Rat and a Christmas

Rat does in fact taste like chicken. This curiosity was put to rest a couple of days ago when a rat, close to two feet in length, head to tail, was caught by a woman who found it in her house. As we sat by the fire, chatting as usual every night, the commonality of the evening was jumpstarted by the furry rodent who's fate was sealed in the clutches of my host fathers' eldest son. Carefully, Calib laid the rat down, held it in control with his foot firmly on the body, and grabbed the back of the head. By exposing the neck while pulling the head back, Calib put it down with the touch of a knife. Once the rat expired, Calib's son took the rat in his hands, walking around with it, parading the once cunning animal that managed to elude captures , evidence by the shear size of it. Aside from the size of its tail and body, I realized the scope of its size by length of its feet, which were as big as my thumbs. It was mighty while it lasted. I asked if this was the biggest they have ever seen. While using their hands to show an example of how big the rats can get, I thought "my God" and cared not to imagine one in my house, ever.

So we ate it. While they prepared it, I meditated the what ifs, the whys, and the why nots to eating rat. You always hear others say, "ah, it tastes just like chicken" without any self conviction of your own. As the time came, my decision was "what the hell, just another kind of meat in Mali. Lets see if it tastes like chicken". Curiosity won and the cat is still alive. Next!

Christmas has come and passed and the wake of the three day celebration will always leave its mark on me. On the Eve, the anticipation, the build up grew as "Noelly" was just around the corner. Everyone prepared fro the festivities. Food was preped for cooking, women and men came from neighboring villages and distant towns. Christmas clothes were laid out for their unveiling at church, work was finished ahead for two days of rest, and the animals were gathered for what would be their last breakfast . In my neighborhood, a cow and a pig were offered fro the festivities. Enough said about that. At night was the Eve surman at the church. I arrived to see the inside decorated with balloons strung across the church, dangling like those chinese lamps at a patio party. These balloons had drawings on them, hard to make out except for one, a catipillar with a cane and top hat. The surman was relatively short, 1 and half hours, which was followed by a dance party in the churches courtyard. The music is raw, using this term loosely. A scratchy PA system, the mic way too loud, guitar complete with feed back that rattles the ear drums, volume at a deafening tone, and the composition out of timing as if the guitarist and drummers were soloing together. But its all part of the essence, the fascination, and spirit that draws me to experience more while testing my fortitude and will to take things as is, no coats of sugar or paint, just what you see, a beautiful thing. As we danced in a circle, sectioned by men and women, I try to pick up their style of dance. Its a shuffle with Malian rhythm, aggressive yet smooth in style complete with clapping and kicking. A harmonious sound comes from a group of women who clap and sing in perfect unison. Its choreographed so well that it draws your attention all the time. The night ends fro me as they keep going well into the night and the early morning.

Christmas arrives and everyone is up. I head over to my host family's house for breakfast, rice and pork with a cup of sugared coffee. Not the usual oats and tea in the moring and especially not a breakfast recommended by nutritionists, but when in Mali...do as they do, besides its only one day. After breakfast we head to church where I get to see everyones new clothes. I'm wearing the same shirt that I wore to swear in, accompanied by new pants which are pinstriped and dont match with the shirt. Their clothes are vibrant, patterns and cuts that create a fashion sense. Women especially pride themselves in the finest and with little disappointment. Their dress is by far more creative and exotic than the mens. Church concludes 2 and a half hours later and now its time to celebrate. We eat our fill of rece, meat, and dege, a porridge made of millet, sour milk, salt, sugar, peanut powder, oil, and water. We also rise many rounds of tea as we chat with each other and members of families that live in other areas. No matter if its Christmas here or the states, its about one thing: Family and here in Mali, it is no difference.

