Just a quick note to say we are doing well. We were in the city to see Jay and Jenni's and Mary and Jamie's weddings. We got to watch Jay and Jenni's on yahoo messenger. Thanks so much to Rebecca Ingalls for the commentary. It was fun for us. It is Ramadan and they wanted to close early but when the situation was explained the guy at the internet cafe helped us out. Looked pretty good (the bride at least)! We tried not to think of all the tasty, sanitary food at the reception.
Mary and Jamie's, well we're excited to see the pictures when you all post them. Let us know when that happens.
Now it is back to village for the end of Ramadan fete. There will be plenty of eating and cheer after a month of fasting. Might have to bust out the Malian clothes. Neither of us will be particuarly sad that this month is finished, since people are quite ornery when they haven't eaten.
We travel to village in packed minivans on a road few in the states would believe. Few would even call it a road, for that matter. Picture a Land Rover television ad but instead of Land Rovers the trail is run by run down, third hand buses and big trucks. Shocks do not exisit in west africa.
Now we have to run. Don't want to miss our chance to get back to the party. Can't spoil ourselves in the airconditioned internet cafe anyway. Until next month.
The Happy Couple
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Weather
I have changed the daily weather to Kayes in western Mali, a city close to that in which Sam and I will serve. It has a reputation as one of the hottest places on the planet. We are a bit outside Kayesville, where it is (believe it or not) a bit hotter. Right now it is the rainy season and the unbearable heat is not common although the humidity is sometimes oppressive. Next is a mini-hot season that will last for a few weeks. After that it will be the cold season. For us, on the edge of the Sahara, it will get quite cold during the nights. Unfortunately, that relief in the cold season is the opposite in the longer hot season to follow. It will be very hot. Fortunately, during the hot season the humidity is rumored to be less. That is fine for others in jungle areas of the country but for us, in more Sahelian locations, it means vicious sandstorms and sun. Curious to see how we will react when it gets to 130F...probably not going to be out running any marathons.
All is well now. We swear in officially on friday and move out to our site afterward.
All is well now. We swear in officially on friday and move out to our site afterward.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Back at PC Training Camp
We did it! We have officially completed our homestay training! No more sleeping in seperate beds! Hooray!
This morning we left our homestay site for the last time. We are back at PC Training Camp, where the 72 of us left here in Mali will have one more week of training before we become true volunteers. In one week we will set out to the site where we will live for 2 years. We are both sad, as we loved the people we were with at homestay and we loved our families. At site, it will only be the two of us. We will be 4 hours from the closest volunteer. I think the two of us will be playing a lot of Rummy 500 in the next two years. The score so far: Sam = 3, Mark = 2.
We wish there was a way to capture Mali, the people of Mali and the other trainees on a blog. Mali is beautiful this time of year as it is very green and lush. It feels really hot most days, but I think the humidity is at 99.9% and it's not really the temperature. Every 2 -3 days there is a crazy rain storm which brings cooler, bareable temperatures for a day before the humidity sets in again. The people of Mali are great. Very friendly, very warm people. They won't however do or help you with anything before a greeting. We got a great cross cultural lesson on that in the market the other day. My friend Susan politely asked for directions and the woman blatantly ignored her. So Susan greeted her, and then asked for the directions. The woman gave us the directions with a smile on her face!
The anatomy of a greeting: Part one - You and the day! (Hello) Part 2 - You are healthy? (How are you?) Part 3 - Your family members are healthy? (How is your family?). Most people end here, but if you are Mark you then inquire after the children, the mother, the father, the grandparents, etc. Most of the time you and the other person are inquiring after the other at the same moment and the questions are never really answered. It's just a polite formality, but now that we can do it, a fun one.
As for the other volunteers, most people are fun. I do have to say I was thought I was a realist my whole life, but I think even to apply to the Peace Corps you have to be an idealist of some sort! So imagine a room full of fun loving, idealists. Seriously, it is fun.
Tomorrow we have a language test and we have to score Intermediate-mid to officially become a volunteer. No worries, we will both score at least that high. We like to laugh over the fact that Bambarankan is going to be our secret language upon returning to the states!
One of these days we will post pictures. Everywhere we have been the internet has been too slow. Stay tuned, we really will post them, one of these days...
