we like it hot, hot, hot!

Thank God I grew up in Virginia! People are dropping like flies from the humidity here. We are constantly covered in a sticky layer of sweat and there a certain funk that has started to resonate from everything I touch. But to be honest, I’m pretty OK with it. All of our classes are outside under a thatched roof in the courtyard of our hotel, which is approx 10 steps from where I sleep. Luckily our hotel room has some kickin’ air conditioning. Yesterday was a pretty fun day overall. In the morning we talked about life and work and many people in my group found out what schools and villages they would be working in. I, on the other hand, got called out to “please see me following this meeting.” How did I already mess something up?! Calm down mom I’m not coming home. Apparently the curriculum is changing in regards to special education and our trainers were curious what other “skills” I possessed. Well, aside from building forts and playing in the woods I mentioned to them about my dorky love for history and that I could possibly teach children math and science on the basis that they had absolutely no understanding of math and science to begin with. I also have spent a lot of time talking to the volunteers that arrived here in June and are based in the villages which just sounds amazing, so I mentioned to our trainers that I would love to be placed in a rural area if at all possible. At any rate, I am no closer to knowing where I am going to be, but I am totally ok with that. Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about the Peace Corps as an organization and I am not just saying that because I know that they read these, but they really do have there stuff together. Leata, our language teacher is one of the most wonderful and animated people I have ever met. Yesterday she took all the girls out shopping for fabric and then took us to a tailor to have pulasi’s (traditional tops and bottoms for women) made. Then after lunch we had our first language lesson and our group was divided into 3 groups and got to have classes in our air conditioned hotel rooms. Leata was my teacher and I can honestly say I have never had so much fun learning a language! We laughed through the entire lesson. Leata kept reminding us over and over again that “i” is the smiling letter because you have to smile ever time you say it.

At any rate, we have our first Fiafia tonight which is basically a big celebration with dancing and other ceremonial activities. The other PCV’s are putting it on for us and should be a really fun party. In sum, everything is wonderfully warm and exciting on the other side of the world. More to come…