Call me Ramata Samake and you eat beans

So, here's a post about culture from the end of February as well. More and newer posts...And pictures!!! To come. PS - sorry for the bad spelling and grammar. I am constantly brain dead, but no worries, because all is well!! The three languages, constant sweat and 120 degree heat just makes me tired. All is well in Africa!

Host family

My host family is AWESOME!! It’s my host mom, and her five kids, one of their kids and their aunt’s daughter in my compound. And they are so gracious, giving and kind. There is Modibo, the oldest son, who's 23 years old, Muhammed, the second oldest, who's 20, Oumou, the oldest and only daughter, who's 18. Oumou has a little guy (son), named Zoumana, who's 2. Zoumana is my terice (friend), and he goes around telling everyone I am a stupid lady who puts buckets on his head. Haha this is true, except for the stupid part. This little guy usually runs around without pants and he cries all the time, but he's so cute and he calls me "Atta." After Oumou is Bafin. Bafin is 16 and he and I joke the most. He is ornery, so Im constantly making fun of him in French and Bambara. Then there's Ba, who's 11. He's ornery too, but a sweetie. And the youngest, besides Zoumana, is Nene, who's a 7 year old girl. She's the daughter of their aunt and one of my friends too. You'll probably get the hint that Peace Corps vols become fast friends with little kids. We're at the same level in language, cultural integration, skills, etc. Ha this is so true. 

Waking up in Mali: CULTURE!!

There’s so much to talk about here…Malians are really sweet people. They are kind like I had read. They love, love, love family, to greet, be gracious hosts and cleanliness (cleanliness is relative).

Weather and DUST, DUST and more DUST

As you might have seen in my last post with the pictures, dust is pretty big here. Red dust is on everything and your feet get prett-ay dirty thoughout the day. Which is totally uncool to Malians who cherish clean appearances, so you’ll find me washing my feet with salidaga water throughout the day. Haha I really do that.

 But really, the dust is so bad that when you blow your nose it’s all snot and red dirt. Gross, huh? J And I have to SCRUB my bod in the bucketshower. Because dirt is caked on your body no matter what you do.

It’s pretty hot here. I’d say between 90 and 120 every day. But my friend Josh is saying 105 each day. And it’s only getting hotter. Hot season is fast approaching and it will soon be 130 degrees out. Think Arizona plus dust in your eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

Cleanliness

Keeping up appearances and cleanliness are important aspects to Malian culture. One must wash hands before and after each meal. Clothes are very important here. Malians will put on their best outfits to meet a guest. Clothes cannot be wrinkled or noticeably dirty. There is a shiny, waxy fabric that is pricy here, that Malians (who can afford it) like to wear for important events and to look nice for guests. It's called Bazan.

The salidaga must always go into the nyegen with you, whether you use it or not. No touching others or food with the left hand. Bathing is not optional. Haha which is a really good thing considering how hot it is here. My host family makes me “n ko” (bathe in Bambara) as soon as I get home from school every day. It’s actually quite like a little kid. I can’t communicate, I grunt and point for things I need when I don’t have the French, English or Bambara to communicate, I have to be told when I can and can’t do things, someone is making everything for me – food, getting my water, laundry, etc, just like a toddler. Anyway, keeping up appearances and cleanliness are important aspects to Malian culture.

Obama…cabs, toothbrushes…COOKIES??!!

Yes. You read that right. There are President Obama cabs, toothbrushes, cookies, hair salons, suitcases, purses, clothes, fabric…Obama is on everything here.  In the meeting we had today at a lady’s house who dyes fabric for a living, she had a picture of Obama hanging in her house. I don’t really think a lot of Malians know what Obama stands for, but they love him. Personally, Im happy to be in a place where he is so loved, unlike Kansas, where Obama was hated. Haha just wait for me and my Obama outfit. I will def post pictures!! J

BUGS

I’ve touched on the cockroach situation. After just a few days here, someone said they have already seen a tarantula. Not good. And apparently there are scorpions everywhere. At our last session in Tubaniso, Dr. Dawn, the PCMO, advised us to “always look up, down, left and right” when entering any building in Mali as a warning for the creatures that can lurk around in our living spaces. There are ants, crickets and mosquitos everywhere. By the way, I am on a DAILY malaria medication. We have to always wear mosquito repellant and take our malaria meds either daily or weekly. Oh yeah, and flies, ants and mosquitos are always in the nyegen. Blister beetles also.

Animals are everywhere

Animals are EVERYWHERE – lizards all over the walls, donkeys, dogs, chickens, pigeons frogs, roosters, sheep, goats, cows, bulls. In my compound, we have two donkeys, a dog, a bunch of chickens, pigeons and three goats. The pigeons always stomp around on my tin roof all day and it’s quite loud. It sounds, literally, like it's raining rocks on my roof in the morning. But no, it's just the fat ass pigeons. Donkeys scream in the middle of the night. It sounds like they’re mating or being slaughtered. I don’t even hear it anymore. Haha I have learned that in Peace Corps Mali, in some villages, you have to get used to a lot of noise at night. I can sleep through Malians joking and yelling, playing games, donkeys mating and children crying all night without a stir.

