back in town

Well, I am back in Bamako for a couple of days. I cam in with the idea that I was going to get my project proposals written up. My womens group wants to get a millet grinder and my mens group wants to start a cow embouche project. However, writing the projects has been much harder than I originally thought since the forms that I have to fill out are a little ridiculous. The Self Help form from the U.S. Embassy is written entirely in French and until yesterday I assumed that it had to be written in French too. Since my French is more or less none existant, that posed a problem for me.

Nothing really too exciting has been happening at site. I had a tutor come out for a couple of days and my village went all out in its cooking. We ate like 5 chickens in 3 days and had pasta and rice and potatos. I told Abdulaye (my tutor) that he needs to come out once a month so that my village will cook something other than to. Not that I am complaining, I frankly really am beginning to like to and think I might take some millet back with me when I visit in June and cook it for everyone. So get excited. I also really like eating with my hands, it is so much easier than using a fork. My villagers tell me everyday how much I have improved since I first got there (which I am skeptical about since I had been eating with my hands for about a month or two before going to my site, its probably more that I am better adjusted to the food and want to eat it now) We had a bunch of late night meetings and I am really getting kind of sick of them. Its bad when it takes everyone to show up so the meeting can begin, but when its night time and they decide to have the meeting at my place and no one shows up until 10pm, it gets a little frustrating.

Cold season has definitely ended. At first it was a little depressing since it was getting like 100 degrees by 10 am. But now there is a wind that is picking up so while its windy and dusty, it also is a little bit cooler. Needless to say I am not lookig foward to hot season (not that I ever was).

Well, I can't think of anything else to write right now and I have to go and get some work done so I am going to leave it at that. I think though that I am coming home in June/ July barring any project problems that I might be experiencing. I hope all is well with everyone. Take care!