Mali has had a very eventful week and no one is sure what will happen in the next few days. The Taureg army in the North is close to taking control of the territory "Azawad", ECOWAS will not stand for the coup and will start taking action Monday if the coup does not return the power to the people and reinstate the constitution. I have been reading the news and volunteer blogs almost obsessively since the rebel soldiers took over Bamako on the 21st. I have been absorbing all the information I can to somehow piece together what the future holds for Mali. This has not been very successful due to the constantly increasing variables.
Peace Corps volunteers sit with fingers crossed.
My head is racing with thoughts, emotions, and hypothesis. In a nut shell Je voudrais savoir si je sui aller a Mali...That is probably gramatically wrong and misspelled french but I am still very proud of how quickly I am teaching myself ( Michel Thomas french lessons during the drive to Tulsa really helped!). I am enjoying learning french but now I am scared to study Bambara more because what if I don't go to Mali? What if Peace Corps evacuates? I have mentally prepared myself for this trip after thinking I was going to South America for the longest time. I have gotten extremely excited about Mali, the people, culture, Africa, training, my mud house, my project, my new village, a possible diet of all non paleo foods (I am sure my first plate of rice and millet will make me cry a little on the inside as I recall all of Mark's daily apple research), and the list goes on and on. I see myself living in Mali for 27 months, I feel like I have fallen in love with the the hardships and rewards as a Mali Peace Corps volunteer and I have not even left yet.
I hope for peace in Mali, I hope the leaders will do what is best for the people, I hope that the current volunteers get to return to their projects and their Malian families, and I hope that I will Join them in June.
I already turned in all my government passport and visa info and have not heard anything back on that, I also have not received any travel info yet that is supposed to come a month before departure.
Right now I am working in Omaha and I got hired to do a bunch of large paintings that has helped pass the time. I am going to visit Tulsa again in a few weeks for some concerts and camping with friends. Hopefully I will have some answers soon about my Peace Corps service.
Cheers
