Obama Fete!

As we all know, Obama was finally inaugurated on Tuesday as America’s President, and everyone (Malians and Americans both) here was very excited for it too. The American Club in town threw a party for all their members (including former PCV’s who happen to be living in Mali, working for other organizations or the US gov’t now) and us. So about 80 current volunteers, a dozen expats and their assorted hubbies of different nationalities, and various children piled into two rooms with two large screen TVs, and toasted the new Presidency. It was actually really exhilarating, because even though we are thousands of miles away, we all cheered for Obama as he took his oath and gave his speech (side note: the oath Obama and Biden took was the same as the one we volunteers took. Needless to say, they did much better than we did).

And then we celebrated some more, with alcohol from across the pond (Jose Cuervo, because, after all, I’m still half-Mexican) and cake. There is a huge sense of excitement here, and relief. Since the majority of volunteers are in the 21-30 year old range, most voted for Barack back in November, and people are very expectant of what he will do for the country now that he is President. I am a little sad that I will be missing the first two years in the States with him as President, but it should be interesting seeing how he does from over here, in the bits and pieces I will get from radio and internet. And of course, there are huge hopes for him among Malians (and I expect Africans in general), in that he will remember this continent once in a while, and really help lift people out of poverty and disease. Realistic or not, I think many people over here have as high of hopes for him as I do.