Caitlin Goes to Mali- Letters Home

September 10, 2011- Welcome Home

2011-09-11T09:24:00.000Z

Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to get a quick note out and let you all know that I’m home safe and sound. Travel was about as easy as I could have asked for. No delays, no cancellations, no missed connections, no lost bags, etc. My flight itinerary was Bamako-Paris-Atlanta-Lexington. I was a little pushed for time getting to my last flight having to go through customs in Atlanta but thanks so gentle encouragement to others my path to customs was cleared and with the aid of modern technology (moving sidewalk, trams, shuttles) I made it to my gate with about 5 minutes to spare, which conveniently enough, was just enough time to make my first American food purchase. It was totally cliché, but I bought a drink at Starbucks…and it was delicious.
My neighbor on the last flight didn’t say much until we started to descend into Lexington where my face apparently said it all. He didn’t ask if it was home he just asked how long it’d been since I’d been home. Apparently I’d be a terrible poker player because he could read so easily how utterly happy I was to be home. I’ve been a mix of emotions since I left Sebanso and I fully expect that to continue over the next few weeks/months but for those few moments I knew exactly what I felt.
Lexington is in my opinion one of the most beautiful cities in the world thanks to our green rolling hills and horse farms, and man did it feel good to see those again. The drive home was quick given the airport isn’t far and despite yet another cliché it really didn’t feel like I’d left. I could see some visual evidence that I’d been gone of course. My dog Cora is getting a little grey around her muzzle, my niece (who wasn’t even born when I left) is walking around the house, we have a new addition to the house as our family dog Zoe now resides in the house after Lucky passed away a few months ago, and my parent’s house which hasn’t moved has a new address thanks to some road construction. Other things fortunately haven’t changed at all, my room was as welcoming and comfortable as I could have asked for, my mom’s food is still delicious, and my horse PJ is just as fat as ever. It’s good to be home.
All I really asked for as far as meals go these next few days are vegetables, fruit, more veggies, some good meat, milk, and more veggies. I’ve not requested rice and don’t suspect I will for a few days. I only have about a week home before I fly down to Tampa to live with Becky while Phil is traveling on business. I’m really looking forward to catching up with my sister and decompressing on a beach from my African adventure.
I hope all is well with everyone. These next few months are going to be a mental, emotional and physical battle as I readjust to living in America but I’m excited for this next phase and so grateful for all the support I had in Mali. Couldn’t have done it without you all,
Much love,
Cait

September 9, 2011- Last Day

2011-09-09T11:42:00.002Z

Hey Everyone,
It’s that time. My last day is finally here. I’ve just checked my bags and got my boarding passes from the Air France office so I’m ready to go tonight. Peace Corps is taking me to the airport around 8pm and my flight leaves just before 11pm in theory. My nerves always get a little jittery when I’m flying but today I don’t feel it much. I guess a part of me is no longer stressed at the prospect of travel...I became very accustomed to delays, cancellations, missing connecting transport, breakdowns, etc all in another language. Plus, I’m fairly confident I won’t have to sleep in the side of the road or ride on a plane with no windows, seats, or roof…
I’m so tired of goodbyes and am very much looking forward to some much anticipated greetings!! I’ve tried to enjoy my last few days in Mali and not dwell on the goodbyes. To do this well, I ate well. And often. And a lot. I decided to go out with a bang and so this week has been really fun.
I took the Peace Corps shuttle down on Sunday and stayed at the volunteer house in Bamako most of the week with the exception of one night when I splurged to stay at a quaint hotel downtown. Date nights are hard to come by but Justin and I did it well this week. We had cocktails at happy hour and an appetizer then a delicious meal plus dessert…I haven’t had that much good food in a long time. Plus the ambiance was really nice.
The Bamako National Park was opened last year for the 50th anniversary of their Independence Day and Justin and I went back in January and decided to go again because it was so nice. We even went to the “expat grocery store” and bought cheese, salami, bread and wine for a picnic in the park. It felt so normal. It’s funny to see Malian couples being affectionate too. In Bamako things are different. In Sebanso (most any village) I spent two years and still don’t know who is married to whom because there are rarely moments of affection shared. In the park it almost felt a little scandalous seeing so many couples holding hands or out on dates.
Last night I went to Indian food with Justin and a few friends and after properly foundering on a delicious dinner I decided I had room for ice cream so went to my favorite ice cream shop (there are now 2 ice cream shops…talk about sustainable development!).
The work aspect of this past week was fairly stressful but totally manageable and each day was productive but never overwhelming. I was cleared medically, tested Advanced-Middle in my final language Exam, had an exit interview with my boss and the country director of Mali, turned in all my Peace Corps books and bike and medical equipment…man did I acquire a lot of stuff over two years. It was frustrating working around so many people’s schedules but it feels pretty great having everything done.
I’m getting excited now with the flight just a few hours away…it finally seems real that I’m actually going. I said goodbye to Justin this morning, he took a Peace Corps shuttle up to his place in Bandiagara. It was a really hard goodbye but we have a couple of busy weeks ahead of us and I suspect they will pass quickly for us both. I guess I’ll close for now. It’s been a fabulous 27 months. I hope you’ve enjoyed the letters home and tomorrow afternoon, I’ll finally be home.
Much love,
Cait

September 1, 2011

2011-09-01T04:59:00.001Z

Hey Everyone,
I just moved out of Sebanso yesterday and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. However, the next several weeks are going to be really busy and will help to distract me. I’m already a little intimidated at the thought of readjusting to life in America, but I’m excited to be home and back to some of the amenities I’ve gone without.
My last two weeks were as perfect as I could have asked for. Bah and I have been planning a goodbye party in my village that we had on Saturday night and it went off without a hitch. I invited some volunteers in my area and their homologues so I had four American friends that could come. My host family made an abundance of Zame (kind of like fried rice), woso (sweet potato fries), beans (I am a Coulibaly after all and we are the bean eaters), and we killed my goat. It was delicious and I nearly foundered. Afterwards we went to the common area where the chief of the village set up his TV to run off a generator and watch movies with the whole village. All the men made tea all night but the kids were enamored with the TV as it really was a rare occasion for them.
Sunday was my last church service and I bought some candy for the kids to give when they leave for Sunday school. It was a pretty uneventful evening which was nice to get back to the norm after the craziness of the day before. We were originally supposed to have my last animal raising cooperative meeting Sunday night, but much needed rain was in the horizon so we postponed it to Monday night which was again postponed to Tuesday, also due to the rain. It hadn’t rained since I got back so we were in desperate need of rain…and we weren’t disappointed. It rained all day Monday.
The week before I helped went with Bah and his family to weed the peanut fields. It was the first time I’ve ever been invited to work with them…Bah said he gave me my field to practice then when I proved competent he moved me to the “real” fields. I was quite proud of myself and villagers passing yelled out “Mali muso!!” which was really exciting in their recognition of my being a Malian woman.
Packing up my house turned into a several day event…I’d get sad and have to take a break. My last full day, Tuesday was mostly spent packing but the holy month of fasting, Ramadan, ended on Monday so Bah’s best friend Kardi had a small feast to celebrate on Tuesday afternoon. We only have a handful of Muslim families in my village (unlike the rest of the very Muslim country) but it’s nice to celebrate both Muslim and Christian holidays. The cooperative meeting finally took place Tuesday night and I said a few words to thank them for their hard work and prepared them for my replacement volunteer coming in December. I was proud of my composure up to this point but Wednesday was an entirely different story.
I got up early and took some pictures of my family that I can send to another volunteer to give to Bah once I get home. I had to finish packing and cleaning my hut, made much more complicated as I was constantly interrupted with people stopping by to say goodbye. Crying is culturally very inappropriate and I really tried my best not too, but the kids finally wore me down and then I was a mess the rest of the day. My host dad gave me beautiful Bogolon (mud died cloth) fabric and many others gave me peanuts or chickens, all of which are pretty standard gifts. Bah’s wife too woke up early and made me some bean cakes which I love and then cooked a chicken for lunch. After the final goodbye, I met a friend on the road who had a car and was on his way to San so he gave me ride which made logistics much easier than waiting for a bus to come by.
Everything seemed pretty daunting these past few weeks, it was my last everything. My last day at market, my last day in the fields, my last bike ride, etc, but when my actual last day finally came it was heartbreaking. It’s difficult knowing that I could never adequately tell my family how much they mean to me and knowing how long, if ever, it will be before I get to see them again. The kids were especially hard to say goodbye to. I can hug them without it being inappropriate which was nice. I know I followed all of Malian protocol in my goodbyes, but it was a little empty for me because it felt like a poor goodbye in American standards thus the kids were really important to me.
Now in San, I’m daunted at the task of packing. I acquired a lot of stuff over the two years and sorting through everyone is a multiple day event. I have to close my bank account today and want to make some muffins to give my San friends around town. Additionally I want to finish my paperwork before I get down to Bamako so I can make those last few days as stress free as I can manage. I leave a week from tomorrow and it doesn’t feel possible that I can get everything done before I go, but I suppose most everything I have to do is pretty routine and I’m just another volunteer to COS.
I hope everyone is well; I’ll try and get another update out just before I go, but I hope everyone has a good Labor Day weekend. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Love,
Cait

