On our second full day in Mali, we learned significant issues related to the Malian media, including that the papers do not separate their editorials from their news; the reporters' opinions are mixed with the story itself. Definitely a topic for the sessions in Oklahoma in July.
The information sessions today with the Mali Ministry of Communication were quite informative (that's where we learned more about the issue above). The director of publicity indicated he knew of no American-trained journalist in the country of Mali. Will that change as a result of this program?
We also have a better understanding of the impact of radio and its setup in Mali. Our visit to two radio stations late this afternoon showed us how committed these journalists are to providing information to their listeners. At Radio Bamako, stacks of 33 rpm albums are just the first indication of the outdated technology used to get the station's messages to the people. The cassette decks look like the ones we used in the '80s in college. Back to the 33s: the station director indicated the "older" listeners like the "old music." At least he knows his audience! Since I grew up with 45s and my Mom's 33s, does that mean I'm old? I'll have to ponder than more.
The people of Mali are friendly and genuinely seem to want to help others. They also want you to help them by buying their wares or giving them money. I still can't help being attracted to the children. In the dirt, dust, trash (which is bad, especially on top of the hills overlooking Bamako), and noise, the children play soccer, peak shyly from around their mothers' skirts, and smile when they want you to take their picture.
Believe it or not, we ate pizza today. Twice!
Ou revoir!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Bulb's are blooming in Mali just as they are in Oklahoma!
Although the bulb might be different, there are certainly some similarities to the developing democracy in Mali with the wonderful spring blooms happening back in Oklahoma. Our day took us through major parts of the city of Bamako. If you merely stare at the desolate housing and shops, you can quickly lose sight of the beauty of this budding democracy, its people.
Every one we have had contact with while in Mali have been respectful and polite. Even at the airport when we first arrived yesterday, the mania that ensued to get our luggage and get out the door was just plain madness. People everywhere with carts seeking to help. It truly was a miracle we made it out of the airport door with all our belongings. Once outside, we began "the walk." The rush of warm Malian air almost took me back as I took my first step. Step two required me to cough a few times as I inhaled Malian dust for the first time. Yes, it is dusty here. By the end of a day it looks like thick fog engulfing the city. As we approach the end of the sidewalk there are many people waiting. My first thought was that they were waiting for family or friends. I quickly realized their mission was much different. As we neared the end of the sidewalk, I heard many saying "Americans, Americans, Teobobu (Bambara for white person) Teobobu." An alley quickly formed as the masses spread for our walk to the taxi. Once in the alley, we were asked, nudged, encouraged, begged to allow them to help in any way they could. All of them!! They followed us to our vehicle. Our interpreter, Assoumane, worked hard to push them away, but they came from every angle. At first sight, this was overwhelming. However, in hindsight it was merely a way of life for society members in one of the poorest countries in the world. We quickly loaded into a taxi and motored down the road toward the city (leaving behind some luggage, two team members and our coordinator because not everyone would fit on the first trip). Of course, I will have to let Jeremiah or Jim blog about their experience and the flat tire story!
Today, we met with Stephanie Syptak, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Embassy in Mali. "Welcome to Mali" she said as she started her conversation with us. It was an honor to hear her share important information about the culture and social makeup of Mali.
Later in the day, we had an opportunity to take a taxi downtown to a market. This ride provided probably the most visual perspective of this country. Again, however, looking past the desolate architecture and landscape, you quickly see the beautiful people dressed in richly colored attire working and playing and socializing with each other.
Today was just the first of many positive experiences we will have while in Mali. We have a lot to learn and a lot to share as we move forward with this project. I am so excited about tomorrow, I find it hard to stop writing this blog. However, the time has come that I must stop and get some sleep as morning will come all too soon (it is now midnight in Bamako, 7 p.m. for those of you in Oklahoma who are struggling to get the kids ready for baths and bedtime).
I ni wonla!
Bonjour!
Goodnight!
Every one we have had contact with while in Mali have been respectful and polite. Even at the airport when we first arrived yesterday, the mania that ensued to get our luggage and get out the door was just plain madness. People everywhere with carts seeking to help. It truly was a miracle we made it out of the airport door with all our belongings. Once outside, we began "the walk." The rush of warm Malian air almost took me back as I took my first step. Step two required me to cough a few times as I inhaled Malian dust for the first time. Yes, it is dusty here. By the end of a day it looks like thick fog engulfing the city. As we approach the end of the sidewalk there are many people waiting. My first thought was that they were waiting for family or friends. I quickly realized their mission was much different. As we neared the end of the sidewalk, I heard many saying "Americans, Americans, Teobobu (Bambara for white person) Teobobu." An alley quickly formed as the masses spread for our walk to the taxi. Once in the alley, we were asked, nudged, encouraged, begged to allow them to help in any way they could. All of them!! They followed us to our vehicle. Our interpreter, Assoumane, worked hard to push them away, but they came from every angle. At first sight, this was overwhelming. However, in hindsight it was merely a way of life for society members in one of the poorest countries in the world. We quickly loaded into a taxi and motored down the road toward the city (leaving behind some luggage, two team members and our coordinator because not everyone would fit on the first trip). Of course, I will have to let Jeremiah or Jim blog about their experience and the flat tire story!
