Merry Christmas everyone! Hope yours was full of love and fun!
My Christmas was pretty great. I spent Christmas eve day baking up a storm. Started with caramel apple pancakes, then i made sugar cookies to give out as gifts to friends, next i made pizza with friends for dinner (continuing the bailey tradition), and finally i made chocolate peanut butter cookies.
Thomas and I spent the evening together on Skype and AIM opening presents and being together. It was lovely. I got him Cloverfiield on Blue-ray and i downloaded it to my computer so we both watched it at the same time and got to talk over AIM while we watched! It was almost like being in the same room! We even made cocoa together (i know i know you are gagging on the cuteness).
Christmas morning I spent with friends at a champagne breakfast, then i moved on to the Deputy Ambassador's house for a fabulous lunch. Finally, I ended the day with friends again watching a movie.
All in all a great holiday. Hope yours was full of love and happiness!
I'll post pictures soon :) Miss you!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
I'll be Home for Christmas if only in my Dreams
I haven't forgotten about you faithful few who read this. I'm just fairly boring these days.
I listen to a lot of Christmas music, read, exercise, talk to neighbors, and teach a couple days a week. That's about it. And I figure you've heard enough about all that.
To be honest, I've heard enough about all that. I'm getting rather tired of waiting for school to start. We're hoping for January, but with strikes and general Malian systems it's hard to say if that will happen.
Can I just say that Development work is frustrating and nothing like I imagined.
I listen to a lot of Christmas music, read, exercise, talk to neighbors, and teach a couple days a week. That's about it. And I figure you've heard enough about all that.
To be honest, I've heard enough about all that. I'm getting rather tired of waiting for school to start. We're hoping for January, but with strikes and general Malian systems it's hard to say if that will happen.
Can I just say that Development work is frustrating and nothing like I imagined.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Merry Tabaski!
Yesterday was the Muslim festival Tabaski. Tabaski is probably the most important day in Islam. It celebrates the day Abraham took Ishmael (note this is where the major split between Islam and the Jewish/Christian tradition happens) to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him. God spares Ishmael though by providing a ram.
So what do we do on Tabaski? We eat a lot of sheep. I probably ate my weight in sheep. My friend Racy was gracious enough to let me tag along with her to attend two parties. The first was a traditional Malian fete. They killed FIVE sheep. Our first course was the liver and heart, and, i'll be honest, it was my favorite thing i ate all day. It was soooo (surprisingly) good. Then we followed that up with sheep meat galore with some fonio (some sort of grainish thing that's like cous cous).
After that party we went to the head of the Millenium Challange Corporation (google it) and had a nice dinner there. It was mostly americans and embassy folk (even the Deputy Chief of Missions was there). It was lovely and the food was delicious, but I was still full. I did, however, indulge in a large bowl of fruit and some orange juice.
There are a couple pictures floating about, but they weren't on my camera, if i can locate them I will put them up and let you know.
So Happy Tabaski even if it is a Heathen holiday ;) bwhahahahahaha!
Gypsy on!
So what do we do on Tabaski? We eat a lot of sheep. I probably ate my weight in sheep. My friend Racy was gracious enough to let me tag along with her to attend two parties. The first was a traditional Malian fete. They killed FIVE sheep. Our first course was the liver and heart, and, i'll be honest, it was my favorite thing i ate all day. It was soooo (surprisingly) good. Then we followed that up with sheep meat galore with some fonio (some sort of grainish thing that's like cous cous).
After that party we went to the head of the Millenium Challange Corporation (google it) and had a nice dinner there. It was mostly americans and embassy folk (even the Deputy Chief of Missions was there). It was lovely and the food was delicious, but I was still full. I did, however, indulge in a large bowl of fruit and some orange juice.
There are a couple pictures floating about, but they weren't on my camera, if i can locate them I will put them up and let you know.
So Happy Tabaski even if it is a Heathen holiday ;) bwhahahahahaha!
