Leaving Konsango

On 27 January we left Konsango -- sad for missing our new friends, pleased with the progress the villagers (with a bit of our help!) made on completing their garden. Many of us had brought with us items to give to the villagers. The morning was spent with dividing these out for the various village committees to distribute to their members. Then our drivers came and we loaded the cars. We went through various "ceremonies" with the village elders as we said out goodbyes. Most of the villagers lined the way for us on our way out. I can only hope we made as good an impression on them as they did on us.

After a long, hot, bouncy drive (Mali roads make ANYTHING in the US look like a smooth track!), we headed to Bandiagara. It was interesting to enter the city -- last week it looked so primitive to my eyes compared to what I think of as a city, yet after a week in the village, it was so modern. We were invited to Timothy's home for lunch. He battles chronic malaria and was unable to join us, yet still hosted us. The various students that live with him prepared and served the food. I did enjoy seeing his latrine facility -- concrete slab with hole, said hole covered by a plastic toilet seat. And re-bar embedded in the concrete to enable people to hold on, I suppose.....

We left there after lunch and headed to Sevare. Here we stayed at a hotel called "Mac's Refuge". It's run by an American whose parent were missionaries in Mali and he lived there as a child. He's actually from Cuyahoga Falls (east of Cleveland, Ohio) which thrilled our group as most have ties to Ohio. He's retired to Mali to run this hotel and shared many fascinating stories of Mali over a wonderful, relaxed dinner (complete with ice cream and chocolate sauce). Before dinner many of us headed to the port market which was extremely chaotic.


There were dried fish all over being sold and LOTS of annoying people trying to sell you things (ok, that's definitely a cultural point!). I did enjoy seeing the boat-making and black-smithing at the boatyard. And we did a bit of shopping that was fun. As I started saying, dinner was magnificent -- chicken soup, bread, taboulleh, chicken, a steamed bread, gravy, and the ice cream with chocolate sauce and sesame biscuits/cookies. However, perhaps the BEST part of the evening was a "real" (albeit cool) shower rather than bucket cleaning. Was also able to connect via Blackberry on e-mail to find the Saints made the Super Bowl (although didn't know who they were playing!) and check in with family.

The next day we had breakfast with Mac and 3 young ladies with the Peace Corp -- one working in education, one in agriculture, and one in micro-businesses. Had the most "American" breakfast we'd seen yet -- pancakes, french toast, maple syrup, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. After breakfast we went to see the bead museum and a small attached shop. Then we packed up to head for the boat that would take us down the Niger for a much-needed relaxing bit. The cars will meet us the following day (after camping on the river) to head to Segou. Whew!

Back to Mali -- 26 January

All right! After finishing up the process with the henna tattoos and eating breakfast (side note -- since the ladies who tattooed us all have other responsibilities, the tattooing started in the evening after dark -- when their chores were done. The returned in the morning about 6:30am -- before the major chores started). We headed back to finish up the fence and plant the trees. We were planting fruit trees -- papaya, mango, grenadine, baobob, lemon, and tamarind. We each were paired up with a villager for planting. I was paired with one of the older men who'd taken a liking to me as a "daughter".

Meanwhile, the "gate" was delivered to the site -- sheet metal that was a bit too narrow for the hole left for it, so the masons set about making it right. Also, Tandana had gifted the workers coffee (among other items) and a group made it up for all -- strong and hot, just like I take it! And we got to try some of the baobab fruit -- similar to popcorn in texture -- airy with a crunchy/fibrous core. Not bad.
Our lunch break was fried plantains, macaroni and chicken which was great after a morning of work. Then they brought us some toe. Not part of your feet, but the main staple for Malian's diets. Toe is ground millet that is cooked into a really thick porridge/paste. I LOVE grains -- rice, barley, wheat, oats -- so I assumed I'd like this as well. I took a big bite and thought, "now this is interesting.....". The aftertaste was unpleasant, but, undeterred, I decided to try again. This time, the initial flavor was also horrible. YUCK!!!!! I'm quite thankful that we were served our own meals (note -- Tandana supplied our group with our own cook who prepared more "western" foods for us -- and everything we ate was quite tasty, toe aside).

A quick bit of laundry and then we headed to the village where we got to see some of the weavers. They weave about 4-5inch wide strips that are sewn together to form cloth for use in clothing etc. They use their feet as well as their hands in plying their trade. The aspect that was most interesting to me is that they weave in reverse to what we do -- rather than have the new cloth be away from you, the cloth comes toward them.

Our last event of the afternoon was the performance of our "skit" where we showed the villagers all that we'd done and enjoyed during our stay. Even though I HATE these sorts of things, it was fun. And my dad made a GREAT goat......

And here's a "panorama" of the finished garden.......WOW! Look at all that work! Amazing what a community can do when they spend the time together to get something done!

excuses, excuses

BUSY!!!! And a new computer. Add them together, and no time for news.

