Tubaniso and Zumanabugu

Tubaniso is where I currently am, the Peace Corps training facility a few kilometers south of Bamako. Zumanabugu ("Home of the Dove") is the compound of huts, latrines, water spigots, and bonfire pits where we all live. My life right now is pretty awesome.

I can't believe I've been here for only a few days-- I was in the US (at home!) just a week ago. It seems implausible. Since then, I have made 63 new friends, learned Bambara, peed and pooped in a hole in the ground, eaten with my hands, listened to the call to prayer, and met my first Malians. The structure of training keeps us busy, so I apologize for not posting this sooner. I will try to give you a run-down of my days and then a brief overview of what's next.

We have breakfast from 7-8 (french bread, butter, jam or peanut butter). I like to have hot chocolate with it. Then we go to training sessions. We've discussed culture, language training, diversity within the PC, homestays, and our first Bambara lessons. We have lunch, then more sessions. Yesterday for lunch we ate in the traditionally Malian style; communal, around a big bowl or rice and cabbage and goat. We have LCFs, or Language and Cultural Facilitators who are Malians themselves.They speak their own ethnic language, Bambara, and also French. They are basically hired to teach us how to become Malian. They hold sessions, do skits, and answer questions. It makes us feel like kindergarteners because they have to hold our hands for everything and we ask "Is this right?" or "Comment dit-on..?" about a billion times a day. They are the most gracious and patient people I have ever met. Emphasis on the patient. They will also be moving to our homestay villages with us to teach us and help us communicate. I love them. They are amazing.

I will go out to my homestay village in a small group of volunteers with an LCF on Tuesday! I'm excited and terrified. I am practicing my Bambara greetings (i ni sogoma!) and blessings and reviewing cultural rules. I can't wait to get my host family and my Malian name. At homestay, I'll eat with my family three meals a day and go to class for 8 hours for 6 days a week. We get Sundays off. We'll all come back together to Tubaniso as a stage (pronounced "staahj") once every 10 to 12 days.

My first impressions of Mali are very, very, positive. Literally everyone smiles and greets one another. Even the guards like to help us practice our Bambara. It's hot and dusty here (95+ each day), as we are nearing the onset of the hot season (it will get much hotter)! Also, the mango season is coming soon. This is a good thing. I am coping remarkably well with the insane jet lag, long days, and Mefloquine. Mefloquine is my prophylaxis, or my anti-malaria medication. It's giving me mild paranoia, the shakes, and wicked trippy dreams, but nothing intolerable. I hope that's the worst of it; I certainly have the mildest of the side effects compared to my colleagues. We had an entire session on Malaria yesterday, and it doesn't sound fun, but it shouldn't be a problem because I'm going to be awesome about taking my drugs.

I know I didn't include mailing info yet, so here it is! I will be at the following address for the next 8 weeks or so. Things to know first: If you're mailing letters, number them. Send small packages with nothing expensive inside (it will be stolen). If you're sending a post card, put it in an envelope, as they tend to get lost. If you're sending chocolate, (ahem), double ziplock it so it doesn't leak when it melts. Generally expect small envelopes to take about 3 weeks and packages to take 6 or 7. Packages should be sent through DHL. Things I would love: packs of baby wipes, chocolate or any American candy I can give to the kids here, hand lotion (I forgot it, and there is A LOT of hand washing here- a good thing), probiotics, and pictures of home. I'm sure I'll add to this later.

Chelsea C. Barker
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 85
Bamako, Mali

I'll try to post again before I leave for homestay. We're having a cultural festival in about an hour! I'll get to buy fabric for my first Malian clothes, eat Malian food, listen to Malian music, and of course, dance and get to know my fellow Stagemates better.

k'an ben!