August 19

2011-08-19T07:10:00.000Z

Hey Everyone!
I had to make a quick trip to San to buy some gifts for village. I’m getting my host family some fabric (a pretty standard though nice gift given Malian emphasis on clothes) and am hosting a small goodbye party at my homologue's house. We’re having rice and beans and drinking tea on the night of the 27th. My last name is Coulibaly and we’re known as the bean eaters, so it’s only fitting that we have beans during my last few days. I also bought a goat at market…but I felt just awful…It was like sentencing him to death; which I suppose I did.
I’m still very much dreading my last day of goodbyes. The 31st will be one of the hardest days of my life. It’s even more daunting knowing the communication struggles that exist here but I hope to do my best to stay in touch (challenges include, illiteracy, no address, expensive phone credit, etc). I’ve already had a lot of goodbyes from my American friends but those too I still have more to make.
Otherwise, all is well here. I’m very content in my last few days. I’ve been busy farming my peanut field…I’m still incredibly slow, but the village is impressed with my ability so that was at least encouraging. My body disagreed with it though and I’m still sore and the blisters on my hands haven’t turned to callus yet so they just hurt all the time. People do now take my hands and make fun that my white person hands have turned into Malian hands accustomed to a hard life of working in the fields…a vast improvement from the jest that my white person hands are so soft and can’t do Malian work.
I brought my laptop to site this past stint and have been working with Bah’s oldest daughter, Madeline, on typing. Of course the French keyboard is different than the English keyboard but she is at least getting familiar with the general concept. I’m really proud of her. She just passed her exams so she can continue on to 12th grade; no small feat given the fail rate is well over 50%.
The new baby in the family is super cute. He still doesn’t have a name as the waiting period to announce the name isn’t over yet, but I’ve been asked for some ideas so we’ll see if they take any. One of my highlights of the past 2 weeks was when Kardi, who has always been timid and often cried at my approach, finally ran up to greet me in the morning and held my hand as I tried to go about my morning chores…which actually was really annoying after the “cuteness” wore off as it’s really hard to pull water from a well when you have a child clinging to your arm.
I guess I have no more updates to catch you all up on. I’m excited to get back to site and enjoy my last week and half. The prospect of going home is actually upon me now and that too is driving force to keeping my spirits up during the sad goodbyes. I hope all is well back home and I can’t wait to see everyone when I get home in 3 weeks!
Love,
Cait

July 28, 2011

2011-07-28T12:37:00.002Z

Hey Everyone,
I just biked into San for perhaps the last time ever!!! Hard to believe it but the next and last time I come to San will be on public transport because I’ll have my suitcase and water filter and more luggage that won’t fit on the back of my bike. It was a cool and non windy morning so about as much as I could ask for as far as ideal Mali bike riding weather goes.
It is supposedly rainy season though it’s got off to a very rough start. It should be raining just about every day but it rained twice in the past 3 weeks…my village is nervous to say the least. Last year was a great harvest so to have a drought this year won’t be too detrimental to the village but the danger lies in having another bad harvest next year in which case food becomes scarce and money that is already hard to come by becomes nearly impossible to acquire as food prices soar. I’m hopeful August will bring more rain and ease the palpable tension in Sebanso.
It’s been a nice few weeks at site despite the lack of rain. Bah’s oldest daughter, Madeline and I chat and make sweet potato fries most afternoons to sell and then we get to eat the delicious left over woso (Bambara for sweet potato). I’ve had a good amount of time to read as well and chat with friends who have returned from Bamako for rainy season, but don’t have any work to do in the fields because the lack of rain has made the ground rock hard. When people are in the fields, the kids are left to fend for themselves in village so I’ve spent a good deal of time playing with them as well. They’re always a source of entertainment. There are, however, still a few who cry at the site of me…though I probably propagate that fear when I chase them away from the well when I go to pull water…
I visited my friend, Lindsey at her village and spent the past weekend there. It was really nice to have some girl time as two of my best girlfriends have already COS’d and returned to America. Her younger sister in Iowa had a high school play that we watched on Lyndsey's computer at night and I’m so impressed with the talent of those kids. It was a musical and some of those voices belong on Broadway. It was also startling to see high school students and realize that it’s been 6+ years since I was in their shoes…and I thought I was so grown up then.
I’ll be in San for a few days with perhaps a day trip down to Segou for some more shopping but things are really winding down here and mostly just getting things ready to come home. I’m moving out on August 31st and spending a few days in San before I go to Bamako for my medical exam and Close of Service interviews/last minute paperwork. It’s smooth sailing until then, just enjoying my last few weeks. Hope everyone is well and I miss you all terribly.
Much Love,
Cait

July 10, 2011

2011-07-09T23:06:00.000Z

Hey Everyone,
It hasn’t been long since my last update, but I expect to be at site for a few weeks before I get back to internet. This will be my last long stint at site with a trip out in early-mid August and then moving out at the end of August. Today marks my two year anniversary in country and my third July away from home…
Today is also a big day as my first niece turns 1 and I found out that baby Z, due in November, will be a boy and whose birth I’ll be home for!
I just returned from a trip, perhaps my last, from visiting up north. I left last Sunday with my friend Lindsey whose sisters were in town visiting from home. She rented a car to take us up and very appropriately, we broke down just an hour outside of Bandiagara. We made it though and in relatively good time despite the hiccup. There was a small party for the fourth with some quality pool time at one of the nicer hotels but sad to say no fireworks. The weather was nice however. Rainy season is just getting underway at my site, and Bandiagara is about 2-3 weeks behind so the weather was cooler without the rain.
I got some shopping done in Bandiagara, but towards the end of the week, I wanted to visit Mopti, the regional capital which I’ve never been to before despite all my time in the region. Justin and I took an early car out and got to Mopti before it got too hot and spent the day shopping, hanging out at the pool and enjoying the AC at a local hotel. I’ve been trying to get the last of my souvenirs and gift shopping done this month and succeeded with the majority of it. We went to walk by the huge mud mosque in Mopti and stumbled across a very new museum of the mud buildings in Mali. I’ve now been to the two mud mosques I am allowed to visit as the others reside in the north of the country, Timbuktu and Gao, where it has been deemed unsafe to travel. Thus Djene and Mopti will have to suffice. The mosque in Djene is the only one recorded as a World Heritage Site, but the Mopti mosque was still quite impressive.
Mopti is located as the meeting point of the two major rivers in Mali, the Bani and Niger, thus a major fishing town. This is also a large port in accessing the salt mines in Timbuktu and Gao so everywhere we looked there were enormous mounds of salt. It was a cool market but a little overwhelming being treated as a tourist. We would be hassled until we started speaking Bambara or Donoso (Justin’s language) then prices were dropped nearly in half of what they were originally asking and even lower once we bargained. I felt a little vindicated being able to chat with the locals and being treated more fairly, but it was annoying none the less. We ended a wonderful day at a delicious restaurant overlooking the river…a river whose bank was several feet deep in trash, but we live in Mali and were just delighted to see water.
Not too much else to report on my end. I’m looking forward to a few weeks at site. Much of my days will be spent in the fields though I suspect my lack of farming skills will serve only for entertainment then I’ll be sent to rest under the trees. It’s probably for the best; I’m really slow and can’t plant a straight row of millet to save my life. Already the ground is greener and things are sprouting and I’m pretty excited that I’ll be leaving Mali at its prettiest time of year. 9 months a year it’s brown and barren but for a few blessed weeks it’s green and alive and beautiful.
Hope all is well back home and looking forward to being there in eight short weeks.
Love,
Cait

July 2, 2011

2011-07-02T20:53:00.001Z

Hey everyone,
It’s official that my Close of Service (COS) date is set for September 9, 2011. I don’t have my flight information yet, but it’s very likely that I’ll be home a few days after that date. I can’t believe that the time is already here to start planning my life back home, but with less than two months left at Sebanso, I have to start mentally and emotionally preparing myself.
The COS conference was brief, but fun to see everyone again…well, what’s left of us anyways. Of the original 66 starting in Philadelphia we ended with 36 at the conference. The days consisted of lots of logistics and paperwork, but also resume building and interviewing tips as well as some networking opportunities with Returned volunteers (RPCV’s) stateside. And perhaps more importantly, the conference was held in a AC hotel and Peace Corps paid for our rooms for 4 nights and all our meals…I didn’t each rice or millet once that whole week!!
Next week is not only Independence Day in the States but also marks my 2 year anniversary in Peace Corps. I left home early on July 7, 2009 and arrived in Mali on July 10, 2009. This July 10th, will be extra special as it marks an anniversary for me, but also my first niece’s first birthday. Time can be ruthless sometimes in how quickly is slips by, so I’m trying to make an extra effort to take in as much as I can each day.
I was only at site for a week before coming into San on my way up to Bandiagara for the 4th of July. One of my girlfriends in San is taking her sisters, visiting from the States, up north to go on a Dogon hike. Dogon country is beautiful year round, but especially in rainy season when there is actually some green instead of the desert and rocks. I feel lucky to have seen that part of the country as often as I have, it’s one of the biggest tourist destinations in Mali and I have friends who speak the local dialects so it makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
It never fails during rainy season that when I want to leave to bike into San, the night before downpours. With rainy season just starting the rain is completely unpredictable but I can pretty much guarantee that if I want to bike, it will rain…I can single handedly end droughts facing my community. That said, this morning I was delayed in leaving then battled a VERY muddy 6 kilometers to get to the road. Men farming in their fields literally stopped their cows plowing to watch me struggle…I never cease to be a source of entertainment for Malians.
I’m looking forward to my last few weeks at site and feel good about the amount of time I have left to say all my goodbyes and have some closure. I know it will pass quickly but I’m looking forward to the next stage of my life back home and that too is making the transition more bearable. The goodbyes will be painful, but I think that just means I developed some amazing relationships and it should hurt to close that part of my life. Fortunately, I get to put off the inevitable for a few more weeks.
Hope everyone has a fabulous Independence Day and I wish a very Happy Birthday to Allison (and a Happy Anniversary to Molly and Chad!)
Love,
Cait

