R.I.P. Abdoulaye Sow

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

The following was from January 26th:

Today was a really sad and frustrating day. Abdoulaye Sow, a friend of mine died in Bamako, in a terrible motorcycle accident.

I don’t want to pretend that he was my best friend, but I played soccer with him almost every day. I lived near him, and we would walk the 15-minute walk to and from the field together. He was definitely one of the nicest kids I’ve met in Mali.  Always encouraging me when I messed up, while others were quick to place blame.

He was just 22 years old. He was attending the university in Bamako. He was obviously an extremely intelligent and well-mannered person.

Mali needs a lot more Abdoulaye Sows. Not less.

In Malian culture additional importance is placed on taking care and protecting your younger siblings. At the funeral his 4 older brothers were all unsuccessful in holding back their tears. Men very rarely wear their emotions on their sleeve in Mali. This was hard for me to watch without crying myself.

Unfortunately this is an all too common occurrence in Mali. In Bamako, especially, a crowded capital city of nearly 2 million people with very few traffic lights. Meanwhile, motorcycles, buses and trucks share very narrow streets. People drive out of control at whatever speeds they want with no police or speed limits to control them.

Even on the whole, Mali is among the worst in the world in infant mortality rates, and its age expectancy is still under 50 years.

My lasting image of Abdoulaye is of our team making our way back from Tintiba, a nearby town we had played in soccer. This was during rainy season, and as a result we had to make our way through huge lakes in the road. At one point we were lifting someone’s motorcycle and carrying it safely above the water to the other side. So, Abdoulaye turns and looks at me, both of us covered in mud and completely soaked, and turned to me and said with a huge smile, “En Afrique, c’est comme ça.”

Roughly translated meaning, in Africa it’s like this. At the moment, it was perfect. It was like, welcome to Africa, buddy. This is what we do here. He must have realized what a strange, new situation that was for me.

I will miss you Abdoulaye. Rest in peace my friend.

RIP Abdoulaye Sow

Amadu and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

Well, I’m still in Kayes. I have no idea why I’m in a good mood considering the day I just had. I think I’m no longer surprised by anything that happens with the Malian transport system. So, I just roll with the punches.

On Thursday morning Billy and I walked down to the bus station to try and buy tickets for the afternoon bus that would take us from Kayes to Dialafara (Billy continues 80K down the same road).

The problem is that the bus starts in Bamako and of course was already full. So, we were told that we could not buy tickets. However, we could come back and see if there was any room on that bus. If not there were several buses after that, as well as mini-busses.

So, at about 2pm Billy and I got a ride to the gare routiere (bus station). We knew we would be waiting, but figured we’d be leaving at worst in a few hours.

The first bus came in, of course full to the brim. It was expected. We were told that the next one should be coming pretty soon after the first one.

In honor of PTI, one of my favorite shows, I like to play a game called over/under. Basically, you pick a number and the person has to guess if they think it will be more or less. So, at first it was 5 pm. But, that came and went so Billy then suggested sunset.

We now had tickets in hand at this point so we were cautiously optimistic. We both just read patiently hoping for a miracle.  I was reading Pete Sampras’s autobiography. It turns out that Pete Sampras really just is that vanilla.

Anyway, there we were eating dinner at sunset from a street vendor. It was a really good meal with beans, pasta, and meat. Might not sound like much, but here that’s near the top of the list here.

We both would’ve much rather be on a bus though. Finally at 8 pm the bus somehow made its way into the gare. It, however, was leaning just a bit to the left. How it was still going was nothing short of a miracle.

This however, ruled out yet another option as they set to trying to fix the crooked bus. We still had hope though as several mini-busses were still in the bus station. Of course, the one we were supposed to take wouldn’t start.

They then got behind a mini-bus and pushed to get it rolling and then managed to start the bus while it was moving. The bus kept right on going. It was empty, and left the station.

Apparently the few people left had expressed concern at taking a mini-bus that was already falling apart at night down the dirt road. So they had gotten their tickets refunded.

At this point it was about 9pm, we would have left in a Fred Flinstone vehicle. The ticket man called us over and offered us our money back.

Billy and I had opposite ways of dealing with the situation. Billy later told me that I was completely silent for over an hour. He was babbling away, thinking positive thoughts. I knew better. I had almost expected this. I had seen it coming.

Billy, told the man that we had been waiting for over 7 hours this point (not counting our morning visit) and we need to get back to our jobs and want to leave today. We were told this was not an option. We ended up having to grab a taxi back to our stage house in Kayes.

