well, the day doth fast approach! I think today is the 12, or maybe the 11th, irrelevent because in less than a months time, myself and about 79 of my newest friends (i really hope i like at least a third of these people) will be boarding a jet plane bound for Paris, then onwards to bamako. I am going into the peace corps for a myrid of reasons, and some I am sure i've not even hit upon yet. I mean I have traveld, I have ''seen some stuff'' but really how often do you step this far for your happy place with such a lax tether back to the world you knew? I will be in Philadelphia on the morning of the 8th july. Ill be there for staging and so anyone who wants to call me before i drop out, thats the day to do it. before noon or after 7 pm please! the 9th of july will be spent getting vaccinations, going over last minute details like how to find your way out of the bamako airport, and the flying, oh the flying......7 hours to paris were we will have an 8 hour layover. I will do everything in my power to get to the musee d'orsey in that time, because, yeah ill rough it, but one last bit of high culture will do the body good. then...AND THEN, a five hour flight to Bamako, arriving in the dark....but thats sounds good. we get to wake up fresh and on our first real day we get to start with morning smells, and light and sleepy where the hell am I eyes.
In those moments of doubt; ''its so far'' for so long'' ''im scared'' I take comfort in the little things that humanize the scope of what it is I am about to do. To acknowledge that the flight to africa from sweet sweet Paris is shorter than the one TO Paris from the USA is to keep a wee finger on the otherwise great ideological distances being coverd here. to think that i am closer to a french bistro from the bush, than I would be sitting at home watching iron chef is some how comferting . A last note. these blog entries thus far seem regular, and a bit quixotic if not driveling, but once i am ''in the shit'' as they say, I imagine that the tone and color will change dramatically so look foward to far greater tales of adventure and heroic deeds, and stuff about eating rice every day, and heat, and mud and....
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congrats on being selected to serve in Mali! I was there as a PCV from 2003-2005 (and I'm marrying my Malian boyfriend of five years in just a few short months, so I guess I'm forever tied to the place). It's a fantastic country and the culture is very warm and welcoming. Oh and they love to laugh and joke. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a little strange to think that you're closer to Paris than you are to the States, but that leg of the journey goes by fast. Then you land in the dark and get thrown into hectic Bamako airport (which is actually a LOT improved over what it was when I arrived in 03) and off to Tubaniso. You'll probably get a crash course in Malian toilets (hint: practice your squat and strengthen your thigh muscles now) and be told not to wander out in the tall grass and then sleep, glorious sleep! Enjoy training...it's packed full of useful stuff but you have to make the decision to make the most of it. The Malian PC staff is great...make sure to say hi to Sam and Bocar for me (Koumba).