Outrageous Oven Outing. Part 1, 2, 3, 4

When you live in West Africa simple things such as home repairs are never simple.
It all started on Thursday. Our kitchen smelled of natural gas and was too strong to ignore. This has been going on for a while- so finally we decided to find out where the problem was.
By turning off and tightening all connections between the stove and the gas bottle we determined a loose screw was not the problem. So Ed took apart the entire oven. The conclusion? The valve to the oven was leaking. Solution- get a new part to replace it. Dont worry that in the mean time, there were fireballs in my kitchen and lots of screws thrown about. That's completely normal.

After consulting a few veteran missionaries- we decided that the market would be the best place to look for the part, so on Saturday we set off! We arrived at the market, showed our part to a few venders and were pointed to the opposite side of the market. There we found the junk yard of everything metal.
Hopeful as always- we asked a vender if he knew where to get our part. He pointed us to a nearby stall. We walked over and asked where he pointed us back where we came from and gave us a name to ask for. We went back and asked for the person- who was not in at the moment. We were then directed another way, then another, and finally ended up talking to a man selling alternators to cars. He recognized the piece and told us, "Coulibaly by the mosque at the other market would be able to help us". For those not in Mali there are some major problems with this helpful advice.
1. Coulibaly is as common a last name as Smith or Jones in the USA
2. There are mosques on almost every corner
3. He was at the other market.
Rather than leave it at that, this man acted in a very Malian way and called his friend for us. He then gave us his number so we would actually find him. We all hop in a taxi and head to the other market (about 15 minutes away). Arriving at the mosque we called our new friend Coulibaly, couldn’t understand him and then handed the phone to the taxi driver. After a brief conversation we headed to the OTHER mosque (remember there are LOTS of mosques in Bamako).
We arrive at the shop and he looks at our part and starts digging around while we wait in the taxi- the closest I have been to a drive through since arriving. Five minutes later he comes back with a part- but not the right one. We shake our head no, but it doesnt end there. He decides that we can come back the next day and he will look for the part that night.
Sunday morning we call Coulibaly again, and he tells us he fixed the part. We are not really sure what that means, but excited that progress was being made in the right direction. After our morning of Sunday school and Youth group we head back to the market to meet up with our friend. Sure enough he has fixed our part! We pay him and head off on our way.
That night Ed re-installs the part and our oven is working! Oh, the joys of helpful people, lots of walking, hot weather, and success!

Football!

I am not much of a sports fan. However, if it involves hanging out with friends, yelling and screaming for no reason and witnessing a different culture- I'm all in! That's how this football game came about (which is technically soccer).

It's typical Bamako Sunday afternoon- which means sunshine, lots of people milling around, and dust. My friends and I were invited by a taxi driver friend to join him for a soccer match- the two Mali teams were playing.

We gathered around 3 in the afternoon, making sure to sport our friends team color of red. There were 5 of us total, so as we hailed a taxi we divided into two groups- following the Malian law of no more than 4 passengers. My taxi consisted of Ed (my boyfriend), Carolina (my Brazilian room mate) and I. As always, the taxi was a little run down, and that led to no worries. However, when we were about halfway there- the clutch broke on our taxi and we stalled in the middle of Bamako traffic. Needing to get off the main road, the driver hopped out and started pushing. Not moving forward, Ed hopped out as well, and together the two of them were able to steer our taxi to the side road.

Pushing the taxi! GO go GO!

We decided to catch another taxi- to ensure that we would not miss the start of the game. Arriving at the stadium 10 minutes later it was a sea of red and white (the two teams). We purchased our tickets from a man on the street for 1000cfa ($2) an pushed through the crowds to enter the stadium.

As we moved through the passages, we passed vendors selling all sorts of game-day food: carrots, bananas, crackers, soda, tea and water. No beer. No hot dogs. There was also a variety of paraphernalia such as whistles, movie posters, keychains made of leather- and well, basically anything that people might want to buy.

Eating some oranges at the game. Healthy, huh?

We found some seats and I looked around. We are the only white people. We are only a few of the women (not selling things). As the time drew closer to the start of the game, drum circles started beating, and people started getting in the "game" mode. There was no pep band. No cheerleaders. Just Malians and their soccer players.

