Photos and Mail! Photos and Mail!

Hi all!  I have just confirmed my mailing address here in Mali.  You can now send me letters and envelopes up to 2lbs in weight via first class mail!  Please note these restrictions... I will have a different address eventually where I will be able to receive packages!

Alys Moore
2050 Bamako PL
Dulles, VA  20189-2050


The best part is that you only have to pay to send the mail to Virginia and they take care of getting it across the pond and finding Mali.  


Also, I have added a new Picasa album of photos from my stay so far.  You can find them on the right hand side of the blog under my picture or here: http://picasaweb.google.com/alysmmoore/MaliOctober# .  Enjoy!

Whirlwind of a Weekend

So much has happened since my last post and I am beginning to realize that I won’t be able to share every detail on this blog… you would get sick of my rambling and I would spend half my day blogging!  But this time I'll try anyway... I’ll start back at last Thursday and fill you in on the big weekend I had here!

I got to visit my research site on Thursday.  Dr. Dantouma Koita, a young physician and the Banankoro project director, came to pick me up after lunch and we rode to Banankoro on his moto.  The whole way there, I began to get excited and feel butterflies about really being out at the CSCOM (Community health center) and interacting with the workers and the women there.  Because this is the end of the rainy season, the scenery was really quite lush and beautiful, and the afternoon sun shining on the small communities along the way felt really peaceful.  At the health center in Banankoro I was given a warm welcome.  I met the midwife and the male nurse that work to run the CSCOM.  I got a glimpse of the four small rooms that make up the health facility: an office where consultations take place, a room for the medical officer on duty with a bed for night guardian, a birthing room, and a recovery/sick room where 5 beds were crammed in to hold new mothers as well as sick patients. 

I got to meet Assana, an elementary teacher who is the liaison between the village and Dantouma and myself.  He is, informally, the assistant program director, and he and Dantouma introduced me to three of the community health workers who were present (of the 5) and to a group of new mothers and pregnant women who had come to greet me.  I tried to explain some of my goals and tell the workers and the women that I looked forward to talking to them about this program and Assana translated into Bambara.  At the end, the women who had gathered smiled at my attempts at Bambara and clapped for me!  When Dantouma and I got on his moto to go back to the city (and try to beat the approaching rain), I was filled with a sense of excitement and motivation.  I am hoping that this feeling will be renewed and reinforced this week when I go back to Banankoro for introductions to village leaders and to observe during prenatal care day at the clinic.

Vieux Farka Toure and his bassist
(cameo by funny dancing woman in back)

I spent Friday “taking care of business.”  I went to the embassy and picked up my three boxes of books, then headed over to Daline’s to pick up some odds and ends that she “sold” to me as she prepares to return to the states.  I also took a couple pieces of clothing that she gave me to the tailor to be altered.  I am so grateful to have met Daline and been blessed by her kindness!  When I finally got back to my house I was exhausted and after carrying shelves, cookware and boxes up to my apartment, I was happy to get a short nap.  That evening, I went and hung out with my family again.  I found out that my oldest sister who is getting married is going to be a second wife!  I was shocked because she is a very smart, capable woman who is marrying a judge… she studied in Russia and teaches law classes at the university.  I have this sad feeling that she is settling because she is getting older, but I guess I really don’t know the whole story.  Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel sad and a little outraged that her husband who joined us for dinner was leaving a wife and two children at home to be at our house!

Friday night began what would be a musical weekend.  My brother, Papou, took me to the Parc au Prince, a bar/lounge, to hear the live musical stylings of Baba Salah.  Baba is a fairly young Malian musician who has played guitar for Oumou Sangaré (a famous Malian singer) among others, and he was indeed astounding.  The music made up for the fact that I kind of felt like I was on an awkward date. 

Daline and I pose with Vieux!

Saturday saw a trip to the mini artisan market (hooray for beautiful and inexpensive silver jewelry!) and a return to the tailor to pick up my newly altered clothes (now I had something to wear to Yaya’s wedding!).  I visited Yaya in the evening and took note of all the preparation for the next day’s events.  Yaya’s friend, Ahmed, also a Maiga like me, took time to explain all of the wedding plans to me, which was really interesting and quite kind of him.  I rushed off to change and prepare to meet friends for a concert at 9pm and on the way home, Yaya stopped to buy me a chicken for dinner!  Yum!  I made it (only a little late) to the concert at the French Cultural Center and really enjoyed an evening of music with Vieux Farka Touré (the late, great Ali Farka’s son).  He was cute and energetic and I even got to meet him after the concert because he and Daline are friends!?! 

