Sunday, July 26, 2009

Blasto, i be sho dun, and lizard on a stick

So I just returned to the training site from my homestay village. It has been a really rough 11 days, but I am definitely on the upswing and am happy to see the other trainees and volunteers again.

I am living with the chief and his wives (I think there are two, but he might have as many as 4) and brothers and about 20 children ranging in age from a few weeks old to 16. They are really nice and my mothers are great cooks! I haven't been able to eat much because I got blasto (a parasite) and have been vomiting a lot, but they want me to feel better. Unfortunately, my regular vomiting within the short walls of my negen (toilet) are heard by all 30-40 people in the compound, and I am now constantly plauged by intense laughter and vomiting sounds as I exit, or whenever they see me around town. In Malian culture, you joke to diffuse tension and make people feel better so I am chocking it up to that, but it can certainly be frustrating to be known around town as Sitan blaghhhh.

Oh also, they gave me a first name - Sitan, making my full, proper name Sitan Diarra. The Diarras are the best family in Mali, and the Traore's and Dembelay's and Coulibaly's are totally lame (they are my joking cousins - so I am obviously kidding). My joking cousins all eat beans (aw be sho dun) (implying that they fart a lot - the biggest cultural faux pas in Mali). The idea behind joking cousins (aka the bean joke) is really neat. Essentially, back in the day there was a bunch of inter-group tension, but that has mostly disintegrated now into jokes between the groups that everyone laughs about when they meet someone from their joking cousins' factions. It has really helped the stability and increased peace here. Plus, joking and laughing is always a great way to interact with people. It really gives you pride in your family name.

My host brother is just about the coolest person in the town. He is only 13, but he rides around on a motorcycle all the the time and plays with his slingshot. All the kids follow him around (when not following me), and he is their ringleader. One day he came walking into the compound swinging a really big (like 2' including tail) lizard that he had just killed with his slingshot. He then proceeded to machete its head off, impale it on a stick, and cook it on the fire, but not before he tried to show is prized catch to me up close and personal. I started shreiking AYE AYE AYE! and am now taking a ton of crap for that from my family. I guess I deserve it, and it's hilarious when they mock me like that, but sometimes I feel like I am only being used for their amusement. I suppose I am....and I guess I'm ok with that. It's all in good fun.

The Bambara lessons have been pretty good. I can now successfully understand about 50% of what people say to me (although granted, that is mostly greetings, which are really big here - you don't greet, you don't exist). It can be frustrating, but no major problems.

I also washed my clothes with my host sisters this past week. That got a good hearty laugh from everyone, as did my pounding millet, which is incredibly difficult. Just so you all know, millet is nothing like what we had at the ethiopian restaurant. "To" is this green gloppy stuff that has the consistency of playdough, and which is usually dipped in sauce. I have tried a few times, but just cannot stomach it. Thankfully I have been getting rice or macaroni instead, and have also eaten a lot of fruit. The oranges are green, the melons are yellow, and there are mangos and bananas, and all of them are delicious. Fruit is a major staple of my diet here (when I can keep things down).

On an important note: I will be here at the training site until Wednesday morning with power and internet and phone service, but after that will leave to go back to homestay for another 12 days. When I have power, my cell will be on when I am awake (8 am to 11 pm GMT - 3 am to 6 pm EST). When I am back in village my service stinks and I only have my phone on a little bit, but usually try to be in a service area between 8 and 10 pm my time (3 and 5 pm EST). Please call me!

My cell phone here is: 011-223-784-555-13. I don't get texts but I can send them. If you get a french recording, that is my voicemail, you can leave a message.

I'll have another update when I can before I go back. Hope everything is going well stateside!
♥Sitan

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Another update!

So I just found out that I will be in a small village called Kobalakura near Bamako (the capital city) for my language training. I am living with the chief of the village and there are two other volunteers (one of whom is my current roommate - she''s awesome) and another who is another alumna from UChicago. It is good times all around for sure. We are learning Bambara (the lingua franca here), but will probably also use French at our sites (we all scored pretty high on the exam).

My new Malian last name is Dialla which is important for the Malian custom of the bean joke. (Essentially there are only like 17 major last names, and many years ago they were all warring with one another, but as of late the fighting has stopped and has been replaced by joking. Each family name is associated with a trait (usually negative) which other Malians with different last names will use to make fun at each other when being introduced. It is supposed to reduce the awkwardness and tension of meeting people. It's called the bean joke because farting is like a huge faux pas, so calling someone a bean eater implies that they fart a lot.) I will let you know what the Dialla bean joke is when I find out.

Today was a lot of fun. We ate on the floor for the second time. The peanut butter sauce is delicious. I am still incredibly messy at eating the rice and sauce at the same time, and managing to get it in my mouth, but I'm getting better every day. There is some spice or flavor here that I can recognize, but not place, that I just can't eat, but otherwise I'm fine. I'm pretty excited to find out more about the food.

Yesterday I did my laundry (by hand!) and managed to get everything at least clean enough to wear again and look good. Granted, there are people who can do our laundry for us if we provide the soap, so I may not do it much, but I found it sort of relaxing.

Today we had a huge rainstorm midday and all of the lessons stopped until it slowed down. The wind and rains were so strong that they took out the awning over the door to our hut, and are now blocking the door (picture to come). They are fixing it soon.

I would also like to point out at this point that I have now taken a few pictures, but that my cord to upload them is in another bag, which I have yet to sort through. As soon as I have it there will be a post.

I also just got a cell phone here, and will get a sim card tomorrow. Whenever I have internet next (probably in two weeks) I will post my number. It's free for me to receive calls, and I think it can be pretty inexpensive to call from the states, so feel free to give me a ring anytime.

Anyway, I'm off to do some more bonding with my fellow (AWESOME!) PCTs and PCVs.
♥Sarah

Monday, July 13, 2009

First post!

Hey! So I have now been in Africa for almost exactly 3 days. It is great here! It is currently the rainy season (read: there is rain), but the weather is really nice.

The other volunteers are really fantastic people. At this point, I know almost everyone in my 66 person stage, and I can honestly say that they are really amazing, fascinating, and hilarious people. I could not have asked for a better group!!

I am leaving on Wednesday for my homestay village to learn one of the local dialects. I was told my French would qualify for a minority language, but I told the woman in charge of health education (my sector) that I would rather learn Bambara (bam-ba-ra), so I should find out tomorrow. I am really nervous about living with Malians and not being able to speak their language very well. I currently only know a few greeting phrases - greetings are a really big deal here.

In oversharing, and probably excessive pride, I would like to mention that I have become pretty good at using the negen (squatty potty), and have yet to drop anything in accidentally or fall in.

I will eventually post pictures, and hopefully tomorrow will post a phone number here in mali (my cell) where you can reach me - it's free for me to get calls, so call whenever (before 7pm eastern time).

Also, my address for packages or letters is:
Sarah Gallagher
Corps de la Paix
BP 85
Bamako, Mali

I would really love to hear from people! You can also post comments on this blog and I will try to respond. Once I am at my site for good, I should have internet at least once a month, but possibly more.

♥Sarah