Tubaniso

We've been in Tubaniso (or "House of the Doves") for a few days now while taking crash courses in Bambara, Malian culture and life in the heat. We are relearning everything from how to eat, shower, use the restroom...that's right people, no toilets... and speak. At the moment I share a hut with a fellow volunteer that contains beds, mosquito nets and our massive luggage. Tubaniso also has three village pets, including a gazelle, a three legged cat and a giant tortoise.

Bambara is my favorite class thus far, and though I'll mainly be learning French, I plan on continuing with a Bambara tutor throughout my service. It will be super useful here, and is simply a fun language to speak.

On Wednesday we will all move out of Tubaniso for our homestay villages somewhere within 120 kms from Bamako. That's where we'll be training for the next eight weeks with occasional stops back here. Internet usage will come and go over the coming months as I move in and out of Tubaniso. I'm not sure what's going on with mail, but no one has gotten any yet. Someone says it comes in once a week or so, but I'll only get it when here, and not at my homestay village. I'll update when I can (and hopefully more detailed when there aren't people waiting for the computers or wireless is back up). Pictures to come when I can use my laptop.

Hope to talk to you all soon (in one form or another). Until then, k'an ben!