June 16, 2011

2011-06-16T12:36:00.002Z

Hey everyone,
The past two weeks have been peaceful and a nice break from the fast pace of the past several months. Upon arriving home, I went with my host mom to a women’s meeting where a local relay (men and women who work at the local hospital and travel to villages giving trainings and vaccinations) led a training on Family Planning. This is a huge issue in most African villages in that there is no birth spacing and little concern of those consequences. The general rule is that you have another child when the youngest can kick a soccer ball but it’s not followed all that well. Adults generally receive the meats and proteins while kids live on cereals such as rice, millet and corn and when children aren’t properly spaced, the already high malnutrition rate is put in a precariously dangerous level.
The students in the 9th grade took their exams this past week. It’s a huge test permitting those who pass to continue on in their education and if they fail, comes the end of the line in the school system. My host sister took her exams and I’m hopeful she did well, but the failing rate in bruce villages is astronomically high, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the results coming out next month.
An entertaining anecdote of my last few weeks came about when I was playing Frisbee with some kids. I should preface this story in saying that they’ve never played with a Frisbee before, and they were awful. Seriously, at the end of the day, we only had one completed pass. In order to even reach this level of skill, the Frisbee flew into half the houses in the village and landed on top of a hangar. I was playing with 2 boys and 2 girls and as soon as they saw the Frisbee land on the hangar, they split. The boys immediately started trying, unsuccessfully, to climb the tree posts supporting the hangar while the girls studied the situation and found a long stick that they used to knock the Frisbee off. They were playing with it for several minutes before the boys even realized what had happened.
Rainy season apparently decided to start last night, which made my bike ride into San this morning less than pleasant. But the cool temperature has been a pleasant reprieve and worth the muddy miserable bike ride.
Not too much else to report. Today is a fishing festival in San that I came in for. There is a sacred tree and a magic well that San is notorious for and the festival incorporates them too. I’m headed down to Bamako next week for my STAGE’s Close of Service conference. We get pick our dates to return home and start a tremendous amount of paperwork needed to leave the country in good standing. Additionally we will attend sessions on resume building, interviewing, and transitioning back to our American lives. I’m excited to see some friends I haven’t seen in over a year and really excited to stay in a hotel, with AC and good food! On the sad note, my two best girlfriends both left Mali on June 10 and I’m so sad that they won’t be at the conference to celebrate with me.
I hope all is well back home. I heard it’s a hot summer in KY and I’m truly sympathetic and am not sad that I’ll be returning home in the fall, it’s my favorite season. Wishing you all well,
Love,
Cait

Ghana

2011-05-30T12:34:00.002Z

Hey everyone,
I’ve made it safely home from Ghana about midnight last night after leaving at noon on Friday from Accra. Needless to say getting home was an adventure. Nothing unexpected when dealing with West African public transport…not a pleasant experience but one hell of a story.
I guess I should begin at the very beginning of our West African road trip. I left from San and met Justin taking the night bus to Bamako on the night of 11th. I got on the bus around midnight and made great time…until we broke down about 3 hours outside of Bamako. After repeated failed attempts to revive the bus, a rescue bus was finally sent down and we made it to Bamako just before lunch. It was a busy day running errands and buying our tickets to Accra for Saturday morning but all went smoothly and come 7am we were at the bus station anxious to get the trip under way. I won’t bore you with the details of most of the trip because it was pretty standard- hot, sweaty, frequent stops, long border crossings, etc- but things did get interesting when the bus stopped just outside the capital of Burkina Faso and we had to camp on the side of the road for the night to sleep. The trip progressed without too much trouble and it was fascinating to see the distinct difference crossing into Ghana. What was once mud huts with thatched roofs was suddenly cement huts with tin roofs. The hours passed and just outside Accra, we stopped indefinitely. Roadblock. A jack-knifed semi was stuck in an open sewer and it was clear that we wouldn’t be making it to Accra that night. We decided to hail a cab to go the rest of the way, it was a pricy trip but we were exhausted and wanted a bed and shower desperately.
That first day, the four of us, Rose, Dan, Justin and I, simply wandered around Accra and tried to take it all in. So developed… They have legitimately good street food so we had lunch, then found a smoothie place!!! It was truly delicious. We passed a real gas station that had a store and snacks in it, and grocery stores and a mall and the list goes on and on. We picked up Rose’s brother the next day then headed out to the beach. We found the bus station and climbing onto our bus, we entered paradise. It was air conditioned with huge spacious seats…real first class treatment. It was the best four hour trip of my life and was so sad to see it end.
Almost exclusively we just arrived at a destination and hoped to find a place to stay and it worked out with reliable ease. The Hide Out was our first destination and we ended up staying there for several days. It was right on the beach and quite difficult to get too thus not busy with tourists and peaceful. We basically just say by the beach, ate really well, and slept, and read, for a few days. We stayed in the dorm room and it was incredibly cheap so we could splurge a little on food. We walked along the beach and visited the neighboring fishing villages. We watched the casting of the nets and bringing them in which was incredibly difficult and labor intensive work. One day we hiked to the nearest beach town and enjoyed the most beautiful view when we reached the top of the hill. The sun was setting over the village and the huge waves crashed against the rock.
We decided to take a trip to town known for its live music and drumming, but as our luck would have it, there was no drumming to be had once we’d made the trip. Apparently there was a month long cultural ban on the drumming at the risk of having your soul stolen and attracting the evil spirits with the music so needless to say, we were forced to find our own source of entertainment and thus more beach time was enjoyed.
Cape Coast was our next stop and it was far and away my favorite part of the trip. The day we got there was early afternoon and after checking into the hotel we went to the castle and learned about the slave trade off the Ghanaian Coast. The castle we went too in particular was built in 1665 by the British and the largest on the “Gold Coast” as it was called. The tour we went on led us through the dungeons where the slaves were held before being shipped out. It is impossible to explain the feeling of those dungeons, to know how many thousands of people died there…you could almost feel the walls watching you and knowing all they’ve seen. Many of the cells were pitch black and with an average holding time of 3 months, thus understandable why so many slaves were blind when they were finally loaded onto the boats. Nearly 200 men per cell with nowhere for the feces, urine, vomit, dead bodies to go…I can’t imagine the horrors. The women’s dungeons were similar in most all aspects except they had a viewing room where specific women were selected and raped then returned. If a woman became pregnant she was hidden away until the baby was born then returned to the dungeons and the baby’s were raised elsewhere due to their European blood. Nearly a third of all prisoners died before they even boarded the ships, aka “floating coffins” and at least that many more once loaded. It was an incredibly moving experience and I will be haunted by the feeling of those dungeons indefinitely.
The next morning we went a few hours out of town to the Kakun National Park and rainforest. There are only 3 canopy walks in all of Africa with the longest and oldest being in Ghana. There are unique breeds of elephants and antelope and monkeys living in the forest not to mention thousands of insects and reptiles and butterflies. The walk was mildly terrifying, the canopy walks swaying under your feet with nothing but air under your feet but it was unbelievably beautiful.
Our last day in Accra we had to spend our remaining money so we wouldn’t have to lose more money in changing it back to CFA…thus we went to market and went shopping for souvenirs and ate really well. It was a perfect way to end the trip. And then our odyssey home began. There is no direct transport to Bamako like we had to Accra so our first leg of the trip was a cab to the bus station (1) then when we were supposed to leave at 3pm but ended up leaving around 10pm (2). This bus took us to Tamale. We took a gutted out van (3) which broke down just outside our destination so we hailed a cab (4) who took us to another place to pick up another cab (5) which took us to the Ghanaian border. We walked the border crossing and had all our passports stamped. On the Burkina Faso side, we took a cab to the Capital (6), dropped off at the taxi station and took another cab (7) until it broke down and we switched to another cab (8) to take us the rest of the way to the bus station. We had to spend the night at the bus station until morning when we took a bus (9) to a town near the border; a cab (10) transferred us to another bus station on the other side of town where we got on the bus (11) to take us to Mali. I got off the bus in Bla and caught my final bus (12) home to San last night while the other 3 went to Bamako for a meeting they had today. I arrived around midnight and after a LONG shower I set up my tent and slept like the dead. It was a quintessential reminder that I left vacation to come home to reality. None the less, an awesome trip.
I’m back in San now and am saying goodbye to Holly as she COS’s in about 10 days before I head back out to site. The COS (Close of Service) conference begins June 22, so expect another update around then. Until that day comes, hope everyone is doing well and the spring weather is less fierce than it has been.
Much love,
Cait

