place in July.
It's amazing how humans can adapt. During this round, in Europe, I felt somewhat out of place. Now, I'm back in Mali and I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be.
Today, I rode the soutrema (city bus) and walked around the market. I listened to the sounds of Bamako. I heard the swooshing of the brooms, the rattling of mufflers, the beeping of motos, the rolling of cartwheels and the people bargaining above the kicked-up dust. I couldn't help but smile at the sound of the orchestra playing around me.
I even missed the smells. The smell of grilled meats, mixed with the smell of manure, exhaust, burning charcoal, urine and sweat. These are the smells that I can only equate with being in Mali, and I truly missed it.
I can only imagine how hard it will be for me to leave this place in July.
6 months left/New Years Resolution
Over the holidays, I visited Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Dubai. I had a lot of fun, ate a lot of food, drank a lot of french wines and champagnes, I felt clean for the first time in months and overall, I was happy! But, I was living a dream-life that none of my Malian friends could even dream of and I felt like a jerk and I didn't know why. And I couldn't figure it out, until after this chain of events:
In the beginning of my trip, I got pick-pocketed of all the money I had been saving for 6-months before my trip! I was initially shocked, then devastated when I realized the depth of my situation, but I have family and friends who reminded me that I'm not alone, and I thank them for that. But, I still questioned why God would allow this to happen to me?
My unfortunate circumstance didn't end there, as I got ticketed on a train, then purchased an expensive discount pass the next day to avoid another ticket, only not to have my ticket checked on my return trip! I was pissed and wondered why I was losing all of my money? Why me!?
Then, one evening, in Dubai, I drank an espresso with shavings of gold and as much as I wanted to enjoy the experience, I couldn't help but think, "What am I doing!?" Here I am drinking gold, while many people I know eat toh in the dirt every day! I felt totally disconnected from the people who have cared for me the last 1.5 years. What's worse, is I felt disconnected from who I have grown to be over the last 1.5 yrs and I felt guilt.
It was at this moment that I realized that, there I was in one of the richest nations in the world, drinking gold, when I had no money the week before and I realized that I was so upset over nothing. I was drinking GOLD! I realized that all of the money that I had saved was not for me, I had no need of it. I would have liked to have had it, at least some of it, but I really had no business having all of that cash. At that moment, I realized how blessed I am, how rich I am in life to be able to say that I didn't need that money.
Now, when I think back on the man who took my money, I can only hope that my money did some good for his family. It was Christmas time, everyone deserves a nice Christmas. I sure had a good one. But, it hurts to think that the money, taken by a stranger, could have been given to those in my community. Those who need money to buy medicine for their kids, those who don't have money to eat, those who need books for school. My heart ached thinking of all of those that I ignored, not the few that I gave to. I felt so selfish, even though I've given 1.5 years of my life to help others.
I just know that I can do more, give more, be more and I hope that for those of you who read this, you'll realize this too. We all have so much to offer, we can all spare to give more this year.
In the beginning of my trip, I got pick-pocketed of all the money I had been saving for 6-months before my trip! I was initially shocked, then devastated when I realized the depth of my situation, but I have family and friends who reminded me that I'm not alone, and I thank them for that. But, I still questioned why God would allow this to happen to me?
My unfortunate circumstance didn't end there, as I got ticketed on a train, then purchased an expensive discount pass the next day to avoid another ticket, only not to have my ticket checked on my return trip! I was pissed and wondered why I was losing all of my money? Why me!?
Then, one evening, in Dubai, I drank an espresso with shavings of gold and as much as I wanted to enjoy the experience, I couldn't help but think, "What am I doing!?" Here I am drinking gold, while many people I know eat toh in the dirt every day! I felt totally disconnected from the people who have cared for me the last 1.5 years. What's worse, is I felt disconnected from who I have grown to be over the last 1.5 yrs and I felt guilt.
It was at this moment that I realized that, there I was in one of the richest nations in the world, drinking gold, when I had no money the week before and I realized that I was so upset over nothing. I was drinking GOLD! I realized that all of the money that I had saved was not for me, I had no need of it. I would have liked to have had it, at least some of it, but I really had no business having all of that cash. At that moment, I realized how blessed I am, how rich I am in life to be able to say that I didn't need that money.
Now, when I think back on the man who took my money, I can only hope that my money did some good for his family. It was Christmas time, everyone deserves a nice Christmas. I sure had a good one. But, it hurts to think that the money, taken by a stranger, could have been given to those in my community. Those who need money to buy medicine for their kids, those who don't have money to eat, those who need books for school. My heart ached thinking of all of those that I ignored, not the few that I gave to. I felt so selfish, even though I've given 1.5 years of my life to help others.
I just know that I can do more, give more, be more and I hope that for those of you who read this, you'll realize this too. We all have so much to offer, we can all spare to give more this year.
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