A friend of my Mom's, Cathy McCormick, teaches elementary school kids. She showed them my blog, and they all wrote me some fantastic letters! Reading all those letters really made me smile, and reminded me a bit of when I was a kid, wondering what a place like Africa could be like. They asked some good questions, some of which I'm sure you adults would like to know about, so I'll answer them here
What kind of animals are there?
Mali used to have all of the classic African animals: lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras. But, today many of them are gone because now there are too many people. Some of them, like elephants, ostriches, chimpanzees and hippos are in small protected National Parks in Mali, but not where I am. In my part of Mali, in the forest you can find lots of birds like parrots and hornbills, you find snakes, even cobras and mambas. There are also monkeys, warthogs, mongooses, and a big rat called an agouti. My village also has a rare dwarf crocodile in a small pond. It is a little bit smaller than the alligators we have in Florida. This crocodile is sacred for them, and the village works hard to protect it.
Mali also has lots of farm animals: Cows, Donkeys, Sheep, Goats, and Chickens wander all over my village. There is also a funny looking chicken called a Guineafowl.
Is it scary at night?
Because there are no lions or cheetahs anymore, luckily I don't have to worry about them at night. There are a lot of bugs that come out at night, and some of them sting you. There are scorpions, spiders, camel-spiders, blister beetles and mosquitoes. That is the scariest thing about nights.
What is the food like? (Whats your favorite?)
The most common food is called Toh, it is sort of like bread dough. It is made out of millet and corn. You take a handful of toh and dip it in sauce, and eat it. The sauces are mostly made out of okra, peanuts or spicy peppers. Malians eat everything with their hands, they don't use forks, knives or spoons. In addition to toh, they also eat rice, couscous, and rice and corn porridge.
Things like meat, eggs beans, salad, and plantains are rare treats for Malians. Usually they just eat one thing for a meal. For example, a family will share a big bowl of rice with sauce and that is their dinner.
My favorite food is plantains!
What fruits are there? (Whats your favorite?)
There are lots of fruits! Many fruits that you have in Florida they have here: Mangoes, Coconuts, Pineapples, Guavas, Watermelons, Bananas, Avocadoes, Tamarind, Dates. They have oranges and lemons but they are very different from the citrus that we have in Florida. Many fruits found here are not found in Florida: Sebe, Zaba, Ntaba, Shea, Nta'an...
All the fruits here only grow a certain time of year. For example, Mangoes grow from April to August, and Watermelons grow in October. If its not October, you can't eat watermelons!
My favorite fruit is definitely Mangoes! They are so delicious and there are so many different kinds...
What kind of languages do they speak?
They speak lots of languages in Mali. The most common is Bambara, but there are many other: Fula, Dioula, Minianka, Senufo. It would be like if there was a different language in every part of Florida. So, if you left Orlando to go to Jacksonville, you would have to learn a different language, and if you went from Jacksonville to Tampa, you would have to learn a third language! Thats why many Malians can speak lots of languages, some people know even four or five languages.
In school they learn in French, so Malians that go to school know French. However, many Malians don't go to school. In fact, more than half of Malians can't read, even adults!
What are the houses like? What are they made of?
Most of the houses are made out of mud bricks, and the roofs are made out of dried grass. The roof frame is made out of sticks, died together with bark. When its time to build a house, you make it yourself, and all of your neighbors help you!
What games and sports do you play there?
Malians love soccer! They play a little bit of basketball in the cities, but they have never heard of American football. They also play checkers, but it is a little different. They play cards, but they only play one game. They don't know that you can play other games with a deck of cards!
What do you guys celebrate?
90% of Malians are Muslims. So they celebrate all of the muslim holidays like Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. They also celebrate weddings and when a baby is born. In my village, they had a big festival for the start of the rainy season.
Holidays here are a lot like holidays in America: people hang out with family and friends, dress up, and eat a lot. Malians also dance a lot and sing a lot. They don't drink any alcohol at all because they are Muslims. Holidays are when they usually get to eat fancy things like meat.
How do you get computer service/internet? How far is it to the city?
My village doesn't have internet. It doesn't even have electricity! It does have cell phone service, though, and people charge their cell phones with solar panels.
I have to go to the city of Bougouni to get internet. It is about 90km (56 miles) on a dirt road and then 60km (37 miles) on a paved road. It takes me about five hours to 93 miles, so only go every few weeks.
Do you have a lot of friends?
There are other Peace Corps volunteer are all great people and I am good friends with a lot of them. Malians are also very, very friendly, so I have many friends in my village. Sometimes I feel like all 1,000 people in my village are my friend!
What is the climate like?
Good question! In Mali, there are three seasons. From March to June, it is the hot season. It is sunny all day and the temperatures get sometimes to over 110 degrees! Then from the end of June until October, it is the rainy season. It rains a lot, and is always cloudy. This makes it very cool, usually in the 80s. This is also when farmers can grow their crops, and they work in the fields all day long during the rainy season. Finally, from November to February, it is the cold season. During the cold season, it will be in the 70s during the day and the 50s at night. It never freezes, though. I can't wait for the cold season!
What do you miss the most?
I miss my family and friends the most. I can't wait to see them when I get back. I also really miss rock climbing and hiking in America. Finally, I miss American food like pizza, tacos and cheesecake!
Have you ever been to Universal Studios?
Of course, I used to go there all the time!
Don't you just love world peace?!
It's my favorite!
Thanks again to Ms McCormick's 5th grade class! Your letters were fantastic, and I hope now you all have a better idea of what Mali is like.
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