The game started promptly at 4:30. There was no national anthem. There was no starting announcements. All of the sudden, players were on the field and a ball was being kicked- high and long. I dont know much about football (soccer) but I am aware that ball control and keeping it ON the field are two important aspects. Apparently in Mali it's different. the goal is kick the ball as high in the air as possible. My Brazilian roomie went "I am from Brazil, I know football, this is NOT football". I think she still had a good time though.

 

Check out the obvious middle line!

The score was 0-0 for the whole game. I was getting tired and thinking this was fun, but I want food. In the last second, however, the red team scored a goal! The crowds went CRAZY! We jumped up and down cheering, then our taxi-driver friend looked at us and said "lets get out of here". We quickly dodged into the aisle (where the overflow seating took place) and started pushing through the crowd to make an exit. As we were going several Malians made sure we made it out safe. As we exited the stadium we were told that it was a good thing, because people were going to start throwing stuff, and it was not really safe. GOOD THING!

My roomies and I in our red!

Working at an MK school...

.. Has brought me face-to-face with missionaries from around the world. It is so cool to see the global work of missions and reminds me daily MISSIONS IS NOT JUST A NORTH AMERICAN VENTURE!

I was reading the newest edition of Operation World (an amazing resource for understanding what is happening around the world- country by country) that "since the 1970's there has been a surge of interest and involvement in missions from the majority world (Asia, Africa, South America). Mission sending has recently gained or maintained momentum in countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, Brazil, Philippines, South Korea and others." (page 7)

In my school of 12 families we have students from 3 of the 5 countries listed! In my class there are students from Brazil and Nigeria, and also we have a student from South Korea. I was reminded of the truly international aspect of BCA and excited to see, not just read, the global plan God has for the world! SO COOL!

Sometimes my kids look a little scared... or maybe it's just the sasquatch...

Focus

I sent part of this out in my most recent prayer letter, but I thought I would elaborate a little and share what God is doing in me.

I work with third and fourth graders- I understand what an inability to focus means. As an adult however, I am just as guilty of becoming distracted from what really matters in life. I become trapped thinking about my needs, my emotions, my wants and my frustrations. Basically- the focus is on me.

I have been reading through the Psalms and stumbled across Psalm 63. It is a declaration to God to be the only satisfaction in the writers life. I was convicted and reminded that God alone is my source of hope, energy and strength. In those times when I am frustrated, unhappy, grumpy or exhausted- it is because my carnal desire to focus on me is on full blast. I lose focus.  

This became apparent the last few weeks of school before break. It was a rough time– not only did I have a cold, but there was tension at the school and I was caught in the middle. By the time Christmas rolled around I was burned out, grumpy and exhausted. Some of the reasons were legit- physical illness does lead to exhaustion- but some reasons were from my selfishness.

I love how God knows what I need. He is good and has given me the rest I have been craving. Naps, down time, and His word have restored me little by little. I have been reminded just HOW important time in the word is and WHO is my strength. Rather than allowing my needs to drive me, I need to focus on Christ alone. With that, I am excited to start class again and know WHO MY teacher is.

I cant believe....

 ... it's December! Christmas season is in full swing and last weekend was the BCA Christmas program. Each class participated in a short skit and sang several festive songs. My class did a goofy skit focusing on the Innkeepers and their "frustrations" of the night. My students were fantastic- they remembered all their lines and really got into character.

One of my students- Melissa- and I at the program!

The 3-6th grade classes singing!

Part of my class in their skit!

 ...  how tired I am! School has become exhausting and I am ready for a break (one more week!). God has given me a very interesting class this year, and has enabled me to grow in so many ways: as a teacher- dealing with challenging students, as a co-worker- dealing with issues in a professional manner, and as a friend- knowing when to stop and listen (still working on that). He is good and I am constantly reminded where my energy and focus must stay.

My room mate,  Hilary, and I after the concert.

