The World on a Wall

A fellow PCV has moved into a village relatively close to mine and invited me to help paint a world map at one of the local schools. I was thrilled to help, because I plan to do one in my village and possibly the surrounding villages I visit. It was my first time to the village and I am glad I decided to take a van rather than ride my bike. I left early evening after returning from a bike ride to another village and was sore. My seat is no longer comfortable after the first hour of riding and it does not help that the dirt road is bumpy.
Paula, another PCV, and I started with gridding the wall at the school and drawing the outlines of the countries. I worked on most of the countries North of the Equator, although it was very detailed work it was a lot of fun. I brought my ipod and mini speakers, which have been the two best things I brought to Mali. Laundry day which usually happens every tuesday is the day I blast my music in our family's concession. You should know I cannot do chores without listening to music.

It was great painting, singing, dancing, and laughing as students and adults came to watch us work on the map. Between the two of us working on different sections of the globe at a time the work went by rather quickly. It was only difficult at times finding countries to paint, because they are so small that on the world map plates the letters printed are too small to read.
One of the days we went to visit the maternity ward where Paula's next door neighbor works. While I was sitting outside, Paula witnessed an entire birth and came out of one room with a baby wrapped in a pagne to lay on a bed in another room directly across from me. The expression on her face said it all, she saw a woman just give birth.
Another day we attended a denkundi "naming ceremony" for a child born the previous week. They shave the child's head (?not entirely sure shy, probably have been told why before, but forgot), religious leaders meet in the morning with men of the family read from the koran and choose the child's name. I was so surprised when I arrived because I knew several people at the party, almost all being Jelibas (men and women that know the history of Mali and family names, they sing praising you and then ask for money). It was great I felt immediately more comfortable and relaxed with people from my village in attendance, one woman is my host mother's good friend and I see her on a regular basis when I go into market. So she made sure I got water and was fed well. After lunch we agreed to return in the evening to dance after working on the map at the school.

but it got real windy

Well the sky turned grey, large dark clouds were approaching quickly with the winds. No dancing, but we got to see a show of lightning and thunder. I love thunderstorms!!! Bring on the rainy season round 2.

I left early monday morning and we got news via text message that Osama Bin Laden had been killed and as Americans we should lay low. I did not get to stay to finish the map by labeling the countries, but I did not want to miss market day plus I told my host family I would be back Sunday or Monday. Plus I did not want to miss my favorite ce koroba's weekly visit.

sweetest old man in Mali
his smile is contagious
and his laugh is outrageous
host granddad