A Very Good Day.

- - - - - - - - I WILL HAVE LOTS OF PICTURES WHEN MY DAD GETS HIS ACT TOGETHER! - - - - - - - -

Today I really got comfortable with Mali, well in a sorts. It was a long day, so I’ll start from the beginning.

Leaving the hotel room late (with my dad; it was inevitable) we didn’t have time for breakfast so I had to dive-bomb my way into a reception and take some croissants and tea and then we were off!

This morning we went with my mom and her board (IDRC) to find out about problems and issues dealing with traditional and conventional medicine. First, we went up into a higher part of Bamako and went to a small and poor(er) village, and through two translators, heard about how they dry the herbs and treat people. It’s nothing professional… more like grassroots (hahaha) medicine. Then we went to a hospital and talked to them about how they deal with illnesses and how they train doctors. They also use the roots and herbs, except they grind them up and package them. Finally, we went to an actual research center, 1 of 5 (the others are in Madagascar, Ghana, and Nigeria), where they tested the plants with all sorts of junk that you find in the chem. room. And it occurred to me then, -- What TJ Is For--.

This is what tj is trying to do. They are trying to show us how we take a problem, like health in a poor city, and address it, and work with different groups of people and *collaborate*, and study things in the lab, and organize them, and redistribute, and write reports. All while speaking a different language. If I had known that I could ACTUALLY apply all the stuff we learn in school to REAL LIFE, I would’ve started focusing in math long ago. I wish this is what school was. I wish that the first half of the day we learned stuff and the second half of the day, we actually did stuff that was important, or at least relevant in the real world. As it is, 8th period is like, the ghost of this. It’s like what’s left of something that was maybe trying to be more important, but failed—miserably.

Lunch was good. I really like bread :0) I tried a drink called citronelle, which is like lemon grass tea and it’s something only from Mali (or West Africa…I dunno, but either way) it was really good. Then we walked around the hotel we were eating at, Hotel Rabelais and it was so pretty on the inside. It made you feel like you were near the beach even though we weren’t. That’s exactly what I want my house to feel like and I decided maybe I won’t live in the US at all. I love the cinderblocks with the patterns cut out that are painted white. And the blue stucco walls and white tile floors. And the palm trees and lounge chairs on bricks and pool side bars. It’s tres fabulous! So we kept walking and bought some jewelry and I tried to talk to some parrots but they didn’t really like me :(

Next, we drove to this photography center for kids. We met the director and my dad and him got to talking and now by dad’s going to try to help him (with something) and I’m glad my dad has found something worthwhile to spend his time doing (or I hope that’s what he’ll do). It’s funny how you meet people when you had no idea that they even existed, and before you know it, it seems like you’ve known each other all along. Or that there’s no possible way you COULDN’T’VE met. So. I hope my dad can help, and that it doesn’t turn into one of those things where you mean to do something really meaningful (because it gives the kids a sense of independence and freedom [from their parents] and purpose) and then it just sort of dwindles and both people feel crappy about it.

Right. So then we drove around A LOT. I must admit, I like the attention of looking like I’m not from here. My dad ate a cola nut, which is like his new favorite snack I suppose. It’s what coca-cola’s made from and it has caffeine in it. I was too afraid of dying so I didn’t eat any :) We also saw some dancers at this open pavilion (?) and they were way better than anything Will or Jasmine or I could do (haha at least they were more African than we could ever be).

I’m so happy we came here and I wish everyone could, so they could see that Africa is not a country. The people are poor, but that’s just fiscal details. It’s not like one of those “save the children” ads (well, at least Bamako isn’t) where that old white guy is making you feel very rich, very bad, and very antichrist all at the same time. It’s a really colorful and alive place. It’s definitely way more alive than anyplace *anyplace* at home. Especially because people walk, ride motorbikes, and drive—and it’s all equally distributed. Traffic is kind of crazy. If I drove here, I’d probably take down quite a few people. But it’s cool too because there doesn’t seem to be too many rules. This one biker was on the wrong side of the road, and he was fighting with a driver, and maybe some place in the US they would’ve shot each other by then, but our driver was telling us that people here are really peaceful and I’m glad of that. I’m glad that I’m here and I can tell stupid-ass people what Africa (as a vague and general blob) is like. And that it’s not a vague general blob. And in fact, lol, I’ll have SO much more credibility in arguments. This is great!

So, so ends the day. We’re going to eat Thai food (I hope I don’t die…I’ve never had Malian Thai food.) and then I’m going to collapse on my bed and fall asleep to the calypso of breeze that is Mali (hahahahaha I don’t even sleep with the window open).

C’est bon!