Gypsy on!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
All I Want for Christmas
Phoebe had 3 babies! It was a serious endeavour which I observed with fascination and a bit of disgust. But now that they are licked clean, they're pretty dang cute. The gray and white one is my favorite. See them here
Here is my Christmas List:
1. Thomas to appear under my little tree (thanks for sending one momma and daddy) ... (oh i mean thanks for sending a tree, not a thomas lol)
2. A box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch
3. A decent amount of iron in my blood
4. A new blanket, it's flippin cold here...60 is the new 30 when you are used to 100.
5. Hot shower. Scratch that, Hot Bath.
6. A night out in the ragin city of Agoura Hills with my beloved. Maybe some Mongolian BBQ followed by a rented movie and chocolate chip cookies with ice cream on the couch. Okay so that's mostly a night in, but still...i like being home.
7. A complete and full understanding of both Bambara and French
8. A hug from my mommy
9. One day in Pioneer Place. Yes I hate shopping, but I love Christmastime at the mall.
10. An engagement ring. I mean what? tee hee. Delivered by #1 please.
11. A calorie free, yet equally tasty, form of peanut butter, chocolate, and ice cream...on the double!
12. A kiss from my nephew
13. A hoody
14. A new pair of tennis shoes
15. A pumice stone
16. An automated retractable mosquito net. The stupid thing is annoying to put up and down up and down.
17. Books, DVD's and DVD's of TV shows. I have a lot of time to kill.
18. Christmas dinner with everyone. yes everyone, if you read this then it probably means you too. unless you are a creeper, then you are not included.
Hmm that's all i can think of now. To be honest the things I REALLY want for christmas all revolve around spending time with people i miss. Somedays I wonder why I left all the goodness i had to come to this crazy upside down place. It is comforting to know that things I miss aren't things at all, they're people...and the occasional chinese, mexican, or italian dish.
Loves you guys
gypsy on
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Updates
Hey everyone
I've been neglecting you. Deepest apologies.
About two weeks ago I went on a Bike Tour from the regional capital of Koulikoro to a village called Banamba (I think that's spelled right). Twelve of us PCV's and 2 Malian friends biked from village to village doing skits and informational sessions on HIV/AIDS awareness as well as spreading the spirit of Global Entrepeneurship Week. Small Business Development is a major focus of Peace Corps Mali, and we spent time with Malian Youth helping them realize the oppurtunities for new businesses in their country. We also tried to bring up topics as simple as accounting and expenditure tracking within existing businesses (apparently many Malian business don't even do simple accounting).
I had a great time working on my Bambara and learning what it is like to live in "en Brusse" in Mali (en Brusse means in the bush). One village we went to even threw us a big party with traditional African dancing complete with scary masks and a person pretending to be a gorilla, very national geographic-esque. I will get pics up soon.
I can't hardly believe it's already december! I received several packages from my parents full of chistmas happiness and now my room smells and looks like christmas. It really lifted my spirits! I'm so blessed to have such great family!
Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the bustle of the holiday season! I sure miss it!
Eat Taco Bell for me and then tell me how good it was.
Gypsy On!
I've been neglecting you. Deepest apologies.
About two weeks ago I went on a Bike Tour from the regional capital of Koulikoro to a village called Banamba (I think that's spelled right). Twelve of us PCV's and 2 Malian friends biked from village to village doing skits and informational sessions on HIV/AIDS awareness as well as spreading the spirit of Global Entrepeneurship Week. Small Business Development is a major focus of Peace Corps Mali, and we spent time with Malian Youth helping them realize the oppurtunities for new businesses in their country. We also tried to bring up topics as simple as accounting and expenditure tracking within existing businesses (apparently many Malian business don't even do simple accounting).
I had a great time working on my Bambara and learning what it is like to live in "en Brusse" in Mali (en Brusse means in the bush). One village we went to even threw us a big party with traditional African dancing complete with scary masks and a person pretending to be a gorilla, very national geographic-esque. I will get pics up soon.
I can't hardly believe it's already december! I received several packages from my parents full of chistmas happiness and now my room smells and looks like christmas. It really lifted my spirits! I'm so blessed to have such great family!
Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the bustle of the holiday season! I sure miss it!
Eat Taco Bell for me and then tell me how good it was.
Gypsy On!
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