The day after is Christmas part two. Church in the morning to start. I decide not to go, which opened me to field a flurry of questions of why I did not go. I answer truthfully but they still cant comprehend why I don't go. In time I suppose they will understand that their are more than two religions in the world. We eat a lot, drink a lot of tea, chat, and say our goodbyes to visitors. The night ends with me sitting amongst some prominent elders, having tea and chatting. As the night fades, the radio plays late 1990's to early 2000 rap, in english. An odd way to cap the end of Christmas but fitting because I've been so enthralled in Malian culture the past few days that aside from talking to family and my girlfriend, the american rap was the one thing that brought a taste of america to this years Christmas.

First 3 months in, what a way to begin.

Hey all!!

I am here and well, writing from our training site and 3 months into my 2 year service. Let me tell you that these 3 months have flown by soo fast and since the last entry, my integration and language have improved by leaps and bounds. My level of confortability has leveled out in recent weeks to the point where i feel like a part of the village and not the American running around doing Malian work. Now i am a worker in village, helping my friends and host family with whatever they need. Soon i will start actual developement projects that i hope will carry on past my service and place the people i work with in a situation where they will be self sustaining to the point where they will not need a volunteer in the future. So many projects in mind, but as we say here in Bambara, doni doni (slow, slow).

About a month ago, Nov. 17th, we celebrated Tabaski which is a Muslim holiday where they pray to Ala and have a grand feast for 3 days. This was my first Tabaski and was eager to see what the big feast was all about. The first day, i went to my friends house where i payed respects to the elders of the family. Then, we ate.....ALOT!!! For Tabaski, each head of the household is presented with an animal, goat or sheep, which is then sacrificed for the celebration. At my friends place, they killed 3 sheep and 2 goats for the festivities a very expensive purchase for one day. I was not there when they killed the animals, but did see the end result, dead goats and sheep and a lot of meat. But enough with the details. We ate a lot, rice, sauce, and meat then headed to meet and chat with some of the elders of the village. Malian tradition states that old men (chekorobas) are regarded as wise men and are treated with respect. Every neighborhood has a chekoroba that overseas the neighborhood while above him is the dugutigi (village cheif) who overseas the entire village. I met with most fo the chekorobas from the neighborhood i was in. We exchanged words, lots of jokes and laughs, food (meat, rice, and sauce) and many rounds of tea. For the rest of the day, a friend and I walked around and greeted everyone. People were dancing, singing, and being happy which is a wonderful site to see because the Malian people are so nice and genuine. At night time there was a dance party which was equipped with zylophones, drums, and a singer. This band was the purist jam band i have ever seen because their songs could run for 5 to 25 minutes, pounding away at the zylophone with a furious tempo, non-stop, not even for a cigarette, and played to the dancers that filled the dancing area. These dancers, both men and women, exhibited a shuffle dance but with crypt walking and the jig mixed into one. It was captivating to look at and i wish i had video of it which i am kicking myself right now. All in all, Tabaski was a great experience aside from the next day where I am pretty sure i got food sickness. But when in Mali................do as the Malians do.

Since Tabaski, i have been in the fields working away and making my garden. At 8:30 or so, i head to the garden to water and weed. Right now i have tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, carrots, onions, beets, and arugula in my garden beds. The last one, arugula, is foreign to them and they always ask me what it is. When i say that it is arugula, they just laugh at me. I think because it is a funny sounding word that they cant pronounce because of the hard "R" or that they think its funny i am planting what looks like a weak crop. Either way i joke with them by calling them a bean eater and all is squared away. After garden work, i head to the field to dig for woso (sweet potato). It is hard work to dig and i get quite a work out doing so though i love the physical work that requires me to use my hands. On one day i was able to drive a donkey cart, a lot of fun to ride. I did go easy on the donkey with the switch because Malians at times can really lay into the donkey to make it giddy up. But i wanted to be light with it while saying positive affirmations to Frank, the donkey. Had to name it to keep it loose and fun. While digging for woso, you dig around the woso so as to not slice it which is very easy to do. I in the start was too conservative with it, which is why they would finish 2 rows to my 1 row. No matter, i dug up woso and ate some raw while taking 5. Interesting thing though while digging for woso. My younger brother was digging and unearthed a green snake, coiled up in the woso bed. With little hesitation, he killed it with his daba. Malians dont mess with snakes as they say, "u be mogo faga" meaning "they kill people". Its a shame because i am pretty sure it was harmless. When working in the field, food is always made because its tough to dig for hours strait without subsistance. Usually its a pourage but this time we had woso that was mashed. Delicious!!! After i was ready to tackle more beds though my host mother and brother easily outpaced me. Some day though, some day, i will out woso-dig them.

