Sunday, April 24, 2011

Copy and paste this link if you can't click on Peace Corps Article link

http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1762

Peace Corps Article

Link

So that link didn't really work I don't think. I'll try again. Here:

My First Week at Site

4-23

So I just spent a week at my new site. Things are great!! Also, you can find an article about our swear in here:

My Malian counterpart teaches basic literacy classes in my village so I have been attending those and helping out when I can. This is very interesting as he just very recently learned to write. The whole thing is very inspirational, a little heartbreaking, and very funny. Funny because I can help the people sound words out because I can recognize letters and the sounds they should make, but I have no idea what some of the words mean. For instance, I can sound the word “jala” out, but I could definitely not use it in a sentence. I am slowly picking up on meanings, but it is very funny. I think where I am most helpful is with math. They are working on very simple addition and subtraction, which I can explain with my limited vocabulary and fingers, sticks, rocks, or lines drawn on paper. Mainly, I try to work with the people who can’t read or write at all. They get left behind quickly in class, and it is fairly painful to watch them try to force their hands to write their names or 1-10. Sometimes I make them repeat writing letters or their names, and other times I write something down and make them tell me what letter or number it is.

I also will be distributing mosquito nets from a US AID project. Yesterday I had to go around and figure out how many people are in each family and write them a receipt so when the nets arrive they receive the proper number, which is one net for every 2 people. It was also a good way for me to meet more people in my village, and get a count. There are 574 people. I know I am just lucky to have so much to do already, I know that the first three months are generally filled with a distinct lack of things to do, but I have plenty on my plate already. I mean, I only got one nap in yesterday!!! That means I had lots to do. Between drinking tea, counting people, reading, playing mini guitar concerts, and working on my garden I have tons of stuff to do.

Speaking of garden, I have built a fence just outside my house. It will be a bit of a walk from the nearest water, but I think I can handle it. The fence design is fairly brilliant in its African simplicity. I did not think of it. I’ll have pictures at some point I hope. The chief and I built it. I don’t really know how to describe it, but I’ll put up a picture sometime soon. It is basically a very thick bush that we built out of branches from various bushes, and then lashed between posts. Horrible description, but it’s the best I’ve got for now. I also dug one bed so far and will be hunting for seeds today in Sikasso.

I am lacking tables. I was told I could get a table in village, so no reason to buy one in Sikasso and then have to put it on a car to get to site. But this is not the case. I asked the chair builder if he could build me a table. He said no. I showed him that a table is just a chair with no back essentially, but he said he could not do it… Silly. I’ll have to figure that out at some point.

I’ve also started playing my guitar for an insanely, insanely skinny woman. She is not that old, but she can’t really take care of herself so either her brother or husband takes care of her. I think she enjoys it, but I can’t really tell. She just sort of looks like she has given up and is waiting to die, which from the looks of her will not be very long. Though she does have the occasional brilliant smile when I say hi. I hate to end on a depressing note, but I think that’s all the news I have for now. Things in general are really, really good and life is really relaxing in village. I am busy, but I still have plenty of time to read in my hammock that is made of what appears to be shoelaces. That was a brilliant purchase I must say!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Becoming official

So, later today we are all going to the Presdential Palace and becoming sworn in as official volunteers, and the next day I am leaving for my site!!  Last night we had a huge party.  We went the "American Club" during the day which has a pool!  And pretty good burgers, then to a hotel in the evening then there were shuttles arranged for several bars/nightclubs.  The whole night was incredibly entertaining, and there was much ridiculousness.  However, everyone here has become really close in the last two months, and I am definitely going to miss most of the people...a lot.  I'll see them again in two months for In Service Training, but not really until then because we aren't supposed to leave our site for the first two months. (Normally it is three months, but there is another training group coming in June or July so they scheduled our IST earlier than normal), which personally I am glad about because the volunteers all celebrate holidays together, and Fourth of July is usually a pretty big event in one of the cities, and now I should be able to attend.  If the other groups was not coming in, our IST would have fallen during the Fourth, so we would have been at the training center unable to travel far.  I'm defintitely going to try to get some pictures at swear in, and hopefully will be able to post them in a semi-timely manner. 

I am very excited to start service, and to start cooking for myself! The food at the training center is pretty good, and well balanced, but I was not a huge fan of the cooking when I went to my site to visit a few weeks ago.  It didn't necessarily taste too bad, it wasn't great, but every meal I got some sort of fish sauce, and it generally sat out a bit too long in the sun, and it just turned my stomach.  I bought a stove, and will be buying a table to put it on when I get to Sikasso so I should be able to start cooking right away.  Now, I just need to figure out how to build a solar oven and I'll be in good shape...MMMMMMMMM.... Pie.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Rain!!!

We had our first rain yesterday.  It was an awesome thunderstorm for about an hour.  I, of course, stood in the rain for some time then ran through the puddles as it was my first rain in Mali, and I wanted it to be a memorable one.