... I am singing in a choir. My room mate directs a choir for anyone in the community who wants to join. She convinced me and Ed to participate, so for the past 3 months we have been working on Vivaldi's "Gloria" as well as several other festive pieces. The performance is the12th. I am excited to see everything come together and celebrate the birth of Christ with friends here in Mali.

Some BCA students who were also part of Gloria! Aren't they cute?

... I am cold! It is cold season here and the weather has DRIED out! It was 85 degrees today and I needed a sweater. Also, in the mornings, I wake up cold with a blanket on- the low temperature? 72!

NOT for the weak in stomach

Honest warning: this is a little brutal for the easily grossed out!
 

Riding back from school, we saw this ram in the back of a TAXI- still alive

Tabaski is the celebration of Abraham and Ishmael's obedience to Allah's commands. According to Islam, Abraham was told to sacrifice Ishmael on the alter. Ishmael verbally agreed to allow his father to do this, because he knew that Allah had commanded. At the last minute, Allah spoke and intervened saying that the action of obedience was all that was necessary and Allah provided a Ram to sacrifice instead.

Poor Ram.. morning before the slaughter!

As a Christian I am very familiar with a different version of this story. Instead of Ishmael, Christian's believe it to be Isaac- the promised son- to have been offered as a sacrifice. A difference that shows not just the differences in the traditions of  Islam and Christianity, but the separate foundations of each.

On Tabaski -also called Eid Al-Adha outside of West Africa- each family purchases and slaughters a ram (or cow, or sheep, or goat) then cooks it for the evening meal.

YOU are going to DIE

The celebration starts the week prior with the purchase of the ram. All week in Bamako I have seen sheep EVERYWHERE- in taxis, buses, being walked down the road, etc. I have taken the culturally insensitive habit of yelling out in English "you are going to die" to the poor animal.

On the day of the celebration, it starts with a call to prayer and a service at the local mosque. People dress in their finest clothes and gather together where ever they find room. Women are separate from the men and have their heads covered. Everyone faces toward Mecca. Today as I walked by the mosque across the street from my house, there were too many people to fit inside the courtyard so prayer mats were set up outside and men were praying and listening to the Arabic.

Mosque across from my house and the morning prayer.

Afterwards, the blood bath begins. Everyone returns to their home and kills their animal. My room mate and I walked around just to observe the sights. Every house hold gathered in the street and began hacking away at the animal. Blood flying everywhere. Guts splayed out. The animals that we had seen alive an hour prior were now in bloody piece. I am amazed how every single Malian male knows how to kill a ram. They were hanging in trees, laid  out on the ground and being carried by men. Very little disturbs me, but I must be honest- my stomach started to feel a little quesy.

*Warning: these pictures are a little graphic*

YOU ARE DEAD (same cow only, after)

This family had 4 rams. 3 of them already have been slaughtered

The whole family is involved in the process.

Now it is time to celebrate! Families are gathering together- with a day off of work and school- to feast and be together. It is a good reminder of the importance of celebration and remembering Gods provision. Even though I believe in a different sacrifice- the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, my neighbors around me do not. I must be sensitive to their hearts and as I continue to learn language, take the time to speak with them and understand them as I share the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!

Favorite Classroom Moments- part 2

The last two weeks have been the hardest weeks as a teacher so far. What went from fun and games changed to a realization how much influence I have on these children and "what AM I doing?". There were some hard days. I struggled to see progress in my students and became frustrated when they misbehaved or acted out. However, there were many other moments of joy with funny comments they made or honest questions they asked. So here are some of the highlights!

1. In science I taught a lesson on ocean currents. Lacking a visual aid, I decided that drawing a world map and placing the arrows in the correct location would suffice. So as I am talking I begin to draw. Now, I have no real artistic skill, and drawing for me can be quite humorous... About halfway through my drawing of the world, one of my students raises their hand,

"Miss Silberstein, what are you drawing, because it looks like a  mermaid with a big butt".

I stop, step back, and look at my drawing. Sure enough, North and South America are indeed a mermaid with a HUGE butt. I laugh, allow the kids to get their giggles out, the proceed with the lesson. Never the less after lunch, I come back into my classroom and see all the details filled in... Oh, goodness!