Training has been so so. Highlights were i learned how to graft trees, bee keeping, and saw a 10ft python on the road. The tree grafting was really interesting and a usefull tool now and later when i return. You basically graft a branch from a tree which produces healthy fruit to a seedling of the same type of tree. Example would be a mango tree. Its a way to pass along the good genes without starting a tree from seed. Bee keeping is fasinating and how bees operate is just as interesting. We learned the basics and how we can apply them to our village in order to generate income and food. And lets not forget the 10ft python. It was at night and someone happened to come across it on the road. We all jumped out of our seats once we heard and saw it with our own eyes. It was pretty impressive, 10ft and 6-8inches in diameter at the thickest section. We all were amazed by it and the guards were terrified of it. There are pics on facebook if you would like to see it.

Well i am off to site to spend Christmas with the host Fam. We are roasting a whole pig and giving gifts to eachother. I will let you all know how it goes. Take care, and always be in peace.

Kan ben (see you),
Geoff

Day 1 on the job

Havent journaled in a while as there has been a lot going on. But I won't dwell on the training as it's been a blur up to this moment. Training isnt worth mentioning, only the fact that it was short, stressful, rushed, and 90% went over my head to the point where i am still catching up. But all was necessary to prepair me for my first Day, number 1.
My first day on site, the real deal. Three years of working brought me here to this place where I set to make a difference. Sounds like a freak out but quite the opposite. I finally was able to relax in my own settings where i could make my own schedule. With my first day, I filled it with every day house chores. Being active and doing things in a new environment. I took a run in the morning after I procrastinated for an hour whether to run or not. I am glad I did, to see the landscape that is beautiful while shedding the Segou body fat I acquired while feasting like a king in town. I intended to be in shape while I am here, but not to kill myself over it. The run lasted almost an hour but I walked at times because i was tired. A boy, hearding goats and sheep gave me an ear of corn on the way back which was very generous. I returned home where i was pretty winded from the run. I greeted A LOT of people as well which is equally as exhausting as a 5k run. I showered (bucket bath) clothed, and went to do laundry by the water pump. The previous day I set out to visit every boutigi (shop) I could find and greet them. I intended on buying things while familiarizing myself with the boutigitigi's (store owners).
I went to the pump and sprawled my clothes out on the wash area for all to see, drawers and all. Only women here, no suprise, but i intended to change that, through example that men too can wash clothes. Will it work, we shall see. I washed my clothes with my hands, using a wash board only. Its hard work and time consuming. It took close to 3 hours to wash and rinse everything as i got a little sun in the process while enjoying the outside. I also realized that i shouldnt wait until all of my clothes are dirty to wash them for the sake of time and energy.
After laundry, i cleaned my bike as it needed it, badly. Mud from 3 weeks ago had resided on the chain, gears, and frame, hindering performance as i rode. Also the chain started to rust, not good. I scrubbed all the gears and the chain, trying to remove as much as possible. I tweaked with the derailers to hone my stallion for the ride into my market town the next day.
After chores i began to read Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut. I haven't read any of his books but figured what better time than now. I managed to down over 100pgs and enjoyed the read. I have 6 books lined up to read after Slaughterhouse five is finished.
So concludes the first day. I ate corn to (local dish) with sauce and went to sleep, always in peace.

