just a bunch of people riding bikes.

Just a bunch of people riding bikes.  I love it.  The video from the firefly ride & picnic last week.

Image source.

On Saturday I joined a friend to listen to Novalima - an Afro-Peruvian group - at the U Street Music Hall.  I loved the band though was sorry I missed Robyn who played right after - I didn't know she was in town!

Looking forward to hearing this artist, Cheick Hamala, play at the end of the month as part of the Fringe festival free music series!  Here's a great post on alternative energy in Africa. 

an adventurer looking for treasure.

Image source. 

 "People from all over the world have passed through this village, son," said his father.  "They come in search of new things, but when they leave they are basically the same people they were when they arrived.  They climb the mountain to see the castle, and they wind up thinking that the past was better than what we have now.  They have blond hair, or dark skin, but basically they're the same as the people who live right here"  (The Alchemist, p. 9).  

Four years ago today, I rode a bus from Philadelphia, PA to New York City and then boarded a plane with 78 other Peace Corps volunteers bound for Mali - a country I had never been to and one I knew little about (aside from Malick Sidibe).  I was excited, nervous and eager to begin a new chapter in my life.  I had no idea what laid in store.


Working in Zana as an environment volunteer with Annie and Esayi (on shea butter production and a cereal bank) changed the way I think about cross-cultural work environments.  Third-party mediation?  I've been in the middle of it.  Functioning (and trying to thrive) as a woman in a male-dominated society?  I made a crack at it.  Learning and speaking Bambara, the majority dialect in Mali, which is nothing like French?  I did my best!


When I talk about my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali (and remember - with short attention spans I have a 2 minute window of opportunity to discuss my entire 3 1/2 years so I have to be quick!) I briefly mention my work but what my 3 1/2 years come down to, like many volunteers, is people.  The relationships I had not only the opportunity to make but to also truly develop.  Namely with Annie and Esayi and their Coulibaly clan (and, of course, my fiancé-though he came into the picture later on :).  Did I like it? people ask.  Not always, I try and answer honestly.  But mostly. 


As I transition back to life in the United States - I am often asked a few other questions.  Do you miss Mali?  Yes.  Is it hard coming back?  Yes and no.  What made you join the Peace Corps?  That's a story.  How did you get sent to Mali?  That's another story.  Did you think this [living in DC/America, engaged to Abdoulaye, working for WRI] was where you would be following your Peace Corps service?  Not at all.  (but I am thrilled for all of those things!).


I am reading The Alchemist and I think anyone who reads it would join the Peace Corps (if that was ever a dream of theirs).  The book has the answers to all of the questions above with an easy-to-follow, thought-provoking plot.  The author, Paulo Coelho, also uses the word 'treasure' a lot.  You know I can't resist a treasure.  What I like most from what I've read is the idea that you can't set your plans in stone.  One of the greatest lessons I learned in the Peace Corps is that you must be flexible and open to others if you want to pursue happiness happily.  Joining the Peace Corps is kind of how I feel about entering into a great relationship (like how I feel about Abdoulaye!).  Was I happy before I joined?  You bet!  Am I happier after?  I think so - at least I have a more acute appreciation of my happiness - and the choice that I have to pursue my own personal legend (à la Alchemist).  


My friend, Anna, and I emailed once about when we would stop looking at our life in segments.  The college years.  The immediate post-college years (for me, the Peace Corps).  The post-post college years (now).  And I don't know that I will ever stop looking at life in those segments though now the segments are becoming more like segues.  (I have also tried to stop looking at things as good or bad.  Read this story and you may see why).

Four years later, I find myself sitting in an air-conditioned, sub-let apartment in Washington, DC.  Dirty plates and cups are piled on the desk beside me and letters waiting to be written and addressed sit behind my computer.  What has changed in the four years since I joined the Peace Corps?  Well, the presidents changed in both countries (one after an election, one after a coup).  I biked in Mali and I still love biking in the US.  I'm engaged!  And while I knew little about Mali four years ago today - now I make a conscious effort to not talk about Mali all the time.  But if you ever want to listen, I'll be ready to share :)

While perceivable change in me is slight, I think with a little digging, much would come to the surface.  And, after all, like the boy in The Alchemist said, "I'm [still] an adventurer, looking for treasure" (p. 42).  I also still don't know what lies in store.