May 10, 2011

2011-05-10T12:42:00.002Z

Hey Everyone,
It’s been a busy time in site and unfortunately, a sad time. It is a source of much discomfort when children die in my village that there is no service or even a memorial, just a very brief greeting of the family and blessing for a peaceful resting place. After several of these experiences, it certainly hasn’t become any easier. Last week was no different. A little boy was playing with his friends and fell into a well. It was market day thus most of the village was out of town and by the time the kids found someone to help, it was too late. It was a complete accident, but it didn’t make the death of a child any easier. So, immediately upon returning I had to go about the unpleasant task of greeting the family. Then the next day, we had to go to a neighboring village and greet the family mourning another death. This was more of a celebration as the woman, affectionately known as musokoroba , aka, the really old woman, was 101 years old. Living to that age is quite a feat in any country let alone in Mali. I can’t image what she had seen and lived through in a hundred plus years in the African bush. Hundreds of people gathered and celebrated her life and death by dancing and singing, feasting and drinking tea.
Wherever there is death, there is also life, and amidst these times of mourning a good friend had a baby girl. She is the wife of the local veterinarian and this is baby number 7 for her. Bah and I went to their house in a village about 10 kilometers away to spend the afternoon and celebrate the naming of the baby. In Muslim villages babies are born but a few weeks later there is a naming ceremony where the name is announced and a party is held. We had to make a fairly abrupt departure when Bah saw an approaching storm in the distance. The clouds formed almost before our very eyes and despite biking as fast as we could, we were headed straight into the heart of it. Of course rainy season hasn’t yet begun so these storms during hot season aren’t the kind with lightening, thunder, and rain. They consist of extremely powerful winds whipping up rocks and dirt completely inhibiting our visibility, not to mention the level of difficulty in trying to bike head first into the winds. We took solace at someone’s house on the way home and waited out the worst of the storm before venturing out again and arriving home just before dark. I love that we could stop at a random house on the ride home seeking shelter and be welcomed and sheltered.
Waking up last Monday I turned on BBC to hear that Osama Bin Laden had been killed in an American military action. It’s been an interesting few days hearing the developments in the states as well as in my region of Africa. I was in limbo for a few days waiting to hear if my trip to Ghana would be affected due to events surrounding his death, but alas, we are granted safe travels through Burkina Faso to Ghana starting this Saturday! I’m so excited to get this trip underway. Mom even sent goodies for the nearly 40 hour road trip we have ahead of us. I fear it might be too good to be true, but rumor has it the bus we take once in Burkina has air conditioning!!! I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to the misery of public transport (crowded, hot, sweaty, often smelly, broken down, etc) and thus this rumor is just a dream, but oh how sweet it could be if dreams can come true.
I celebrated my 24th birthday in village. It was pretty uneventful seeing as most Malians don’t know their birth dates thus don’t celebrate. My family did make me beans because they know that Americans like to eat well on special occasions and beans are a fancy meal here in Mali. I also went to my market town the day before and bought some little cakes (fried dough) to eat for dessert. I know I’ll never have a birthday like it again so despite the lonely day, it was memorable.
I’ve become more nostalgic of Kentucky since being here and missed the Derby as well as Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event this year. They are two of my favorite things about Kentucky so it’s has been a difficult week to be away from home. Hopefully next year I’ll be in the states so I can attend or at least see them both. So, I’ve missed Rolex, my 24th birthday, the Kentucky Derby, and mother’s day all in this past week. I came into San today to celebrate my birthday with one of my best friends, Holly, and then tomorrow night I’m going to Bamako to meet up with my other best friends, Justin, Rose, and Dan. It’ll be a great way to decompress after a tough week. This trip to Ghana is coming at the perfect time and I’m so looking forward to it.
I hope all is well at home. When I get the chance to write again it will be June, and I’ll be down to three months in country. Where did the time go. Happy Mothers Day. Happy 24th Allyn.
Much love,
Cait

April 28, 2011

2011-04-28T15:26:00.001Z

Hey Everyone,
I just got back from a trip to Dogon country to see a traditional mask dance in Justin’s village, Sokolo. Last year a village elder died in his village, but there was no time for the proper mourning ceremony before rainy season began so they postponed it for a year. Justin’s village and the Dogon area in general have a very unique culture and I felt so lucky to be able to see such an intimate ceremony. Because this was somewhat sacred, my photo opportunities were extremely limited but it was something I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
There are between 8-10 different kinds of masks and Justin gave me a brief history of the kinds and their significance. It was so awesome! My favorite mask was one who walks on stilts but Justin’s favorite wears horns on his mask and is really aggressive. Many of the masks are very confrontational and women and children especially are targets to have their souls stolen or at the very least hit with a rock. Most masks represent something like a tree or a hunter and women and children generally work in the forest cutting trees for firewood thus angering the masks. So when the masks would run through village the women often run to the nearest house and hide behind trees or climb to the roof of their houses. It was hilarious to watch, but I had to be escorted by several men to protect me. One mask would only come out at night and she was the mother of all the masks and was invisible to people, but she would make a really creepy sound like she was swinging a rope around really fast. It was disturbing and sleeping on the roof was little comfort.
I also had to watch a sacrifice ceremony which was interesting until they moved the cow to be killed then I had to leave. I saw the knife they were going to use is was rusty and dull at best. Justin watched and even he had to admit it was good I left the area because it got pretty gory.
Then after watching masks terrorize the village, butcher a cow and greet literally hundreds of people, the chief of the village’s wife died…needless to say, I got my full of cultural exposure in my 36 hours in Sokolo.
In addition to an awesome cultural experience my transport luck was fantastic (perhaps making up for my last several very unpleasant transport endeavors) making the trip all the better! And for my few days at site between the training in Segou and the mask festival was Easter in my village! It was a few days of delicious eating! We killed a pig and a goat and it was a delightful feast. The ceremony was long, but I could understand a little more this year than the last so I got a little more out of it. At the same time, it was my second thus my last Easter here which had a sad note to it as well. All it all it’s been a fantastic week and I’m looking forward to getting back to site for a while before heading to Ghana!
Love always,
Cait

April 21, 2011

2011-04-21T07:49:00.000Z

Hey everyone,
I’m on my return trip to from a regional training in Segou. It was for all the volunteers in the Segou region thus including San. It was different experience this year for me personally being a second year volunteer. The training is designed for the new volunteers to ask questions and learn from experiences by the second year volunteers and their homologues. It was actually kind of fun to share some of my successes and all my failures and it’s by far one of the best ways to help the new volunteers.
I’m headed home to Sebanso on Friday to get ready for Easter this Sunday. We’re killing a pig which I’m excited for seeing as I missed this past Christmas thus haven’t really celebrated a Christian holiday since last Easter with my village. I’ll only be home for just over a week before heading to Teryiabougu with the volunteers in San. We’re just staying for two nights as we’re all living a restricted “income” we can’t stay any longer, but I think it will be a nice reprieve for everyone.
Since I last wrote I’ve had an eventful few weeks. Early April all Peace Corps Mali volunteers were invited to the swearing in ceremony of the newest STAGE of volunteers at the President of Mali’s (Amadou Toumani Toure aka ATT) house. Several friends and I decided to go and I’m so happy we did. The ceremony was held at the conference room of the palace and all of the important dignitaries and Presidential Attendants were there in addition to all the Peace Corps staff and a much of the US embassy staff including the ambassador. The ceremony was lovely, and brace yourself, prompt and concise! Everyone was dressed to the nines and I think we were all a little star struck when ATT gave his speech. We had a quick reception following the ceremony with yummy delicious food and then made our way home. The Palace is located at the top of a hill and it gave a beautiful view of the city but it was deceitful in that we forgot momentarily we were in one of the poorest countries in the world. The Palace and the grounds were truly beautiful and I think I’d feel that way even if I’d seen grass and flowers daily as opposed to 7 months ago.
While in Bamako I got all my paperwork for my visas finished and Rose and Dan (both of whom live in or near the city) are in charge of dropping them off and picking them up. I might have to go make a quick day trip down to Bamako again because the Ghanian embassy has started random interviews with visa requests but hopefully I won’t have to go until the actual departure date.
I suppose that’s about all I have to report on my end. I left for Segou from my site with my homologue thus for the first time I had brought my laptop to site. Last Saturday night I decided my family knew me well enough that I could bring it out without causing too much of an ordeal and we watched Aladdin together. It was in English of course but they LOVED it! It was really fun too and a great cultural exchange. I was able to share a very small part of my childhood by explaining that American children often enjoy watching these cartoon movies. I guess I’ll close for now.
I wanted to wish a very Happy Birthday to my dad and a huge congrats on the passing of yet another April 15th. I love you all so much,
Cait