Back from home stay

Hey everyone,

So i have been living with a Malian family for the last two weeks and now enjoying a 3 day break, battery recharge, before heading back to my site on Saturday. The wonderful thing about being in training is that you are well informed on what to expect before each training session because there are current volunteers heading the sessions and you can ask them ANYthing that is on you mind. The big one before we left was the experience of home stay and what to look for. A volunteer who has been here for a year said that it is an out-of-this-world experience when you first live with your family. He said as well that home stay for the first two weeks is the hardest part of service. Point 1 to me as i have not ET(early termination) and still here writing this blog. My wave of emotions have been on a high, especially the first few days in site, to low because it is mentally and physically draining because you are working 24/7. Though we have class 6 days a week, language, culture, and technical environmental sessions, you are watched intentley and curiously by the whole community once you are in site. It has been an exhausting few weeks but the experience has been great.
I arrived two weeks ago during the afternoon and met my host family. It was so fast when they dropped me off that it still didnt hit me that i was living with a host family. They helped me with my bags, set up my room, made me lunch, and welcomed me into their home. The father is a rancher of sorts as he has 10 cows, 6 sheep, and an unknown number of chickens. He has one wife and 5 children. The wife from day one was quiet and not as welcoming to me. We were informed of gender roles in Malian society so i didnt think much of it at the time. I took a nap after lunch and was late to orientation that day. A great way to start, but all was ok and nothing came of it. That night was interesting. I ate dinner, in silence as everyones eyes were fixed on me. Kind of wierd to be honest. Right after I ate, a flood of Bambara words were thrown at me and i frantically wrote everything down phonetically. So much info in such a small amount of time. Bed time came and i went to sleep, in my 10x10 foot, blue colored room with a bed, mosquito net, straw mat, and hand fan(which is a godsend here). I took a moment to look around at my surroundings, taking it all in. That night i had no trouble falling asleep, until 4:30am when i heard pitter patter on my tin roof. Rain started and when it rains here, it rains!! they are pretty violent, with wind gusts strong enough to blow over canopies and rain that pours down like a faucet. On my tin roof i could here every drop of rain, but magnified by 100 so it was impossible to sleep while the rain started. I woke up and openned my door to find my father and his two sons running around the yard grabbing things that are blowing away. They also knocked on my door to see if i was ok and the two sons slept with me on the ground for the rest of the night. I thought this was a wonderful gester and appreciated them looking out for me. I awoke at 6am and started my first day in Mali.
Life in town has been wonderful. Malians are friendly, which is an understatement to how warm and receptive they are. They greet for 5 minutes before walking off to where ever they are going. They are always helpful when you need something and treat you like a king, which takes some getting used to. Here, foreigners are respected and treated very well so you are taken care of all the time. The kids are adorable as they are curious to meet you. They will greet you in french "bonjour" or "bonsoir", with a huge smile on their face and waving at you until you are way out of sight. they come up to you when you walk around and shake hands, then run away only to do the same thing when you walk back later in the day to do the same thing again. Some kids have never seen a creature like you before so they are terrified of you at first. They will cry and run away as soon as they see you but eventually they come around.
So some cultural things: you eat with your hand, the right one. You shovel food in your mouth. You bath out of a bucket which isnt that hard once you get the hang of it. They do bath in the nyagan (the place where you go #1 and #2) which takes a little longer to adjust to. they drink tea all the time and there is a whole ritual you do which is for another blog in the future. Joking is important in Malian culture as it has a history of peacemaking in times of war. I be sho dun (you eat beans) is a running joke that never gets old, ever. Everyone laughs at you, for being an american, for speaking the language well or poorly, or because they just want to laugh at you, but it is all in good humor and not to be taken seriously.
All in all my first two weeks have been great. More to come but my initial shock and anxiety has settled to where i can take more time to learn as much as i can. They say here DOONI DOONI which is slow slow, meaning that it takes time to adjust and to not rush yourself. Life here is simple but they do quite well though things can use change. i have found they are loving life and enjoy every day to the fullest. They are able to do things with limited resources and are happy, something that i compare to life in the states where we have everything at our disposal.