Today, we went to a women's cooperative that makes Shea butter, lotion, and soap.  It was really, really cool, and will someday soon be very profitable I think.  And shea is really good for skin, so if you are someone who is inclined to sport lotions, or if you like to bath using soap try ordering some!! They only ship large quantities due to infrastructure logistics, but at least look at their website:  http://www.maisondukarite.org/pages/sibysheabutter.html or google it.  It's even in English (mostly).  I got to mix some of the shea stuff by hand with them today to extract the oil.  They create elaborate beats and rythyms while they beat the shea paste by hand, and it is just a really cool set-up. I bought some soap that they added cucumber to, it smells delicious.  I'll try not to eat it before I bathe with it.  The co-op is located in Siby which has a lot or rock climbing near it with bolted routes and guides.  It is a neat area for sure that will definitely need to be explored further.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Death

Hippos spotted: 0 People bitten in half: 0 Pairs of pants soiled: 1

Okay, so.  My pre-service training is rapidly drawing to a close.  My last few weeks in my training village were great, and I had few interesting experiences.  The first beeing that I pooped my pants.  This was a major stepping stone in my Peace Corps service, and I feel very accomplished now.  No, actually, I was really quite sick, and it wasn't too fun for a day or two.  I had a really bad cold, and then pretty excessive diarrhea on top of it, plus that week was really hot.  The average temperature in my nice, shady room at midday while I napped was just over 100F, so the days I was sick were kinda rough.  But, on the flip side, I personally think I am adjusting well to the heat.  I discovered that putting a plastic "prayer" mat on my bed, and sleeping directly on that is far superior than any sheet.  I think because the prayer mat allows the sweat to drain through it, or it will evaporate so when you roll around in bed it is less likely that you will roll over into a swamp.  The pillow is a tricky endevour though.  I currently wrap it in a sheet, so there are four or five layers of cloth between me and the pillow.  It helps, but still my pillow can literally be wrung out when I wake up in the morning.

I've also spearheaded a moustache movement in our stage.  We are getting shirts made that say "Moustage" on them with a nice moustache decal on the front.  This is because, at my and my friend Regis' prompting, all of the men in our stage (minus a 2 or 3 weenies) will be sporting their finest moustaches at the swear-in ceremony at the presidential palace.  It will probably be mankinds' finest hour, so far.  It will be a fine time for us, and it won't be too ridiculous as moustaches are completely normal and accepted in Mali, instead of being the sign of a child molester as they are in America.  Also, the swear-in clothing I had made is wonderful.  In true Ethan style, it is fairly ridiculous, but my language teachers thought it will be great for "swear-in."

This next bit it farily depressing, but still a wonderful cultural experience.  One of the last days in my training village, I attended the funeral of an infant.  Our language teacher informed us a child had died, and he said it would mean a lot if we went to the funeral... So we did.  We showed up at the family's housing compound and the women and men split up.  We offered some blessings, and then sat while the older men said some prayers.  After a little while, the men brought the body out wrapped in a mat with some Islamic symblos on it.  The laid it on the ground and then the Muslim men in the group (most of them) prayed over it for a bit.  Then the men went to the cemetary and buried the body.  Being a man, I went along.  They placed the body in a narrow grave and then stacked some mud bricks on top.  Then Imam said some stuff in Arabic, and then they shoveled dirt over it.  They placed a mud brick at the head, as a head stone, and then cut a bough off a bush, and laid it on top of the grave lengthwise.  Then we went back to the compound for some more praying, and then it was over.  Apparently, the women's side of the service was a bit more wild for the following reasons.  Number 1, the father was sick in Bamako.  The father is supposed to be the person who lets people know that the child died.  Since he was not there, no one took it upon themselves to do this, and so no body let the mother know that her child had died as the mother was out in the fields working.  While the men were busy burying the baby the mother returned.  She poked her head in the door, and they told her what had happened.  She collapsed in a heap and started weeping and yelling.  The family quickly ran out and reprimanded her, picked her up, and ushered her out of public view.  It is okay for the mother to cry silently at a child's death, but anything beyond that is culturally unacceptable.  A child's death is sad, but not seen as a big deal in Mali.  If an older person dies, then funeral happens usually within 24 hours, but the festivities will last for many days.  I was thoroughly shocked at this funeral, but I have accepted it for what it is.  Also, I got preturbed at the child who started beating the crap out of a dog during the funeral.  Usually, when I see excessive animal abuse going on I'll yell at the kid, and chase him down, or throw a rock at him/her, but seeing as I was in the middle of a service I didn't think this would be acceptable.  So, I just watched as this dog kept trying to crawl into the kids lap, and roll over on its back, completlely submitting, and the kid just kept smacking with an underripe mango, which are quite firm.  Anyways, the day ended well when we made egg sandwiches and mango salsa. Delicious!!!

The next day we had a going away party, and the chief of the village had a grandchild.  So, the census almost worked out, except late in the day a kid drowned in the canal, but we didn't attend this funeral, if it even happened.  Anyways, we got back to the training compound a few days ago, and as I was writing this I got my birthday package from my parents!!!  Yay!  That's it for now. 
 This picture is one of million Barack Obama merchandise examples.
 My two awesome language teachers: Labassy on the right, and Claudine on the left.
 My host sister, Kadiatou, on the left, and host mom, Awa, on the right.
 My training village group: Claudine, Mario, Thera, Laura, Labassy, Me, Matt, Judy, Rob (L to R)
 Rob and Thera making some choice Mango salsa.
My host family (and a few random people who happened to be nearby when I got out the camera). My host dad, Dramane, is the guy on the right with the blue shirt.  The guy I talked to the most is in the white jersey holding the kid in the green shirt.  The kid is not his, but is terrified of me.  The kid's name is Amadou, and the guy is Douda.  Douda is a rad, smart guy.  He wants to be a lawyer, but is trying to save up as school is pricey.  The older woman on the left is Mase, Dramane's mother.  His wife is Awa in the middle.  The only kid that is his in this picture is the girl in the red shirt, Kadiatou.  Kadiatou is a pistol.  She is a piece of work, but is probably one of the happiest people I have ever met.