How, or why I remained calm, I have no idea. But, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. The next bus isn’t until Monday. So, I get a couple more days here in Kayes. We also went to reggae concert on Saturday. And for you guys I can post some more pictures. These are from Dialafara. Our dugutigi (chief of the village) died, and 40 days after that day, his family holds a ceremony/party that the entire town goes to. Hopefully I can make it back to that town again sometime soon.

So, while you guys may not think much of Greyhound or Amtrak, my advice to you is to take advantage of those amazing companies.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089082&id=26000983&l=8e6ece87ca

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/video/?id=26000983

Bobby Boo’s very Dogon Christmas

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

First off I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2010! Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas as well!

Not that I’ve celebrated a ton of Christmases, but this one was by far my best. The views and people made this a trip that I will never forget.

Our training finally finished up after just over two weeks. By the end of it, we had all had more than enough sessions and were more than ready to celebrate the holidays.

Before heading out a bunch of us happened to catch a Sean Paul concert in Bamako. He was holding some sort of benefit concert for malaria. It was a good thought although it didn’t turn out so great. There were people climbing fences trying to get in. People who didn’t belong in one section pushing there were through. And of course, there were the cops beating anyone who tried any of this. I thought I would be trampled to death. Some of the girls lost their shoes and we searched for them among the crowd. Finally, fans started throwing chairs and Sean Paul walked off the stage. It was a crazy night and quite an experience.

So, a group of us headed East from Bamako to make our way into Dogon Country.

Basically, one our volunteers, Samantha Houston, and her homologue Algero hosted us and organized everything. Sam’s homologue Algero, also happens to work as a guide in Dogon Country and he was nothing short of incredible.

We got to Sam’s site in the town of Sanga on the 24th and stayed there for a couple days before setting out on our very demanding hike. By the time we headed out though, our stomachs were full and we were ready for the adventure.

Sam’s village was really excited to host the 15 of us that came to Sanga, and they were amazing hosts. Christmas dinner was delicious with cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, and lots of good meat for a change! We explored Sam’s town and took in the amazing views, while making sure not to fall off the various cliffs.

A few of us slept on the roof of Algero’s house which turned out to be a great decision. I doubt that I ever woken up to a more amazing site, as I watched the sun rise over the valley from the comfort of my bed.

We headed out for our three-day hike which was much tougher than I had envisioned. Never again will I ever make fun of hikers.

We hiked for hours through the morning. Up and down and up and down. The flat parts weren’t any better as they always involved trudging our way through sand. Eventually we’d stop for lunch and of course a much needed nap, so as to avoid the hottest part of the day. By the way, it’s still in the 90’s here, and this is cold season. Anyway, then we’d head out for another couple hours before quitting for the day.

We ended every day at some “hotel” somewhere. Our group would pass out on the hotel’s roof with simple mattresses. It was a slumber party every night. We made sure to grab a well-deserved cold beverage upon arrival. Then we’d wake up the next morning and do it all again.

After three days we made it back to Sam’s town. We were all in the best kind of pain. We all made it…just barely. We really had a great group of kids and we all got along great and had an unforgettable time.

Special thanks definitely go out to Sam, her village, and her homologue/guide.

I attempted to capture the views as best I could with my camera, but even someone who knew what he was doing wouldn’t have been able to properly capture the beauty we were able to see on this trip. Someone compared it to trying to take a picture of the Grand Canyon. It just doesn’t work. So anyway, here’s my best shot. Our resident photographer, Billy Budd, actually knows what he’s doing so I’ve included two of his albums and an awesome group shot.

After that, I headed back to Bamako for New Years, which was interesting to say the least. Some rich Lebanese kids hosted about 30 PC volunteers in their really nice house. I’m pretty sure they’re just looking for some female companions, but either way it was a good party. Happy 2010 everyone!

Now I’m back in Kayes for a couple days, on my way back to site. It’s been a nice, long vacation. I’ll be back at site for the next month. In the meantime enjoy the pictures and take care.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2088694&id=26000983&l=e47c74f6b1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047137&id=14900208&l=4cb4df4f61

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047186&id=14900208&l=87b7313706

Run, sexy, run!

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

Right now, I am having a great time at sports camp. Oops I mean IST (inter-service training.

Seriously though, I’ve been playing basketball pretty much every day. I’m currently in the semi-final round of our group-wide ping-pong tournament.

The most fun (and toughest) athletic endeavor thus far was a half-marathon. Instead of riding in a car from Bamako to the PC compound, a few of us ran it. It has been measured at exactly 13.1 miles.

