Registering is fun

So there's a slight possibility that I will join a women's basketball team. Two weeks ago, I was sent to a game via a coworker with family connections and talked to the coaches for one of the Bamako sports clubs. They encouraged me to come to practice, but warned me that I'd need contacts and two passport photos for my league registration. I still don't have the contacts (I ran out in the U.S. and didn't get around to replacing them before I left.), but boo-yah!

Passport photos: check. Yes, I took off my glasses for the photo.

I'm torn about whether I will really join. First, these guys are good. It's not certain that I'd walk in and wow everyone -- and that may be what they're expecting because I'm American. Second, they practice every single day and have games every week. Sometimes they travel. I know I'm not up for that kind of intensity, and I doubt I should join the team if I'm not going to make the same commitment. Even if I was only on the practice squad, you can't just show up when you want to -- it would be obnoxious to my teammates and coaches. So we shall see. I'm lucky to have the opportunity.

Last week, I also got to drop by the polls during a local special election. I love election days and I love the democratic process. There's always something special in the air. Well, on Sunday I had a hard time finding the polling station! I figured I'd drive around and ask people where the nearest voting bureau was, but no one seemed to know that there was an election taking place, much less where one could go to vote.

When I got there, it was worth the trouble. I have *never* seen so many young people at a polling place. Granted, Bamako is a city of young people. But I'm used to rolling up to vote with the old folks. Anyone in their 30s or 40s is a spring chicken at the ballot box. At this high school, (I must say, the photo isn't representative; the polling place was on the grounds of this enormous high school campus. In addition to all the buildings and classrooms being used for the election, there were a bunch of temporary grass buildings set up on the lawn. That, of course, is where I felt least intrusive, where I went immediately and where I took this picture.)...anyway, at this polling place, I felt like I was one of the OLDER PEOPLE! So that was refreshing.

These two cutie-patooties were representative of the average voter. Their names are in a notebook at work, but they told me they play soccer on the developmental team for Djoliba, one of the other big sports clubs here. They were not impressed by my teasing about Real or Stade -- they feel strongly that I should root for Djoliba and want me to come to a game. We shall see. I can always go without changing my allegiance.

And lastly, just because the Magical Internet lets me share, I was introduced to this artist by one of the chauffeurs last week. Fun stuff. Ok, I wasn't introduced to Black So Man personally. But I was introduced to his music. For now, that will have to be enough.