ok. big news. do not be alarmed, but, i decided to take my nose ring out. i know i know, i can feel myself transforming already.
in other, less interesting news, all is very good. a lot has happened since the last time i wrote and it really feels like i have been gone for a month, i cannot imagine what it will be like after 4 here. After a beautiful two day stay in the village of Siby, about an hour from Bamako, we moved into our homestays. Siby was very peaceful, less mobile dust caused by cars, fewer people asking "ca va?", really kind people with whom we used our three lessons worth of Bambara. With a group of girls, we found a woman who spoke some French, who had taken it upon herself to start a daycare/early education facility for children from about 3-5. We were welcomed into the little hut which housed about 13 adorable kids smiling and using the few words they knew in French to communicate with us. The teacher showed us that she had been teaching them how to write the alphabet, that day, it was 'i'. One by one they got up to write the letter on a chalkboard, three-year olds!
So the homestay is great. Last weekend when we were dropped off it was pretty intense. My family does speak french, in varying levels, but alas I am living with a porcelain hole for a toilet and a bucket shower(in the same room outdoors). I have showered with my first cockroaches, and I feel pretty awesome about it. I already feel used to it, and its really not even that big of a deal because at school here we have toilets and toilet paper. My family is really nice, I especially like the three brothers, all very inclusive and protective, all quite willing to engage in very interesting conversations ranging from their religion (in which they are thoroughly involved) to my religion, to language education and reform in Mali, to my thoughts on missing my loved ones at home. It's difficult sometimes because they do not speak to each other in neither french nor bambara, but bosso (sp), the old disappearing language of their particular ethnicity.
They feed me a lot of food, sometimes I get two dinners, a full plate of rice and then on top of that some pasta, so I definitely get really full. I try to buy bananas and other fruits, fill up on vegetables at lunch at school to stay healthy, i think it'll be okay.
Its hot, but only bothers me when trying to fall asleep, and focus in our 7th and 8th hours of class. Class is...sometimes interesting. They do mostly the french system of teaching which is... lecture. We had a great guy yesterday tell us about the development of the education system here, and he was really engaging and animated, willing to take questions and ask students for their opinions. NExt week we really start with the gender stuff so that, hopefully, will be more interesting.
The group is great we've gone "out" a few times; i really lucked out with some super friendly and intelligent people. It's really good to have others to relate to, to learn about other family lives here so as not to make the assumption that "my family IS the Malien family", we're definitely supporting each other and it's very impressive to see that with people who have known one another for a mere txo weeks, AH!

alright. i love you all. i hope this did not bore you...i am very happy here, i miss America like you wouldn't believe, but i know that i need this. hey if you wanna use skype and call my celly to say hello ever, hit me up at 22378112863 and whatever you have to do to get out of the US, maybe 001?

gros bisous! A bientot!