Adamand Coulibaly- My African Name

Having explained the humor of my first day in Banankoro (thanks for the spelling, mom), I will now explain what the average day is like for myself during PST. Keep in mind that each day is essentially a series of highs and lows; my moods and feelings vary literally hour by hour (as they do for all the other PCTs). Something that helps, however, is that the Peace Corps has given us in depth reading materials and diagrams about what we are going through. They honestly know more about what I’m feeling than I do; I’m just part of their 40th experiment in Mali. And so, here is my average day:

I am normally first woken up between 5 and 530 every morning by the Mosque that is literally across the street from my house. You would think that living in Boathouse next to the train tracks would have prepared me to hear “Allah” screamed over and over at that hour. Not so much. Usually I try to doze off again until six when my family wakes me up so I can take my morning bucket bath. These morning baths in the nygen (bathroom) are actually pretty nice- it feels a lot like Stone Harbor in the morning, except with a lot more flies. One thing about Malian culture that people who are not morning persons (Natalie, Steph, etc) would greatly enjoy is that it’s rude to greet anyone in the morning before you have bathed. For this reason you can more or less pick and choose when you want to begin speaking with everyone around you.

After bathing and getting changed into my clothes which are always dirty (though Malian woman are much better at cleaning my pants than I am), I greet everyone in my compound, starting with my Togoma (namesake). This usually takes about five to ten minutes and I have gotten much better with the greetings and using the appropriate responses.

Following all of this I eat my breakfast on the mat in my room and do my homework/study my language notes from the day before. And what does my Malian breakfast consist of EVERY DAY? White bread and tea. Everyday. Hopefully soon I can begin asking for peanut butter since there is only so much flavor in half of a plain baguette.

I then walk to school, where I greet everyone on the way (took some getting used to) and am in language class from 8-1230 with 4 of my fellow PCTs. We do get short breaks during this time, but the Peace Corps literally crams information into our brains; it is amazing how much we have learned, and have to learn, in such a short period of time.

I go home for lunch around 1230, which usually consists of oily macaroni and fish face (delicious, I swear!) One unique thing is that because my compound is 95% women and small children, and the men work in the fields all day, I have nothing to do in my compound until I have to be back at school between 230 and 3. I have solved this problem, however, by learning the (somewhat) complicated and drawn out process of making Malian tea, which is more or less their favorite past time for passing the time. I’ll devote another post in the future just to this tea making, but know this: it has taken a great deal of getting burned and laughed at by my 7 host moms to learn how to make the tea, and Malian women LOVE sugar in their tea. Love it like a fat kid loves cake, though I have yet to see any fat children.

After lunch and the tea making I am back in language class until 530. When that finishes, we usually have “toubab time” where the six of us hang out, possibly go biking, or head over to the boutiki to get a Coke. It’s rather amusing, but many of the American foods that I shunned in the U.S. (soda, candy bars) have become daily comfort foods here that we all greatly enjoy. And they’re mad cheap.

I return home between 6 and 630, take another evening bucket bath (less flies), and hang out with my family as I make them tea again. We usually eat after the sun has set around 730 (I eat by myself or with my host brother Alu) and then I pass the time with them watching the stars until 9, when I finally go into my room and go to bed. Keep in mind that out of this whole day, I’ve gotten about one hour total to speak English, one Coke to remind me of home, and roughly 20 minutes of my Ipod music before I go to bed (I have to ration it out). Each day is a mental roller coaster and challenge, and yet is amazing and exciting at the same time. I’m hoping when we get back to homestay on Wednesday to also start running and whatnot. Exercise is the best thing you can get here for your physical and mental well being.

I’m sure there are small details and amusing stories I have forgotten about my daily activities, but in time I will include them in later posts (roughly 3 weeks).