So what's happening here? Maggie finished her "career" in elementary school and will begin 8th grade at high school in the fall. Abby's passed 4th grade and will enter "upper school" and start wearing a plaid skirt rather than a jumper. Swim practice continues, rehearsals for violin, piano, and ballet intensify, and my tree in the back yard falls over again in a storm. Mom and dad come for a visit, father-in-law is healing quite well from surgery, and we're about to embark on extreme cleaning upstairs.....(yes, my daughters are THRILLED!!!!!).......

Enjoyed co-hosting (read--monetary donation) a party with the other parents whose kids are leaving for high school in the fall -- 4 hours with 13 year olds!!!!! And so thankful for my new computer! It's got a touch screen (which I'm not used to but trying to use) and I'm almost there with getting everything to "work" on it as I want it to.......

Now to go pick Maggie up from ballet, drop of an "extra" kid, then pick up Abby and head to piano......

25 January 2010

Dad and I wished my sister a happy birthday before heading out to the "work site" to move rocks and water holes (yes, we watered the holes that were filled with "compost" -- sheep/goat droppings and various plant material). 3 walls of the fence were pretty much complete and the men were moving large boulders (by hand, pry-bars). And the women of the village were all carrying huge rocks on top of their heads while carrying children strapped to their backs. We again set up a "fire line" to water the holes. Again, the women were hard at work with babies strapped to them, flipping them around to nurse when the babies got hungry (not that I nursed my girls very long, but I can't imagine working like that while doing it!).

The chief of the village gave a demonstration of how they make traditional buckets from calabash. Today, they more often use plastic buckets that are purchased or ones fashioned from old tires (quite resourceful, no?).

We were also treated to see the man making the rope -- he holds the fibers between his toes and tightly winds the materials together.


Before lunch, we were treated to a tour of the village. Moussa took us to see his grandmother's house (no one lives there now). We saw the mosque and the chief's house which is (appropriately, I suppose) very big. It's more of a compound with an entry room, a courtyard, a room for the men, a room for the goats, a ladies' house, and a separate area for the chief.

After a lunch of chicken, pasta, and sauce, we were back to moving rocks. Dinner of chicken with yummy sauce. And then for the fun -- after all their work was done, some of the ladies came over to give those of us who wanted them henna tattoos. What fun! Multi-step process -- first they cut bandage tape in small strips (with a straight razor blade) to create a pattern on the part of your body that's getting tattooed. Then a greenish mud is applied and the area is covered with plastic overnight. In the morning they came back to take off the mud and replace it with a gray mud and recover. Some chemical reaction occurs (it felt warm) and the result is a henna tattoo!





Finally, my interesting observation on the day on the characteristics of my fine "baby" hairs that are all around my hairline. The young (12-15) girls were fascinated by them! I'd noticed the girls were blowing on the back of my neck and couldn't figure out whether I should be annoyed or enjoy the breeze. I finally felt the tickling when some of the longer strands were blown around and laughed with them as the blew my hair around. Fun!

end of the year

You would think the end of the year would mean WINDING DOWN but here it seems it's even busier. Here's the past couple days in my life -- so thankful for Tom and friends to help out!

Tuesday Abby had her busy day. Maggie was able to go directly home as my friend picked her up from school and delivered her to my house -- dinner ready to be microwaved. Abby and I headed to grab a quick bite at McD's then to violin lesson. After that we did a quick run to the JCC where she had her first (EVER!) swim team practice. I was amazed at her swimming ability! Then we headed home for an hour "break" to do homework. Then back to school for the choir concert. WHEW!!!!

Yesterday after school I reminded Maggie that she had an orthodontist appointment this morning -- she said, "but we're dissecting frogs". So, get home and call the orthodontist to change the appointment (for the second time -- the last time we had to change it for standardized testing). Then I took her to ballet for 5pm. And was done -- a relatively "light" evening.

Today, however, was HECTIC. I took the girls to school and then went to the park where I jogged 2 miles. Back to school to help the 4th graders get ready for their Native American Day with the shirt painting. We actually finished a LOT earlier than any anticipated (especially the teachers who do this year after year!) so I was home by 10:30 to bathe and relax. I was eating lunch when I got a dreaded call from school -- Abby'd fallen on the playground and hit her head (policy to call whenever a child hits their head). They wanted me to come look at it as it appeared to be a large bump. So I headed that way......not only was it a large bump, it was an ENORMOUS one -- literally the size of a tennis ball. So we came home and I called the doctor for advice -- did they want to see her or just for us to watch her. They wanted to see her. Thankfully Tom was working from home so he took Abby and I went to get Maggie from school (my fourth trip to school for the day -- a new record!). Home to feed Maggie and take her to ballet. Then back to the house for a short break, then back to ballet. Tom is currently going to pick her up from ballet (ain't he great????). And Abby missed her second swim team practice due to injury. The poor thing has bruises and scrapes all over -- of all the things she could inherit from me, why'd she have to get my clumsiness????? She has figured out a hands-free way to hold on her ice pack -- with a head band........poor baby!

Hope you're having a less-hectic week!