Today, we met with Stephanie Syptak, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Embassy in Mali. "Welcome to Mali" she said as she started her conversation with us. It was an honor to hear her share important information about the culture and social makeup of Mali.
Later in the day, we had an opportunity to take a taxi downtown to a market. This ride provided probably the most visual perspective of this country. Again, however, looking past the desolate architecture and landscape, you quickly see the beautiful people dressed in richly colored attire working and playing and socializing with each other.
Today was just the first of many positive experiences we will have while in Mali. We have a lot to learn and a lot to share as we move forward with this project. I am so excited about tomorrow, I find it hard to stop writing this blog. However, the time has come that I must stop and get some sleep as morning will come all too soon (it is now midnight in Bamako, 7 p.m. for those of you in Oklahoma who are struggling to get the kids ready for baths and bedtime).
I ni wonla!
Bonjour!
Goodnight!
Daily journal of Terry Clark—in Mali—these are reflections of our first Democracy lives and poverty abounds
Our questions are why and how? There is a who, what, when and where, but why and how?
We start getting answers from the public affairs officer and info specialist
The dust hangs in the air, as does the heat
The embassy PAO is from Texas; she asks if this is first trip to sub-Sahara, and when we say yes, she just laughs….a lot—what an omen
I see many similarities with American media—she talks about freedom is here, but there are questions about responsibility
“When you get past the dirt and the poverty, you see the color and hard work and laughter and warmth”
Chinese fabric comes here and the people make garmets: does Oklahoma cotton go to China to come here in fabric?
This isn’t the hot season—the hot seaqson is April-May, 46 to 48 degrees C
Story ideas galore—ag is at basis of a poor country—how different from USA—yet America is based on iterate ag basis—is this just three centuries behind—America survived with luck and isolation—Mali is indeed isolated, will it survive? They have more history than we do
Mali is a success in governance and democracy wen you consider the situation—in the economic and political region. A society where you can speak your mind, don’t resort to violence to solve issues—due to leadership
Quote4 from PAO person—they are jealous of democracy
Our guide A says when asked if the people have certain time of day to sing national anthem, etc., that no, they have been under dictatorship and they don’t like mandated ceremonies—what would they think of the lpledge of allegience?
It seems to me that the terms “No Sweat” would never be used here—although I don’t see the native sweating under the hot sun
We are the minorities here—everybody is a minority somewhere—it is good to be a minority—it opens your eyes
The swimming pool is brim full—a metaphor for the people—and the land—so much here—a surprise in West Africa—Democracy in the desert—a product they market.
PAO says it is a model to their neighbors—but if neighbors are not democracies—what do they really think and are they threats?
Economy is so bad here, that law school grads go to work for low paying radio just to have jobs.
“This is a lab for democracy—to what it grow—and to water and nurture.”
We are trying to help cultivate it.”
This is a backwater, it is poor, landlocked, but a Democracy. Why and how.
There are no American newspapers here, I don’t know the news there—What do Americans see and think (Other than Fox), therefore I’m isolated from my country and part of the world. So Americans are isolated from the rest of the the world, and have no idea about here? Is that dangerous? Are we becoming more provincial even as media is more digital and global, but we narrow our views?
Maybe Mali’s isolation will allow it to develop as our isolation once did. Does it feel isolated? Does it care?
This country raises a lot of questions. Therefore, there are more stories than we can count—we saw a few today in a visual overload.
Terry Clark
We start getting answers from the public affairs officer and info specialist
The dust hangs in the air, as does the heat
The embassy PAO is from Texas; she asks if this is first trip to sub-Sahara, and when we say yes, she just laughs….a lot—what an omen
I see many similarities with American media—she talks about freedom is here, but there are questions about responsibility
“When you get past the dirt and the poverty, you see the color and hard work and laughter and warmth”
Chinese fabric comes here and the people make garmets: does Oklahoma cotton go to China to come here in fabric?
