une semaine au mali

it has been one week already. every day has been a lesson. from dealing with using the toilet to arranging dance and language (bambara) classes, i am constantly learning how to live and take care of myself in this country.

yesterday, i was a hot mess. my forehead was on fire returning from the supermarché, nothing like any headaches or migraines ive had before. i felt nearly incapacitated and certainly feared the worst. i am used to not getting sick, so reading the malaria description in my travel med guide caused my mind to spin more. ah, but the culprit was me. i needed to be drinking more bottled water and not l'eau malienne.

so far, my main mode of transport has been la moto. i sit on the back while ibrahim, one of the people taking care of me, drives. with my language instructor and a friend i also took the sotrama, which is a green bus-like vehicle that serves for public transport.

i'm doing a home stay arranged by my dance professor, and have started dance and language classes. i hope to also do volunteer work with a woman here who is well-tied to women's organizations in mali and west africa.

my first night here i was hit with this extreme sense of loneliness. but that soon passed - ibrahim took me to see a family friend play at an outdoor concert venue and i enjoyed myself immensely. it seems that whenever i find myself becoming lonely or feeling sad or sick, it passes quickly because of the people who surround me. whether it's one of the little kids at the house who finds me "juste pour causer" or someone i meet who doesn't immediately ask for un cadeau, malian hospitality continues to surprise.

chè guavara is quite popular here, esp among the youth. it's interesting to note that chè/cè also means man/boss i'm told. popular too is 50 cent. personally, i'm not much of a fan but his videos are continuously featured on africable, a popular tv channel. on the tv/radio i've also recognized artists such as janet jackson, mj, the pussycat dolls, bob marley and others. there was a song the other day that was to the beat of "no woman no cry" but the words were "no jesus no life."

so far, it has been much easier getting to know malian men rather than women; this is perhaps because my guide is a man, or because - as a guest - i'm not often working at home with the women. even when we go visit other homes, i have been asked to eat and drink tea amongst the men or the couple owning the house. one night, i was surrounded by a bunch of men playing cards and smoking i tried desperately to figure out the rules on my own but their hands were moving so fast i couldn't keep up. i am quite excited to be better at bambara and continue dancing with mba, my teacher. she is a lovely dancer and has a very cool style about her - a rasta husband, dreadlocks, and the wish to not have to shave because she is a woman.

oh, and those of you who know me well know how much of a tea fanatic i am. i love love love drinking tea here. love. i don't have much time on the internet left so i will have to elaborate on the tea love later.