This morning we left our homestay site for the last time. We are back at PC Training Camp, where the 72 of us left here in Mali will have one more week of training before we become true volunteers. In one week we will set out to the site where we will live for 2 years. We are both sad, as we loved the people we were with at homestay and we loved our families. At site, it will only be the two of us. We will be 4 hours from the closest volunteer. I think the two of us will be playing a lot of Rummy 500 in the next two years. The score so far: Sam = 3, Mark = 2.
We wish there was a way to capture Mali, the people of Mali and the other trainees on a blog. Mali is beautiful this time of year as it is very green and lush. It feels really hot most days, but I think the humidity is at 99.9% and it's not really the temperature. Every 2 -3 days there is a crazy rain storm which brings cooler, bareable temperatures for a day before the humidity sets in again. The people of Mali are great. Very friendly, very warm people. They won't however do or help you with anything before a greeting. We got a great cross cultural lesson on that in the market the other day. My friend Susan politely asked for directions and the woman blatantly ignored her. So Susan greeted her, and then asked for the directions. The woman gave us the directions with a smile on her face!
The anatomy of a greeting: Part one - You and the day! (Hello) Part 2 - You are healthy? (How are you?) Part 3 - Your family members are healthy? (How is your family?). Most people end here, but if you are Mark you then inquire after the children, the mother, the father, the grandparents, etc. Most of the time you and the other person are inquiring after the other at the same moment and the questions are never really answered. It's just a polite formality, but now that we can do it, a fun one.
As for the other volunteers, most people are fun. I do have to say I was thought I was a realist my whole life, but I think even to apply to the Peace Corps you have to be an idealist of some sort! So imagine a room full of fun loving, idealists. Seriously, it is fun.
Tomorrow we have a language test and we have to score Intermediate-mid to officially become a volunteer. No worries, we will both score at least that high. We like to laugh over the fact that Bambarankan is going to be our secret language upon returning to the states!
One of these days we will post pictures. Everywhere we have been the internet has been too slow. Stay tuned, we really will post them, one of these days...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Got Rice?
What is there to say? We are still here in Mali. Still eating more rice than we would like - at least twice a day every day. It is always covered in Na (sauce). Sometimes the na is delicious and sometimes it is gooey and horrible tasting, but always it is on top of your world wide, standard issue white rice.
Other commonly eaten items include bashi, which they compare to couscous but is nothing like the couscous we know in the states, cucumbers, corn, sweet potatos, eggs, and bread. Bread is to brekfast what rice is to lunch and dinner, standard issue, everyday. Sometimes we spice it up with eggs from our local McDonald's vendor, peanut butter or cheese. While the cheese sounds delicious the only stuff we can buy here is Laughing Cow. We love it, but recognize that it might not be classified as cheese in most countries.
We have been at our host families for 2 weeks now. We are both lucky and have very nice, accomodating families. On the two Sundays we have been at home stay we have gotten to go to Bamako. The first week we visited the National Museum - very much like other 3rd world countries we have been to. The second week we went to a pool. The pool was a top 5 day in Mali, for sure. The other 6 days a week we attend class for 8 hours a day. Sometimes it is technical training, but mostly it is language. One would think we'd be fluent by now, but as the saying goes, doni doni.
On Sunday we head back to the PC training facility for a week. If all goes according to plan our status of PCT (trainee) will be upgraded to PCV (volunteer). It's all very official!
One of these days we'll get some pictures uploaded. Maybe even of the Malian dance we held in our site!
Other commonly eaten items include bashi, which they compare to couscous but is nothing like the couscous we know in the states, cucumbers, corn, sweet potatos, eggs, and bread. Bread is to brekfast what rice is to lunch and dinner, standard issue, everyday. Sometimes we spice it up with eggs from our local McDonald's vendor, peanut butter or cheese. While the cheese sounds delicious the only stuff we can buy here is Laughing Cow. We love it, but recognize that it might not be classified as cheese in most countries.
We have been at our host families for 2 weeks now. We are both lucky and have very nice, accomodating families. On the two Sundays we have been at home stay we have gotten to go to Bamako. The first week we visited the National Museum - very much like other 3rd world countries we have been to. The second week we went to a pool. The pool was a top 5 day in Mali, for sure. The other 6 days a week we attend class for 8 hours a day. Sometimes it is technical training, but mostly it is language. One would think we'd be fluent by now, but as the saying goes, doni doni.
On Sunday we head back to the PC training facility for a week. If all goes according to plan our status of PCT (trainee) will be upgraded to PCV (volunteer). It's all very official!
One of these days we'll get some pictures uploaded. Maybe even of the Malian dance we held in our site!
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