April 3, 2011

2011-04-03T10:06:00.002Z

Hey Everyone,
I’ve just started a two month trek of traveling both within Mali and surrounding countries. I finished my last big project for my animal raising association this past stint at site and am now looking forward to getting in some quality time with my Malian and American friends.
We had training in my village with my Cooperative on animal fattening practices as well as proper medical treatments and food selections and breeding. About 20 men were present and one woman (which I was so happy to see!). The trainer was the head veterinarian for the Circle of San and he came out to Sebanso for two days for the training. It had its hiccups that frustrated myself but apparently didn’t faze anyone else like starting 2 hours late because the building we were to use hadn’t been cleaned out…mud buildings tend to get extra dusty so you can imagine what a mess it was! All in all though, I was pleased with everything and thought the members got a lot out of it.
As I said, this begins two months of travel. I came in on Friday and watched the final four on Saturday night via internet at the San house (it’s been a delightful addition to the house!) and watched the painfully close loss of UK to UCONN but am excited we made it as far as we did. A week from today I’m heading down to Bamako to attend the Swearing in of the newest stage. This will be my last chance to see another swear in before I close my service (COS) in early September. As this is the 40th consecutive year of Peace Corps in Mali (quite the feat for a West African country) the swearing in ceremony will take place at the President of Mali’s (Amadou Toumani Toure) house (the Malian “White House”) in lieu of the US Embassy where it normally takes place.
While down for the ceremony, I’ll be visiting the Ghanaian embassy and the Burkina Faso embassy and getting my visas for the trip I’m taking to Ghana in May. I’m going with three of my best friends and the four of us are going overland from Mali through Burkina Faso to Ghana. It’s going to be a long hot ride, but I want the bragging rights to say that I did it. We’ll be spending about 2 weeks traveling in Ghana and maybe stopping for a day or two in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on the way back. In early May prior to the Ghana trip the volunteers in San are going to Teryiabougu. We went last year and have started an annual trip to the “paradise in the dessert” as we have affectionately named it…aka two days in a clean pool with a river view, trees, flowers, and yummy food. Then follows my birthday and the Kentucky Derby…like I said, this is the beginning of a very busy two months.
We’ve finished the chicken coop at site and spend most days trying to get through hot season. It’s been hovering around 110 degrees Fahrenheit and the nights have still been cooling down to low 80’s. With a lot of luck, maybe the next two months of hot season will maintain this weather pattern because compared to last year, this is incredibly pleasant. Time continues to pass at an alarming rate and I expect it will not slow down the closer I get to September so I’m just trying to enjoy each day as best as I can. There’s so much to look forward to in the next few months in Mali and while I’m anxious to return home, I feel like I need these next few months to see all of the country I want to see and have say my goodbyes.
I hope all is well with everyone. I miss home so much and find so much comfort from your thoughts and letters and packages. Thanks so much for everything,
Love,
Cait

March 10, 2011

2011-03-10T16:52:00.002Z

Hey everyone,

It’s been a while but all is well here in Mali. After taking the GRE (and losing simultaneously any intelligence ego I might have once had) I headed back home to Sebanso for a few weeks. I did manage to see a few friends during my brief stay in Bamako which was nice as those visits never come often enough.
My three weeks at site have been great and relatively productive too! I have an ever present knowledge that my days are limited at site and I’ve become emotional more than once knowing that I’ll have to leave my family here in just a few months. I still can’t get over that I am truly part of the family. I feel so lucky because many other volunteers never feel that in their villages. I feel at home and am truly happy there.
My homologue is starting to raise chickens so we’re building a chicken coop which got under way this past week. It was fun to watch but very dirty work, I helped make a brick or two and ended up filthy and exhausted, it is really tough. The Cooperative also asked for help in having a training done in village on animal fattening practices. So, after several weeks, we finally got in contact with the veterinarian in San who will be coming out to Sebanso at the end of the month to give a three day formation. A day focused on cows, a day on sheep and a day for pigs and chickens and any other livestock.
The last weekend in February I went to my friend Lindsey’s village, Seriabougu, and we painted a world map at her school. It turned out really well and was a great time to get some girl time. I forget when I’m at site alone and not speaking English how good it feels to just hang out with Americans. Also, it’s awesome to be able to see my friends in their villages interacting with their villagers. We all have such different experiences; it was cool to be a part of hers even if just for the weekend.
Gardening season is well under way and I love so much walking past gardens and just admiring the beautiful green in an ocean of brown. The village as a whole works a great deal in onions and I think that will be a potential area of work for the volunteer to replace me in organizing the village in their selling/distribution of the onions. I’ve been busy watering my papaya trees but they should be ready quite soon! I’m looking forward to tasting the final product.
There is a wedding at the end of the month that I’m looking forward to. All my friends who have been away studying in Bamako or Segou are coming back for the festivities. I love weddings because it means rice instead of toh and usually they kill a least a goat or two! And of course, lots of tea. Unfortunately, hot season came with vengeance this past week. I’ve had to sleep outside for a few weeks now, but it was with a sheet or blanket and all of a sudden, I go to sleep drenched in sweat and wake up the same way…
It’s already March and it’s quite likely one of my best girlfriends here will be ending her service in June which is unbelievably soon, especially when most all of May will be spent travelling. Early May is my birthday and all the volunteers in San are going to Teriyabougu to enjoy the pool for a couple of days. Then in mid May I’m going to Ghana with some friends for about two weeks to travel and lay by the beach. May is the zenith of hot season so it will be a huge relief to be able to go swimming in open bodies of water without fear of getting water born diseases.
I just got back from a trip up to Dogon country for a break from site and to visit a friend. Nothing big was planned for the trip which was actually kind of a relief as my past several trips out of site have been busy with trips to Bamako, GRE exams, festivals, etc. Now, with it being gardening season, I’m enjoying the fine dining of Mali with veggies that available for a limited time only (carrots, lettuce, eggplant, etc), and lucky for me, Justin loves to cook and is good at it. Hungry season will be here before I know it, so these past few days of gluttony were delightful!
Much love,
Cait

February 10, 2011

2011-02-10T17:16:00.000Z

Hey Everyone,
It’s been an eventful few weeks with lots of traveling! Once the 66 new volunteers arrived in Bamako on February 2, Justin and I left Bamako and headed out to Segou for the Festival on the Niger River. Segou is the 2nd largest city next to Bamako but much more manageable and overall more pleasant in my opinion (Less traffic, less air pollution, more organized, less stressful). Despite living in the region of Segou I’ve never really spent any time in the city itself, thus I was anxious to spend a few days seeing the sights. The music festival attracts many tourists and I’ve never been more appreciative of being able to speak Bambara. Everywhere we went people tried to rip us off until I spoke Bamabara with them and then they became much more willing to negotiate and offer fair prices. USAID was a primary sponsor of the festival and you could see the western influence in the layout and functionality of the event. There were vendors, museums, cultural events etc available to everyone in the city during the day but at night you had to have a wristband on to get into the main events. The stage was actually set up in the Niger River so people could sit along the bank and then in a makeshift stadium. Thousands of people turned up for the evening performances with the best of the best West African musicians performing. It was unbelievable to feel that kind of energy coursing through the crowds.
It was fun to be able to do some touristy things too. I went shopping at the vendor’s area and we went to a display at the museum featuring West African artists. Perhaps my favorite activity was going to the Bogolon Museum. Bogolon is the art form of mud dyed fabric which is practiced here in Mali. The origins of the fabric come from the hunters in Mali who needed the dyed woven fabric in the woods in order to blend in. The fabric originally is a creamy white thus had to be dyed to yellows/browns/reds to camouflage the hunters. The tour we went on was free but in Bambara so I had to translate for Justin what was said. We both made a small square of fabric with the help of our Bogolon guide, Bey. He showed us the most common symbols and explained their meanings and then left us to make our own personalized patch. It was really fun. While our works of art were drying, Bey took us on a start to finish tour on how to make and dye the fabric. I have a whole new appreciation for this kind of art.
One of the more amusing events was the boat racing day. Several canoe looking boats filled with paddlers raced around two buoys out a little ways in the river. While we were betting about who would win, the children who gathered to watch the race were guessing who would finish. We thought this was curious until the race began and in attempt to save some time, corners were cut too sharp and sent dozens of young men bobbing along in the Niger. Of the original 8 boats in one of the races only about 3 made it… “Rescue boats” were situated along the track to get the stranded paddlers.
We opted to return to San on Sunday to watch the Super Bowl game in the comfort of home via my computer. The game was delightfully clear but with the time change, I barely made it up to half time. Justin, a Packers fan, however stayed up for the whole game and caught me up on the details so I feel like I got to see it all.
On Tuesday morning we biked the 30 kilometers out to my village where we spent the day and night and next day. It was so nice to have a guest at my home. It’s always a little strange to me that I’ve lived in my home and with these people, but no one has really been to it and can see my life there. My Malian family was so excited for him to visit. They killed a chicken for us and made us beans (if you’ll remember, I’m a Coulibaly and we’re known for our bean eating tendencies) and spaghetti…all of which are very nice gifts for guests of the village. Justin in turn brought my family some cookies and dates and brought the chief of the village kola nuts. Kola nuts in my opinion are disgusting but men eat them for the pleasurable side effects… My chief mends broken bones and when we went to visit he was working on a boy’s knee that was massively swollen and distorted. Like I said, I’m so happy someone got to see my home and meet my family in Sebanso. It was quick trip but one of my favorites.
Currently, I’m in Bamako getting ready to take my GRE on Saturday morning. It was a taxing trip down. I really had my stress load put into perspective. My bus had nearly reached Bamako when we passed a very recent wreck. Volunteers tend to joke that transport is a death ride here because the poor quality of the cars, the roads (or lack thereof), no traffic lanes or really even laws (speed limits, etc), little training of the drivers…etc but to see the damage in person was like a nightmare. I’m glad I’m safe in the Peace Corps house, but I’ll be thinking about those families who lost loved ones today for a while and fear that I will be haunted by the images I saw.
On a happier note, I have a meeting set with my boss tomorrow to have a training done in my village for my animal raising cooperation. I’ve said it before it it’s still just as true, my village is very motivated. I told the men I’d help them if they told me what they wanted the training on and when. Seems pretty straightforward, but in most villages this could take months of bickering then finally nixing the whole thing out of frustration. My cooperation on the other hand, had their monthly meeting, voted, and wrote an official request for the type of training they wanted in the course of the week (pretty impressive since only a few of them can write). I love my village. I love that they want to learn. I love their desire to make their lives better themselves.
Depending on my state of mood post GRE I’ll write a quick synopsis, but if I don’t get the chance, I’m looking to get back to San on Sunday and then leave for site on Monday to spend a few weeks. We are starting to raise chickens and I’m going to help build the coop!
Much love,
Cait

