Hey , everyone, hope you are all doing well! I’m still getting settled in here in Kingston. I’ll have about one more week here and then off to wherever my host family’s home is [ I will find out late next week where my post is]. Until then,I’ll be participating in more training sessions on anything and everything imaginable. Topics range from personal safety to current events and we have a guest speaker almost daily. I am REALLY enjoying learning about the culture and ways to become a part of my community and I think all these classes are really going to help. In language class we are learning about Patwa grammar and pronunciation which is going along fine, although I am in no way close to being fluent. Outside class we are exploring the neighborhood and getting to know each other by hanging out on the stoops and playing games of Ultimate Frisbee until nightfall.
Highlights from this week include:
Waking up to find that ants had completely swarmed and eaten my zinc lozenges (my greatest tool against the common cold) and screaming “Hey! Those aren’t yours! Get off my zinc, get off my zinc!” and probably waking up my sleeping roommates.
Trying Blue Mountain coffee.
Experiencing a van ride through the mountains (which requires going as fast as the van allows while whipping around 90 degree turns on the edges of cliffs).
Doing my laundry by hand in a basin with the mountains in the distance, and reading a book under a mango tree while waiting for my clothes to dry on the line.
The field trip to a local summer camp that a current PC Volunteer helped to establish, and dancing and playing with the kids (I consider myself fortunate that we took this particular fieldtrip, as opposed to another group who had to attend long lectures and visit a sanitation plant…that was on fire…stinky).
Three marriage proposals by local men, one of which included a serenade and another that included a love letter.
Spending much needed down time with my new friends when we can.
Well, I have a meeting in a little while with my Associate Peace Corps Director (APCD) about my progress here as a trainee. I hope this blog finds you all well and fine. Take care of yourselves!!
P.S. I posted a photo album on Facebook. You can see it here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2332742&id=48901049
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