Unofficial polls may or may not reflect that this is the best Peace Corps COS presentation ever.  That may or may not have been my San-kaw poll....

Some of my reflections on years past from years past:
2008.
2009.
2010.
2011.

Some of my favorite trips and visits while I was in Mali:
Guinea & Sierra Leone.
Marija in Mali.
A Moroccan wedding.
Sarah in Mali.
Mom in Mali.
Abdoulaye's and my first trip together.
A Lebanese wedding.
Morocco.

Thanks for reading!  And you might note (not sure how you got here!) that I changed the address to www.triflesandtreasures.blogspot.com - if you bookmarked the site - please note the change!

friday fetes.

With Uncle Jimmie and Lindsay the weekend I left for DC.

Do you have weekend plans?  I want to make something special for Amanda & Ryan and their baby girl, Claire, bike around the city and listen to some music.  Maybe I'll read, write and look out the window.  I love waking up where I do, near the tops of the trees, and seeing the leaves wave good morning to me.  

fourth in review.

roof rise.

After recovering from last night's bike ride with some blueberry pancakes (below) and Peace Corps talk, I napped and then headed to a colleague's for a 4th of July rooftop party.  The fireworks were lovely but the moon stole the show.  Tasty treats, fun conversation and a neat art project you can learn more about here.  

The project asked us to think about what independence in America means and then write it on a large piece of painted canvas.  What do you think independence means?

:)

street fireworks. 

keeping it red-white-&-blue-y with the hostess.

I think this is big Mali news - what do you think??  How did you celebrate - any favorite 4th traditions?  Next year, Abdoulaye will be here!!

happy 4th of july!

bikers meeting at around 8:20 - getting glow-sticked and gearing up for the moonrise ride.

a new favorite.

this one, too.

there's our full moon!

Happy, happy 4th of July!

To celebrate the kick-off of this mid-week 4th of July holiday, I went for a firefly ride & picnic with BicycleSPACE.  Awesome decision.  New friends, old friends (I saw another Mali RPCV!) and lots of riding around the city.  Estimates were running at about 600 people!  We met at the park by the Verizon center and at sunset, around 8:40p.m., headed onto the streets en masse.  Blinking red lights, solid yellow glowsticks.  Doesn't get much better.  It rained a little on us but we didn't let that dampen our spirits.

A picnic gathering followed the ride where people munched on watermelon, mac&cheese, fried chicken and your standard picnic fixings, until midnight.  There was enough food (and more) to go around!  Wowsas!  I even made a new friend who is ready to go on the Cupcake Ramble with me :)  Can't say enough good things about the event - thanks so much to BicycleSPACE for putting it on!

See more photos from the ride here! 

Here are some fourth of July memories from 2010 and 2011.

I'm liking Maia Vidal's sweet voice and thoughtful lyrics.  I saw her name here and was curious.

How are you celebrating the fourth of July?  Have you ever seen the fireworks from the Mall?  Any DC recommendations??

Africa from A-Z: Comoros

Source.

With its 37th Independence Day only a few days away (July 6th), Comoros, which means 'moon' in Arabic, is the perfect country to learn about this week on my Africa from A-Z series.  While I knew only a little about Chad, I honestly didn't even know Comoros was a country :(  And, to clarify for myself and others, these posts are really to help me gain an increased awareness about countries in Africa; they aren't meant to be exhaustive but rather to whet the taste buds!

I did some sleuthing this weekend and learned more about this former French colony nestled in the Indian Ocean above Madagascar.  Here are some of the trifles and treasures I learned:

Sources like these are tricky because they don't appear credible but the stories on them about country origins are fascinating.  If you're looking for Comoros tschotskes on the net - look no further: you can buy fish stamps from the Comoros and here's a board game found on Esty or perhaps you'd prefer a map pendant?  Want to read about fisheries in Comoros?  For all you foodies out there - this Comoros dish looks delicious.  A couple of sources claim that Comoros is the second-largest exporter of vanilla (after Madagascar) in the world.  Yum!

