sara skates

Wow.

Today was super busy.  Yesterday was for parts, only in a very different way.

Yesterday first.

I was fetched at 8:30 am and we went out to the School for the Deaf in Bamako.  It was a holiday (Happy Jour D’Afrique!) so no children were there, but a number of adults were there, including a deaf artist I (I’m bringing a painting home…), and a few of the others I have been hearing about from Kathleen.  They have a sewing studio with like 15 machines, and they make clothes and shopping bags and a bunch of stuff.  The art studio was great – those children are blessed to have such an artist on staff!  He uses car paint because that’s what’s readily available to him.

Then, we did a bit of a shopping tour.  We didn’t go to any open air markets, but to a number of local art and artisan shops.  The last one had a great selection of beads, and of textiles.  I’m bringing home enough fabric to open a small sewing shop myself – but holy cow – it’s a tie-dye lover’s paradise here.  That, and batik.  Some of the fabric is waxed when it’s done- really pretty thickly.

Somehow, the day was tiring.

Today – tiring in a whole different way.  We met with the President of the National Assembly (sorta like the US Congress), which was an experience in itself.  Turns out, he has two deaf nieces.  I went down a receiving line shaking hands, and ended up in this lobby with a TV camera pointed at me and they started asking questions about why I was there and what I hoped for re. deaf education in Mali.  I was so not prepared to so anything coherent – supposedly it’ll be on TV at 8 so we’ll see about that.  Then, we met with a subgroup of the Assembly charged with working on special education – and I gave my talk to them.  They were awesome – they asked very thoughtful questions, even some pretty technical details about my research results.  After lunch, we met with a group from the Minister of Social Development (I think…) – that was my biggest audience all week, there were about 30 people.  All four talks this week went well – and we found out this morning (near the end of that presentation) that the Assembly has just passed a law setting up a focus in the country on special education.

Perhaps it’s just the “density” of things I did this week – but I really think the ball is rolling on changing policy and practice for special ed in Mali.  Kathleen Peoples (my primary contact all week, from the Public Affairs Office at the US Embassy in Mali, for a few more days anyway – her tour is up) has been working on this for three years – and the week before she leaves things are falling into place.  It’s pretty awesome thing to see.

My work is about done here.  Tomorrow, I am going to Campement Kangaba, where Boubacar Traore (aka Kar Kar) is performing Friday night.  I am SO excited about it.  I may wrangle a ride on the Nile while I’m there.  WTF was I thinking not packing a swimsuit?  Though somehow I think it’ll be ok to swim in the pair of boxers I brought to sleep in and a tank top…

Yesterday and today have been busy.  I have met a series of Deputés and Ministeres, and other high-ranking officials, including the Minister of Culture (awesome awesome man), and I have given my talk twice so far – first to a small group (the Education Team at USAID here) where I lucked out and got to present in English, and today to a group of students enrolled in a teacher training program here in Mali.  Additionally I have wrangled one visit to a “marché” so far to shop for some souvenirs

In photos.  First up, three photos I took at the National Museum of Mali, in the textiles building/exhibit, before I got yelled at for taking photos.  ”Yelled at” includes an attempt at extorting “a present” from me in order to not report me to the authorities.  Kathleen (my host here, from the Embassy) simply replied that he should definitely report us to the authorities.  While that stopped the requests for presents and reiteration that photos were not allowed, we did subsequently have a shadow through the rest of our stay at the museum

None the less, the textiles were interesting:

Mali Textiles: Cotton, loom

Mali textiles: Combs, spindles

Mali Textiles: The weaving

The rest of the exhibit was truly awesome – there were examples of textiles from various tribes, indigo-dyed fabrics, clothing examples (some quite old), etc.

The buildings in Mali are an eclectic bunch. There are a slew of shacks like this:

Mali: Streetside shack

This one is actually in pretty good shape. Many have half of the thatched roof/sides gone; many simply have the upright sticks and something resembling a roof, many are constructed out of whatever materials could be scrounged and look nothing like this. I assume folks sleep in them; they’re there all day; they sometimes have stuff for sale (eg., mangos, eggs, or random crap). There are babies and children everywhere. I don’t think I’ve seen a single one fuss- well, I was walking by one today who was sitting in front of a bowl of mangos, and mom liberated the 5 inch sharp knife it had found (the baby was I’m sure only about a year old – not yet verbal). She squawked for a minute. Most of the babies I’ve seen are carried in a pouch on Mom’s butt – until they’re about three I believe.

Other buildings are a range.  Some are beautiful and well-maintained.  Some are in various stages of construction, which can last so long so as to start deteriorating before construction is finished.  (There’s something about property taxes – they don’t start paying taxes on the building until it is occupied- so many remain in indefinite construction or something):

Ministry of Economics building in front; construction of new building behind

Construction - tree sticks are the vertical supports holding most of it up.

The food is excellent – talk about locally sourced and fresh. There seems to be a limited menu at most restaurants (mind you, “limited” is only in reference to the US’ overabundance of choices at restaurants….), and often it includes skewers (kabobs) of either beef or fish, and some chicken dish. If you order something like goat, it was likely butchered recently, and prior to that it was wandering around on the streets. See, like this – which is a half a block away from the hotel (end of same block the hotel is on):

the babies were bleating

Being herded down the street:

Snack is over - time to move on

And they're off...

