Amadu needs toothpaste

I am silly. I am naive. I am stupid.

How easily we forget. How could I possibly think that hot season would be my last challenge? In Mali, there are always more challenges.

Just a couple of examples..

I decided to come out of my retirement from African running for one last half marathon. This was a huge mistake.

I think it was some fish I ate, I’m not completely sure, but I got pretty sick the day before the race. I basically lived in the bathroom that day (let’s just leave it at that). But I am nothing if not stubborn. So the next day, heavily medicated, I ran the race anyway.

I’m pretty sure it was the single worst race of my life. The first few miles felt ok. I ran side by side with my good friend Josh. But really, after that it was all downhill. I was just trying to hold it in on both ends. I ended up throwing up a couple of times on the side of the road. Again being stubborn, I wanted to finish the stupid race. It took over 3 hours to finish. I got a lot of help from other volunteers who had chosen to bike the course to direct us and give us water. It was absolutely miserable. I was pretty out of it the next day or two.

This time I’m finally officially retired from African running. It really just isn’t my friend.

My bus rides of late haven’t been so great. Not that they really ever are. I reached a new career best (or worst) 14 hours for the 100 miles back to site.

The time at site actually went pretty well though. I had my last few classes ever at Dialafara’s Second Cycle School. Juliette had sent me a ton of art supplies for the school, so, for some reason (maybe again because I’m stupid), I decided to have another arts day (since it went so well last time). I was ready for the pure insanity this time around though.

Since I knew it was going to be crazy, I just kind of went with it. I sent a student that I trust, Sibo, to go grab my camera. Of course, the camera only added to the insanity. I snapped a ton of really funny pictures, and ended up with a lot of really amusing drawings. It was the most disorganized class probably ever. But, it was also the most fun. I was laughing the entire time. They decided they wanted to draw Amadu. In the end a few markers went missing, which the principal wasn’t too happy with, but it really was an amazing memory I well never forget and a fitting end to my time at that school.

With school over, I don’t have a ton left to do, so it was a fortunate coincidence that one of my good friends, Sara, asked me if I wanted to help her paint a map in her town of Segala. Mr. Geography never turns down a chance to make a map!

It was really nice to get to see another volunteers site. As volunteers, while we are all going through the same things, each of our situations is unique, which makes it pretty cool to compare notes. Her village was overwhelmingly friendly, and I loved her host family. Only the langauge was different (Peul). As a result, most of the time, I had no idea what was going on. Or even less than usual.

It made me wish that I had taken the opportunity to see more volunteers’ sites, because they are in fact all unique in some way.

From Segala I headed to Bamako for our COS (Close of Service) conference. The conference itself was not terribly exciting. Seeing everyone again was. Our group gathered one last time from all across the country. The last night of the “conference” we had our version of a prom, with Born to be Wild as a very appropriate theme. I was dancing and jumping around, and hugging everyone. It was one of those nights you just wish you could go back to whenever you felt like it.

Somehow, in thinking about everything I’m looking forward too, I failed to take into account, however, everyone I’ll be leaving behind. The goodbyes have already begun, and several of my closest friends have already gone home.

So, to say the least, these last few weeks have been quite the roller coaster. Some incredibly “up” moments mixed in with some pretty tough “down” ones.

One last example sums it all up as best I can.

The other day, I woke up with a pretty ugly right side of my face. I had some sort of yellow puss oozing out of my cheek, and pretty bad swelling under my right eye. Naturally, I was kind of freaking out. I had no idea what it was, or why it was only on one side of my face. I definitely would have been happier if it had covered my entire face. That would have made more sense. Or something.

I asked Mr. Dembele, the science teacher, and a man I have really come to trust a great deal, what he thought it was. He and my homologue were laughing a little at my expense. Mr. Dembele thought it was some sort of insect. In any case something had definitely bit me or stung me during the night. He told me it was ok, and it would heal on its own. He then made a comment to the effect of “Don’t worry it’s not like your going to die.” I must’ve really been freaking out.

He then asked me if I had any toothpaste. I was sure I had misunderstood him. I thought well, I do need to brush my teeth, but I don’t see how that has anything to do with this mess on my face. I came out with my toothpaste and brush. He took the toothpaste out of my hand and spread some of it on my face. I was skeptical of this practice.

An hour or two later, I got lucky, as a Peace Corps shuttle happened to be passing through and I caught a ride up to Kayes. On the way, I looked at myself in the mirror, smiled and laughed out loud. The driver Vieux, who is one of my favorite people in Peace Corps, asked me why I was laughing. It was just the whole situation. In Mali the wonders never cease. I had toothpaste on my face! I looked like some sort of alien. But, I could tell that somehow, there actually was less yellow stuff than before. As I write this, my face looks pretty much normal.

So goes life in Mali, up and down. And hopefully back up. Goodbyes, crazy art days, terrible races with food poisoning. It’s all part of the adventure.

That’s really it. Sometimes, your face blows up, but all you really need is some toothpaste to make it all better.