The wonderful mermaid/Americas

2. Science lessons seem to be a favorite for great comments and conversation. This week we learned about the nervous system and how it transfers information about the senses. About halfway through the lesson, my Brazilian student raises her hand and through the help of her translator asks

"So, if nerves transfer feelings, then what about love- like between a man and a woman. I mean, how is that transferred through the body in the nerve cells?"

WOAH- wait, what.. you're 9! I am so surprised that I start laughing, but want to do the good teacher thing and actually attempt to answer her questions. So I fumble through a brief explanation that God gives us emotions and the ability to love and that doesnt really have to do with the five senses... or something like that.

3. Our social studies unit right now is on Asia, and so I decided to teach on Japan. As part of the lesson, I taught my students a few Japanese phrases (thanks to all my friends who took Japanese in high school, I learned a word or two). The day after, I walk back to my classroom after break and see all my students outside the door. I look at them as they bow and say "ka-nee-che-wah sensai" (or hello teacher). Made my day!

Anyway, focusing on the fun parts of teaching helps me enjoy class! Glad I can share some of these with you!

Retreat.

This past weekend was a women's retreat for the missionary community in Mali. For 3 days around 60 women gathered together to worship, learn and retreat. A team of 5 ladies came from Colorado to put on the retreat and bless the missionary community through this event.

My roomie, Hilary, and I at the retreat.

For me I struggled to get into the mode of "retreat". The location was in Bamako and I commuted back and forth from my house to the hotel to save some money and keep hotel space open for out of town-ers and mothers. This brought my normal 'life" into "retreat" life and caused me to be distracted.Also, I struggled with pride. My attitude was focused on me, what I was thinking, what I was going to get out of this weekend. My over-critical spirit jumped out and thoughts of "who are these ladies teaching us? Most have never been to Africa, let alone know anything about life of a missionary in Mali." blocked me from really hearing what God was saying through them.

This weekend focused on our stories and how God is working through them. We were given time to make a timeline of our lives by placing significant events and phases of life on the paper. Later in the day we gathered together in small groups and shared our stories. I was blessed with the genuine honesty of the ladies who shared with me. I heard stories of pain, sorrow, joy and peace. I have always known in my head that since no one is perfect, then that would include missionaries. But, hearing stories reminded me that every person is broken and in need of Jesus for healing and fixing.

Life on the field- or really in any "ministry position"- is in a fishbowl. Everyone sees what you do and you are expected to be the perfect Christian- and most strive to live that way. However, we really are only human, and when we dedicate our lives to following God, Satan gets even madder and tries to thwart us- causing all those struggles to intensify. Its a powerful battle that I regularly forget to recognize.

When I was writing out my story, I really started to see some themes- the biggest being my strive for perfection. I always remember Jesus being my life. Sure, there are times where it would not appear so from the way I treat people or the thoughts in my head, but I look back and see obedience, and joy in the journeys He has taken me- around the world, literally.

However, I see that perfection being sought after in the eyes of others. Instead of seeking after Gods holiness to please Him and Him alone, I tend to strive for perfection to please others and myself. It has the same result, yet the attitude in my heart is not always pure, and is self seeking, rather than loving. Its a strange juxtaposition, really.

I guess my purpose in writing this blog is to allow people to see the real "Sarah". We discussed genuine community on the final day of the retreat. The first step is to desire community and then put in the work for it. It doesnt just happen by chance, but the work that needs to be done is honesty of our stories and praise to God for the work He does in spite of those.

So, here you are, my friends and family. I may be a  missionary but that does not mean I am perfect. My prideful attitude and critical spirit gets in the way of me really listening and learning. However, I serve a God who is sovereign. He somehow always pushes through my stubbornness and barriers to teach me. He is holy and only through his work in me am I made holy.

I now ask of all of you to remember this: do your best to not put missionaries, pastors, or really any spiritual leader on a pedestal. They are broken in need of God just as much as anyone else. Seek to find out their story and pray for them through their short comings. Our God uses ordinary people for His glory! And it's a good thing!

Favorite classroom moments

Two blogs in one day! What can be more exciting than that??

