My last name

When I left Mali the first time the customs man asked me my name and when I replied said, "no, your Malian name". All Peace Corps people get Malian names apparently so he felt that I needed one also and dubbed me Fanta Sissako which was fine by me because it sorta sounds like Fantastico!

In Mopti however, I was told that my surname would not do, I was much better off being Fanta Diallo-- which is a Peuhl name. So for the last week or so I've been Fanta Diallo. I never offer up this name first, only when directly asked but my coworkers are really into introducing me as Madame Diallo.

But today I underwent another name change. Apparently now I'm Fanta Coulibaly because the guy who delivered my pizza said that Sissako's are too small and Diallo's are no good.

Every time I change my name, my network changes. There are "joking cousins" in Mali which essentially means you are besties with strangers based on your last name. When I was a Diallo my joking cousins were Toures and Dembeles. As a Coulibaly apparently my joking cousins are Fofanas. It's way easier to be a Frye.