Saturday was a fun, but late, night with American friends…. We went to a rather sketchy bar/club where we were the only ones dancing.  They served us water in old vinegar bottles and we left when we noticed the moldy ceilings… I hit Ibiza club with a few people and danced until the wee hours, which made my early rising time the next day a little rough :/

Yaya and his bride, Assitan, outside the mayor's office 

The day of the wedding was long, but fun!  I put on my bright green outfit, courtesy of Daline, and ended up matching the color of the “bridesmaids.”  I went to Yaya’s at 8am and hung out with all the “guys.”  I traveled around with the men all day, in fact, but I didn’t mind because I get along with Yaya’s friends really well.  We caravanned to Yaya’s uncle’s house, then to the bride’s house to get her, and then to the mayor’s office where the actual marriage took place.  I didn’t get to see it because it happened in a little room and only the couple, the witnesses, and the cameramen fit inside!  So, I stood outside and tried to stay cool while I waited and talked to Yaya’s friends and family—this became a general theme for the day.  When we finally left the mayor’s office (which was crazy busy with weddings!  I think I counted 5 different wedding parties), we literally drove around all of Bamako, stopping at the houses of family members and an Imam to take pictures and introduce the new couple (I think we made 6 or 7 stops!).  We caravanned the whole way, honking horns and stopping traffic at times.  It was rather exhausting and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the bride in her big, awkward dress getting in and out, in and out of the car!

Yaya and Assitan pose in front of the
Tour d'Afrique Monument
(that cute little girl followed Assitan all day holding her skirt)

Finally, we ended up at Yaya’s house where we took more photos (and some in front of a city monument) and got a chance to eat something.  I sat with the guys, and then visited with the women for a while and held a brand new baby.  This was fun, but a little more stressful because the women insisted in speaking to me in Bambara.  They then laughed constantly as I tried to reply or to understand.  I don’t know that they were necessarily laughing at me, but it was frustrating, nonetheless.  After dinner and a lot of sitting around watching TV with Yaya and friends, it was time to take him to his nuptial room.  As I understand it, after marriages here, the bride is returned to her family’s house to rest and then her friends bring her to the nuptial room which is at a neutral location (not her house or her husband’s).  The husband then goes to find her, accompanied by his friends.  We arrived to a house where the bride was waiting in a HOT room filled with incense.  She was hidden under a white mosquito net and I couldn’t see her.  We piled into the room, sat around and talked to the woman sitting next to the net, and left Yaya there.  The woman will stay with the couple the whole time they are in the nuptial room to offer guidance, prepare meals, and traditionally, confirm that the bride is a virgin.  The groom cannot leave the house for three days, and the bride has to stay there for 7.  She can’t eat any rice or drink anything but boiled water.  Her meals consist of the millet porridge commonly eaten as breakfast here.  Apparently there was some concern when we arrived because the attendant woman was fairly young.  Yaya's uncle voiced concerns that she was not old or experienced enough to do the job.  But, I went to visit the couple yesterday and they seem to be getting along well.  I took pictures with them in the sweltering room and had yummy dinner there.  Yaya told me the sweet story of how they met (he called and called and called her before she would agree to see him!) and I was filled with happiness for him as I began to understand just how excited he was to be married after courting Assitan for five years! 

With that, I will end a very long entry (sorry).  I really enjoyed the weekend and was grateful for a good night’s sleep on Sunday night.  The wedding was a lot of fun and really interesting to me… I would love to get to attend another and spend time with the bridal party to see all the preparations that the women go through.  Despite the heat and all the moving around, I was perplexed and awed by the beauty of the women at the wedding.  I appeared to be melting, while they looked gorgeous and regal, even when eating with their hands breastfeeding their babies, or sweltering in the sun!  

Congratulations to Yaya and Assitan.  I offer my blessings to the new couple, Ala ka furu ni si be!

Baptismal Baby Shower

I find myself a little frustrated with extra time on my hands, so I thought now would be a good time to update the blog.  I have had a pretty enjoyable couple of days, but I don’t feel like I have been doing as much as I was when I first arrived…. On Tuesday, after blogging and hanging out and eating reheated cous-cous, I put on my one Malian complet (shirt and skirt set) and headed to Aissa’s house to meet and go to a baptism.  I say baptism because Malians use the word "baptême" to describe the event, but really this encompasses a naming ceremony, blessing and celebration of the baby (which is usually, and in this case, Muslim, so a little different than what I think of when I say "baptism").  Aissa, Daline and I were dropped off at Aissa's cousin’s house by some friends who had spent the car ride discussing their plans to marry me and Daline and come to the states (“I’ll take the black one, you can have the white one.”  How could we resist?). 