I decided that since I am a teacher, it would be fun to share some of the fun classroom stories- because no matter where you are in the world, kids will be kids :)

1- For social studies we are studying Europe and I decided to do a classroom activity on the economic reasoning of the European Union (no worries, it was simplified for fourth grade.) The activity went well, and the kids were really into trading and buying stickers. Afterwards, I started to debrief and explain what happened. After a short explanation, I asked if there were any more questions... immediately every students hand shot up

Student 1: When is it time for music?

Me: (Goodness, thats off topic) 5 more minutes

Student 2: Can we leave our desks like this?

Me: (still.. off topic) For the rest of the day we can.

Student 3: Mine question was the same as student 1.

Me: (goodness, did they hear ANYTHING I said???) oh, ok

Student 4: What did you mean by empowered when they work together?

Me: (finally, SOMEONE WAS paying attention)... and I explained...

Got to love the amount of hard work my students put into their assignments

2- I was going over a grammer quiz the students had taken and read the sentence outloud- "Can I have chocolate cake for my birthday," Jack asked. As I read the statement out loud, I realized how horrible the last part sounded, yet giggled to myself (try saying Jack asked outloud, and you will know what I mean). Anyway, since my students are so innocent, none of them noticed and I read the sentence outloud again. Then my third grade student looked up from her work.

"Miss Silberstein, when you say Jack AsKeD it sounds really bad". (She did her best to pronounce every consonant and not make the same mistake as me.)

DANG! She noticed! I acknowleged she was right, but it is really hard for me to say it any other way. We laughed and the rest of the students looked at us confused... oh, goodness!

Having fun with a science lesson

3- The other day I had an extra half hour of unplanned time for class. I am not sure why, but sometimes with a a small class we go through material so quickly that we get ahead. On the board where I write the daily schedule I wrote "??? Surpirse". Now my students are EXTREMELY observant and right away noticed the special activity. When I wrote surprise, I knew I would have all day to come up with what it would actually be, so I didnt worry too much. However, my kids do not understand the concept of surprise and ALL DAY asked me whats the surprise. Since I really didnt know, and it was a surprise, I didnt tell them. That didnt stop them from trying though.  I think my favorite line of reasoning was "Miss Silberstein, if you write surprise on the board, we know its a surprise, so then its not really a surprise, SO you should tell us" ...RIGHT...

Anyway, after a full day of eager anticipation, I decided it was a good time to bust out my friendship bracelet making supplies and we had a 20 minute activity time. Good thing I thought of SOMETHING! Because my back up was silent reading and the kids would not be so excited about that :)

Setting up for a minute to win it!

Anyway, life in the classroom is rarely boring. Kids are great, we have a lot of fun, and learning does happen every once in a while :)

Change in the air- not just with the weather

October is here! And although in the states that means leaf crunching and apple cider- in Mali that means the humidity increases and the temperature decreases. I actually put on a sweater last night because it was 78... goodness!



So besides the change in weather, lots of other things are happening in my classroom!

1. I will be getting two new students in my class starting Monday. I am excited to have more students, but it will be a fun challenge increasing our class size by 35%. They are brothers from Nigeria and are both in forth grade. Pray they adjust well, the kids welcome them, and I can teach them well.

2. My student who does not speak English will be having a translator with her 3 days a week starting Monday. I am excited to have some help with this student and pray that I can make necessary adjustments to my schedule to utilize her to the fullest.

3. My computer has decided to break- and it must be shipped back to the company to be fixed/replaced. I use my computer for everything, so this is going to be a challenge for me. Pray that the right people will be able to transport it to and from Bamako and the process will happen smoothly. In the mean time, I praise God for people around me who are willing to let me borrow their computer and for the school to have working computers as well.

Thanks friends! God continues to provide, encourage and uplift me on the hard days! Its fun to think that the first quarter of school is almost over, and how much I have grown as a teacher in this time! Lesson planning comes easier, and I am able to do more and more fun lessons with the kids! God is good!

Learning and laughing along the way!

With the realization that 6 weeks have already passed in Bamako, I am overwhelmed, excited and happy to say that life is starting to feel normal. I also must look back and reflect on what God has been teaching me and allowed me to learn in this time.

