Day One (7.12.08)

So what can you buy with $4,000? A home theater? A lifetime supply of Snickers bars? A one-way trip to Bamako? I opted for the last option and the U.S. Government was kind enough to pick up the tab. I left Escanaba on the 7th, almost missing my connecting flight to Philadelphia where we spent a couple orientation days in the Historic District. The bus then took 77 of us to JFK where we flew to Paris and then on to Bamako. The journey was over 7,000 miles in all. It took almost 30 hours to just to get from Philadelphia to Tubani So, our training site (just outside Bamako on the Niger).

We are staying in round huts with thatched roofs for the first few days and will be relocated to our host families on the 15th. I did attach a picture that shows an example of our bathroom facilities, recently upgraded to include a shower. Nobody seems to have had a problem with them yet, but that might change when Mr. D. decides to show up. Food has been good so far; the staff here is doing a good job of easing the transition. We start eating with our hands in a couple days. The weather also takes getting used to. My watch told me it was around 34 much of the day. This is the rainy season where the temperatures are moderate but humidity is high, making our business-casual attire that much less comfortable. The cold and a hot season are yet to come.

We started culture training classes and as expected, many customs are very different from those I am used to. Unless in a bigger city, every person is to be greeted at least with a hello. If a longer greeting is appropriate, a firm handshake is viewed as aggressive and the soft grip is held for an incredibly long time. Looking someone in the eyes while shaking their hand can be offensive.

Anyway, just wanted to let y'all know I made it without any problems. Amazingly all of our luggage made it through. I have only been here 24 hours so I can't offer much more than a couple pictures, but more updates are sure to come. I would love to hear back from ya! The address below will be good until September 12 (airmail will probably take 3-4 weeks) and email should be somewhat regular until then.