Peace Corps

I believe my mother read Monique and the Mango Rains, which happens to take place pretty close to my site. I have not read it, however rumor has it that it is a pretty inaccurate description of life in Mali. So much so that I don't know anybody who has actually been able to finish it, it is so bad. I have here, though, two titles of other books that come very highly recommended. They may not be as geographically proximal to my experience, but it sounds like they are much more realistic to what Peace Corps in West Africa is really like. There is another one about fish farming, something to do with River in the title, but we can't remember that one. NB: I have read neither of these.

Village of Waiting by George Parker/Packer (we didn't have this one and the last name is questionable)

Nine Hills of Nambonhaha by Sarah Erdman (the last name is right on this one, but I couldn't read my own handwriting, so the name of the village might be wrong. Whoops.)

Look, it's me and Heath. We so pretty. This isn't my picture, it is Caitlin's.

So, yes, the new stage has been here for almost a month! I can't believe it, and I'm sure they can't either. They are really great - a lot of fun to be around. They are working hard and learning Bambara, French, Fulfulde, Dogoloso and Tomokan like its their job. Which it is. Because we're the most fun sector, we are also growing gardens. Their gardens are doing really well. We planted rice sack gardens a week or so ago, and they are doing sort of well. One or two of them are doing really well. Mine are doing great! Except we seem to be having a tomato rot thing going on, and a caterpillar problem. Boo caterpillars. But I'm growing container potatoes, which is fantastic, and they are really starting to come up now! I'll describe the process in detail sometime, because it is amazing. But I feel it deserves some pictures, and it is raining outside right now, so I'm not going to go out and take them. Later, though.

That's not me, it's Moussa and Audrey. But apparently all the other old pictures of the rice sack gardens are in my camera, which is in my hut, which is not only through the rain, but on the other side of the mudroad that in the dry season is the driveway into Tubaniso. Moussa is a great gardener, exect that he keeps burning all our little lettuce seedlings with rabbit manure. But see the little bag? I planted lettuce in that and we are letting it go to seed, but it is huge!

Hippos (=Mali in Bambara)

This is one of the Hippos we saw in Manantali.

You can't really tell, maybe, but she has two wee bebes behind her. We kept our distance.

And have I mentioned that, yet? That "mali" is the Bambara word for "hippopotamous?" And "bamako" means "crocodile river."