Hello everyone! Don't get used to regular emails...I'm getting ready to move to my home-stay and will not have a computer for about two weeks so I thought I should send out an update while i still can.
I'
Malian culture is absolutely one of the most fascinating subjects I have heard about and I am so excited to meet my host family. Ill pretty much be dropped off on Wednesday morning and wished good luck. I've had about an hour of Bambara and can successfully wish people good morning, tell them my name and where I am from... should be a fairly entertaining trip. I'll still have class everyday and I'll have to ride my bike to class which is pretty exciting- i now know how to change a flat, adjust the brakes, change the tensions, etc.
I've already made about a dozen faux pas by walking in front of a man praying, walking on a prayer mat, looking people in the eye when I'm introduced, using my left hand to shake hands or do anything (left hand is considered dirty because the Malians use it to wipe after the bathroom).... the list goes on and on and will grow exponentially in the next two years.
I've already mastered peeing in a whole in the ground for those of you who were wondering, there is in fact a method that took several unsuccessful attempts to master. I learned how to take a bucket bath today too which will soon become my primary means of bathing and it's not too bad. I also learned to do laundry against a rock and the right soaps to use...basically i think we are being taught to survive in Africa in about three days so it's a lot to process. I'm pretty much sweating from sunup to bedtime...and then all night, but it doesn't seem like that big of a deal and i've already gotten pretty used to feeling disgusting.
Love,
Cait