We had sessions starting at 8 am so decided to start running at 5:30 am. It was still dark, and I definitely stumbled a couple times at first. We took it nice and slow, and also stopped to take pictures a couple times.

I was just letting the others set the pace since I hadn’t trained barely at all. I was definitely struggling somewhat. Running through the Grand Marche (big market) of Bamako as the sun rose and the vendors set up their booths was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. So, 7 miles into a half-marathon, I started smiling uncontrollably.

I had to just stop and think, “I am in Mali! I am running through the streets of Bamako as the streets come up. How cool is this?”

The adrenaline carried me all the way and I sprinted it in to win the race by about 30 seconds. I have the blisters to prove it but it was a lot of fun.

Although it makes absolutely no sense, I have actually put on almost 10 pounds of muscle since I’ve been here, and am in the best shape of my life. Go figure.

So, right now, I’m just hanging out at the compound having a ball. It’s been really nice seeing all the volunteers and seeing how well they’re doing. A lot of my best friends (including Emily Fornof) are on the other side of the country, so it has been really nice to see them.

It’s also incredibly inspiring to see all these kids doing such great things. It makes me strive to be a better volunteer and try to accomplish more while I’m here every time I hear one of their stories about something amazing they’ve done.

I definitely miss my cats though. I’ve grown especially close with Simba, the boy cat. Nala (girl cat) is not really a domesticated cat and doesn’t always like to be touched. I’m working on that. They’ve both started sleeping on my bed. Especially Simba, who snuggles right up next to me. They’ve also started finally adapting (like me) to the food. If I’m eating rice and sauce, then they’re going to eat the same stuff. They both hunt and kill the occasional lizard or frog for meat. I’m definitely in love. Especially with Simba.

I don’t really have a smooth transition here, but I wanted to mention something I’ve noticed about most Malians. Some of them, especially most men, are some of the laziest people (including myself) I’ve ever met. Then they sit around and complain about how they cannot advance as a country, without actually putting in any effort to change anything. This is often a very frustrating thing to me.

However, a couple of weeks ago, there was a huge farewell party/dance for the principal of the school who is going to work in Bamako. Hundreds of people showed up (mostly students) in my concession as we hooked up some speakers to a car battery. And good lord, Malians can dance. I was watching all the kids dance when I was overwhelmed by just how happy they were. All they needed was some music and hundreds of people could be happy.

The same was true for the teachers vs. students soccer game earlier that week. What seemed like the entire town came to watch and cheered with every play.

It all just made me think how amazing these people are. They have so little and yet can be so happy. Sometimes I feel like we as Americans can not really say the same. We have so much, and yet are not necessarily any happier than most Malians. It is truly an incredible quality to be able to be so happy with so little.

These people may not have a lot or work very hard, but put on some music, or put a soccer ball in play and life is good.

Life is good for me as well. I’m just living the dream. I’m determined to see as much of this country while I’m here. I’m off to Dogon Country for Christmas (look it up). Pretty exciting.

In February I’m going back to Dakar, Senegal. I studied abroad there during my Junior year at UMW. I can’t wait to see my host family again. There’s a softball tournament between the different Peace Corps nations of the region. Should be a ball, and Mali’s gonna take it down!

For those of you who expressed interest in sending me stuff I really appreciate it. So, here is my address again:

Jeremy Jordan

Corps de la Paix

BP440

Kayes, Mali, West Africa

Professor Amadu Barthez: Teacher by day, goalie by night

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

First of all, in case you don’t know Fabien Barthez was the goalie for the French national team in 1998 when they won the world cup.

I know it’s been a while since my last entry. Things are going so much better than they were just a month ago.

My first month or so at site was pretty tough. The isolation and the absolute boredom of doing absolutely nothing was really tough for me. We were told to take it easy the first couple of months at site. But, I really wasn’t happy sitting there all day. So, now that I’m actually doing things, I’m much happier and time is flying by. I’ve been here 5 months!

First off I’ve been playing soccer just about every day. Since they wouldn’t pass me the ball I’ve been pretending to be a goalie. A couple weeks ago we travelled to a neighboring town for a match. I was the starting goalie for Dialafara vs. Tintiba. Though it was only 12km away it was no easy task to get there. I made a few good saves and we got a played to a 0-0 draw.

A couple weeks later we played teachers vs. students. I played goalie for the teachers. We got an early goal and hung on for a 1-0 win!

I’ve really found that soccer is a great way to make connections with a lot of people in my town. It also keeps me active and busy.

