Geography is Harder-est

Discussing anything physically located outside of Mali is difficult in village. Why? Because not many people here have seen a map. The idea that the world is round is still pretty groundbreaking to some folks. As a result, most villager's idea of how the world is laid out is somewhat misguided.

Here are the basics. Black people live in Africa. Arab people live in northern Africa/ the east. Mecca is to the east in Saudi Arabia. China is east. White people typically come from France, Spain, or America. Where these latter three lie out in space is a bit of a guess. Also, there is only one America. There is no Canada, United States, Mexico, or North/South America. There is only one America... and it's big and it's where all the money is. Everyone knows that.

On a few occasions, when trying to explain that "America" is made up of many countries and peoples, I've been told that those are just "regions" in "America". South America is pretty much an enigma. When I've brought up places like Brazil, Venezuela, or Columbia, people typically shake their head in an understanding manner and say "Ah yes, Brazil", which means they have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.

Sometimes even the basics get mixed up. The Africa Cup of Nations (soccer) is going on right now and has been one of the major talking points in town. Keep in mind... this is the AFRICA Cup of Nations. The countries only come from one continent. A man of about 50 the other day asked me if Angola is next to "America". I honestly didn't know what else to say other than "No, America is not in Africa... it's over there (pointing northwest)", which of course was met with an "Ah yes, Africa".

I just want to say thank you to every teacher who has ever given a geography lesson. You have made the world a less confusing place for some of us.