Our 'stage' name is "Team America" we stand together strong, ready to embark on our next adventure post-trainee status. We were once 80 trainees traveling from America now we are 80 recently swore-in volunteers traveling to different sites in Mali. I apologize for beginning this blog at such a late date from my start of the Peace Corps program, but time has been traveling fast and I did not have a chance to create a blog until now. Mostly due to the fact I could not come up with an appropriate title, but I figure it can be changed again at a later date.
The title of my blog now is "Barisa, N be se ka!" which translates in English to "Because, I can!" I am currently learning Bambara, the language spoken by roughly 80% of the population in Mali. Once I learned how to say "because" I used it and abused it. I also noticed I say "I can" a lot in Bambara, but I guess people are surprised to see that I can fetch water from a well, or I can sweep my room, wash my clothes in a tub, etc. I must admit it is wonderful being a guest in a Malian's home, but basic tasks I am so used to accomplishing on my own such as washing clothes is something I enjoy doing even though now (without washer&dryer) a lot of time and energy is involved in the task.
Tomorrow or the day after I will be "installed" at my site, the place I will be living and working for the next two years in Mali. I cannot post the name of my town, but I will tell you that I am in the Sikasso region. It is very beautiful. Currently we are in the rainy season, so the temperature does not seem to exceed 90 F. After rainy season comes cold season, which I am very much looking forward too and then hot season. Fortunately, because I am in Sikasso I have an abundant access to fruits and veggies grown through out the region. I also plan on building a garden and attempt to grow strawberries in my concession. I'll be living in a shared concession with my 'Dja Tigi'/'Host Family'. I have two decently sized rooms, high ceilings, and thankfully cross-ventilation with the two windows, a luxury I did not have while at homestay. My room was like a sauna, but was perfect for the fact that it helped me integrate. I was in my room very little and when I was I melted. The language has been a lot of fun, but the structure or schedule during training was demanding. During our less than 2 months training at homestay we had language classes Mon-Sat. for approx. 8 hrs a day. Occasionally our language training would be cut short by environmental tech or cross-culture sessions. But, thankfully Sunday was our fun day. The picture at the top is a view from the mountain we climbed on one of our Sundays off. Now that training is over I can say I did it. It is official I am a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Mali for the next two years. I am Intermediate Mid (INTM) in language, I can survive! "Sisan, N be fe ka taa negen na. K'an ben kalo kelen. Ala kan su here caya."
No comments:
Post a Comment