The biggest piece to the puzzle though was solved when I began teaching English. The English teacher at my school is an incredibly nice man named Mamadou Barry. He takes the time with me to go over lesson plans with me before every class. He teaches English, Art, and Music for 7th, 8th, and 9th grades so he was more than happy to give me 7th grade English.

At first he sat in on my class, but after a few times he left me on my own. So now it’s just me and 92 kids! They’re progressing surprisingly fast. They actually listen to me and work hard at home. Their biggest problem is pronunciation.

But it’s been really rewarding seeing the kids work hard and make progress. It is such a great feeling when students actually start to get it. They’ve learned numbers, days of the week, months, classroom objects, among other things.

I really love teaching and have also started doing P.E. once a week in all three classes. At the same time, I’m here to do more than just teach. While I’m teaching, I try and include some life lessons if you will.

When I’m not teaching I need to keep doing projects. So far we’ve planted trees and also traced a map of Mali to give the kids a better understanding of their own country. We’ve also hung a flag of Mali on a wooden flagpole. The kids sing their national anthem at the beginning and end of every week.

One day I noticed that most of the kids either weren’t singing or were barely whispering. I mentioned it to a couple of the teachers and we all came to the same conclusion. Malians are not proud of their country. That fact shocked me, but is definitely true. While as Americans, we may criticize or government at times, we, on the whole, love our country and are proud to be Americans. At least to me, it means something to look at my flag and sing the national anthem. I told my students that they need to be proud of their country. They then asked me if I could sing the national anthem. I sang the entire “Star-Spangled Banner” very badly in front of my class. It was a fun moment.

Anyway, I’m loving teaching, and need to keep my eyes open for potential projects as well. For now I’m getting to know more and more people in my town. So many people greet me on the streets of Dialafara. My students say “Good morning,” or “Good afternoon,” and cross their arms as a sign of respect.

Now, after a few days at the Kayes stage house I am back in Bamako at the Peace Corps compound. It has been really nice to see just about everyone in my stage. Some of these people are all the way on the other side of the country. We’ve also had 5 people go home. Personally though, I’m in as high spirits as I’ve been since getting here.

So, I’ll be hanging out here for a little. I’ll post more pics the next time I go to Kayes. The computers are just too slow here.

Also, I’ve had a couple people ask me about what my school needs. I would say mostly: pens (blue, red), pencils, erasers, chalk, rulers, protractor. Things like that would be great.

Well that’s about it for now. I’ve got internet access here for the next couple week. Take care everybody. I’ll try and blog again soon. It has been a while and I’ve got some more stories to tell. Stay tuned!

Amadu settles in for the long haul

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

Two years is a long time…

Just thought I’d throw that out there. More than three months here already. Time is really flying by and I’m adjusting more and more to everything Mali.

Sorry it’s been a while. I’ve spent the last four weeks at my site with no internet, running water, or electricity. It was certainly scary and daunting at first. I’m not going to lie. I was sad, depressed, and really didn’t know how to get any of the essentials.

I had the unfortunate timing of arriving just as my homologue was leaving. Nothing in my life or even in my Mali experiences could’ve prepared me for getting placed all alone in the middle of nowhere. The way it works though (luckily) is that you have what is known as a jatigi, which is almost like a host family. Although I live alone, this family in some way takes care of me or watches out for me.

Still, for a while,  my phone was out of battery, I didn’t know how to get water, and I needed a doctor.  I developed a small bump on my arm close to my armpit.

I had no idea what it was and all the stupid hypochondriac thoughts went through my head. I actually had a really vivid dream that I had cancer. Anyway, the bump got bigger and bigger, to the point where it was a bigger than a golf ball. I had a little mountain on my arm. I tried to stay calm and called the Peace Corps doctor. After describing my mountain, she decided I had a boil, which apparently isn’t too serious. Still my arm was absolutely killing me and making it very difficult to sleep. Finally, at the height of my pain, the boil opened up and puss started just pouring out! It was like a faucet of puss. My jatigi got a look at my arm and forced me to go to the doctor in Dialafara. I really didn’t want to do that. I’m just a little skeptical of Malian doctors, much less rural Malian doctors. But, against my will, I was brought to a doctor where I had no idea what he was doing to me. It was also extremely painful as he squeezed my boil. The language barrier was very frustrating and just had no idea what was going on. Turns out he was just getting everything out of there. After about an hour I calmed down and my arm felt much better and I went back to playing soccer. I still can’t believe I went to a Malian doctor and lived to tell about it!