The crowd of women assembled in the courtyard
The new mother's friends are in foreground with
matching head wraps

We were actually early!  We arrived to the baptism as they were still setting up chairs in the courtyard and getting ready.  Aissa’s cousin is the aunt of the new baby and she still had not showered and changed into her dress clothes.  They let me hold the baby for a second, but I was told to wait to take pictures because he wasn’t dressed yet (though he was wearing a cute Snoopy onesy!).  Aissa, Daline and I waited on chairs set on a shady patio and we remarked that the courtyard was a lot like being in a village, but in the middle of Bamako.  It was definitely more rustic than my family’s compound and I’m pretty sure we may have sipped some well water that had been sitting uncovered in a basin (well water can actually be less dangerous than tap water, but if it’s uncovered, it can become infested with a number of bad things, including mosquito larva).

Women slowly began to arrive and sit in the chairs that had been assembled in a half circle.  The baby came back out, dressed in fancier clothes, and then we all just waited for his mother to make her grand appearance.  During this time, Aissa explained to us that the men had gotten together that morning for their celebration.  A Muslim leader, the Imam, comes and blesses the baby and consults the Koran to determine what his or her name should be (apparently this is based on the day the baby is born, but if the parents want to name the baby for a family member, they can do that as well- the father gets to pick the names of the first 2 babies and the mother can pick the third child’s name).  Then, the men slaughter goats and prepare the meat to cook throughout the day so the women can eat it at night.  Then, I imagine, they sit and drink tea and talk for a while before dispersing.

The new mother nurses her baby as big brother looks on proudly

When the women get together, they bring the mother gifts for the baby.  Acceptable gifts include soap (the cheapest option), fabric (which costs around $12-15), or money (how much is your call).  These gifts were delivered after the mother of the newborn arrived.  She made quite an entrance with her closest friends and sisters, all dressed in the same fancy bazin dresses with their hair and makeup done to match!  When she arrived, she nursed the new baby for a moment and a griot began to tell about her family.  The baby then disappeared into the arms of an older woman in a corner where he stayed for the rest of the ceremony (not really a focus).  The griot is employed to tell the story of a family and sing people’s praises (put simply… it’s really a very rich cultural tradition which deserves better explanation than this), so the griot basically told about the older women in the new baby’s family and started to display the gifts that were given by each of the guests.

In this way, the baptism became a bit of a glorified baby shower in which the wealth and generosity of some of the guests was put on display and celebrated by others.  This was a bit off-putting for me until Aissa explained that there was a system involved.  Any woman who gave 10,000 cfa or more ($20+) or three meters of fabric was entitled to the same gift when she gave birth and had a baptism.  Thus, this gift giving was a sort of loan system or a social insurance policy.  I find that this sort of system exists informally in Mali in a lot of settings.  There is a sort of social support and social capital that I often feel one finds less and less in the US.  It’s that sort of reliance on neighbors and families that seems old fashioned in a lot of ways here.  It makes me think of an article I read in a political science class called "Bowling Alone" about the loss of social capital in the US and the end of community events like bowling leagues and social clubs.  Although I realize the system here is tied to money and probably more complicated and formal here than it appears to be at first glance, the system of social support is really appealing to me.  

The griot (in pink) praised gift givers into the late evening hours

So to finish out the story, we were fed some delicious yam and goat stew that smelled exactly like the beef stew my mom makes at home!  Daline and I each gave gifts of 1,000 cfa (about $2) and we took off after we finished eating.  We visited our friends Sonja and Gaelle in their new house (where I might get to rent a room) and that was a nice end to the evening.  Yesterday was another fun day- embassy business in the morning and yummy Indian dinner in the evening.  I got to meet a lot of new American friends both at the embassy and at dinner, and I look forward to spending more time with them.  I am hoping to strike a balance between time with Malian friends and expatriate/American friends as well.  A big key to all of this is getting an idea of how my research is going to take shape…. Hopefully that will begin to become more defined this afternoon when I meet the program advisor, Dantouma, and visit the village that will be my research site! 