First, is the power of focusing on the positive. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 " Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God longs for us to overflow with His joy- not superficial happiness- but pure joy that only comes from Him. To receive this joy, my heart must be right before Him and my attitude must be that of humility and openness. Since arrive in Bamako, there have been joyful days and not so joyful days. Some days I am excited about teaching, other days there it is a sturggle to get up in the morning and go to school. Regardless of my feelings, I am called to BE JOYFUL. That means on the days when I am grumpy, I must reflect and make time to get right before my Father. I have taken up the habit of counting my blessings and regularly rejoicing on the positive!

Second, enjoy the moment. God has allowed me to live in a country where nothing is every done the simple way. Things such as eating, getting from place to place, and just making plans take so much more effort than in the States. This would frustrate most, but so far- it has allowed me to slow down, enjoy the event, and laugh my way through it.

For example: this past Wednesday was Mali's Independence Day. In the morning a group of us went to the parade- where I got incredibly sunburnt. That evening we decided to celebrate American style and barbecue hamburgers. The process started about 5pm yet Dinner was not served until 10pm. In the 5 hour span a combination of wits, muscles, and creative solutions involving: dental floss, oven racks, malian charcoal, gas burners, yeast, too many onions and straw hats. It was a great evening and a little too long of a story to post to completion. BUT enjoy the picture!

Third- Celebrate! The Bible is full of mentions of feast, holidays and celebrations used to focus on God. So many times I forget to stop and celebrate! Holidays become busy social calendars that I even forget what I am celebrating. Instead- God laid out times for me to remember Him, thank Him for who He is and join with others in the celebration. Malians know how to celebrate! To embrace the festivities, BCA had Mali day complete with a traditional lunch for the kids! Check out the giant bucket of rice and sauce! YUM!

The Egg Saga

Last Saturday Ed and I decided to make muffins so I could bring them for snack at Sunday School the next morning. We started to gather ingredients in the kitchen and realized we were out of eggs. That is not really a problem, since there is a boutique (small tin shed that sells most basic ingredients) across the street from our door. After confirming the French word for egg with my roomie- oeuf, pronounced uff- we walked out the door.Walking around my neighborhood after the rain. Yay sheep!

Unfortuntely, the boutique was closed and according to the body language and lively hand motions from the group sitting outside the guy that has the key was away. We were not discouraged, however, and continued onto another boutique (there are about 10 within a 2 block radius). This one was open- yet they were out of eggs.

The next shop also was out of eggs, so we went to the last one- the shop we most frequent because of his friendliness and its a bit bigger than the others. This one was closed. We decided that this was not our day for eggs and we would have to wait and try again in the morning. Ed and I walked back, not really discouraged, just amused at the lack of eggs in our neighborhood.

On the trek back, as we passed the third shop again, the owner motioned to us and asked how many eggs we needed. Being just 2 he smiled and handed some money to a boy that was standing nearby and the boy ran off. We realized he had just had someone run an errand for us and we were touched at the extra effort he was willing to go to for our business. In about 2 minutes the boy returned with no eggs. Instead of leaving it at that, the guys hands the boy the keys to his moto and the kid drives off. The owner motions to us to sit down on a bench and he proceeds to turn on the tv (animal planet in French I think). Ed and I looked at each other and laughed at the amount of effort people were going to in order for us to have eggs.

The boutique when it's closed.

About 5 minutes later, the boy returns with 2 eggs and we pay. I dont even want to know where he found the chickens to squeeze on such short notice. It was at no extra cost for the added moto expenses and they seemed so pleased to help. We took off, back towards the house- laughing and thankful for the eggs. Now anytime we walk by the shop, the owner points to his stack of eggs (apparently he got more in) in case we ever need any more.

Ramadan

The 40 days of fasting are over and the official celebrations have begun!

As an outsider, it has been so much fun watching the change in the city, as well as the general vibe of the people. No longer are people grumpy or vacant from the street, rather they are out, in their best clothes celebrating with friends and family. Here are some fun observations.

