What does Emily do? and how Obama made my day!

I know what you're thinking...Emily has been there for about 19 months and I'm still not sure what she does. Now she's talking about coming home. Well, I have some news for you folks out there...I have a job. It's about the most exciting, fun and worthwhile thing I've done here and I'm gonna tell you all about it.

A few weeks ago, I returned from an extended trip wandering around Mali, first with my sisters and then to get over my sadness from their departure with my friend Susie. I finally made it back. To cheer myself up, because I'm all alone back at site (all my team mates were in Bamako for their In-Service Training), I went to the tailor to get some cute clothes made. I LOVE my tailor. He is very serious and critical. He had made me this fabulous shirt a while back and my friend wanted it copied with the Peace Corps fabric. He saw the print and asked if I was Peace Corps. I said I was and he told me he had some ideas. This happens from time to time and usually we get these horrible schpiels about how someone needs money bla bla bla. This was not one of those schpiels. He described some interests of his he had in expanding his business and starting a school for tailors where they would not only learn sewing skills but also get some practice in business. He did mention money, but I know how disorganized he is and I have this dream of doing Project Runway: Mali, so I said I'd meet with him.

We met and it was great. He's already done fashion shows and he's been advertising in magazines. He has the plans drawn up for his school and a budget for how much it would cost to build. He's really smart and an amazing tailor (he had tags made that he puts in the back of shirts).

Today was my first day actually working with him. We spent the morning hanging out and talking. I asked him millions of questions about what things cost and how they organize things and pay for things. He was totally compliant. He's being really patient and he's very open to changing the things that I think need changing or improving. We had a great time this morning. I started telling him about my cats and he was hysterical. I've never seen him laugh, nor have I ever seen him smile. He couldn't get over the fact that my dog and cats have people names.

Anyway, I'm having a great time with him. I'm learning a lot and I'm finally busy. It's so much more fun working with motivated smart people who are willing to work. I told him I'm not going to get him money, we're going to find ways to save and ways to make more money than we are, but I'm not getting him a grant.

Tomorrow we're teaching Emily how to sew. Even though she already knows, but I'm getting a dress made out of my Obama fabric and I get to help make it!

Also, today, I was on my way back from my tailor's and I got stuck in a traffic jam on my bike. A traffic jam in Kayes is like this. Someone is pushing a cart with glass panes down the street. He gets distracted by a tubob (foreigner) and before he knows it the cart is turned over in the middle of the street and there's broken glass everywhere. The semi truck coming towards the area stops and tries to go around, it blocks traffic on both sides and then catches on a vendor's umbrella and starts to drag it along the road. The taxi in front of me stops, then motorcycles come up on all sides. Next comes the livestock. Donkeys and sheep. These are free donkeys and sheep, because their owners are irresponsible and stupid. I was just about to explode with fury when a man selling posters walked by and who do I see...but the President of the United States. Thank you Mali, for being inefficient...because I scored not one but TWO awesome high quality posters of President Obama. The new hope for America...and Africa too!

If you want Obama fabric please let me know and I might be able to score you some. I'll do a photo shoot after my dress is done and post the pictures up here for your viewing pleasure!