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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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