So, anyway, I was healthy and back on the field. They really get a kick out of the white guy playing soccer. Except then they wouldn’t pass me the ball. I’d be wide open several times and nothing. Finally I started playing goalie. Since I actually know how to catch a ball they think I’m god and that is now my permanent position.

Finally my homologue (the school principal) showed up, as well as the English teacher. We started school on October 5th! Other schools had started just a few days earlier. I’m supposed to be working with a sort of Parents association, but let’s just say they’re not very active. The school didn’t get actually start on the 5th. Those who showed up were forced to “mow” the school yard which was filled with grass that went up past the heads of some of the students. So the students with their little hoes set to work and that was the first day of school. The parents association was supposed to take care of that.

The English teacher, Mr. Barry, is new, and a very nice and quiet young man. He let me sit in on his classes. I quickly got a good idea of the school system in Mali. First off my town of 2,000 people, which is considered a big town in Mali, has the only 2nd cycle school (7th-9th grade) for all of the surrounding villages. Kids from 25 km or more are forced to come here to go to school or live away from their family if they actually care about education. This results in incredibly overcrowded classrooms. As the week went along and word got around that school had started, the kids started piling in. By the end of the week each of the grades had one class of between 70-90 kids.

Essentially, far less than half of the population is educated, and yet there are not nearly enough schools or teachers and overcrowded classrooms happen everywhere.

The problems don’t end there though. The first day when there were a measly 56 kids in the 7th grade, I counted 48 boys and 8 girls. Girls just don’t go to school. I heard countless stories from the teachers about the bright girls who actually go to school only to be forced to quit as they get either married or pregnant or both.

The kids who are there though, definitely want to learn. They snap and scream to get the teacher’s attention. In English class it was “Mister! Mister!”

After several weeks of just sitting around I finally got to do something. I went into the 7th grade which is the first year they start English and I taught them the alphabet! It was a lot of fun and finally a very rewarding feeling. They had a lot of trouble with “q” and the differences between “g” “j” and “z.” Everyone was raising their hand and wanted to try to say the alphabet.

The next day, when Mr. Barry went into the 8th grade, he found that they couldn’t figure out “e” and “i” which in French is somewhat reversed. The teacher from last year, I was told, absolutely did not want to be teaching. As a result the kids learned nothing. I ended up going into their class and doing the alphabet.

I’m quickly beginning to see why the education system is such a mess. This is also a comparatively good school for Mali. It at least has teachers, chalkboards, and desks.

I’m also beginning to discover that education is only one of many problems here.

At least school is under way though and will keep me a little busy instead of reading 2 books a week. I’m no longer all alone either.

I’m currently at my regional capital of Kayes. At the site house for about a week enjoying the movies, electricity, and running water. I also was joined here by 4 other volunteers. I haven’t stopped talking over the last couple days. I’m just so happy to have people to talk to in English!

So, I’ll be here for a few more days and try and blog again. For now enjoy these pics from swear-in:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2083443&id=26000983&l=b78bb2770c

Amadu’s New Clothes

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

Just in case you don’t read til the end I’ll put the photos here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081610&id=26000983&l=6a55ff3623

So, my homestay has come to an end. It’s hard to believe that it has already been two months since my sister and I made the short drove from Martinsville, New Jersey over to Philly. I have now officially sworn-in as a Peace Corps volunteer!!

September 10, 2009 is date that I will remember forever. We were all bussed over to the beautiful American Embassy. Many people (including myself) looked good/ridiculous as we attempted to pull off Malian clothing. It was fun though to wear my first Malian outfit. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it again.

Everyone was so happy and excited. It felt like an important day. We heard speeches from our Director, Ambassador, and a representative from the Malian government. A few of my fellow volunteers made speeches in the local languages we’ve been learning. I was especially proud of Emily who represented UMW well speaking in Fulfulde (another Malian dialect).

Tons of happy faces posed for various group photos. We then headed over to the American Club where we were spoiled with American food (burgers, fries, desserts). Man do I miss all that stupid food! Im stopping at the first McDonald’s I see when I get home.

After a nice and relaxing afternoon by the pool we spent the night out on the town. Without going into too many details (because I can’t), Bamako never knew what hit em! We went to a couple different clubs and danced the night away. It was really a great ending to a perfect day.

Now its off to Dialafara. I will definitely miss my homestay family. They were great to me. They did everything for me and I will miss all of them very much.

