I ni sogoma!

I've been in Mali for 2 weeks and i've been loving it. The first week was spent at Tubani So, the Peace Corps Mali training site, which feels alot like summer camp. I share a little hut (with electricity) with Jen. An average day: breakfast at 7 (tea or instant coffee with condensed milk, french bread with peanut butter, and maybe a banana). Cross culture, health education tech, or personal health (everyone's favorite...we learn about worms, malaria, diarrhea, and all kinds of horrible stuff) classes from 8-12. Lunch is usually rice with sauce and meat, salad, and it's watermelon season! Life is good:) Siesta for the hotter part of the day, classes again from 2:30-5, rest/sports/bathe until dinner at 7. In the evenings we usually all gather around one of the guys who has a guitar and chat for hours.
We've also spent a week at homestays in villages not far from the capital, Bamako. I'm in Banankoro and my new name is Aminata Samake (Ami for short:)). My jatigi is wonderful! They are so generous and patient with my weak French and begining Bambara. The food they serve isn't great, but I don't go hungry. Everyday those of us in Banankoro (15 of 30...the rest are in Sanankoroba) meet for language class under the mango trees. It's so beautiful that it's surreal. I absolutley love our language professors. They are incredibly kind and helpful during this strange transitional stage. We often go to their house in the afternoons for very strong, very sweet green tea.
The heat hasn't been unbearable, but it's still the cooler season. Everyone stays in the shade and look out for us Toubabs (foreigners) when we don't know any better than to linger in the sun. I take lots of bucket baths, do my business in a whole in the ground, sleep under a mosquito net, eat with my hands, and love (nearly) every minute of it:)
We recieved our site announcements yesterday! Begining at the end of November, I'll be in Tiorobougou (pop. 4000) which is just 120km north of the capital and 20km south of my market town, Kolokani. There's a Catholic mission not too far away, as well:) I'll be openening up a new site (no PVCs before me) working in a local health clinic and living in an old maternite. Not sure what that means, but no electricity or running water. I'll probably get to Bamako (and the internet) at least once a month. Keep sending news of the good old USA! I miss you all...and good coffee.