January 27, 2011

2011-01-27T18:19:00.003Z

Hey everyone,
I’ve adjusted quickly to being back in Mali which is a relief though I’m sad to say that hot season has already started to rear its ugly head. It’s 104 degrees today and hot season doesn’t even start until March…
My first week back at site brought with it wonderful news that my bag was finally located and sent to Bamako and my boss hand delivered it to me at my site when he came to visit. The site visit went so well. My homologue, Bah, was so excited about the work we’ve done and truly feels that we are making some progress, albeit slowly. It felt really good to be appreciated for not giving out money but sharing information and teaching. One of my biggest pet peeves as a development worker is that donor companies and unfortunately many volunteers use money as their primary means as development. I have managed to start my animal raising cooperation not using outside funds and it’s so rewarding. It means that the men really wanted to start the business and will work hard to keep it going once I leave. That is the dream of volunteers that their projects will last once they return home.
Peace Corps volunteers have the unique opportunity to really know their villages and their needs and I see now just how valuable that can be. An NGO from a Western country came to Segou to help a women’s group who was sewing everything (clothes, blankets, purses, etc) by hand in a mud hut to sell at market. This NGO with great intentions came and completely furnished a room with electricity and most modern connivances so the women now use electric machines. Sounds great right? Well, now they have to work longer hours to try to sell their products which are no longer affordable to their previous market because they have to pay all these electric and water bills. They are in worse financial shape than ever and will likely not be able to continue their business. All this resulted from an NGO wanting to do good, but not understanding just how basic the needs are. We can’t skip steps as tempting as it is.
The weeks passed quickly, as I’m preparing for the GRE on February 12 which is rapidly approaching. It’s nice because everyone at site understands that I have a test to take in order to continue school so they’ve been wishing me well for the past few days as I prepared to go. Today was a girl’s only day full of manicure’s, pedicure’s, chick flicks and desserts. It’s been such a fun day and great way to celebrate two girlfriends’ birthdays (both 27). Tomorrow several friends from all over (about 20 of us) are coming to San. It will be the first time I’ve seen all of my san friends since before I left for Christmas so I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone. Afterwards, I’m headed down to Bamako to pick up the 60 new volunteers from the airport, they get in on the night of the second. Then Justin and I are staying in Segou for four days to attend the Segou Music Festival. It hosts the best of the Malian musicians which are known for some of the earliest music known to man. They are certainly well respected through all of Africa.
Everyday seems to be passing with increasing awareness that I have suddenly one less. It’s pretty scary that I’m so aware now of everything going on around me. Seeing beauty again in things that used to irritate me… Hopefully I can maintain my optimism through hot season!! I’ll write again before I head out to site.
Much love,
Cait

January 3, 2011

2011-01-03T11:50:00.002Z

Hey,
I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and happy New Year!!! Spending the holidays in Kentucky was a wonderful reprieve from my life in Mali. I had however, become more adjusted to my Malian life than I realized and my time in America was a temporary assault to my senses. Despite this sensory overload, I can’t begin to explain how wonderful it was to be surrounded by family, especially during the holidays.
My Papa’s 90th Birthday was a huge success in my opinion and, while leading up to the big day he was somewhat stressed, he was quite the social butterfly on the night of the event! It had been a couple of years since I’d seen some extended family and it was so nice to get almost everyone together even just for the one evening.
Peace Corps Headquarters warned all volunteers that upon return to America, whether vacation or permanent return, that reverse culture shock can be somewhat crippling. I was just beginning to see that warning come to fruition but what took me by surprise most, was the fact that life went on without me. Sometimes, spending days and weeks on end living in an African village, I forget that things kept happening at home. It was surreal being home. Part of me never realized I left and the other half is so completely changed that I see everything, even the familiar, differently.
I went on a bit of a shopping spree and gave my parent’s credit card a workout while home, but in my defense, I hadn’t been shopping in a long time and much of it was for my family in Mali. I’m so excited to be able to catch up with my village friends, but this trip home has just reminded me how quickly these next few months will pass. My service is 2/3 over and the realization that in 9 months or so I will return indefinitely to America hasn’t sunk in yet.
That said; I was greeted at the airport with only one of my checked bags…Welcome back to Mali. It’s now been a week and no news yet ….
I spent the New Year in Bamako with some friends and am still here waiting hopefully for some news of my lost baggage. The amenities available in Bamako have made the transition a little easier, but it comes at a price and I’m anxious to get home to San and then site this week.
Every holiday now has become my last in Mali with friends who have become family thus they are bitter sweet celebrations. Last Halloween. Last Thanksgiving. Last Christmas. Last New Year’s… It’s my 3rd New Years out of the country and I haven’t spent a full year in the same country since 2007. 2011 will continue in much the same trend but perhaps there’s some hope for 2012???
I trust you all had fun plans to ring in the New Year and wish you all the best in sticking to your resolutions for 2011.
Much Love,
Cait

December 5, 2010

2010-12-06T01:40:00.000Z

Hello everyone,
It is far too cold. Culture shock in addition to the frigid temperatures is making a fairly amusing somewhat painful transition back home for a few weeks. It was a bit of sensory overload sitting at the Paris airport waiting to come home. Good Food, electronic everything, so many people, Christmas Decor, intercom systems, Prada (I remind you I live on about $3 a day…on average)…
Did I mention it’s cold? I had a long sleeve t-shirt and one last pair of pants that still has the butt in a semi presentable condition (though wearing very thin) and tennis shoes to greet this winter weather...thank God for winter clothes and parents who remembered to bring them to the airport!
Thanksgiving in San was fantastic and delicious though I’m not too disappointed that it was my last one in Mali. Justin and I left the following day and made it all the way north to Bandiagara where we stayed the night in preparation to go to another SED volunteer’s (Andy) sight on Saturday morning called Djigibombo. Justin and I biked the 25 kilometers uphill to Djigibombo and after some recovery time, went out for an afternoon hike. The real hike was Sunday morning when Andy’s homologue took Justin and I on a 12ish kilometer hike up and down and all around the Dogon cliffs. It was a beautiful day and an absolutely perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving and my rapidly approaching trip home. Rumor has it, the pygmies of central Africa are descendants from the Telmen people who long ago resided in the cliffs in Dogon country and we investigated the old houses (well, the remains of) of these tiny people during the hike. It was pretty entertaining seeing Justin standing next to one of the houses…he’s a tall guy, but these houses came up just past his hip.
We left Djigibombo early Monday morning and made great time getting home…until I blew my tire… Oh well, we met some nice people at a surrounding village who fixed it up for us and allowed us to continue on our way without too much of a delay. I spent one night in Sevare and then left for San where I did my last minute packing then caught the 5am bus down to Bamako on Wednesday. It’s been a whirlwind ever since Thanksgiving and even before that because my last stint at site was busy as well. I finished up my Christmas shopping in Bamako and had a fairly painless trip home. When my biggest complaint is the cold weather, I think I’m one lucky lady.
I have so much I want and hope to do in Kentucky I don’t anticipate it to be a leisurely Christmas vacation and I’m so excited for it. I only have 3 weeks so I’m going to make the most of it!
Much love,
Cait

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T12:32:00.001Z

Hey Everyone,
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
It’s my last Thanksgiving away from home and I’m mixed between joy and sadness. I left this morning from site and will not return until after the New Year. It was an emotional goodbye this morning and it gave me a preview of what it will be like when I actually leave next fall. My family here is so excited that I’m going home to be with my family for Christmas. They know everyone by name and told me to greet Cathy, Chuck, Molly, Becky and their husbands (and Allison of course). It means so much to me that they know my family and want to know my family.
My last few weeks have been busy and flown by. I went up to Bandiagara for a friend’s birthday and on the way home on what should have been a 3 hour bus ride became a 7 hour ride bus ride. The delay consisted of loading about 150 sheep on the top of the bus, under the bus…and in the bus.
I eventually made it back to site for the last time and fittingly my tire blew out just 2 kilometers from site (which I took as a good sign because I was close enough to walk and the sun wasn’t too high yet). I brought back with me the finalized papers for my animal raising association and we had a presentation with the chief of the village giving the papers to the president of the Cooperation.
I also decided to paint a world map at my school. It’s a first cycle school which is the equivalent of an elementary school and I painted on the “principles” office. It turned out really well and I finished on Monday with just enough time to pack and do some chores at home before coming into San for Thanksgiving. It was more of an undertaking than I first anticipated not necessarily regarding the drawing and the painting, but the kids. They were ceaseless in their questions and even if they weren’t talking to me they were whispering or just sitting and staring.
Last Wednesday was the biggest Muslim holiday of the year, Tabaski. I live in a Christian village and thus we didn’t celebrate like the rest of the country but Bah’s best friend is Muslim so we went to his house for a mini feast! It was delicious but of course of all the yummy sheep meat, they gave me the organs. I suffered through a few bites because it is such an honor is given the “best meat” but man it tastes so bad. Makes me think I could get through some of those road blocks on the Amazing Race if I had too. I’ve eaten more disgusting things then I can count in the past year and a half.
With that said, I’m more than looking forward to our feast today of our closest approximation of a good old fashioned American Thanksgiving meal.
I’m going on a hike in Dogon country then heading down to Bamako on the first and will then fly home on the night of the 3rd! I’m so excited to see everyone and hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving.
Much love,
Cait

