What I find amusing

This is Balo. He is a really good guy in my village that spends all day carving statues and other traditional Dogon arts. There are a bunch of guys in village that sit in this spot behind Tijani's house and carve all day every day. I enjoy sitting with them, talking about life in the village, drinking tea, and cracking jokes. Maybe one day I'll try my hand at the carving.

Here's Hama and Djugal playing cards at my house. They're playing 151, which I just recently picked up. It's a fun and simple game that helps to pass the time. Djugal is a bit of the cheat when he plays, so I have to keep him in line.

This little guy's name is Oumar and I made the mistake of teaching him to say "What up, buddy?" in a Pauly Shore kind of way back in August. I came back in September, and not only had he not forgot the greeting, but he had taught it to all of the other little kids. It's now April, and all the kids just love to scream "What up buddy?" EVERY single time they see me.

These are all unrippened mangoes that grow just outside my village. All day long, the youngest kids in the village run around collecting and eating the unrippened mangoes. It's kind of like their job. I was sitting up by the stream this day and the little kids just kept bringing me mango after mango after mango. I ate a few, but probably took a few layers off my teeth due to the acidic level of the mangoes. I now have no further questions regarding the whereabouts of the villagers' teeth.

Even after 9 months in Mali, not all of the day to day occurences have become mundane. Some things still make me smile, and sometimes laugh out loud! The other day I was walking down the street in Douentza when I noticed two old men strolling a good distance ahead of me. What was funny about the scene is that they were walking hand in hand (as friends here tend to do, and no, I am not immune to it). Their traditional musilim robes flowed in the wind behind their joined hands as they walked and laughed. What made the image priceless was the fact that they were both holding onto flowery, frilly umbrellas straight out of the 1920s. It's not that it rains here. I still haven't seen rain since September and don't expect it until July, but the umbrellas definitely help to shade the sun. In American culture, this would turn heads, but here it is the norm. Other American head turning activities that are normal here include the interlocked fingers, the "icky" finger, sitting on your male friends lap (i'm not that integrated here!), men holding each other around the waist, etc. It's a very different culture here.



Because cars are few and far between in Mali, most people that can afford their own private transportation choose motorcycles. They are cheap and easy to maintain. But how much can you actually fit on a motorcycle? A lot! Have you seen those Michellin tire commercials with the guy made out of tires? Malians have perfected the art of riding motorcycles with up to 3 tires around their waists (depending on how tall he is), and smaller ones on their arms. On numerous occasions, I've even seen up to 4 people on on moto here. But what about this goat I just bought? How do I bring him all the way back to village? Tie him up and strap him to the back of the moto. One guy actually tied a sheep to his shoulders and rode back because he had another passenger on the back of the moto!



On my way to Koyra, a local market town a few km from my village, I came across a group of Fulfani herders on their way west. One of the younger herders wanted to greet me, so we started walking over. The Fulfani (Peuhl) are the traditional cow herders of West Africa. They lead a relatively nomadic lifestyle compared to many of the other local ethnicities. The man walked over to me in his long green and yellow robe, turbaned head and flip flop shoed feet. Although he was young, he had a small scruffy beard, which means he had probably recently taken his first wife. Like many of the traveling Fulanis, he had a radio tied around his neck. We greeted each other in a very respectful manner, but I could hardly contain my laughter. Despite all of the formalities and manners, I just couldn't get over the 50 Cent - "In da Club" blasting from his radio! Yes, much of the traditional culture has been saved here in Mali, but you can't deny that Western culture is making a pretty big impression over here.



As long as you use your left hand, picking your nose is fine in Malian culture. There are just way too many occasions where I find myself speaking with a Malian friend, stranger, prominent community member, etc, when that left hand just reaches up and begins to dig. Do I look away? Do I offer a tissue? Where's he gonna flick that thing? It's huge! The left hand is the dirty hand, and there are really no limits to what you can do with it. Due to the extreme dust here, people often have stuffy noses. The left hand makes a great tissue. Just reach up, cover the nose, blow, wipe it on the closest wall, tree, animal, and you're done! What really kills me is that, despite the left hand being the dirty hand, people will still clasp your hands with both of theirs, walk hand in hand left to right, touch everything in site, etc. The left hand is also used for cleaning yourself after going to the bathroom. Sadly, soap is overrated in Mali, and plain water is the preferred method of cleanliness. I've come to the conclusion that Mali is just covered in snot and feces. Wonderful.