Sinsina, Mali Homestay Site

Saturday

July 10th, 2010

My House in Sinsina

This is our second full day at our home stay. On Thursday the eighty trainees were split into twelve villages, seven other peace corps traniess and I piled into a truck with our bags and water filters tied to the roof and set of for Sinsina, a small village about an hour south east of Bamanko. We each only knew the name of our host fathers, who all had the same last name, which we found interesting. We arrived to the warmest greeting possible. Our truck was chased by small children for a few minutes before we arrived to an open area among many mud brick houses. There, we found tons of women and children waiting for us to arrive. The children surrounded our vehicle and reached to touch each of us as we decended from the vehicle. We were instructed to wait a few minutes while the men finished up prayer in the mosque.

Interior of my house

We sat down on chairs that were provided under a shaded area. There the children just stared at us saying and think god knows what. Once the men were finished we were taken in to see the elderes. We were taken to a small fly infested room. We took off our shoes and as we stepped into the room our feet met freshly skinned cow hides which served as the carpet. We sat down and the men greated us and told us that we would be treated like their children. They were very welcoming and thanks to the translator we understood that they were willing to do anything for us.

Afterward we were taken out into the center of the village were some men played drums and we were made to dance. Typically white of us we all stood in a circle and clapped while we were laughed at us. The malian word for us in "Tobob" which means white man. We can here this chanted down the street as we walk by.

Center of Town... Mosque on the right

After the dance we were each presented to our host fathers and taken to our new homes. My father's name is Amandu Dumbia. As I quickly found out polygomy is widley practiced here and I seem to have four "moms" and by my count it seems nearly 40 brothers and sisters, but I am not too sure about all the exact relationships among everyone. My bamara (the language they speak and I am studying) is not good enough to ask these questions yet but I am sure that lesson is coming soon. They gave me a new Malian name I am now, Fanta Traule, I have always wanted to be a Fanta Girl, who knew all I had to do was move to Mali! From what I have gathered this is the name of my host dad's first wife, still trying to figure out what that is supposed to mean exactly.

Our family compound is made up of many huts, I have my own, and between us all there are chickens, goats, and today a bull came walking through. The children run around nude and bath in the open. We take a trip to the pump daily so that I can get bathing and drinking water. The whole experiance is odd but increible. I am constanly in awe of the things around me that should be easy and normal but here, certainly are not.


The bucket baths are quite nice, our "nyagen" (bathroom, and by that I mean mud wall surrounding a whole in the ground) has an open roof (which is much better than a closed one- these are the kind we have at Tubaniso and it get a little hot and consequently smelly). If you close your eyes while taking a bucket bath you can almot imagine that you are in Martha's Vineyard electing to take an outdoor shower. I have also found that these baths are not to be taken to feel clean because, it seems, that will never happen rather there purpose is merely to cool you down for the few minutes afterward.

My host sister, Fatima on the right pounding millet

The food is interesting. I eat with my eldest host brother Herunna. We are brought a bowl from which we both eat out of with our right hand. Each day it is a mystery what will be under the lid and meal time is usually pretty scary. Last night we had rice and some sort of fish sause. I, being the honored guest was requested to eat the head. Luckly in class that day I learned how to say NO, YOU EAT! Herunna of course insisted that I eat this, he proceeeded to rip the head, and the insides into smaller pieces and throw some of this "meat" into my section of the bowl. I very caually brushed it to the side and hoped I didn't actaully eat any (at least thats my story).

Host brother Levie

The sounds and sites here are just incredible. I was woken up by the call to prayer today and during lanugage class, we sit outside and the goats and donkeys constanly are try, and most the time succeeed in distracting us. The teachers are great and the way they teach is interesting. Each time we go home we come back with 30 new words. At times the Language seems easy but once we go home our families speak so fast it proves to be much more difficult. But I am sure with time it will come it is only the second day.

It is raining right now and I am sitting on the floor of my hut listening to music and composing this email by the light of my kerosene lantern.. This is the first time since I got to Philadelphia that I have been alone. So far I am very much enjoying everything. As many of my fellow Peace Corps Trainees have said, this is so much better than sitting in an office. I could not agree more. Each day, no each moment I learn something new about the world and mostly importantly about myself. The people are wonderful. They laugh all the time and are genuly interested in my learning. Each night I sit with my host brothers and sisters and learn new words. We point to things and say them in Bamara , Enlgish and French. I am sure I sound like a three year old constantly asking whats this? and why? But hey, that's how you learn right!

Hope all is good in the states. Miss you all immensly!