Bamako Belly and Time at "Home"

My kitchen as seen from the door

 So yesterday, I had my first case of Bamako Belly.  This is a pleasant way of saying I was sick and spent the majority of my morning in the bathroom thankful that I had a real toilet and a plastic trash can.  I was very grateful for my apartment and real bathroom yesterday! (pictures included)  Pardon my frankness, but this sort of talk became very normal when I was in Mali before, and it is something that is bound to happen again before I leave.  At first, I thought maybe I had poisoned myself by making couscous and veggies for dinner the night before (it wasn't that great... but with the addition of Lawry's seasoning salt, it's not bad today!).  Now I suspect that the shwarma poulet (soooo good!) that I ate on Saturday afternoon at a restaurant, Amandine, was not as good as I had believed.  I ate at Amandine many times in 2009 and our teachers often took all of the students there after trips.  However, lately it has apparently left several weak-stomached Americans ill.  Bummer.

My sitting area... bedroom to left and door on right

So instead of going to the market yesterday morning as I had planned, I stayed home.  I slept on and off and Faye, the owner of the guesthouse, brought me a little extra soup and some pepto bismol tablets.  Things shaped up enough for me to go to my meeting at 2pm at the Embassy.  I met the Public Affairs Officer, Kate, and her assistants.  They were all very nice and sympathetic, as well.  I go back to the embassy tomorrow morning for a security briefing.  I will also get a badge (how official!) so I can go in and out of the embassy more quickly and walk around without an escort.  I also hope to be able to meet with some USAID Health program directors soon (maybe next week) to talk about my research and maybe get some ideas.  I look forward to going back and to getting to know the embassy community a little better.  I should start getting the embassy newsletter by email and I am going to try and get a temporary membership at the “American Club.” 

Bathroom!

After my meeting, I just did a lot of resting at home.  Yaya came by and brought me papayas.  He is such a sweet guy and I am lucky to have him around!  I slept 11 hours last night despite resting a lot during the day, and today I feel much better!  My fever is gone, my stomach feels almost normal, and I am less achy.  I did some yoga this morning after I got up, cleaned my apartment a little, and made plans to visit my research site on Thursday!  I am really excited!  This afternoon I get to attend a baptism/naming ceremony with my friend Daline and our friend Assita’s family.  More to come on that soon!

My bedroom as seen from the door

My bedroom as seen from the corner

Mali's Macarena

After a very enjoyable day/night with my Malian family on Friday, I braved the crowds yesterday with Daline and our friend Mai to go to the taping of Mini- Star.  This is a West African television show that airs each week.  It is also taped in Bamako!  The tapings happen on Saturdays, and for $2 you can attend.  This is the second year of a competition where each young contestant imitates his or her favorite Malian star.  Yesterday’s taping was the semi-final.  I didn't really follow who was who or who they were imitating, but it was amusing, nonetheless.  

The event was quite an experience!  We were in a performance hall filled with middle school aged children who were all wild about these young performers.  Forget Bieber Fever, these kids were screamers!  The show has a theme song and an accompanying dance, called "Mini-Cassé" (it means, literally, mini-broken, and the dance imitates someone dancing with a broken leg.  why?  don't ask me!).  They played the song CONSTANTLY as they were preparing for the concert (for 4 hours) and the kids danced and sang along basically the whole time!  I would liken this song and dance to the Macarena—it’s soooooo cool if you’re in middle school or younger, otherwise it gets really old, really fast.  When the program finally got underway, it was pretty amusing.  Most of the kids were pretty good and I really enjoyed watching the backup singers and dancers!  People got really into the competition and young guys sold photocopied pictures of all the contestants.  These copies seemed to be the Malian version of foam fingers… you bought the photo of your favorite contestant and then held it and waved it in the air! 

I have included some video and photos from the event below... scratch that, just photos.  The video wouldn't load :( 

