Just to prove that I literally eat, sleep and breathe soccer
– apparently in my sleep last night, I started calling out, “Coach! Coach!
Coach!”
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| Neighborhood kids |
One thing that’s cool about Mali, is that people love to
hang around and just chill and chat. And that’s exactly what we did today. I
slept in this morning while Scott went to a meeting with Peace Corps members,
and then went with him to hang out at Yacouba’s house. We had lunch, rice with
peanut sauce, which was exactly what I needed to get back on track with my stomach
after the Chinese food debacle. (“It will give you strength,” Yacouba informed
me before I ate. And he was right. Plus, it was delicious. Mali is quickly going to become my new
comfort food).
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| The wall says "50 cent clan" |
Then we just sat outside and watched TV and a DVD containing
a slideshow of Scott’s previous trips to Mali. A number of kids watched with
us, and took great pleasure in excitedly pointing out themselves and their
friends and family when they showed up on the screen. Before we left to head
back to the hotel, Sekou and I kicked around with a few neighborhood kids on
Yacouba’s street. (All across the streets in Bamako, “crews” write their names
on walls with spray paint. They’re usually in English, with slightly off names –
e.g. 50 cent clan, the gorgeous boys.) It was great to finally get to kick a
ball around after watching from the sideline. We played keep away, and a lot of
the other neighborhood kids came to watch. We were all covered in dust from the
street by the time we finished.
When Scott and I got back to the hotel, we went downstairs
with Drew to a fast food joint we usually buy water from. I ate an AWESOME
shredded chicken sandwich with onions and French fries stuffed into delicious
bread. I don’t know why, but it was one of the best things I’ve ever had…and it
was 2 bucks. I love Mali.
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| The kids are so much fun to hang around |
Tomorrow we’re off to Dissan, where we’ll be hosting our
second Little Eagles tournament. Insha’Allah, it will go as well as the first,
if not better. I’ll be without internet until Tuesday, so I’ll check back in
as soon as we get back.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the new videos I’ve
posted of the Bamako tourney.
Over and out.
-S
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| Getting schooled in street football |
