Let the rollercoaster begin

Well I now know what it looks like outside the Camp Mali and the grass is actually greener. That's right Mom there's even grass in Africa, reason #14 to travel outside of Nevada. I would post pictures to prove it, but somehow the camera won't turn on anymore even with the special batteries. I'm going to try to get my friend's pictures until I figure out a way to take my own.

For training they split up the group of 75 trainees into groups of 4 to 11 depending on sector and language level. Most of the homestay sites, where we all go to learn language and culture before starting our real jobs, are about a 15-20 min drive outside of the training center, but mine... was an hour and a half, but it's the best one!! The name even means "jealousy" in Bambara. When we got there we met all of the important people including the dugutigi (chief) and the mayor and the people we were going to live with. After a lot of translating by our language teachers, we stood by our new families and before we knew it we were dancing in a circle to drums! Apparently this was the naming ceremony. My Malian name is Masaba Samake. My first name means Queen. So I really am the African Queen! After the drums faded away we walked with our new families to our new homes.

I now live in a square mud hut with a thatched roof. It is really nice because unlike the tin roof, the mud hut keeps cool during the entire day which is key for my 1 o'clock nap after lunch. My host mom is amazingly similar to my mom back home.... She's bossy and loud and... I mean she's fun, loving and patient! Haha. She really is a ham and starts dancing while walking every time she thinks I am looking. It just so happens that I am always watching her because I really have no idea what I am doing most of the time, which in turn makes her dance that much more. She really looks after me (even to the extreme of insisting I go to bed at 8pm because she thinks I am going to melt in the rain storm, if she only knew...). The food is very different, obviously, and I am still getting use to it. I also eat every meal with my hands with one exception when I was sick and used a spoon as a result, I don't eat very much at eat meal. I had a flashback moment last week when I insisted that I was incredible full (needed in order to leave the table), and she responded by telling me that I could be done when I ate all my meat. I laughed and chewed for another 20 minutes. My younger host sister (age 5) reminds me of Bailey, she's bossy and loud.... I mean she's soooo cute!!! She is always excited to see me and never gets tired of me asking how to say things like table and shirt. Whenever I get too tired to dance, I make her sing and when I have too much energy I can always count on her to round up the 20 kids from our side of the neighborhood to play a massive game of "duck duck goo".

The village I am staying in is about 3,000 people and has electricity, cell phone reception (feel free to call me, it's free for me to receive calls!), but no internet or running water. My typical day at my homestay consists of waking up way after everyone else in my family at the incredible late hour of 6 in the morning, eating bread and tea with my host dad, getting a good morning Tubob (word for any white person) chant while walking to school, learning Bambara under the mango trees with 2 other trainees, eating lunch with my moms (cultural note, polygamy is common here), napping for about 40 minutes, learning about Malian culture with the rest of the trainees (there are 8 fantastic people at my homestay), taking a bucket bath at sunset (so amazing after sweating from just sitting all day), eating dinner with my host dad while watching a Brazilian soap opera dubbed in French (either way I have no idea what is going on), and then dancing and singing with the kids until I finally tell them I have to go to bed.

I am baffled at how friendly Malians are, even though I can literally say about 7 sentences right now. The amount of rain when it rains and the amount of stars has yet to fail to impress me. I was handed a baby to take with me on my walk to the market and the kids helped me tie a cloth around her so she was strapped to my back and I got her to fall asleep. Of course there are the few people that think it is funny to see how many questions and how fast they can greet me with on my walk to school before I can't function anymore, I had a baby pee on me (not the same one that I took to the market and back) and I think I might explode with all the carbs I am eating. Over all as far as the culture shock "phases" go (there are 5, to be explained as they happen later), I am still in the first stage: the honeymoon.

I got my site assignment today.... get excited to hear about it soon.

Muy Mali, phase one:camp

Alright alright, I'll do more blogging. You do need to realize I am in Africa getting at least 4 shots now (yeah and I didn't even flinch), learning how not to get malaria, learning 2 new languages, playing soccer (vital to my mental health) and then taking a bucket shower. Well now Caroline what is a bucket shower? Good question Suzie, but I think the answer should be rather obvious, you take a bucket, go to the nyuegen (a box where you do everything you would do in a bathroom) and try to scrub the grim off your arms at least. When I get back to my mud hut I can use the baby wipes to clean my feet more throughly(note to readers, send more baby wipes, the word cosco comes to mind). I know you are cringing Mindy and that is why you're not doing the PC, I can read minds, ha!

Honestly so far it feels like Camp Mali. Yes a 6th grade science camp you stay at to appreciate things like running water. But camp is fun right?! We'll see how I feel in a year. At this rate I will be tanner and skinnier than a bride at her own wedding (motivation Andrea....?). We had a cultural fair inside the training compound so we could buy some Malian clothing and eat on the floor with our hands!! It looks like fun, but not as easy as I thought. Best part though, getting down on the dance floor (dance dirt?) Malian style. Needless to say I didn't need to play soccer yesterday. Other than that the days seem to entail: eating breakfast at 7am (yes I am dressed and "showered" that early, stop laughing), doing language training (I am learning Bambara first and then French), health education (no really guys you DO have to wash your hands here), safety training (don't go anywhere by yourself, and if you do carry a stick, jk mom stop freaking out), soccer until we pass out (one more goal, one more goal!), then delicious dinner (sometimes with our hands) and then my dear readers I play a card game called Caroline is Faster Than You (aka any game I decide to play, thank you Meghan). Although now I have the reputation with my good friends that I am competitive, if they only knew my family....

Over all it has been great. All of the type of people that do Peace Corps are amazing, I'm almost always amongst friends. Tomorrow we start the part of training where we stay with local families. I will be one of 7 Peace Corps Trainees (PCT from here on out) in a village with a local that is employed by PC to teach us Language and Culture (otherwise known as LCF's). This is scary, but where it really all starts. We stay there for 12 days. Needless to say I won't have internet (needless, Caroline, we thought you won't have internet at all! funny guys, really funny). So I won't post anything, but hopefully I will have more time to write at night and I will post 2 when I get back.

Note about the picture situation, someone (aka mom....) didn't tell me I need a certain type of AA batteries (alkaline) for the camera so until I can snag some from my friends, you will just have to enjoy my witty banter. OK, ok I'll get on that fast, stop foaming at the mouth!!

Love you all! I'm sure I will miss you as soon as I have time to breath.

Ready or not here I am!

Hey so I made it safely with all my stuff. I will write a better blog about my experience when I have more time. They are keeping us very busy. So far it's hot (obviously) and overwhelming, but really exciting!!! They are taking really great care of us so stop worrying! And Lindsey, you're going to love it.