Novemeber 2, 2010

2010-11-02T17:42:00.000Z

Hey everyone,
Hope you all had a fantastic Halloween and November isn’t bringing in too much cold weather. Site has been busy harvesting the rice, peanuts and millet thus my past few weeks have been occupied picking peanuts and carrying baskets of millet on my head…I was not graceful.
The men’s animal raising association I’ve been working with to obtain their legal status as a cooperative finally finished and I’m so happy to say that, the document called a recipcee, has been taken and stamped by our local department of justice thus ending 10 months of savings, red tape, delays and bribes. The men now have access to government loans which is practically impossible for people living in the brush to acquire and thus creating opportunities for profits to be made which they wouldn’t have otherwise.
While rainy season has essentially come to an end it has rained twice in the past two weeks giving a brief reprieve of mini hot season. The nights, unlike during hot season, cool down and with the rains all but over, I’ve been enjoying being well rested sleeping outside. My homologue even built me a small gate to put up to keep the donkeys and sheep out of my yard and eating my papaya trees at night.
A few nights ago I had a fantastic conversation with my homologue on womens and men’s role in the US versus Mali which is so vastly different. They are always so concerned that I am not yet married and do not plan to be in my near future. They always ask if how I will live back home where I have no man to give me money…they were blown away that I have to work and earn my own money in addition to housework. I’m pretty confident that they are now convinced I’m crazy or lying through my teeth but it was a pretty interesting cultural exchange.
Listening to BBC World Service is my lifeline to current events. A few nights ago, Obama was aired when he addressed the two suspected bombs found originating in Yemen. I decided to try to test the waters on the topic of terrorism with my homologue and his friends and was surprised to find a fairly sound understanding of Al-Qaida and was fascinated to hear their opinions regarding their activities. Muslim extremists are active in the north of Mali just as they are in most of North Africa. The men in my village do not live in fear of terrorism but they do understand the rest of the world will be less inclined to help their country if it is associated in any with Al-Qaida and have thus formed some distinct opinions.
I’m heading up north to Bandiagara to help paint a world map at a school and to celebrate a friend’s birthday for a few days and when I return home, it will be for about two weeks. When I leave for San on the 24th for Thanksgiving, I won’t be back until the New Year. I’m leaving for home on December 3 and my return flight to Mali is on the 27th. I’m so looking forward to being home to celebrate the holidays with my family. I can’t believe my service is 2/3 over…where did the time go? Sorry it has been so long since my last update but fear not, I’m in great health and great spirits. Can’t wait to see Kentucky again!
Much love,
Cait

September 29, 2010

2010-09-29T12:23:00.000Z

Hello everyone
I’ve had a great past week at site. The rains are only coming once or twice a week so I can start sleeping outside again thus I’m much better rested because I’m not drenched in sweat by the time I wake up in my hut. I didn’t realize it, but for much of the past year I’ve slept outside and it’s so nice to be back in the beautiful outdoors. Also, sleeping inside my hut comes with its own hazards. The intense rains we’ve had severely weaken the roofs of our mud huts (seeing as they’re made of mud) and many people are killed each year by collapsing roofs. And to think, I was just scared of the scorpions and creepy crawlies.
I also haven’t been able to get to my market town because the road was under water until this past
Thursday. The mosquitoes are still a menace but they’ll only be around for a few weeks which seem totally manageable after getting two rainy seasons under my belt.
I had a pretty entertaining conversation with my homologue the other day. There is a pretty common belief among Malians living on bruce that all white people know each other. I can honestly see how this misconception was created as the only white people many Malians on bruce know are Peace Corps volunteers who seem to all know each other. Thus, the other day I was asked about this white person who they couldn’t remember the name of. They described a tall guy who lived nearby. I guessed all the volunteers who just left and they finally remembered the name and said he was a volunteer who served in 1996-98…and they couldn’t understand how and why I did not know him.
If anyone would like an enjoyable read I’ll recommend a book I’ve just finished. It’s called Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. It’s a man’s journey from Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa and all the countries in between down eastern Africa. He is a sarcastic and insightful writer who both answers questions, raises them, is painfully honest and at times just a stubborn old man. Through his travels he evaluates social, political and economic problems facing the continent while providing incredibly vivid written pictures. While Mali is on the other side of the continent, I laughed out loud at some of the descriptions that are spot on accurate of life here. The death trap of African transport, the stability on bruce vs the chaos of city, the bribes demanded by the police, endless corruption, lack of food security, misguided donor money, etc are all detailed in the book. The author was a Peace Corps volunteer long ago and it was interesting to see some of the similar views we shared with regard to development work among other things.
September 22 was the 50th anniversary of Malian Independence and we had a huge party in my commune capital, Bolokalasso. It was no comparison to Bamako where there were military and police and many others paraded through the streets of Bamako and there were parachutes and heads of state from all over Africa who were in attendance. I was more than happy to celebrate in my village with my village hunters dressing up in traditional dress and shooting off their guns after each speech by the local figureheads like the mayor and police and doctor. There was singing and dancing and a big feast of rice, but the highlight of the party was the kids potato sack races and their version of a piñata. A bunch of little cakes were tied to a tree and the kids were blindfolded and spun around and left to wonder aimlessly with their arms stretched out grabbing the air for the treats. It was hilarious!
I wasn’t planning on coming into San today, but I unexpectedly got to set up a meeting with a man to finish legalizing our paperwork for the animal raising cooperation I’m starting in my village. Things are standstill for weeks and then I have to drop everything and get to work but such is life in Mali and I’m grateful to continue the process. Once we get the actual papers I’m scheduling a small conference in my village led by a Peace Corps orator on proper management of the cooperation as well the potential for profit they now have being legally recognized by the government. Of course this means they need to start some sort of bookkeeping as currently my homologue is the only one with any sort of idea how much money he is putting into the sheep before he sells them to know his profit margin.
I’ll probably be at site for a while unless I have another unexpected meeting arise which is always a possibility, but in all likelihood, I’ll write again the next time I have internet which will probably be around October 15th when I head up to Sevare for two or three days.
All my love,
Cait

September 16, 2010

2010-09-17T07:47:00.001Z

I’m in Bamako and am pleased to say it was the most pleasant experience on Malian transport I’ve had thus far. It only took 8 hours and while my friend Holly and I had to wake up at 4:30 to get to the gare in the pouring down rain, the actual bus ride was relatively delightful. No break downs, not unbearably hot while at the same time having most all the windows in tact so minimal leaks and water dripping onto us. Successful trip and made it to Bamako in under 9 hours. Afterward Holly and I ran some errands around town and met up with a former volunteer in San, Jen, who just moved to Bamako for a third year. She has her own apartment with a shower and toilet and fans…one lucky lady.
My mid service exam didn’t go quite as planned starting early on with my blood work. Peace Corps provided transport to the blood work facility in Bamako and while waiting for my turn I could feel myself getting nervous while evaluating the cleanliness of the building and staff. While all appeared to be in good condition (considering I live in one of the poorest countries in the world) I still couldn’t help getting in my mind and getting way too agitated. Thus before the nurse even got near enough to pick up the needle I knew I wouldn’t make it. After telling the staff in Bambara that I was falling down I came too in the arms of two doctors. They were both attractive so it wasn’t the worst way to come out of a fainting spell but still embarrassing because there is no privacy wall and the whole waiting room got to witness the fall. It wasn’t graceful either. I hit my head on the way down and then had to be helped to the bathroom where I promptly threw up…Mali won yet again. Passing out takes a lot out of you and much of the rest of the day was spent resting and finishing up the rest of my physical exam back at the Peace Corps bureau. I faced my fear by going to get my teeth cleaned at the scary dentist and while it was certainly not a pleasant trip at least it’s over now and when I COS in less than a year I get vouchers to go to my dentist back home. I’m happy to report that all the results thus far have come out and I’m in about as good of health as can be expected so hopefully can maintain my standard of health for another year.
I’m headed back to San tomorrow hopefully with Peace Corps transport. My boss is headed up to the region of Mopti for some site prospective and Holly, Justin and I are hopefully getting to ride along for free and AC!!!! God willing!
I’ve been so blessed and was able to talk with both of my sisters and meet my niece plus talk to friends and my parents over these past few days in Bamako via skype. Wireless is kind of an anomaly in this country and has been a delightful treat. I’ve even started researching grad schools and possible career prospects seeing as how I’ll be home in less than a year and I’d like to have some idea of where I want to live when I get there. Pretty crazy how quickly the time goes.
Anyways, not too much to report; I hope all is well back home and I miss you all very much.
All my love,
Cait