On the other hand, (this sentiment seems to be shared by all volunteers) I’m so ready to get this thing started. It’ll also mean more freedom living without a family. I can’t remember the last good chunk of alone/me time I’ve had since I’ve been here.

I also feel like I have learned so much about the culture and customs here in Mali since arriving here two months ago.

First off, Mali is no different from any other place in that there will always be great people and not so great people wherever you go. I have to say on the whole though, that the hospitality here is amazing here, as is the sense of family.

The gender roles here are so incredibly different though here in Mali. The men mostly sit around drinking tea all day while the women cook for families of 15 (without ovens), wash the clothes (without washing machines), do the dishes (without dishwashers), take care of the kids, and the list goes on.

Yes, some men go out to the fields and work very hard. This, however, is not by any means done by all men every day.

Despite this discrepancy in work the amount of work done is inversely proportional to the amount of power that person has. So, although my host mother slaves all day long, if she makes some sort of mistake, she will be beaten by my lazy host father.

This is a perfectly acceptable practice in Mali. They are currently trying to pass anti-violence laws, but they have been shot down. It was personally, an incredibly sad sight to see. Unfortunately Mali is deeply rooted in these old-fashioned gender roles.

Certain things like this just make you realize how far Mali still needs to come. I also know that I will be constantly frustrated and fighting this like during my time here.

The first couple months shouldn’t be very stressful at all though. It’s more about building relationships, assessing the situation in the town (in terms of need), and further acclamating to life and culture in Mali. I’m looking forward to catching up on some much needed sleep as well as a lot more reading.

Current book: The Alchemist

Enjoy the photos guys. Probably will be a while before I post again. Take care.

-Amadu

Sexy Jeremy swears in!!

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

I have no idea why I am sexy Jeremy. There are 3 Jeremys in our stage. We have Belgian Jeremy (self-explanatory) and then two in education. The other Jeremy decided he was Ego Jeremy and so I should be Asshole Jeremy. I didn’t like that name. Luckily it never stuck and to make up for it my Education sector buddies decided I was Sexy Jeremy. This time it stuck and now 90% of the stage knows me as Sexy Jeremy. I’ll take it.

Tonight I showcased my incredible talents in our talent show. My friend Owen made up the other half of the duet also playing the guitar (he has the talent). He began to play and sing the first verse of Howie Day’s “Collide.” I was hiding behind a wall and came running on to sing the second verse. We continued to sing back and forth to each other. Fletch, you’d be proud.

I’ve been in a great mood this past week. I passed all my tests. I still have no idea how I passed my language exam. n be se ka bamarakan fo (I can speak Bambara). I’m swearing in tomorrow at the plush US Embassy. Training is finally over!

I just wanted to thank everyone for supporting me in the early stages of this adventure. Blog comments, facebook messages, packages, and letters have all been sent my way. HONESTY ALERT…

There has been so much support that I have done a complete change in my reasons for being here already. I joined Peace Corps, I imagine for similar reasons as others. The want to get away and not knowing what to do after college. About a year ago I moved to Richmond for really no good reason. No that I think about it there was no real reason for me or Jake or Brendan to be there. We knew no one outside of each other pretty much. We just blindly followed Justin Doyle (thanks kid). So needless to say when I first started the long Peace Corps application process I wasnt entirely happy with my life. A funny thing happened that year though. Mostly through frisbee(and UMW), we all fit in with a great group of friends.

Essentially, I ended up loving my life, Richmond, and the people around me. I will be back! So, on the days prior to my swearing, my reasons for being here have changed; and for the better. I can now focus on the fact that I am here and that I have the power to help bring about change in Mali. Instead of my focus that I was being a turtle (as my dad would say) and hiding from my problems.  (sorry for the cornyness just needed to get that out there)

Also contributing to my great mood is that my love for reading has returned. Mom, be proud! Love in the Time of Cholera was a pretty good book. A Long Way Gone is a pretty depressing (but really, really good) book about a kid turned child soldier in his homeland of Sierra Leone. Thats pretty close to here so it kind of hits home. My favorite book thus far has been James Blake’s Breaking Back. It’s a really candid autobiography detailing how the tennis player has battled back from freak injuries and diseases to get back into tennis. Again corny, I know. But still inspirational.

From it I took a couple things. First another player on tour, Todd Martin, told him that if you can win one set you can win two and then three. A really simple concept which I personally translate to if I can do one month here then I can do two and then three (and so on). It works for anything in life. If you can do something once, then you can do it again.