This is also a nice time to explain Malian time a bit.  On the ticket for yesterday’s event, the start time was listed as 10am.  However, as they said on TV, and everyone “in the know” could tell you, it wouldn’t start until noon.  But, they would caution, you better get there early!  So Daline, Mai and I got in line around 10 am.  We waited in the sun until a little before 12 to finally get tickets.  We got to our seats at about 12:10.  And we waited.  And waited.  They tested lights.  They played the Mini-Cassé.  They played the Mini-Cassé some more.  We waited.  Finally, at 3:45, the program really got underway.  At this point, Daline and I were so tired and hungry that we had decided to only stay until 4 unless something happened.  We ended up staying until about 5, but the competition still wasn’t over yet!  It was quite the full day affair!  These sorts of things are typical in Mali.  Like on Friday, I told my family I had to leave before dinner, so I got up and announced my departure and they said… “Just a minute, your sister went to get some French fries for you.  You can eat just a little before you leave.”  Thirty-ish minutes later, my sister arrived and everyone sat down to dinner.  Clearly, my dinner plans with a friend weren’t going to prevent me from eating dinner with them, and I ended staying much longer than expected and cancelling plans with my friends!  Just a little taste of the patience I have to remember to cultivate and embrace here in Mali. 

Right now, I am waiting for a friend, Yaya to come and pick me up so I can visit his house.  He is one of Nora’s dearest Malian friends and he is helping me look for an apartment.  He was supposed to be here 25 minutes ago…. Maybe I should call him and make sure he isn’t lost, but probably he just stopped to drink tea or talk to someone he knows.  I think I’ll just try to be patient and let it be.

Daline and Mai at the Mini-Star competition... new friends in the background

Me with Mai and the Mini-Star stage

It's On!

I just successfully completed my first day back in Mali…. Okay, I slept through most of it, but I definitely accomplished some things!  My first accomplishment was making it here.  Trust me, when you travel for 40+ hours alone through three continents, just making it somewhere feels like a major feat!

My last week of trip preparations flew by, and my family and friends gave me a great send-off!  Thanks to everyone who came out the last weekend I was home and especially those who stopped by my farewell party.  I really enjoyed it and I miss you all already!  Saying goodbye in the airport was a teary ordeal, and my parents thought it hilarious that I kept getting texts up until the moment I gave my dad my phone and walked to the line at security! (disclaimer, don't call and leave me messages, I won't get them :(-- email instead!)

Travel was, as a good friend would say, long and arduous.  My first flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte, NC was pleasant.  I sat next to a guy going to Texas and I mostly read the whole way.  I had a short stop in Charlotte so I mailed some letters and wrote a journal entry.  I noted a lot of similarities between my first trip to Mali and this one.  I think a lot of my goals are similar (to learn, appreciate the things that I see and do, live within each moment and connect with those I meet, be patient, etc.).  I also tried not to stare at the other people getting on my plane… international terminals are so funny because you can almost always tell who is American and who is not.  I have a feeling my white tennis shoes gave me away… haha.  There was a chic American on my flight, though—April from Project Runway!  Definitely was her.  I was behind her at customs in Paris, and her skirt was preeeetty short.

I was feeling really good by the time I reached Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.  The majority of my actual flying time was done, I got 2 seats to myself on the plane, they fed me, I watched a movie (500 Days of Summer), and kind of slept.  I met a really nice woman on the shuttle from Charles de Gaulle to Orly who complimented my French (I’m pretty sure she was just being nice) and gave me a Snickers bar for the long journey (which I promptly ate right then at 8am).  Orly was another story… long layover with all my luggage was, well, looooooooong.  I finished my book and sat in a café for a few hours.  Did have a mini meltdown when my trunk was too heavy and the unhappy French Air Maroc woman refused to check it, even if I payed extra!  In lieu of buying a new suitcase (for 107 Euro!!), I rearranged my luggage, switched some carry on stuff and trunk stuff and managed to get the thing under weight.  The angel of a man at the other Air Maroc counter sent my trunk through and refused to check my tote bag (for an extra 150 Euro!!!).  Instead, he allowed me 3 carry on items and I left his counter in tears (of joy this time) and arms so full I could barely press the elevator buttons.

Slept through the flight to Morrocco and sat in the airport for about 7 hours.  The good part was I payed to use the internet and I got to Skype with my parents.  The bad part was I sat for 7 exhausted hours and didn't get to actually see Casablanca and my flight didn’t leave until 2am!  I finally got really excited when I boarded my flight to Bamako.  I could understand a little of the Bambara being spoken around me, and there was just an energy that my Malian fellow fliers had about them that was contagious!  After I ate, though, nothing kept me from sleeping!  It was smooth sailing through the airport in Bamako.  Stepping onto the tarmac laden down by my bags was like confirmation for me that I am doing the right thing.   I forgot that Malian air is a little different (I know that sounds weird), but there is just this smell about Mali and as soon as we boarded the shuttle to the gates I recognized it, and felt welcomed back to this place.  

