Well, V-Day certainly isn't a big deal around here, but we are having a 
celebration tonight.  Once again I'm in Bamako, which is really an anomaly 
here in Mali since it's a city of 1.5 million in a country that has no other 
population centers with more than 60,000 people.  Anyways, on to the most 
exciting news:  I got my site assignment!  I'm going to Sheouba, a town of 
2,000 people on the highway south of Sikasso.  It's the "Mango Capital of 
Mali" because mangos start growing there 2 months earlier than the rest of 
the country, and it's got trees everywhere and fruit for sale at the 
equivalent of one cent each in American money.  I'm only 7 kilometers from a 
waterfall and I'm also close to some scenic cliffs.  The people in this 
town, which I go to visit for the first time next week, are apparently quite 
willing to work with Peace Corps volunteers.  The only negative news I've 
heard is that there was a community women's garden there built with Peace 
Corps aid that the men in the town destroyed because they didn't want the 
women to have something they could run on their own.  The only other 
volunteer that Sheouba has had was female, so it will be interesting to hear 
from her about how she was treated and see how her experiences compare with 
what I will deal with.  Oh yeah, one more thing:  I'll have my own kitchen, 
and my region has more vegetables than the rest of Mali, so I will be able 
to eat much better than I'd thought.  Also, my house is apparently 
beautifully decorated and one of the larger Peace Corps houses, so I'll be 
quite prepared to accomadate those with an inclination for an African 
adventure (hint, hint.)  The predominant local language, though, will be 
difficult, because it's Senoufo, a tonal language in which the phrase for 
'your mother is beautiful' sounds almost exactly like 'your cow is 
beautiful' and so on.  Fortunately most people also speak Bambara, the 
language spoken by most Malians since the Bambara ethnic group comprises 73% 
of the population.  Still, even my Bambara is going to require major work 
before I'm actually ready to start communicating with the folks that are 
working on the projects that I introduce.  I barely know how to say enough 
to shop at the market, let alone direct gardening and animal housebandry 
projects and teach soil conservation and all the rest.  Still, with less 
than 4 weeks in Mali behind me, it's too early to start worrying about that.
     Let's see, what else:  I've having my best friend in our group, Thor, 
buy a few things for me at the market, including fabric for a men's 
gown-like garment called a Bubu.  A bubu with nice fabric is sort of like 
the Malian equivalent to an Armani suit.  I'm getting in fine shape from 
working in the garden during the day, going for long walks, doing Yoga, 
playing sports and riding my bike to and from Samanko.  I'll be TOTALLY 
RIPPED within a few months.  I might even be able to pull off a 90% or so 
vegetarian diet, since one of the agricultural projects that we can 
undertake is to start growing a crop of soybeans.  I just saw a documentary 
on the diverse traditions of Malian music  yesterday at the training center; 
there is everything from a large metal Xylophone-like thing to a stringed 
instrument that's like a hammered dulcimer that you hammer with your thumbs. 
  And then, of course, there's the drums: I've really take to West 
African-style dancing since there are no actual steps, just the rhythm that 
OWNS you if you start moving to it.
     You know, in a way living here is like extended camping: you can sleep 
under the stars whenever you want, you're always surrounded by grassland and 
animals, and of course there's the outdoor latrines (called Nyegens here.)  
The heat is starting to get truly intense, and it's not even technically 
'hot season' yet.  Apparently hot season is the best time to get reading 
done and to learn and instrument and such, because it's too hot to farm or 
do physical work and most volunteers spend those 2 months of the year curled 
up safely inside their huts with a LONG book in hand.  When I got on the 
plane in Philadelphia, I thought I had brought too many books, but now I 
don't know if I'll have enough.  At least where I'm going, down South, is 
far milder than the Sahara regions up North (apparently Kidal region in the 
NE is the Malian Siberia: for many years during this country's experiment 
with communism you were only sent there for crimes and you would be left 
there to starve.)  It's actually amazing that most Malians are as friendly 
and laid-back as they tend to be, given all the difficulties they've faced 
and the fact that they inhabit the world's 3rd-poorest country.
     Anyways, in other news, we got to hear Jimmy Carter speak to us and a 
Malian crowd and some USAID employees.  His knowledge of West Africa was 
quite impressive, and apparently he's been here before back in the 70's.  I 
just really have to respect anyone who is still travelling the world trying 
to live life to the fullest and help out in any way he can, especially at 
the age of 87.  He was also someone who clearly had a genuine interest in 
the Peace Corps and what it does, given his own humanitarian sentiments and 
his mother and son's involvement with the organization.  He's definately one 
heck of an ex-President.  :)
     Well, that's about it for this week's update.  I'll have much more to 
say after my week-long visit to Sheouba.  Stay in touch, peace and be happy, 
and don't do anything I wouldn't do (not that this would really limit you at 
all, hehe.)

     With love,
     -Eric