So I have computer access right now, but I’m just way to tired to write a blog. It sucks how the timing works out like that you know? I’m in Kati, attended the rotary club meeting last night to ask them for help on a water sanitation project I want to begin in Dombila. But I came down with a fever and a cold sort of thing- my head is spinning right now so please excuse the lack of details, the lack of stories in this blog. On Jan 12 I go for three weeks of training in Tubaniso- with daily access to spotty internet, I’ll be able to catch you up on all the adventures in Dombila. What I can say now is, I absolutely love my job. I am already starting to be rewarded by it. Babies are getting fatter, mothers are demonstrating understanding of good health practices (dooni dooni) and me and my homolouge Irene are communicating wonderfully. We make a great team and I’m having a blast out here every day. I celebrated Christmas three different days in three different locations (Falaje, Kati, Dombila)- dancing to the sounds of the African zylophones and drums. Lately, there’s just been a load of holidays around here, most recently ended with New Years. I attended a party in my village where the men had a really good time chillin inside, drinking tea, while us women cooked outside in the cold for about 6 hours. Thats African gender for ya. But hey, the food was good- chicken, fried plantains, even salad (though it was covered with oil and MSG). I myself made pizza paninis upon my supervisors request for “un plat special americain!. My new year’s resolution: wear sunscreen everyday.
So I hate to leave you without stories from the field, but please just take my word that it really has been an excellent week for me; I’m so excited about the direction my projects are beginning to take. I promise to have more for you next week (even ways you can begin to help me!) but for now, I just need to kinda let my mind go back into fighting this fever. Dombila wishes you a happy happy new year!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Christmas 2008
Though nothing beats Christmas in Rochester, NY, Christmas 2008 is one that I will never forget. It is the first year that I wasn’t home for Christmas, and though I missed my family and loved ones and Christmas tradidtions terribly, it was kinda neat to do something new for a change. My parents will tell you that I always had many mixed emotions at Christmas time- the joy of the season being somewhat cluttered by guilt, disappointment with our culture’s materialism, and thoughts of what our brothers and sisters, the “have-nots” were doing. To celebrate Christmas alongside Malians and Americans alike, in a minimalist but bountiful way was a true blessing.
After stocking up on some goodies from the Western-style “supermaket” in Bamako, we made our way to Falaje, a rural Christian village about 80k outside of the capital. Dave Williams, a volunteer in Falaje, hosted 6 of us at his hut for a pig roast. Man, I’ve never seen so much work done for a good strip of pork. The guys built a brick roasting pit the two days before Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, they bought and slaughtered the pig (I conveniently was out for a run during that part), cut its hair, and let it marinate in a bucket of salt water over night. On Christmas day, we all took turns turning the metal pole we (the guys I should say) stuck through the pig and over the fire for a good three or four hours. The meat came out quite tasty, which is more than I can say about Chris’ attempt at blood soup (hey at least I tried it). All the gruesome details can be found on Chris’s new blog: notbalibutmalil.blogspot.com In the meantime, we snaked on watermelon, hot coco, popcorn, banana bread, Christmas cookies/candies/and fruit cakes that came from the states, and any other such things we happened to whip up. Basically, we spent two days cooking and eating, playing charades, and decorating the house for Christmas. A small, fake plastic Christmas tree was overshadowed by a chalk drawing on dave’s wall that we all “decorated” with our own drawings. Us girls made stockings out of an old teeshirt, and with decorative markers and Lindsay’s crocheting ability, actually came out quite nice. Combined with Christmas carols on the ipod and guitar, little silly presents of ketchup, slingshots, and homemade fruit jam really brought the Christmas spirit to our middle-of-nowhere corner of the world. Midnight mass in Falaje was incredible. There was a Bambara choir, singing the mass parts to traditional African beats, and I wore my new “Mary-and-Jesus compilee” that the priest in Kati gave me as a Christmas gift. On my way to Falaje, I also picked up some packages sent from you all that I excitedly opened on Christmas morning! A Christmas I’ll never forget, and my nostalgia for my family was comforted by the fact that I was among good and caring friends and that it would be less than two months before I see my parents. (FEB 16!) I’m so excited!
After stocking up on some goodies from the Western-style “supermaket” in Bamako, we made our way to Falaje, a rural Christian village about 80k outside of the capital. Dave Williams, a volunteer in Falaje, hosted 6 of us at his hut for a pig roast. Man, I’ve never seen so much work done for a good strip of pork. The guys built a brick roasting pit the two days before Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, they bought and slaughtered the pig (I conveniently was out for a run during that part), cut its hair, and let it marinate in a bucket of salt water over night. On Christmas day, we all took turns turning the metal pole we (the guys I should say) stuck through the pig and over the fire for a good three or four hours. The meat came out quite tasty, which is more than I can say about Chris’ attempt at blood soup (hey at least I tried it). All the gruesome details can be found on Chris’s new blog: notbalibutmalil.blogspot.com In the meantime, we snaked on watermelon, hot coco, popcorn, banana bread, Christmas cookies/candies/and fruit cakes that came from the states, and any other such things we happened to whip up. Basically, we spent two days cooking and eating, playing charades, and decorating the house for Christmas. A small, fake plastic Christmas tree was overshadowed by a chalk drawing on dave’s wall that we all “decorated” with our own drawings. Us girls made stockings out of an old teeshirt, and with decorative markers and Lindsay’s crocheting ability, actually came out quite nice. Combined with Christmas carols on the ipod and guitar, little silly presents of ketchup, slingshots, and homemade fruit jam really brought the Christmas spirit to our middle-of-nowhere corner of the world. Midnight mass in Falaje was incredible. There was a Bambara choir, singing the mass parts to traditional African beats, and I wore my new “Mary-and-Jesus compilee” that the priest in Kati gave me as a Christmas gift. On my way to Falaje, I also picked up some packages sent from you all that I excitedly opened on Christmas morning! A Christmas I’ll never forget, and my nostalgia for my family was comforted by the fact that I was among good and caring friends and that it would be less than two months before I see my parents. (FEB 16!) I’m so excited!
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