radio is sound salvation

12.10.08
I've found lately that I spend a bit of my time at site doing things that at home wouldn't take up my entire day, but here are a week long event. For example, dinner preparation; I'm always in my kitchen plugging away at something to eat. Everything is fresh (or in paste and canned form) so much of the the time cooking is spent getting veggies from their natural state to something I'm able to cook with. This means I'm making homemade tomato sauce for pasta rather than opening a jar and I'm picking herbs and drying them to use in cooking rather than shaking them from a container. I now have a lot of respect for microwave burritos and know that within the first hours of being back in the States, I'll require one. Also too, laundry takes forever here to prepare. No electricty means no machines which means by hands in a bucket. I'm able to stretch my laundry powder a bit far (and Malian women think its too far) but if its a big load, you're going back and forth between your house and the well to pull water to wash with. And I've got sheets or towels to wash you won't see me for a week. I'm tied up the entire time. This means that I then stretch the use of these as long as possible so not to wash them.
Luckily though as a volunteer, you have a bunch of free time to do these things. As a newbie, I'm technically not allowed to start projects that'll require funding until December which translates into not doing as many projects in the first couple months which thus means lots of free time. Time to read (and take on all those hundreds of books that I wanted to read in college but was too busy with 'required reading' to touch) is something I really enjoy. And studying the language - which means sitting around drinking tea with the villagers trying to decipher their accents as well as studying from a book - is a major priority. I realize how important now my success here depends on my comprehension of the language. If I'm successful, it's as a result of my fluency. I'm still learning Bambara - the most spoken native language - and now the language teachers are pushing for me to learn Malinke, a language of the local people in my area. I'll be taking on both - they're a bit similar - and hope to come out better as a result but who knows.
I also have a bunch of time to listen to the radio, which is such a comfort. No one speaks in English around me, so I get my fix by yelling at the radio and as of late, there has been a lot to yell about. Apparently the world economy has been hurting, McCain has chosen a kook as a VP candidate and South Africa is having a lot of political issues. I also found on Sunday afternoons the BBC runs a literature program that really makes my week. I'm such a lit nerd that I really enjoy listening to whats coming up in new literature. As I begin to ponder what it means to be a volunteer and a development worker, the more I realize I belong in the classroom. I enjoy it here and find it to be a great experience - thus far, and hopefully to continue - but I'm certain I'll go the teaching route afterwords. Starting in January I'm going to start studying for the GREs so I can apply to grad programs when I get back in 2010. It seems so far away, but I know the time will fly by.
I've been a bit absent lately because I'm trying to spend as much time at site as possible getting to know the villagers and the organizations I'll be working with. Lately I'm working on starting my garden and helping out the Shea Association in my village. Mali is within the Shea belt, a group of countries that have the perfect conditions to grow shea trees, which produce the butter which is used in cosmetic products in the States. Our project is to work with these organizations and help improve their business by empowering them and their product. We improve the quality of their product and then contact buyers in the city and push for better prices. Currently, per kilo, the price is tun tun (ten, but with the confusing monetary system here, 50 francs) which is at least three times to low a price. We really push for 150F a kilo - about 33 cents - and know we'll get it, eventually. Currently, there is a lot of product on the market,so the prices are really low. Supply and demand at its finest. I've been reading up on basic economics to better understand the situation - a little Weath of Nations just for fun too. I'm telling you all, being a volunteer means lots of time to read. I could easily read the required reading list for a graduate degree while serving. Who knows, maybe I'll go for my MBA afterwords (I doubt it.)
That's about all I got for now. It's harvest so eating lots of corn. Soon, the garden will be up and I'll have more to say next time around. (Which may be around Halloween, may be around Thanksgiving.) Also, my village will be building a new school starting Nov. 5th which will be fantastic to watch unfold. The volunteer who lived in village before me was really fantastic and worked really hard at preparing this project. I hope to put up photos soon of this process as it progresses. Who knows how fast that'll happen, but I'll have my camera there to document.

gosox.
ryan