This isn’t the hot season—the hot seaqson is April-May, 46 to 48 degrees C
Story ideas galore—ag is at basis of a poor country—how different from USA—yet America is based on iterate ag basis—is this just three centuries behind—America survived with luck and isolation—Mali is indeed isolated, will it survive? They have more history than we do
Mali is a success in governance and democracy wen you consider the situation—in the economic and political region. A society where you can speak your mind, don’t resort to violence to solve issues—due to leadership
Quote4 from PAO person—they are jealous of democracy
Our guide A says when asked if the people have certain time of day to sing national anthem, etc., that no, they have been under dictatorship and they don’t like mandated ceremonies—what would they think of the lpledge of allegience?
It seems to me that the terms “No Sweat” would never be used here—although I don’t see the native sweating under the hot sun
We are the minorities here—everybody is a minority somewhere—it is good to be a minority—it opens your eyes
The swimming pool is brim full—a metaphor for the people—and the land—so much here—a surprise in West Africa—Democracy in the desert—a product they market.
PAO says it is a model to their neighbors—but if neighbors are not democracies—what do they really think and are they threats?
Economy is so bad here, that law school grads go to work for low paying radio just to have jobs.
“This is a lab for democracy—to what it grow—and to water and nurture.”
We are trying to help cultivate it.”
This is a backwater, it is poor, landlocked, but a Democracy. Why and how.
There are no American newspapers here, I don’t know the news there—What do Americans see and think (Other than Fox), therefore I’m isolated from my country and part of the world. So Americans are isolated from the rest of the the world, and have no idea about here? Is that dangerous? Are we becoming more provincial even as media is more digital and global, but we narrow our views?
Maybe Mali’s isolation will allow it to develop as our isolation once did. Does it feel isolated? Does it care?
This country raises a lot of questions. Therefore, there are more stories than we can count—we saw a few today in a visual overload.
Terry Clark
mangoes and such
We've been in Mali for nearly a full day now, and I think we are taking our time to adjust. We spent several hours today talking to a lady from the embassy and our interpreter about what we can expect and ventured out to a grocery store for bottled water. We attempted this evening to leave the hotel for food (I am excited to try some fish porridge, which I understand is the national dish). However, our venture was rather unsuccessful. We walked down the dirt paths next to an extremely busy roadway filled with mopeds and bikes and cars and green taxi vans with no doors.
As we walked toward what we expected to be a rather nice dinner, we passed street vendor after street vendor with their neatly stacked fruits. It's almost as if they live next to the cardboard mats they stack their fruit on. It was the dinner hour and they had very pungent fires burning, which I guess were for food.
We never found the now infamous restaurant. We found the sign for the restaurant but it led us down a very dark path to the Niger River where we found a crumbling white building and a large brush fire. Two men came from the dark bushes as we were leaving, I think it left some members of our team a little spooked, but overall we were still just hungry. Then, we came back to the hotel for our second meal of the day.
Tomorrow, we will start our tours, and I am excited to see more of this amazing city. Oh, I forgot my title. This morning we saw a man picking mangoes outside our hotel room. The Malians eat mangoes like apples (peel and all). After having a mango at lunch, I understand why, they are delicious.
As we walked toward what we expected to be a rather nice dinner, we passed street vendor after street vendor with their neatly stacked fruits. It's almost as if they live next to the cardboard mats they stack their fruit on. It was the dinner hour and they had very pungent fires burning, which I guess were for food.
We never found the now infamous restaurant. We found the sign for the restaurant but it led us down a very dark path to the Niger River where we found a crumbling white building and a large brush fire. Two men came from the dark bushes as we were leaving, I think it left some members of our team a little spooked, but overall we were still just hungry. Then, we came back to the hotel for our second meal of the day.
Tomorrow, we will start our tours, and I am excited to see more of this amazing city. Oh, I forgot my title. This morning we saw a man picking mangoes outside our hotel room. The Malians eat mangoes like apples (peel and all). After having a mango at lunch, I understand why, they are delicious.
"Welcome to Mali!"
... the words of the public affairs officer for the U.S. Embassy in Mali who met with us this afternoon. She shared background information about the media in Mali and the United States role in assistance here.
Food at lunch in the hotel was tasty, different, but tasty. We're going to what is reported to be a "good restaurant" for the evening meal. Should be interesting.
The most eventful part of the day was traveling by van (12 of us in a van designed to haul eight or nine; you thought the OSU vans were crowded on ACT trips!). No air conditioning except opened windows. We ventured with our Malian coordinator to a supermarket. To me it smelled like the Homeland store in Stillwater before the converted it to the Hastings store -- Rob called it the "old grocery store smell." It wasn't much different than our stores; bottled water and pop were fairly inexpensive while non-food items seems a little more expensive than at home. What was EXTREMELY different was the trip and the conditions we saw. Oh, my goodness. I have seen pictures of poverty, but nothing prepared me for this, which probably is not the worst of it. Everyone wants to sell you something. It seemed every inch of sidewalk and building fronts was taken by someone's "store." You name it, I think we saw it. Even the goats -- well, Lora said they were hair sheep -- live in this capital city. There is dirt everywhere, and the sun is hidden in the haze. The brightness is in the clothes of the people, every color imaginable.
