IT IS OFFICIAL, I ATE A FRIED BALL OF DOUGH

It is true. I ate piece of fried dough today…and it was GREAT! We had our Malian culture festival today, which allowed us to buy so pagnes (Malian skirts), get henna, witness some traditional Malian dancing and eat FANTASTIC FATENING AND CARBO LOAD Malian food. All Malians eat is carbs. They are officially my favorite people EVER! Ok, to go back to the beginning.

We arrived in Mali on the 2nd of February to a hot night of 90 degrees. The first thought that emerged into my already filled with emotions head was “shit, its hot”. The next one, almost immediate to its prior friend was “wow, I can’t believe how much I love Mali”. I never knew that I could fall in love with something. There were very few people in life I have loved, and an object, nonetheless a place, was included in that category. But for Mali, it did not matter I was in love. The smell of the Malian air, the humidity that filled my throat, the terminal that I had first placed my foot once I stepped off that plane and onto the country that I would soon call my home. It’s so weird to think of Mali as my home. All of my friends are either in grad school or are doing something amazing with their lives in the states, and here I am, in Africa, officially calling Mali as my new home.

Anyhoo, the first couple of days have been a blur. Other than learning Bambara, which is the local language here and learning how to say “I ni sogoma” (which is good morning in Bambara) and so many other phrases I feel like my brain is on overload, but it’s a good overload. Everything I have experienced here I am in love with. As I mentioned earlier, I love carbs and therefore I love the food. The sauces are delicious and filled with spices. Everything that I had previously heard about Malian food was that it was dull and tasted the same, which is kinda true, but it is also SOOO good. The fact that it is full of carbs and I am going to gain thousands of pounds, I love the food and therefore I love Mali (wow I sound like a commercial).

In order for me to somewhat categorize my experiences I have a list below:

1)First animal sighting, frog, 11:40pm, February 3, 2011. It was in the roadway on our way to our huts, and yes I said huts (look at pictures below).

2)First time peeing in a hole, on the 3 of February, at night (I avoid this action at any cost, holding in my pee until I cannot hold it any longer, not because I am peeing in a hole, but because it is a HOLE and I am a TERRIBLE aim)

3)First time pooping, not yet. Yes I know it sounds gross but everyone poops. I hear that the PC gives you a thick skin and soon volunteers talk about everything from pooping to farting to sexing. Well, is that different than me at home? I am scared, and also think I am having a bit of Mr. C (We have had a whole 3 hour session on Mr. D, I can’t wait….not)

4)First time I ate communal (follow pics). AWESOME experience but totally gets you messy. You don’t eat with any utensils, only your hands, so it gets everywhere and there is grease and rice all over your clothing, oh what an adventure.

5)And last first time I saw the Niger River, February 6, 2001, approx 2pm in the afternoon. Beautiful. That is the only word to describe it. Beautiful.

So far I have been in Mali for 4 days, have peed in a hole, ate communally out of a bowl with two other Malians (one being my Bambara teacher so I was a little shy), stood next to one of the biggest and most important economically rivers in the world, danced in the Malian style, worn Malian pagnes, eaten fried dough and more carbs than I eat in a month, and had the time of my life. I can’t believe the short time I have spent in this country and cannot wait for what is to come. It helps so much to have a positive attitude here. If one is negative it all goes down from there. We also have to remember NOT to look at the whole picture, because that is scary. Realizing that we will be in here for 27 months is such a daunting task that looks impossible to achieve, but when we live for the minute, which is what I believe everyone should do, the task ahead of me looks like the most fun and challenging adventure I will ever have.

So to leave all of you out there reading my incredibly long blog, I have a couple words of advice:

1)NEVER complain about your bed
2)Be JOYFUL every time you see your toilet, praise it for its glory
3)Be MINDFUL of what you see, because it may a glorious vision clouded by the rose color glasses of life
4)Be THANKFUL for your friends and family, because they are the most important people in your live
5)Be HAPPY for living, for the gifts our parents have bestowed on us, and for the opportunities we have
6)And LOVE, continuously love.

Love your African beauty,
hannah