September 12, 2010

2010-09-12T17:39:00.000Z

Again, my apologies for the delay in updates, the internet was out yet again last week when I was in San. I am leaving early tomorrow for a few days in Bamako for my mid-service exam…hard to believe it’s time for this check up and impossible to believe that I have less than a year to go! While in Bamako I should have access to more reliable wireless internet…God willing.
The past few weeks have passed quickly with the goodbyes and welcomes officially over and am adjusting to a very full house in San, now 13 of us. Holly and I have been run ragged taking the new volunteers around San and buying what they need to furnish their houses and basically get a feel for the city so we won’t have to be at the house the next time they’re in town. I now remember just how many questions we had last year and there were only 3 of us asking 7 older volunteers. Now the roles are reversed and 10 new volunteers are relying on Holly and me for guidance.
Site has been pretty quite these past few weeks. The month of fasting just came to an end and while my village is Christian, we still celebrate with a feast called Seli. As you can imagine, people can get pretty crabby when they don’t get to eat or drink anything from dawn to dusk, so I’m totally content to have this month of fasting over. The rains are great this year, coming almost every day but as with everything in life, the downside is that bruce roads are completely impassible thus I can no longer get to Djeli market. It’s not a problem seeing as how my friends in Sebanso are exceedingly generous and give me garden produce regularly. That said, hungry season is coming to a close and I can see a dramatic difference in the quality and quantity of food I am given over these past few days. Still a few weeks to go before harvest, but the end is in sight. Many of my friends have clearly lost a significant amount of weight and with malaria running rampant, I’m anxious for some relief of the rains. Just like home, each season brings with it some ups and downs; I just didn’t realize how extreme these ups and downs would be in Mali.
It’s hard to know exactly what people are sick with during rainy season because any sickness is diagnosed as Malaria. That said, at least 2 people in each family seem to be diagnosed with Malaria each rainy season and this is often when the most deaths in village occur. The elderly and children are most susceptible and while the death of elderly adults is celebrated, the death of a child is rarely mentioned. My homologue, Bah, has lost 3 children and from what I gather this is quite typical. Kardi, Bah’s best friend, just lost his youngest son a few days ago. This was the first child I knew and played with regularly so it was pretty tough to have no ceremony or any real recognition of his death…the mourning process is significantly different here and has been quite an adjustment.
Well, I should be going. Hopefully I’ll have lots of internet access over the next week and I can send out some more updates.
Much love,
Cait

August 19, 2010

2010-08-19T16:52:00.001Z

It’s been a while since I last wrote and so much has happened! First and for most, rainy season is in full swing and much to everyone’s relief, the rains while starting later this year, have proven to be significantly more frequent than the damaging lack of rain in 2009. My village is busy at work plowing, planting and weeding their fields of peanuts, rice, millet and corn. I even had the opportunity to push the plow behind the cows and while my rows aren’t exactly straight, I did it! My homologue’s garden is lush and green which I cannot begin to express how unbelievably beautiful the color green can be after 9 months of being encompassed in a world of brown. Bah, my homologue, and I are trying to spread the use of urine fertilizer in our village by using his garden as a guinea pig. Some interest has been peaked as people see the size and speed at which his garden veggies are growing (okra, hot peppers, corn, egg plant). Mom sent some veggies and Bah is fascinated with the American corn which is different from Malian corn therefore very excited to try it. We are also growing green beans, squash and zucchini, none of which he had heard of and thus also very curious what the final product will be (he is convinced that zucchini’s are actually cucumbers and will not rest until he proves me wrong…). I walked to the garden a few days ago and thought I saw Sali (Bah’s wife) working, but nearly fell over with laughter when I saw two newly constricted scarecrows standing in her place…too funny. He also took the tape from a cassette and tied it up throughout the garden so the wind blows and makes a loud noise to keep those pesky birds out. I never cease to be amazed by the ingenuity and lack of waste I find in this country.
The rain brings with it difficulties in travel as Bruce roads become nearly impassible during and after a rainstorm. The best, and most recent, example I can give happened just last Thursday on my way back from market in Djeli. I bike to and from Djeli with Bah’s best friend, Kardi because Bah takes his moto while we have to bike, and on Thursday we left too late from market and were forced to bike 10 kilometers in what can most accurately be called a monsoon. 10 k really isn’t too much to complain about but Bruce roads are mud during rainy season, and when it’s not mud, it’s underwater. I won’t get into the details because the memory is much too fresh and painful in my mind but it’s safe to assume the adventure was hilarious, exhausting, frustrating, hilarious, muddy, emotional, and then hilarious again. To peak your interest I can tell you this odyssey includes multiple bikes breaking, me falling off my bike, me falling while pushing my bike, me “swimming” (water was about waist high at one point) along with my bike, a brief donkey ride, meeting new friends and finally, given a chicken. I was soaked head to toe when I got home but didn’t really matter because I was covered too in mud from head to toe…the joys of rainy season continue to show themselves to me each day.
While saying goodbye to my friends in San is proving to be extremely emotional, I’m currently having some leverage in fighting the sadness with excitement because I’ve just met the 9 new volunteers to become SanKaw (people of San). We will lose 6 from the STAGE before mine and gain 9 making an even 12 for my last year of service (Holly, Brad and I are the only 3 from my STAGE in San) or at least until February when yet more volunteers come to Mali. As San house manager I have to lead a house meeting explaining the basics of the house, collect dues, answer questions, etc so this has been a crazy week. To make things even more stressful, I had two site buddies this past week. There is a volunteer being placed about 2 kilometers from me and another in my market town that I had to visit each for a day and take into San on Friday. I’d forgotten how completely helpless and totally clueless we were a year ago…we knew nothing! I’m exhausted and tired of being mother hen but it’s been a nice distraction as my two best friends in the STAGE before mine are COSing in the next few days. Good news is, I think we are getting a great group and I’m excited to see what this next year will bring. It will be completely different from last year now having two volunteers so nearby but I think it could prove to be a great tool in getting work done and collaborating for projects in addition to being a nice reprieve for my sanity.
I guess that’s enough for one email. Sorry again for the lack of correspondence, internet has been down in San for over a week now! I’ll be in and out of San saying my goodbyes to friends and then in san in early September for the new volunteers installation to site and finally and then headed to Bamako the week after to pick up a friend from the airport. It’s going to be a crazy few weeks coming up, and to think, August is already half over!
Miss you and love you
Cait

July 26, 2010

2010-07-27T12:36:00.000Z

I just got back from a weekend trip to my friend Cassie’s village and a spontaneous trip to Djene. Cassie will leave for America on August 4, as she is finishing up her second year. She invited her closest friends in village for a feast in her concession that we cooked for. Esther, Jen and I all came from San and had a great time at Tene, Cassie’s site. We got to Tene on Saturday afternoon and greeted the necessary people before heading over to the radio station where we acted out a skit on air. One of Cassie’s biggest projects as a volunteer is preparing a 15-20 minute radio broadcast once a week on health topics ranging from birth control to the effects of smoking to AIDS to nutrition. It was really fun and all the people of Tene were taking about how exciting it was to hear all the Americans on the radio. The next morning we headed over to one of Cassie’s friends houses and prepared the meal of rice and peanut butter sauce for 35 people…quite an undertaking. It took several hours to prepare but it was a great time to learn how to cook the sauce which is delicious but pretty expensive to make thus nearly impossible to eat at site. The party was a great success and it gave me a glance to my future a year from now. It was incredibly powerful to hear people talking about Cassie and how much she meant to them. It definitely helped put in perspective the role each of play in our respective communities.
Jen, her friend from home, and I left in the evening on Sunday for Djene. We had to cross the river via ferry, wading through the water to get on and off, but finally made it to our hotel around11pm. Djene is famous for the mosque in the center of village. It is the largest mud building in the world and is an impressive site, especially having lived in a very modest mud hut and knowing the extent of maintenance and upkeep required. In the weeks leading up to rainy season each year the entire city comes together for the very important festival in which all community members help to bring water to make the mud to re-mud the entire mosque. The festival is the one of the most important times of year and the tourist industry is dependent on it. Only Muslim people are allowed in or post menopausal women thus I only got to see it from the inside but it was still in impressive site. Apparently, there are 100 mud pillars in the interior to hold the ceiling up. No building is allowed to be taller than the highest point of the mosque thus you can see it from nearly everywhere in Djene. Just beside the mosque is a UNESCO building that is making huge progress in transferring Ancient Arabic manuscripts onto computers. Most every family in the city has these manuscripts passed down through the generations and have been kept in trunks for years suffering endless termite, mud, rain, heat, etc damage. Becoming a World Heritage Site has increased the tourists in the area which I’ve become torn between loving and hating. They bring a lot of money to the community but they also give handouts thus making our job as Peace Corps volunteers increasingly difficult as people associate being white with giving away money.
It was a great weekend away and I’m being forced now to start saying my goodbyes to some really great friends. On the other hand, I was just assigned to be site buddy for two new volunteers coming up in August so it will be a great chance to get to know the new guys who arrived a few weeks ago. I can’t believe it’s time for me to be doing this. I remember in my site visit how totally terrifying it was and how lost and confused and overwhelming it is, and now, I have to be the site buddy for two others…woah.
Anyways, I’ll be back soon for just a day next week and I’ll try to get a letter out.
Love you all,
Cait