Merry Christmas

This morning as I was biking to Koutiala with Merv, I had what Merv said she thought was a thought specific to Mali and a limited range of other places: "I wish I hadn't eaten that sheep brain for breakfast." I didn't know that's what it was when I ate it, and I suppose in the grand scheme of things eating sheep brain is no big deal, but still. Sometimes here in Mali I can't help myself from taking a step back and scratching my head over the general state of my life.

So. Sheep brains. This singular event followed three days of feating and general festivity for Tabaski, the Islamic holiday that comes two months after Ramadan. On the day of Tabaski (or Seliba, in Bambara), each family is supposed to slaughter a sheep, I gather in tribute to the Biblical story of Abraham, who was asked to slaughter his child but God intervened at the last moment and had him slaughter a sheep instead. Slaughter a sheep we did (see pictures below). My host father, Drissa, cut its throat, and my host brother Moussa along with Sinali, Massa, and Amadou, skinned it. We then spent most of the morning eating large amounts of meat and playing with some of the gifts I had given the children (thanks to my mother, who sent them from Ameriki).

The day of Seliba itself and the two days after, I went around and visited some of the neighborhood people- Seliba afternoon at my Bambara tutor Safiyatou's compound, and then over to my homologue Dao's place, and the day after I made it to the house of Jean Bosco Berthe, a retired technician from the agricultural research center down the road who I hadn't talked to much yet (he gave me a chicken), and also to the house of Korotimi, the wife of the director of IRCT, who is friends with my host family. That one was interesting, since I went with Jelika by donkey cart, which I had never done before. Friday I also made a trip to N'Tarla, a village about 7 km away from Ferme, to meet with the dugitigi (chief) there and discuss the possibility of working with their community. In the next few weeks I'll be going around with Dao to five other village to meet with other dugutigis. This one, with Souleymane Malle, went pretty well (and I scored a hunk of sheep meat off that meeting!).

Yesterday I went to M'Pessoba and hung out with the other volunteers for a while then went back home to hang out with Adiaratou for a while. Which brings me to now. Just got into Koutiala. It was a hard bike ride because my stomach wasn't liking the sheep's brain too much and in general I think feasting for the past few weeks hasn't put me in the best shape for a 25 mile bike ride. But I survived, and I think my digestive system has as well.

Merry Christmas, everyone!