Also Blake’s coach, Brian Barker, instilled a philosophy that setting specific goals for yourself isn’t always the best philosophy. Working hard and getting better should be the goals. This is a really helpful philosophy for us to keep in mind as volunteers. There are so many factors that we will have no control over and will that make us incredibly frustrated when things don’t go our way. However, if we all work hard each day on just getting better as a volunteer, then everything else will eventually fall into place.

Sorry that this was an especially boring and philosophical entry. Probably only my dad will enjoy it. I swear in tomorrow though so the next entry will be about that and the end of my homestay. As well as all the pics you guys all love! It seems that I should name my cats Simba and Nala which definitely makes sense. Also I have a new address now so any mail should be sent to:

Jeremy Jordan

Corps de la Paix

BP440

Kayes, Mali, West Africa

Thanks again for all your support! Also go G-MEN!!

Bobby Boo’s new home

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

I decided the best way to put up pics is to put them on facebook and put a link in my blog. Here’s my first batch. If you’re not friends with me on facebook, friend me. I would’ve gotten more from my homestay but I attempted to buy batteries from a “boutique” and the proved to not work. But here are the links. Homestay and site photos.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2079990&id=26000983&l=8b068b4bbe

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2079994&id=26000983&l=4f979a3c6f

Well…I’m here in Kayes. It feels like much more than just one week ago that I was back at home base. Travel is not quite as simple here as it is in the states. When you get did with a trip and figure out the distance and time, it just makes you sad. It took 6 hours to go 100 miles. That should be an hour and a half.

But then when you get off the bus and pick up your bags which are now covered in dirt and sand, you head over to the site house here in Kayes and all is forgotten. We sit here with lights, fans, showers, and toilets, watching Happy Gilmore and forget that we’re in Mali and that we just travelled on a road much worse than any back road in the US.

Anyways, my site is pretty awesome. There are 4 volunteers in the region. The other three are a few hours down the road in Kenieba, a city of about 15 thousand people. I’m in Dialafara. A tiny town of less than two thousand people. I’m replacing a current PCV named Andrew Wallace who was an environment volunteer. He’s headed home in a couple weeks. So for now he was able to show me around. We went on a hike. In less than an hour we were on top of a cliff looking out as far as the eye can see. It was breathtaking.

My house itself is pretty awesome. I need to learn how to do a lot of things. Like raising chickens for example. I have two roosters, two hens, and a few chicks. I also have a ridiculous garden filled with corn stalks, eggplants, basil, mustard, sunflowers, etc. So I need to improve my gardening skills. I have two cats and need suggestions on names. I’ll put the best suggestions up for a vote! I also have a hammock! Man is that nice to have. Oh yeah and I have a toilet seat! It’s the nicest njeggen in all of Mali (big plus). I also bought a car battery (not cheap!). It runs two lights in my house and can charge my phone and i-pod. Also I have cell phone reception which really surprised me.

Inside the house there are basically three rooms. The first area is kind of an entry way although Andrew had his bed in here since it was a tiny bit cooler. Then there is a kitchen and a bedroom. Simply and pretty nice and cozy.  It is just me and one other man named Lamine in my concession. He serves as my homologue. A homologue is someone Peace Corps assigns us to essentially help us integrate into our town. I lucked out with Lamine. He happens to be the English teacher at the school; as well as the principal of the school and is also in charge of all other principals in the commune. He’s a very nice guy, a good person to know, and the fact that he speaks English and French is definitely a big plus.

The school in my town is actually is somewhat decent shape although classes will definitely be crowded. I already see several potential projects for me though which is exciting. Although that won’t be for a while. We’re not really expected to take on any projects for our first three months on site. At first it’s all about just assessing your situation and conditions in your town.

Dialafara really is beautiful. I have a beautiful view of the cliffs from my house. I can walk to and from anywhere in the town in about 15 minutes.

Despite being all alone and several hours from anyone, I ended up getting really lucky with my setup as a whole. I consider myself a pretty independent person so if anyone could do this it would be me. I’ll be doing a lot of travelling too. This I am sure.

That’s all for now. I’m back to Bamako tomorrow. Then off for my last 2-week homestay stop. Check out the pics. Be sure to vote on cat names too.

-Amadou

A Day in the Life of Amadu

DISCLAIMER: This blog states only the opinions of a Peace Corps volunteer and in no way states the opinions of the Peace Corps Organization or the US gov.

Today is August 14th. I’ve been in Mali for just over one month. Today  is my birthday ! Training is more than halfway over and our first site visit is just around the corner. I’ll tell you guys all about my site next time. For now I wanted to give you guys a taste of what an average day at homestay is like for me. So here goes.

