Staging and Travelling to Mali

This Post describes the training Bess and I received in the U.S.A and the Flight we took over to Mali.

On July 17th we checked into a Holiday Inn in Center Philadelphia and began our official journey as Peace Corps Volunteers. We joined 81 other volunteers from all over the U.S.A. Bess and I were one of three married couples in the group. Most of the volunteers are between the ages of 22 and 26 and even the other two married couples fall into this age group. We were happy to discover that the diversity of the group was quite enjoyable and that everyone was likable, fun, funny, intelligent, and contributes greatly to what is an awesome group of many well educated minds. Working together as a team, our group will make a difference in Mali - no doubt. When asked what Peace Corps had already done for our group, one volunteer said "They weeded out the degenerate applicants". Indeed there is still much potential for all our group to grow and take great personal strides in Mali, but indeed we already have all the humor we can attain.

Staging was a two day event in which we got to know each other, our mission as Peace Corps Volunteers, some important safety and security issues, and the policies to which we would all be expected to follow during our 27 month service in Mali. The best part of staging was learning all about the Country and Culture to which we were about to venture into.

The Flight: Imagine sitting at the airport in a group of 81 people all of whom had obsessively tied green or yellow yarn to their luggage. We sat in the Philly Airport for some five hours. It was fun no doubt as we continued to meet new people and strengthened connections already established at Staging. The flight to Charles Du Gual (spelling) France (just outside Paris) was long and I was the only person that did not have a working TV (a foreshadowment of my life to come), luckily Bess shared hers. Truth is... I also watched an episode of Planet Earth (deserts) and a Seinfeld episode that I had put on Bess' and my Video Ipod.

We got to France at 8:00am and said good bye to some 40 other Peace Corps volunteers who were off to Benin (also West Africa). Our group of 81 had a long layover until 4:30pm and so Peace Corps kindly put us up in day rooms at a nearby Radison Hotel (Yes with free breakfast for those who arrived in time). You should have seen the face on the Radison shuddle bus driver who showed up to the airport in one of those tiny European buses. Bess and I were two of the lucky 8 people (out of 81) who made it into the first tiny bus and thus arrived at the Hotel in time for a delightful French breakfast. Yes, it took many trips to get the whole group to the Hotel (some missed the meal so I smuggled some bread and yogurt but no one wanted it). When I got into that "first lucky bus" I turned to the driver and said "Are there more buses coming" and the driver looked at me with a smirk and turned away never to make eye contact again - that's when I realized I spoke no French. Later I realized the Hotel was only running three shuddles that left every 20 minuets. Yes, the Hotel reeked of cigarette smoke (even in the rooms) and many of us had crazy dreams attributed to our Malaria Pills. One girl had her wallet stolen in the French Airport and most of our group saw the Gambia Soccer team arrive in France. One volunteer ventured into Paris for a two hour visit (despite being warned not to go) and fortunately he made it back in time for our flight.

The Flight to Mali: I played chess with another volunteer on my, this time functioning, TV screen, he was very good (better than me) and I put all my efforts into defending myself and trying to make the game last as long as possible. I was man-down the whole game and moments before he queened his first pon I noticed something he had not and in three moves I somehow put him in check-mate. My chess friend was fluent in French and when the screen flashed Check-Mate he stared at it like he couldn't figure out what it was saying. I couldn't read the words on the screen but I knew what it said because I read the game-board. He said to me, "It says Check-Mate" I said "I know" - he took it very well and I felt embarrassed because he was by-far the better player. I then watched a movie called shooter (one thumb up).

We arrived in Bamako, Mali, at 10:00pm after a five hour flight. The airport was small and packed with many volunteers and Africans struggling to get their baggage and get out of the airport as quickly as possible. I impressed a couple of Africans with what little Bambara I taught myself on the plane ( "Ini Su" meaning "good night" & "Ini Ce" meaning "thank you").

Bess and I met the Country Director as we walked out of the airport, she is very nice and originally served (some years ago) in Niger where my sister Normandy more recently served. I was happy to have an immediate in with the Country Dirctor. Bess' first experience in Mali was to pay money for what was perhaps the most unclean bathroom she had ever used (Yes it was just a squat hole). We loaded our gear in the Peace Corps SUV's and headed to Toubaniso just 45 minuets outside Bamako. We drove through the city, across the Niger river, and past the U.S. embassy. Bess and I were in seperate vehicles and she arrived first.

Toubaniso is a Peace Corps training center. It is a great big area that has many trees, a soccer field, basketball court, many huts, a medical facility, and many other structures used for training purposes. Despite it's large size, Toubaniso has walls around it and several guards who help us learn the local language on top of keeping us safe. Inside Toubaniso, our sleeping huts have yet another wall around it also with friendly guards. Yes, we all feel very safe at Toubaniso. The food here is great! The Birds are amazing!!! The Mali people are so friendly, and we are all having a good time here. One volunteer became ill and went to stay at the Nurse's house and then went missing completely (I haven't heard anything else yet). It is nice to have Internet connection at Toubaniso but for whatever reason these Peace Corps computers will not allow us to download any software so I cannot import the pictures from my Digital SLR camera. If I could, I would show you the beautiful one-roomed hatched hut Bess and I are living in, the pet Giant Tortoise (three feet long) with one eye that lives in our compound, and the pet Gazelle and Goat that also live with us. Yes it is very hot but Bess and I are well prepared thanks to the sweat lodge.

O.K. Time to stop sharing with you all through this Blog because there are at least 81 people who need to use the fours computers here. If you are planning a care package for Bess and I, think about including Guitar strings.