Starting Wednesday, I started noticing the amount of people with freshly done hair. Little girls have added beads to their braids, and the women have fancy styling of braids and twists. The men get their hair cut and most of the boys are freshly shaved. I also noticed the tailor shops were extra busy in preparation for festive clothing.

On Thursday morning, we received the call that the official fast has broken and celebration has begun (it is determined by the reading of the moon- therefore is hard to plan for). We canceled school for the day to honor the Malian traditions, and although we were about to leave to school- it was nice to head back to bed! For the rest of the day 5 of us took a day trip to a natural bridge and water fall and went hiking/climbing as well as swimming. It was a perfect break from the city life in Bamako and great fun for our group!View from the top of the natural arch

Natural arch from a distance- we climbed to the top like cool kids!

Water fall on the way to the arch. We went swimming.

We returned to the city to find the buzz of holidays in full swing! Everyone is dressed in their best clothes- with families matching fabric if at all possible. The other fun note in terms of clothing is the obsession with Obama. An Obama t-shirt is classified in the same manner of formality as a full suit. It really is quite amusing!

Yesterday when walking into our house, Hilary (my roomie) looked at me and said "that cow is going to die". I couldnt tell if she thought it was sick or what... however, this morning as we were walking to school, we walked out our gate and both to the left and right were people butchering 2 cows. She was right! I really did not expect to have to ford the bloody river of cow guts on my way to school, but sure enough, the cow was dead, and going to be prepared for the feast later in the day.

Life in Bamako is never boring. I cant help but thank God for amazing friends here and the immediate community I was placed in. So many cultural tidbits and fun stories!

Riding a Sotrama

Public transportation in another country is actually one of my favorite things. I love encountering local people, trying to understand the system and just seeing what dodgy, awkward situations I encounter.

In Bamako, the main form of public transportation is a "green machine" or sotrama. These are green vans modified with wooden benches surrounding the perimeter of the interior and bars to hold onto attached to the roof. They run various routes around the city, and for the most part dont have specific designated stops. It costs between 20 and 30 cents for a ride- maybe a bit more for a longer trek.

There are rules of a sotrama: everyone must be sitting, it cannot go over its maximum occupancy, and be friendly to the people around you. Lets break this down a little more.

1- you must sit. Now, that sounds like a safety precaution, but can really be a hassle. In the afternoon, it can be quite crowded and finding a sit usually means standing awkwardly in the middle until enough people squish together to make room to wedge you in.

2- maximum occupancy. this correlates with the sitting, where the maximum occupancy is around 25 people. Let me remind you this is a van... to fit 25 people, it really is squished. Never did I know that my hips could condense into such a small shape to fit between two Malians. The plus side is when the driver slams on the breaks, I dont have to worry about bracing myself I am so tightly wedged in between people I couldnt move even if I tried.

3- Be friendly. Most of the time the people around me will try to start a conversation in Bambara and since I dont speak Bambara it ends fairly quickly. My favorite story so far was with a man who spoke English. Ed, Hilary (my roomie) and I were riding several routes to figure out the best ways for Ed to get around from his house. A man heard us speaking in English and struck up a conversation that went something like this.

man to Ed -are these your two wives? (referring to me and Hilary).
Ed- uh, no... but she is with me (pointing to me)
Man- Oh, so then she is free? (pointing to Hilary)
Ed- Huh...
Hilary- oh, no, i have a boyfriend.
Man- Well that doesnt matter, come to Mafti with me. All of you. You can be my wife (to Hilary) and you two can live with me. (Mafti is a neighboring city).Ed- Oh, no. Thanks though.

Well, it was rather funny, yet really awkward. Fortunately the guy really was harmless and enjoyed teasing us a little (although I am not sure what would have happened if we had agreed...)

(a poorly timed picture of a sotrama.. but you can see why they are called a green machine)

Oh, riding the Sotrama is a joy and always an adventure. I think my favorite thing is the lack of rush. People never seem to be in a hurry and know that it can take a long time to get places. When a stop comes, I typically rush off as fast as possible, but after watching people, I realize how they take their time. The operator of the door will help carry bags and lift buckets onto ladies heads. It is never rushed so that getting of is safe and I dont have to fall. I look forward to my green machine ride each day and never know what is going to happen.