Source

Same as left.

Source.  Hard to find much information on this mosque.  

Had you heard of Comoros?  Did you know Madagascar was the number one producer of vanilla??

And a shameless plug:  One of the pictures that I took while working with USAID/PHARE, and that I later submitted to IREX's 'Make a Better World' photo contest, made honorable mention in their photo contest.  I'm so thankful and honored to be a part of such a neat online exhibit - the photos they chose as winners are truly stunning. 

green bean.

Fall 2006.  Please don't be jealous of my jorts.  See Grenoble here, here and here. 

I came home on Friday night and decided to check out craigslist before heading to bed.  I've been on the lookout for a bike and everyone kept telling me to check them out for the best deals.  What did I see after a minute of perusing but the green treasure pictured below.  I sent the seller an email and headed to bed.

Saturday morning I awoke to an email - turns out I was the first person to respond!  I set up a time to visit the seller, and the bike, later that morning.  What mattered to me?  Reasonably priced, smooth ride, perfect for commuting and, of course, she's green!  It's my American green bean.  

I've been feeling pretty nostalgic these days (though this nostalgia is not influencing all of my purchases :).  I just moved to DC.  Abdoulaye is far away.  Life is changing.  These are all positive things.  I am so thankful to be employed - and in a job I like.  Abdoulaye will be close by.  Life is changing!  Anyways, when I saw this bike I thought of my time in Grenoble, France (above), my bike from Jackie that I had in Fredericksburg, VA, which I painted green (can't find photos!), and so I just knew this craigslist bike was 'the one.'

After meeting with Tony - green bean's former owner and the nicest guy from Silver Spring, MD I've ever met - I was hooked.  He was so patient with explaining the features of the bike and adjusting her to fit my needs.  After about two hours of learning about the bike, making adjustments and talking about our lives, green bean was graciously passed on to me.  Thank you, Tony - she will be loved!

As I wait to move into my new apartment next month, I'm subletting from a colleague who recommended a bike shop to me in case I needed help with anything bike-related.
 BicycleSPACE has a shop near the Mt. Vernon metro stop where they sell bike gear, offer bike repair - and classes on fixing your bike - along with some pretty sweet guided rides of the city.  I did the Nice and Easy ride on Sunday morning to see how green bean rode.  (Does anyone want to do the Cupcake Ramble with me???)  I loved rolling through the weekend ghost town streets of DC with tourists in sandals and fanny packs walking around and passing sites like the Capitol, Yards park (anyone interested in a Trapeze class?) and the Nationals stadium all from my the vantage point of my own bike seat.  Nice people, nice bikes and bike gear.  Nice.    

Take home point from all of this for me?  I love connecting purchases to people when I can and joining in on community activities, which will turn living in Washington, DC from a place where I have a job to a city I can call a home.  (Another take home point that's sort of related?  This article.  Wowsas.  Really hit home!). 

isn't she pretty??

Maybe I'll make a sweet video like this one of me on my bike :)  I love the music! 

My green bean is a Solé - you can check out their blog here and their website here.

If you're interested (or know about!) bike things - here are the details from the craigslist posting.  It's pretty jargon-y to me but may be useful to have posted here one day :)
Extras:
Shimano PO-R540 SPD pedals
Planet Bike 400 psi hand pump
Kryptonite Series2 bike lock
3 LED rear light with dual settings

Frame: Hi Tensile Steel, Fully Tig Welded, Fork End Dropouts
Fork: Hi Tensile Steel, Tig Welded, Threadless
Handle Bars: BMX
Grips: Oury
Bottom Bracket: Sealed Cartridge
Crankset: Lasco 170 MM, Alloy 48T, with 5 Bolt chainring
Gear Ratio: 48:16
Brake: Radius Dual Caliper
Hub: Flip Flop -- Fixed/Single Speed 16T
Chain: KMC Z410 98 Links
Rim: Machine/Double Walled 'Deep Dish' 50MM
Tires: Durable 700 X 23C
Valve: Presta
Saddle: Cionilli Plush Rivet Fixed Gear Seat
Seatpost: 25.4 X 300MM
Total Weight: 26 Pounds
Toe Clips included with Bicycle