Kash’s Inferno

I experienced what my Hell would be today, if I were in Dante’s Inferno.
I went to the supermarket today to pick up my second carton of Coca Cola Light. ‘Supermarket’ is a stretch. It is about the size of an American sized kitchen with 3 aisles and 2 refrigerators sparsely stocked. However, on a [...]

Rainbows in the Desert

Just as programming in villages has unanticipated results, hiring a French teacher does as well.
I joined the Peace Corps 5 years ago because I always left vacations on sad notes. It was never enough time to see everything, never enough time to meet everyone, and just as I would begin to learn and pick [...]

Money doesn’t grow on toubobs

It was confirmed by my colleagues today that I am in fact a walking flashing neon dollar sign.
My Malian colleagues took me out for lunch today to their favorite local restaurant beautifully located on the banks of Niger River. They have been going there regularly for years and wanted to introduce me to this [...]

Happy Birthday Brother!

Just a shout out to my favorite brother in the world, with whom none of my family could manage without. Even though his very existence in this world made me a middle child, I forgive him because he’s given me more assistance and support that I could have ever received from being just [...]

Lost in Frenchlation

I understand about 25% of what people say here. Actually, even less, considering they often mix Bambara or other local languages into their speech. Let’s say 20%. I am constantly anxiety ridden about improving my French. Before I arrived, I listened to 24 hours worth of French lessons on my iPod. [...]

Cribs Mali

Welcome to my home!

Warning: It is a little over 7 minutes long

Making a house a home

I woke up Saturday morning feeling homesick. Although I signed a contract for Wi-Fi connection, it would be two more weeks before it was installed. Plus, I should take a break from the internet. I don’t want to rely on it for comfort or else I’ll regret the days I lived in Africa…and [...]

Hiring House Help

Before I could even inquire, my guard approached me a couple of nights ago and told me that he has just the right girl for me to help with housework. I probed a bit deeper and found out she had worked for the previous employee I replaced. In the spirit of keeping things [...]

Whitewater Driving

I passed my crazy driving test in Bamako a few weeks back, and now have personal access to a vehicle in the town I am living in. I really appreciate and enjoy this access, allowing me to explore the area thoroughly at my convenience. At the same time I began driving however, the rains [...]

The Meat Market

I made another trip to the town market yesterday to finish shopping for the items left on my list.  I made my way to the meat area where I picked up another kilo of ground beef to use for the week.
My experience was much more pleasant this time around.  Although it’s more inconvenient to “shop” [...]

Market Mudbath

So I’m behind a few days with writing, but it was only because I was transitioning…into my new home. I’ve finally moved in, yipee!
My new home is about a ten hour ride from the capital, Bamako. It is a medium sized town near all the main tourist attractions including Timbuktu, Dogon Country, and [...]

Words of Wisdom

I was reading the evaluations today from Malian women who participated in one of our programs that meets weekly in a very poor rural community.  As a result of their participation, most of them acknowledged similar benefits such as an increase in income, an improved diet and better knowledge of preventative practices.  These were our [...]