Baby breaks

The past couple of days we've been out and about, as we are most days, going to the market and running various errands. Bamako is most likely similar to all of your towns right now, full of traffic and craziness with people buying up everything in their path. Although people here are preparing for Tabaski which involves lots of food, new fancy clothes for all(I am a bit of a bad wife for not procuring matching Mali outfits for all three of us...apologies as that would make one heck of a picture), and a goat or a sheep, which are now filling the streets as everyone is proudly displaying theirs by tying them to the nearest tree or post outside their home. Just like the Thanksgiving turkeys, they know not their fates, and on Thursday their carcasses will be stripped and displayed hanging from the tree limbs, noting that all bellies are full and an afternoon of naps and sluggishness has arrived.
Marshall, being the social love child that he is, can't seem to get enough of this activity. He stops traffic at the markets at least twice, each outing. Regularly, we have to stop and laugh on the roadside with a family, an old lady, or a bunch of girls braiding their hair for the holidays. These breaks take at least 10 minutes and begin with him giggling like crazy and the rest of us following his lead doing all sorts of ridiculous things to keep him going. One stop with a sweet old lady yesterday seemed to go on forever and honestly, I'm not sure if we even spoke a word after she summoned us in Bambara so she could see the baby. We just laughed, and snapped our fingers, and shamelessly made funny faces and sang silly noises.
I tell you what, there is no better medicine for the frustrations of a hot Bamako day full of traffic, dismissive men and stinky goats than a giggle with a bunch of strangers...

Abdolaye...

Can't write much at the moment, but did need to say something about Abdolaye as im not sure how much longer he'll be with us. Hes demanding coffee before work, staying around for hours after and eating all our peanuts. We think hes depressed(his father died a year ago...was an accomplished doctor...Abdolae, oldest son and is not able to find work. Or maybe he's just flat out odd. If one of us could just be brave enough to tell it like it is to him...Management training 101...
Happy Tabaski(http://www.peacecorps.gov/kids/like/mali-celebration3.html) to all. Its Thursday and weve chipped in for a fat sheep. Yummy. We will be sharing it with Ian's fetish master and his family. I predict a few sacrifices and crazy stories to come. Aw be san be san be. A long, happy and fruitful life to all of you and your families.