What seems always to catch my eye are the children. Many are homeless, living on the streets; some are orphans, while others are just from poor families. How can they enjoy childhood in this situation? They are forced to grow up too quickly, from what I can observe. In spite of this, they are so cute. Maybe as this young democracy can make advancements in the plight of its future leaders. Improved education, required classes beyond sixth grade, would do much to help this country, but where will the money come from?
Food at lunch in the hotel was tasty, different, but tasty. We're going to what is reported to be a "good restaurant" for the evening meal. Should be interesting.
The most eventful part of the day was traveling by van (12 of us in a van designed to haul eight or nine; you thought the OSU vans were crowded on ACT trips!). No air conditioning except opened windows. We ventured with our Malian coordinator to a supermarket. To me it smelled like the Homeland store in Stillwater before the converted it to the Hastings store -- Rob called it the "old grocery store smell." It wasn't much different than our stores; bottled water and pop were fairly inexpensive while non-food items seems a little more expensive than at home. What was EXTREMELY different was the trip and the conditions we saw. Oh, my goodness. I have seen pictures of poverty, but nothing prepared me for this, which probably is not the worst of it. Everyone wants to sell you something. It seemed every inch of sidewalk and building fronts was taken by someone's "store." You name it, I think we saw it. Even the goats -- well, Lora said they were hair sheep -- live in this capital city. There is dirt everywhere, and the sun is hidden in the haze. The brightness is in the clothes of the people, every color imaginable.
What seems always to catch my eye are the children. Many are homeless, living on the streets; some are orphans, while others are just from poor families. How can they enjoy childhood in this situation? They are forced to grow up too quickly, from what I can observe. In spite of this, they are so cute. Maybe as this young democracy can make advancements in the plight of its future leaders. Improved education, required classes beyond sixth grade, would do much to help this country, but where will the money come from?
We're Here!
After nearly 24 hours on airplanes and in airports, we are in Bamako, Mali! And I will never again take clear air for granted. The sky is gray with a yellow cast from the sun; imagine a foggy day with one-mile visibility and you have an idea of how it looks outside our room window. The air smells like wood smoke (and so does the room, if you don't have the air conditioning on). The room is quite clean, and hey, it has WiFi! Awesome! The beds are FIRM foam, but they sure beat sleeping on the airplane.
I have decided AirFrance has the best airline food I've ever tasted. Speaking of planes, when we arrived last night in Bamako (pronounced Bomb a ko; rhymes with go), we discovered armed military servicemen all along the path from the plane to the terminal. It may be a democracy in Mali, but it is not like being in the USA. I did notice tribal-like crafts, quite primitive at the least, used to "decorate" the drab airport terminal; the American marketing people would not be impressed, but I was by the efforts to improve the surrounding.
I am excited about what today will hold for us. This is the opportunity of a lifetime!
I have decided AirFrance has the best airline food I've ever tasted. Speaking of planes, when we arrived last night in Bamako (pronounced Bomb a ko; rhymes with go), we discovered armed military servicemen all along the path from the plane to the terminal. It may be a democracy in Mali, but it is not like being in the USA. I did notice tribal-like crafts, quite primitive at the least, used to "decorate" the drab airport terminal; the American marketing people would not be impressed, but I was by the efforts to improve the surrounding.
I am excited about what today will hold for us. This is the opportunity of a lifetime!
Friday, March 9, 2007
Getting Ready to Travel
Wow! We leave in four days! After all the shots, medications, forms and meetings, the day is nearly here. Having never traveled beyond the continent of North America, I am experiencing a tremendous amount of excitement and just a little nervousness (when we used to compete in speaking contests, our FFA adviser said being a little nervous was a good thing).
What I am looking forward to the most is the opportunity to see landscapes and sights I never dreamed I'd get to see. While I don't know what those will be exactly, I am confident the sights, sounds, and smells of Mali will be memorable.
Now, if I can just remember to get Dwayne the copy of my passport!
What I am looking forward to the most is the opportunity to see landscapes and sights I never dreamed I'd get to see. While I don't know what those will be exactly, I am confident the sights, sounds, and smells of Mali will be memorable.
Now, if I can just remember to get Dwayne the copy of my passport!
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