Who knew that Mali, Africa was so far away? I'll be short since there are only 4 computers between 80 people. Friday, we started with a 7 some hour plane ride from Philly to Paris CDG. Since we had an 8 hour layover, we actually checked into hotel rooms to get a bit of sleep, and then back to the airport at evening for a 5 some hour flight to Bamako.

At about 10 pm we landed in Bamako, where it was 29 C. Thats about 95 F for everyone stateside. And it had rained earlier in the day, so it was humid.

Then we loaded into vans and made the 40 minute drive to the training site, Tubani So, which means "peace of the doves" in Bamabara. We're sleeping about 3 people to a mud hut. Today we start the Bambara classes (all day), and as a break, head over to the health building to get 3 more vaccinations (we received 3 in philly).

We're staying here at Tubani So until the middle of the week, after which we'll each move to our homestays to continue language and cultural training--a Language and Cultural trainer (LCT) comes to the village to perform language instruction during the day. Then we live and work with our Malian families to immediately use whatever local language (and french) we must use.

I don't really think any of this can be completely conveyed without photos. And yes, we're all really that insane.