nay hakili la nay be se

I've now been living in country for six and a half months and finally am able to start projects. Because of this, I've been in Bamako (le capital) for the a couple weeks doing technical training and brushing up on language (with tutors who can speak English - how fantastic!) It's going well, but I'm definitely ready to get back to site. I found, quite quickly, that I love being away and in my village. I most certainly will have days when I'm exhausted from cultural or language problems, or where all I want is a cold soda but all in all, I prefer the simplicity and unity that site offers. It very quickly has become my home, and I try my hardest to let my villagers - and most importantly, my host family - know this.
I left for Christmas and spent it in Manantali, a large village just north (i.e. four hours on a backwoods dirt road with twenty five Malians in the back of a old van) where I met some friends. We cooked up some good food and were surprised Christmas morning to have monkeys playing in the trees over my tent. A very pleasant suprise.
I can't really think of any crazy stories, but I do have some photos to load and, as always, I'm trying to find time - and internet - to do so. I will keep you updated.
The majority of volunteers in Bamako spent inauguration night at the America Club, where they had a little party planned. It was a pretty amazing time - just the rejuvenation in the room after Obama was sworn in was fantastic. One of my best Mali moments. I of course would have loved to be in America for the moment, but for Africa, I couldn't have asked for more.
I'm starting to plan out my two years here and what projects will be coming up. Seeing that the last six months have flown by, I feel the need to start prepping, for fear it'll pass by. My counterpart (the villager who I work closely with, and who helps negotiate me through the cultural and linguistic differences), Massan Sidibe (we're of the same cow-herding, Fulani family) and I are planning several projects - the first being a bee keeping project, followed by tree grafting (mangoes - yay!) and a new biofuels project using the oil of a local (but not indigenous) bush called jatropha. We may be working with a Dutch company on developing a trial field. More on that later.

Hope all is well.
Go Catamount hockey! (#7 in the nation!)

ryan