My visit to the students in a teacher training program remains my favorite.  Check out these future teachers of Bamako:

They were just lovely

and these:

I LOVED talking with them!

And the boys too

Tomorrow, I visit the school for the deaf (can’t WAIT), and the afternoon is work-free (Happy Jour D’Afrique everyone), and a shopping trip has been planned.  Thursday is a crazy full day with the biggest presentation (to the National Assembly, as well as a meeting with the president of the National Assembly).  Friday will probably be a light day but these things can change.

*Things which have me smitten

Though – note that I have been traveling for approximately 22 hours and running really rather empty.  No pictures yet as I have to sort out getting them off of various electronic sources (my usual email photo to self tactic won’t work here).  I arrived after dark so most pictures so far are of the amusing but not really that interesting variety.  E.g., of the hotel shower where I need a technology lesson to use it – the jets jutting out every which way scare me!

In no particular order:

* I flew on a small Delta Connect (or something) flight between ROC and Detroit, then on Air France/business class to Paris, then a 5 hour layover at Charles de Gaulle, and another Air France business class seat to Bamako, Mali.  Business class is sooooo spoiling.  They kept plying me with champagne, wine, and meals – holy cow, these in-flight meals were amazing.  Four courses of supremely well-cooked food (a beautiful piece of beef on the first flight, salmon on the second), plus a cheese course, lovely lovely desserts, and a starter course – one had fois grass plus a shrimp/carrot salad kind of thing.  I briefly regretted giving up my business class seats for the return home – until I regained my senses and realized that I will no doubt find plenty of really lovely food while IN Paris for four days instead.  (By laying over in Paris, my flights are split into two separate journeys – the business class ticket kicks in if the travel lasts more than 14 hours).

* I certainly arrived quite well-rested by flying business class.  Comfy seats which expand out so you are practically lying down; room to stretch out, less “frenetic” pace of anything being served – I slept a lot.

* Though it was surreal too.  We were kept SO separate from the masses, it felt like we were on an entirely different plane.

* My teenaged French?  33 years later – it’s still there, somewhere, buried in the recesses of my brain.  Though, it’s getting me in trouble.  I SOUND good (excellent accent when learned at a young age and in an immersion environment), so I get into trouble easily – folks don’t realize that I’m a bumbling Americaine beneath the accent.

* I packed a denim jacket for the cooler air-conditioned rooms (warning from my contact at the embassy).  I’m wishing I had brought a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt – this hotel is chilly!  Though it keeps the mosquitoes and malaria-potential at bay, so….

*There’s a really kinda suspect painting over my bed.  A single huge eyeball on a slant – corner to corner on the 3″ by 5″? frame.  Someone’s watching me.  Not sure who…

* I’m boiling my first batch of water for consumption.  Wish me luck in avoiding gastric distress.  I have figured out how to keep the kettle button from popping off so it’ll boil for 5 minutes not 5 seconds

* I have no idea how much the 1.5 L bottle of Evian costs which they have conveniently left in my room.  It could be worth it though.  the price list has a price for the half litre bottle in the fridge but…

* The drive from the airport was interesting – albeit after dark.  I’m looking forward to seeing more tomorrow.

* It’s a cash economy here.  The hotel accepts Visa (though not MC).  I don’t expect anywhere else to though.

* 1 US $ = 460 CFA (currency of Mali).  Figure that out in your head (1500 CFA for small bottle of water….um, I’ll be using that currency converter app liberally).  (Ok, a guesstimate is close – a little more than $3).

*Euros are easier.  7 Euros=10$.  7:10 is easier than 460:1.

* I haven’t figured out how to text home from my phone.  Supposedly I can for 50c a pop, which would be convenient for saying “hey! Get Toby on Skype!” although it appears that Skype doesn’t play nicely with the hotels “private” internet network.  Gmail video chat will suit just fine.   Once we figure out how to all be there at the same time.  Calling home is just not feasible – it costs $5/minute.

* I finished reading David Lebovitz’ My Sweet Life in France on the plane – a totally awesome book.  And excellent preparation for a food tour of Paris next week.

*I started Mali Blues by Leive Joris, and got about half way through on the plane too.  It’s interesting – and also a good read upon arriving here, although it was published in 1998 so not necessarily a current view.

*I started knitting with Kidsilk Haze – for the first time.  You know, the yarn more often referred to as crack.  Now I know why.  It’s really lovely to knit with.  This particular skein has bits of sparkley silver spun into it also – Kidsilk Night.  Shockingly this yarn has been discontinued (seriously???  it’s lovely.)  This is a deep deep nearly black purple color called Macbeth – it’s totally yummy and is en route to becoming a Scarfuffle (ravelry link).

*  I have been surrounded by friendly people all day and also seen a number of women wearing their babies.  I think I saw them using a kanga – there’s a picture and a video of how to use one here.  Toby was a total sling baby – he’d probably still love to be carted around in one though at 104 pounds or whatever he is now it’s so not happening.  It was very cute to see the babies’ little feet stick out though

I’m off to sleep – there will be some sightseeing tomorrow – squee!

I cannot get enough of the three tulips I have blooming this year. (The deer ate most of the tulips a few weeks ago – hopefully they were delicious, though I quite happy they missed a few.)

see??

Additionally, this is a test post. I leave Friday for a trip to Mali and then Paris. Internet connections will be few and far between in Mali – but hopefully I will fond wireless spots to get some photos up