Med trip to Bamako

So, continuing my longstanding tradition of constantly being sick, I am in the med office in Bamako (with AC and internet!). Something in the delicious bananas and food my host mother makes is not agreeing with me and I'm having blood drawn tomorrow to rule out anything major. I don't feel too bad...just weak, and my host family makes vomiting noises at me whenever I leave the negen....out of love I assume. Plus...if no food is getting through I can't have 'Mr. D', like many of my peers.

In fun and exciting anecdotes for this update....
My host brothers and sisters were having a great time blowing up a balloon and then slowly letting the air out to make fart noises. I, having the maturity of a 5 year old thought it was hilarious and would laugh histerically when this happened (and they told me that so and so must have eaten a lot of beans). Seeing my amusement, they handed me the balloon. Not even half a breath in, and while it was still smaller than when they did it, it burst in a loud pop. I tried to apologize, but that just brought about even more laughter. As far as my Malian family knows, I am incapable of just about anything. (Except fixing the chain on their bike - I did manage to do that to make up for my balloon fail.)

Also, we have been learning adjectives and body parts recently in Bambara lessons. While useful and funny for anyone, this was all the more amusing, when during lunch that very day I was replacing the seat of my bike to a tractor style seat I brought from the states. When one of my host mothers asked why I was doing this, my host sister replied, cracking up histerically, because she has, what amounts to in Bambara, a huge ass. Had this taken place only hours earlier, it would have been more meaningless jibber jabber (Boston Legal!) at my expense, but this time I was in on the joke, and was able to actually laugh rather than awkwardly giggle like I usually do. Language success!

So, just another comment on communication: My cell here is 784-555-13. It can be very hard to get through the circuit, and if you get a French recording, it is my voicemail. When I am at homestay, my phone is only on between 4 and 5:30 pm EST and on weekends until 5:30 pm EST. I cannot receive texts, but I can send them.

Also, send me your addresses and phone numbers (by email - sarah.a.gallagher@gmail.com) so that I can send a post card or a quick hello text or something - communication with Americans, by letter or phone is seriously one of the best ways to brighten my day! :D

Hope all is well in America!
♥Sarah