Back to Douentza (belated)

I have returned alone to Douentza. I think I made a good decision to travel alone in the daytime yesterday. That way, not only could I read and stare out the window for hours, but I also had some time to just think and process this change I’m going through right now. I haven’t really had alone time for two months, and while I would gladly trade it in to have Kevin back here, it’s nice to be introspective and realize that I am strong and that not only can I do this, but I will and I will enjoy it too.

The trip went smoothly, by Malian standards. It left an hour late, but I had a seat, there was only one person in the aisle, and we made good time. I think one thing that made the trip so pleasant was that their stereo system didn’t work, so they couldn’t blast terrible music the whole time. I could actually listen to my iPod at a reasonable volume, instead of having to drawn out hours of monotonous music. Don’t get me wrong, Mali has some great music. But a lot of it sounds the same, or they just play the same tape, loudly, for hours. This gets old. This makes me bitter.

It is strange being back in Douentza without Kevin. He just became such a part of my life here. Especially my room, which I had only moved into a day before I went to Bamako to get him. It feels awfully lonely now, but it will get better. Once I get into a work routine, I will have something carrying me through the days, all heading towards the goal of finishing this dictionary by the next time I go to Bamako in mid-February.

Tomorrow, Oumar and I are going to the village, just for two nights. I don’t really accomplish any work there, so I just go to greet the people and keep up relations. I’ll also try to get some vocabulary and pictures for the dictionary that I have trouble getting in Douentza. I’ve decided to go once a month from now until April and spend the rest of my time hard at work in Douentza, where I actually accomplish things. The next time I go, in February, I’ll tie up any loose ends on the dictionary, in March I want to draw a map of the village and the area, and in April I will say my goodbyes. May is just too hot and miserable to live in a mud house, and I’ll be busy with preparations to go home anyway. Also in March, I want to take a two or three day trip around the Tommo-speaking area to get some 100 word lists to compare for dialect differences. It’ll just be the tip of the iceberg of dialectology, but it’s a start.

The sheep are living with Hamidou’s family’s sheep right now. I think I’ll get them back into my courtyard, which is sort of selfish of me, because they probably like being with other sheep, but they bring a small amount of joy into my life, so I want them here. Apparently the mother got diarrhea, but hopefully she’ll be okay. Oumar says they’re doing well otherwise. Ah, the joys of owning livestock.