"Kathy in Mali" Quiz Answers...

1. My original Malian name was: Kadijatu Traoré. It was the name of the grandma in my first host family. I was originally sent to a small village, Tamala, to learn Bambara during training. But in the middle of the second day, Peace Corps showed up to tell me that they'd mistakenly placed me there and I'd have to move villages to Banankoro. That was probably my worst day in Peace Corps (I cried...I'd only been in Mali for a week and was pondering going home. Glad I didn't! Thanks to Mom and Dad for talking some courage into me over the phone!). So I moved to Banankoro and joined the Samaké family, and got the name Djeneba after my kid sister.
2. My favorite fruit here in Mali is: Guavas. I love guavas! They are only here for a month or so in the rainy season, but they're so good. Mangos are good, too (mango season's just beginning here -- it coincides with hot season).
3. I've eaten all the following in Mali EXCEPT: dog. There are some communities that eat dogs and cats, but fortunately I don't live in one of those! Although I might now choose dog over sheep brains (did I mention it was cold sheep brains?? Yuck).
4. Malians have shouted out the following names at me EXCEPT: "Red Chinese!" That actually was a name that my friend Louie was called by his villagers last hot season. Apparently there were a lot of Chinese workers building a road or something near his village, so all foreigners became "Chinese!" (despite the fact that Louie is a blue-eyed farm boy from South Dakota). I think the "Red" part was added because he either was sunburned or had heat rash (or both). My favorite name so far has definitely been "Bicycle Chief" (or "Négaso Tigi" as they yell it in Bambara). I get it quite a bit, and it always makes me laugh.
5. I was once stopped by the police while biking because of: going the wrong way down a one-way street. Of course, I was the only one stopped (there were guys on motos doing the same...road rules aren't exactly followed over here). So I guess I was also stopped in part because of my skin color. Luckily, I talked my way out of a bribe.
6. When a baby peed on me, the women told me it was a sign that: I would get married soon. But they also bring up marriage as often as they can, so I'm not sure if that's a common belief. I also had one friend who was told, after a lizard fell out of a tree and landed on her head, it was a sign she was pregnant!

That's all for now! Take care! :-)