Culture Shock

So the reason I'm able to write so much now is because we came back to Tubaniso on Monday and are here 'til tomorrow. We've had lots of random sessions, and it's a good chance to take a language break and see all of the other trainees. Also, tomorrow we're going to find out where our site is!!! I'm so excited because we all thought we wouldn't find out for two more weeks.

One of the sessions today was on culture shock so I thought I'd write some about that. For me, one of the hardest adjustments has been to observe the treatment of animals. I knew coming to Africa that cats and dogs aren't seen as pets, but my host family literally beats up on the puppy in our compound. Sometimes they'll just pick it up and throw it. I've started asking them to stop and once I learn Bambara I'll explain how animals are treated in the US. The puppy always hides under my chair because he knows I won't hurt him, which is so sad!

The second problem has been trash. Most villages don't have any formal trash removal system so there's often a lot of litter everywhere. I'll probably start bringing trash from Banankoro back with me to Tubaniso where they'll burn it.

One of the nice changes about Africa is the slow pace of life. There are no awkward silences here. It was pouring rain last week so my family and I came inside from the courtyard and just sat quietly in the dark and drank tea until the rain stopped. It was really peaceful. I love the tea here by the way, probably because it's mostly sugar. It's mainly made for social purposes, because it takes about an hour to prepare and drink (Argentina people - it kind of makes me think about how you describe maté).

Joking cousins are another huge part of Malian culture. No one seems to know the history of it, but basically the family name determines who you're joking cousins with. For example, Coulibaly's are joking cousins with pretty much everyone, including Samaké’s. One of my neighbors is a Coulibaly so whenever we see one another, he'll go "Oh, Samaké, i be sho dun" (you eat beans) and then I'll respond that no, he eats beans. Then we'll laugh, and sometimes I'll say that Coulibaly's are donkeys which is another way to joke. You can do this about five times a day and it never gets old - it's a great ice breaker.

Another cultural difference I've noted is the treatment of kids. First of all, children have more responsibility at an earlier age. One of the girls in my compound who is only about 8 years old is always carrying her baby brother around, strapped to her back. Aminata and Dje'naba, both in their early teens, almost always prepare the meals. I always see my brother Nu, who is 11, wandering around town on a donkey-pulled cart selling wood. Parents also watch their kids less. Every day I come home and even the toddlers are wandering around on the street. Basically you're not a child of just two parents - you're a child of the village and everyone watches out for everyone else. One funny story happened last week between Salimata and Abu, who is about eight years old. Salimata threw a rock at Abu and he retaliated by smacking her on the thigh with a branch. She immediately started bawling, Abu ran away, and her parents and sisters basically just started laughing at her, because she deserved what she got. The parents definitely let their kids make and learn from their own mistakes. Abdoulaye finally pulled her onto his lap though and held her until she calmed down, which was sweet because I usually don't see the father being that close with his kids.

Alright, that's definitely enough for now. By the way, Emma, I'm going to give you Bintou for a Malian name (pronounced Bean-tu). If anyone else wants me to name them, let me know! And for your question about ages of other volunteers, most are recent college grads. There is one 60 year old man, a woman in her 30's, and 3 married couples who I believe are all in their 20's. Oh and Bailey, the alphabet's mostly the same except for about 3 characters which are slightly different. Hope you all are doing well, thanks for all the comments!

Anna