Fruit Roll-Ups and Paper

I made them both on two seperate uneventful days. I mashed up three mangoes added a lil' sugar and spread them out to dry in my solar dryer protected from the flies and ants.

pre-fruit roll up, drying sliced mangoes

The paper was something I was planning to do for a long time, but just never got around to actually getting it done. I had a reserve of used paper I have collected from the start of my service, a mortar and pestle to my disposal, and two rectangular screens made months ago, but had yet to put them all to use to make the paper I would like to use to write my letters. Until a few days ago. "What are you doing?" , "What are you going to do, make paper?" My host family was very skeptical. In the end it turned out better than I expected considering I had to cut and pound the paper myself rather than use a blender. I'll try to write you so you can feel the paper yourself and get a piece of 100% recycled JacquelineSita made paper from Mali. But, Ramon Q. I am still waiting for my Alaska postcard so until then no paper for you : ).
Another thing happened to brighten up my days in Mali. Over a week ago on one of my usual visits to a nearby village I got a flat tire half-way into my ride and decided to walk the rest of the way lugging my bike and the 6 moringa trees I took from my tree nursery tied to the back, to give to the president of a woman's association. The president is awesome and gives me a big box of mangoes everytime I come since the start of mango season. Best mangoes I have had in Mali are from her family's mango orchard. Anyway her son managed to seal the hole with super glue and I was able to ride back to my village, but I had no spare tire and did not expect to get one until the next time I left my village to go to my banking town, where I could pick up a new one sent on a PC shuttle. Of course, the next day my tire was flat again and I wouldn't risk fixing it and getting stuck on a hot day walking for miles to visit the villages on my usual day during the week. So one day I had nothing really planned, no laundry, too much energy to read, study, or write, so I walked around town visiting people and spent the day with my homolouge at the grinding mill and walked her part of the way home after. On this walk in the early evening kids were playing basketball on the court with a basketball. I was excited a) because they could actually play and b) because they were using a basketball, not any other ball and it was inflated. Surprised, because I have been here so long and have not seen people on the court with a basketball before.
These past three evenings I have gone to the school to play and it has been so great. The kids are hilarious to play with and it feels great playing a familiar sport. These girls keep saying 'sabali sa" really fast, at first I thought they were saying ashah or someone's name, but "sabali sa" means to calm down or relax, I guess for others not to be so aggressive. It's hilarious, because now I can't stop saying it with them through out the game. While I am in town for the next week I am going to look for a basketball and a b-ball jersey.