It’s kind of hard to actually figure out where my day starts. I think I’ve slept through the night maybe once since I’ve been here. So we’ll say for arguments sake that my day begins in the dark of the night around like 3 am. I wake up with my stomach making weird noises. I sprint to the njegen (toilet). I squat down over the whole under the moon and starts. The sky is so beautiful out here without any pollution or buildings to block the view.

Then I go back to bed and hopefully make it through the night with just the one pit stop. Unfortunately the chickens here are all aparently blind and so their alarm clock is around 4 or so in the morning. Usually at some point our donkey joins in the fun added his own sound to the band. Suffice it to say it is never a peaceful night.

I wake up at 7 unless I’m feeling up to running at 6. I’ll do that more once I’ve completely adjusted to life in Mali. So, I walk to my well and get some water out of the well and pour it into my bucket. Then I return to my all-purpose hole for my bucket bath. I won’t have hot water here. I definitely have flies though. They’re all over me all day long.

Then I get dressed in my room. My family brings me bread and hot milk for breakfast while the flies try and grab their share. Once I’m done I either walk or bike to our school. Peace Corps requires us to wear helmets so if I decide to bike all the little kids point at me and laugh. As a result I usually just walk the 15 minutes to the preschool we’ve taken over during the summer.

In Mali, probably the single most important custom is greeting everyone. In the US most people probably would only greet their friends, in Mali you must greet every single person you pass. People take it as a sign of disrespect if you do not greet. “i ni sogoma” in the morining. That is usually followed by “Did you sleep well” (here doron), hows your family, how are you, how is your mother. Some sort of series like that.

A walk is also also met by every type of wildlife. Donkeys, chickens, goats, dogs and others all make their presence known.

We arrive at school and the five volunteers in our town and our two teachers begin our Bambara class at 8am. We split into two very small classes with two and three students in each. We go until 12:30 with a 30 minute break. Bambara is tough in that it is completely unlike English or any European language any of us have ever seen. On the hand verbs aren’t conjugated. The subject pronoun tells you what you need to know.

So, we head home for lunch. Usually some combination of rice and sauce. I hang out with my family and head back to school at 3. In the afternoon we either have more language, in which case we’re all very excited, or we have a cross-culture session. We learn about gender issues, fortune tellers, religion, and other topics. Then its back to my new home around 5 or 6.

At night my family sometimes watches a Malian TV series. There’s no electricity in my town, but my family is really well off and hooks up on old Sony to a car generator. As soon as that generator starts humming everyone in the town comes running. All the kids know to come to the Coulibaly household. I once counted over 60 people sitting in front of the TV in my concession.

If there’s no TV that night I’ll sit and talk with one of my host brothers. All 7 brothers have gone to school and speak French. A couple in particular love to talk to me. One of my brothers, Ousmane, talks to me about how great America, or the importance of education for example. He just loves to talk.

The only negative is that he likes to take advantage of my electronics. He offers to go get my phone charged. But I know the prices now, and he never gives me change. He has also recently started making calls and using my credit. He and another brother also used up all my charge on my i-pod. Basically things like electronics, you have to be careful and almost secretive with. So I’ll only pull out my i-pod at night in my room. It sounds so out of place to go to sleep to Coldplay, Keith Urban or Jason Mraz. It’s a nice comfort though. At times I’ll write in my journal or read before turning in at like 10.

Then we wake up and do it all again. Usually by the time I get up at 7 most of my family is already up and going. I really have an amazing family. The women in Mali are amazing. They are amazing cooks.

My meals usually consist of rice with onion sauce, or peanut sauce (my favorite), sometimes millet or potatoes, and if I’m lucky we’ll eat pasta. Every meal is eaten with our hands which is always an adventure. Our two dogs love me since there’s usually plenty to eat on the ground by me. Cooking and cleaning take all day here. Some of the women in our family also go to market to sell some foods. The men in my family take our three goats and our donkey and go out to work in our field all day.

So that’s about a typical day for me. I’m here at the Peace Corps compound for a couple more days before our first site visit. We’re at our site for about a week before coming back here for another couple days, and then back to our homestays. Enjoy the few pictures I’ve posted. I’m an awful photographer and taking pictures here is impossible. Everyone goes crazy either positively or negatively to seeing a camera. Some Malians believe that cameras can take your soul.

Well take care everyone, and tune in next time for new adventures in Mali!

Here’s my address:

Jeremy Jordan

Corps de la Paix

BP85

Bamako, Mali, West Africa