A kind embassy chauffeur came to pick me up, and after waking the woman who runs the guest house where I’m staying, I settled in to my room.  Some feelings of loneliness started to flood in but a shower and 7 hour nap solved that!  Just to confirm… it’s hot here!  During my “nap” the power went out and my room went from 82 degrees (with a fan) to over 90.  Didn’t stop this girl from sleeping, though.  When I woke up, I did some organizing, talked to my parents, and left to meet Daline.  Daline is a 3^rd year Peace Corps Volunteer with a masters in public health who is friends with Nora, the woman who started the program I will be evaluating!  Daline was wonderful, and I got to meet a couple that she is friends with who own a lovely hotel in another part of Bamako.  These two were on a motorcycle trip through Northern and Western Africa and they decided to stay and opened a hotel!  Wow!  The evening was great.  Daline and I delivered some gifts to one of Nora’s close friends, Assita (I met her before and she remembered me!) and we made plans to go to a baptism with her next week!  We are also hoping to go to Mini-Star on Saturday (it is the kids version of American Idol in Mali and they film it every Saturday-- hilarious but really good).  Back at the hotel, Comme Chez Soi (look it up on TripAdvisor, it’s ranked #1), they made us dinner (delicious steak frites) and we all chatted a bit. 

All in all, it was a great first day!  I was able to remember a lot about Bamako, and each time something came back to me, it was exciting and I felt proud.  Plus, I managed to buy some toothpaste and direct the taxi driver back to my guest house without getting totally lost!!  Now I am exhausted and headed to bed.  Tomorrow I hope to see some old friends and my former host family!  

T-Minus 7 Days...

One week from today, I will leave Greencastle, Indiana, and the US all behind and depart for my stay in Mali.  I have been trying not to call this experience a “trip” to Mali because, really, it is more than that.  In many ways, it really is a “move” to Mali, even though it will be temporary.  As the day approaches, my moods have been oscillating between extreme excitement, complete nervousness, overwhelming nostalgia (both for people and things here and in Mali), and just plain impatience about getting there and getting things rolling!  I guess at this point, things are a little bittersweet as the big day approaches. 

Since I last posted, I have done a lot of traveling…. I visited friends from Kenyon in Louisville and flew to see my brother in Denver.  I got to see friends that I met in Mali during a short trip to Chicago and a quick visit to North Carolina.  I think these two trips have made me the most nostalgic for Mali—both excited to return and nervous at the same time.  When I was in Bamako for four months in 2009, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I made lasting and meaningful connections with my host family (my “brother” just called me yesterday!) and eventually with a great group of American friends (several of whom I’ve been lucky to see this summer!).  I am happy to return to a place that I love where I felt engaged and happy, but I’m nervous because I know that things will be different this time around and I won’t have those special friends there to experience things with me.

I have been reading my journal and starting to write again.  I found the process SO helpful when I was in Mali before, and even now as I prepare, it’s helping me organize my thoughts.  I recently re-read the passages I wrote over a year ago, and they too filled me with excitement and memory.  Generally, fall is a time that makes me feel more reminiscent and nostalgic than I do during other seasons.  It has always been a bit of an “end of an era” for me, I guess- the end of summer and the start of school signal that particularly vividly.  So, as the first day of fall approaches tomorrow, I also find myself appreciating the summer I’ve had and kind of willing it not to end….. 

Enough introspective rambling…. I have also been trying to get all of the very important trip preparation things checked off my “to-do” list.  My visa arrived long ago, and I am officially ready to go to Mali, as far as the government is concerned.  I sent off three very full, fairly heavy boxes of books a couple of weeks ago (Thanks to those who shared with me!) and hopefully they will be waiting for me when I arrive.  I recently got a wonderful trunk on wheels (Thank you, J!) and have started to think about packing it.  The next few days will be filled trying to remember all the little things- I’m so nervous I will forget something important.  Last time I went to Mali, I did a pretty good job being prepared… but I did forget to bring pajamas! 

In the meantime, I have been noticing little hints of Mali all over the place lately, and each time it feels like a little sign.  There were Malian artists featured at the Lotus music festival in Bloomington, an old friend from high school has a roommate who just left for the Peace Corps in Mali, and at Penrod art festival in Indianapolis, I ran into a family of Tuareg artists who spoke with me in Bambara!  I got so excited to struggle through greetings in Bambara that I was reminded, despite my jitters, that I really am ready to take this step and dive in.