Walking home

Well, its week 2 in Africa and school is under way. Now its time to adjust to culture and begin to understand where we live and what really is happening around us (the school is a little happy bubble that I intend to step out of as often as possible).
On Wednesday Ed and I decided that we wanted to walk home from the school. Usually we take public transportation -a van system called the sotramas -or taxis, but to really get our bearings we wanted to walk and see what we are missing as we zoom blindly by.

The first half of the walk was figuring out where a safe place to walk would be. There are no such things as sidewalks, only roads and motor car lanes. On the side of most places, however, are dirt areas that we can walk on, but that does not guarantee the safety of the pedestrian, mostly because motor scooters may try to pass and tend to weave on and off the road. Quickly we figured out that the best way is to be alert and be ready to do a lot of dodging- kind of like the video game frogger. As we continued along, we were both getting quite warm, I remembered the gas station with ice cream!
During our walk, Malians would greet us or yell out to us -toubabo- or the word for white person in bambara. We would smile and wave and I typically mumble something that could sound friendly back to them. At one point a man walks up to Ed and shakes his hand and starts asking questions in Bambara. Ed gave the typical "huh, no bambara or French, only English" statement and the guy switched to his limited English. The jist of the conversations was "Hi, Im Alex. I work right here. If you ever need anything, come find Alex. Bye". I was laughing at the guys friendliness and the randomness of "if you need anything, come find me". We walked away laughing and enjoying the humor of the situation.

We eventually reached the gas station and got our ice cream, then realized that an ATM and grocery store are also nearby so we decided to stop. ATMs are found in little rooms outside of banks-and are refreshingly air conditioned. Ed withdrew his money and we were about to leave when an African man walked into the booth with us. I was a little sketched out, but he looked rather frazzled and said he needed help withdrawing money. I glanced at Ed and we decided we would at least see if there was anything we do- but I stood by the door ready to bolt if it got sketchier.

Apparently the man is from Senegal and needed to catch a plane home that night. He is diabetic and needed insulin, but his bank card wasnt working, and he lost his wallet in a taxi. He said he didnt want money, just to see if we could help. (I have to pause and laugh at this because he wanted help from the tu-bobs who have only lived in the country for less than 2 weeks) Anyway, he asked if we could go to the pharmacy with him and maybe get him the insulin he needed. Ed looked at me and asked what we should do (mind you, because this is Africa, up until this point I was ignored during the whole discussion-which helps because I can watch and gauge the situation). I told Ed lets see what happens, just do not give any real contact information or let him know how much money we have (which really wasnt much).

We left with the guy and walked up the road about a mile to the pharmacy. He entered and started asking for insulin. They brought out a pack of five and it was 60,000 CFA (which is $120). We said there was not way we could do that, we dont have that kind of money. The guy said he understood, but do we have any friends we can get a hold of to help out? At this point, we realized that this situation was not going to have a happy ending- we would not be able to pay, nor did we want to give him any money. We both stated we have no phones (a lie) and we dont really know anyone-we havent lived here very long (truth). Ed decided to leave him with an email address (fake) and we asked if we could pray with him for this situation-which we did. Finally we walked away and continued on our journey home.
We back tracked to the grocery store and as always, enjoyed wandering around gawking at the random food. We were both pretty hungry and grabbed some pasta and sauce to make for dinner. We left the grocery store and proceeded to the old bridge- which we have to cross to get to Eds house. Neither of us had realized how long the bridge is or how fun it is to people watch. We walked over the Niger, busting out our cameras for the first time, and took pictures of the river as well as what we can see of the city. (I will post these eventually).

We made it to Eds house no problem. VICTORY in navigating the streets of Bamako, because it can be very confusing. The journey took just over 3 hours- which if done without stopping would be only an hour and half. I was fun to walk the streets, greet the people, and smell more of the city. Its been fun exploring and jumping into life overseas. There is so much that is hard, but so much that is interesting. I am relishing this "honeymoon" stage of cultural adjustment- because I know I will have hard days as well. But for now things are exciting, sunny and full of interesting stories.