well dinner is served and i am hungry hungry hungry. see you soon and best wishes to all

Peace,
Geoff

Meet the family

Friends,

I am off to home stay, which is 2 weeks living with my host family and learning Bambara and Malian culture. We live with a family and try to integrate with them by asking mun don (what is) and pointing to things trying to get a grasp of the language. I will not be back until the 21st so no blog until then, however the blog after will be loaded with goodies. This, told by current volunteers, is the most challenging part of the service as it calls on you to live with a host family without real comprehension of the language. We basically sit there with our family and feel eachother out, learning from one another. During home stay, we will get more language as the two weeks are fulfilled. We have been eating like Malians, using our hands (right only) to eat food, dressing in business casual all day, and learning about cultural fopahs to help us succeed at this point. Language will be big. We learned some stereotypes that Malians think of when they see americans. One is that we are dirty. Malians clean their face, feet, and hands 5 times a day, taking showers 2-3 times a day. So yes, we are dirty compared to Malians.
Ok off to bed as tomorrow is a big one. see you in two weeks.

Kan Ben,
Geoff

"these statements are my own and in no way reflect the Peace Corps Mission, Goals, and Operations in any way"

Finally in Mali!!

Hey everyone!!! Bonjour! i have made it to Mali and have been here for the past few days. Let me just say that it is hot hot hot here, humid but tolerable once you realize that you will be sweating non-stop while you are here. But that is ok, its a part of life and detoxing naturally. Our stay has been fun as the first morning was such an eye openner to a new place. The landscape is similar to southern CA but the temperature is much different. The fellow volunteers here come from all over the nation representing states such as Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Tennessee, and New York to name a few. Everyone is great and excited about serving. Today was our first day of class, which covered saftey, health, and culture. Malian culture is different in many ways but their hospitality towards others is genuine as they will help out perfect strangers. Their humor is suprising with sarcasim a commonality. We have a few more training sessions to do then we head to live with our host family for two weeks. Before we make the transition, we will learn Bambara in order to help integrate with local communities. Mosquitos are here but not in the numbers i was expecting, which i am really happy about because mosquitos seem to really like me. We spent the 4th of July at the Americans Club which was interesting going to such a nice place after living a day in our training site.
Ok, animals i have seen. There hasnt been much but a gecko in the nyagan (litreen) and the biggest moth i have ever seen. Birds are common but can't really make out any so far. Oh and toads are here as well and they constantly hunt at night around the huts.
Training has been 80% of our day with breaks for lunch, vaccines and the occasional jam session with other volunteers in the site. A lot of work in a little time to prepare for service. We focus on customs the most, especially in an islamic country. Things like not using your left hand to greet someone, looking away from elders when meeting them, and eating ediquet are much different than US customs. This will take some getting used to but interesting challenge to abide by local customs. And my french is blah so i need much practice parle francias. Wish me luck.

A plutat,
Geoff

"these words are my own interpretation of events and in no way represent Peace Corps in any way"

almost there... staging

Hey all!!!,

Here in Philadelphia for staging and orientation. PA is pretty with old colonial buildings that infuse with new buildings. The plane ride was good from LAX to PA and i finally realized that i am headed to Mali in less than 48 hours. On the plane ride, the feeling hit me that i am in the Peace Corps!! It's a great feeling and meeting so many cool people from across the US who are serving. Our "class" is 80 or so all headed to Mali. To note that i will be cancelling my phone number shortly and email will be best to reach me. gleech00@yahoo.com and those are zeros and not o's. Miss everyone and hope all is well. Send your email to me as well. Take care and see you soon.

Peace,
Geoff

P.S. looking at a lot of shots soon