3^rd Party System

Malians are indirect communicators. In America, we are direct communicators and we say exactly what we mean, what we want, without nuance or question. Mali is a different story. Malians, if having a problem with a person, will go through what is called a 3^rd party system. They will bring in a 3^rd person to talk to the other person and the other person will relay the message for the second person. We do this with our LCFs (Language and culture facilitators), when they come to our homestay homes to visit and see how things are going. They ask us how things are going, and they ask our families. If there are any problems, the message is relayed through the LCF, and never directly from me to my family or directly from my family to me.

Malian Names – Just call me Ramata Samake

Names are big in Mali. One of the first things we learned in Bambara is “I togo” and “I Jamu.” These mean what is your name and what is your last name. The trainees, upon meeting their host families, are given Malian names. We’re usually named after the father or mother in the family, or a special name after someone in the community or family. I was named after my host mom, Ba (Mother) Ramata Samake. AKA my Malian name, and by name I mean the ONLY name I am called by Malians in my village, is Ramata Samake (Rahm-ah-ta Sahm-ah-kay).

It’s a pretty sweet name when Malians say it because they roll their Rs and it sounds super smooth (Rrramataa). The PCTs (Peace Corps trainees) in my village are named Fatimata, Monmarie, Alison.

Ha so my family have all named me after my host mom, so one day, after barely being able to pronounce anyone’s names, I just gave them all American names. I named them after my family too. So Modibo, the oldest son, is Ryan, after my bro. Muhammed is Dan. Oumou is Jamie. Ramata is Patti. Ba is John (random American name). Bafin is Chris. And I name random friends of theirs who come over. Bafin’s friend is Dennis. Modibo’s friend is Joe. It’s actually really funny when you’re calling them by these super American names while they call us by our Malian names.

The other thing, is people have asked our names a lot. One reason names are a big part of the Malian culture is because of the relationship with joking cousins. You determine your joking cousin by their last name. My joking cousins are the Konates and Keitas.

Joking cousins – You eat beans and you are my donkey

So beans and donkeys are big here in Mali. But really, these two things have a lot to do with Malian culture. There is this thing called joking cousins here, in which certain families with certain last names can joke with each other and say things like “You eat beans” (I be sho dun in Bambara), or “You are my donkey” (I ye n ka fali ye in Bambara). Something I have learned is it doesn’t take much to make Malians laugh. They think everything is pretty funny, especially when you tell someone they are a bean eater or they are your child after you find out you’re joking cousins.  This is also why people ask for your name so often.

Some (actually pretty funny) jokes to say to joking cousins: You eat beans (by far the most common – in fact, my friend Josh here was asked the other night if he ate beans. It happens a lot). You are my donkey. You are my child. I am your father. I am your mother. I have told my joking cousin, one of whom works for Peace Corps as a Malian LCF/teacher/trainer, that he eats beans. My host bro always asks me if I like beans. I’m in my head thinking, “How do I answer this question?” haha I always say comme ci, comme ca so I don’t come off as this huge bean eater or something.

THINGS TO SEND!! (If you are so kind and loving of people living on $180/mo in Africa to serve our country J J J

--American food!!! This includes non-perishable Little Debbie brownies, Oatmeal cream pies, granola bars, Pringles, beef jerky, candy (blow pops, gum, jolly ranchers, etc), spray can cheese, peanut butter bars, etc. I am REALLY happy I brought this stuff with me…but my supply is diminishing daily J

--LETTERS FROM YOU!! I would fall over if I got a letter. I couldn’t explain how awesome it would be to hear from someone, anyone, about your life and what’s going on in America. I miss everyone a lot and a letter would mean a lot!!

MY ADDRESS (for next 1 month):

Laura Vest, PCT

Le Corps de la Paix

BP 85

Bamako, Mali

West Africa

--Emergen-c, powdered drink mixes such as Hawaiian punch, powerade, Gatorade

--American magazines! People, Cosmo, Rolling Stone, Glamour, Marie Clare, US Weekly…don’t really care, just want some idea of the crap going on in America and good pictures to look at.

Specifically to my mom: I need my KU sweatshirt!! Believe it or not, at night and early in the morning it gets chilly here. It’s the KU sweatshirt I wore on my last night in KS. The grey one with blue KANSAS across the front. I also want that pink and white long dress I left at home. Also, I need some cute shirts!! Please send me my tube top blue dress I wore to my going away party, the black, sparkly, loose shirt, and any other cute, kind of going out-type shirt that’s not going to suffocate me in the heat. LOVE U.

PLEASE!!! Write me letters, emails, anything!! It means a LOT more than you know!! Everyone’s support so far has been so crazy and humbling and I really appreciate it. Hearing from people warms my heart and makes me happy, so keep it up!!! And I LOVE American snacks!! J

Peace!!

Laura AKA Ramata Samake