Today we heard that we won’t have a decision until Tuesday at the earliest. At that point Peace Corps Washington (or the state department) will choose to continue waiting or to suspend the program. Or I suppose to send us back.

The morning information sessions are filled with inane and absurdly detailed questions. It is not a good group format. I usually make it about half way before I decide to go do other more productive things.

Yesterday while enjoying a cold beer at a “bar” near the Peace Corps compound, a small car drove up with an enormous chimpanzee sitting in the passenger seat. He had a chain locked around his neck, and the driver led him over to shake our hands. I expected him to bite my hand off, but he was very nice. Then the driver bought his chimpanzee a coke, and they left. Yes, the chimp was actually drinking the coke from the bottle.

It was bizarre to say the least. And for some of us, inhumane. But in West Africa chimps are considered more like we consider pets in the states. Still, this particular chimp was so large as to be easily dangerous if he wanted to be. But he seemed content to sit in the passenger seat and drink his coke.

Later I am taking a bus to the American Club, where I will swim in the pool and maybe play some poker, and then tonight I think we will be hanging out in Bamako. We will see. There is a conference in Nigeria (or Niger?) this weekend with the CNDD and others, and that may resolve some things one way or the other.

Oh yeah, and I was hoping to have the possibility of transferring to Samoa to teach economics at the university there, but I was told there were no SED positions. Silly, since I was inquiring about an education position, but I don’t know what else can be done. Now I have no idea what I will do. I guess I need to figure that out.