"Did he just say 'Big Up' to the Ambassador?" Yes, yes he did.

**Thank you everybody (especially Mom!) for your letters and packages! I have enjoyed them so much and truly appreciate all the thoughts and prayers you all have been sending my way. Thank you thank you thank you!**

Introducing the newest group of Peace Corps Jamaica Volunteers! Group 79!
(That's me on the very bottom right in the black dress. This photo was taken from Josh and Jesse's Blog)

Oh man, it is about to get crazy up in this blog. I have so much to write about! I don’t even know where to begin!

How about here: THE OLYMPICS! So, I am sure you have seen and heard that Jamaican sprinters cleaned up this year in Beijing by winning medals and breaking world records left and right. On a daily basis you could hear yelling, screaming, honking, and/or the banging of pots in the streets or in offices, stores, yam fields… basically everywhere. I have never seen anything like it. People really did have Olympic Fever. Even the lady who usually sells bras on the side of the road switched to selling Jamaican flags and she is now probably richer then a sultan because almost every single person I saw was either wearing one or had one tied to their car. The whole country was covered in smiles and wearing green, black, and yellow. The sense of victory and success was palpable. In a land where the only publicity is given to crime and corruption, it was definitely a welcome and celebrated time. People here are genuinely inspired and proud of themselves, their atlthete's, and their country. They even made a reggae song on the radio about the track stars and there has been word about maybe trying to create some kind of national holiday for them. Trust me, it's a big deal down here!

So… what makes Jamaicans so fast? Hmmm, wouldn't YOU like to know. Competitors say it must be the Jamaican genes, or top-notch training, or even performance enhancing drugs. However, Jamaicans know the REAL reason and they have been so kind as to share this top secret information with me. I might be putting myself in danger for exploiting this, but here I go. The reason Jamaicans are so fast can be linked directly to the liberal consumption of a common ground provision known as the CASSAVA. It's a fact.

There you have it. Let’s just hope the US or China doesn’t get a hold of this information.

This week I was back in Kingston for my final week of training. Yes, you heard me correctly, FINAL week of training. I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer! We were put up in a very nice hotel and given time to study and prepare for final exam and our swearing in as volunteers. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the US Embassay and was formal and plain lovely. One of the volunteers, David Ingleman, gave a speech in Patois near the close of the cereomny and it was honestly one of the funniest things I have ever heard. It was--dare I say--genius. At one point he even gave a very informal congratulatory shout out (a slang term called a "Big Up") to the Ambassador herself. I nearly died. It was a wonderful day despite being cut a little short due to good ole Hurricane Gustav, who luckily wasn’t too bad to us. Gus did however cause enough of a problem that we had to stay an extra day in Kingston before being allowed to travel back to our sites. Let’s just hope he isn’t too harsh on the Gulf Coast. Pray, pray, pray!

So, I really feel that during these past two months I have gone through an astronomical life change. I am a different person altogether, but in the best possible way. I have been waiting for an experience to rip me out of the ground and fling me around, but I never thought I would have changed this much, this soon. The constant struggles and learning experiences have helped me grow stronger and more resilient with each passing day. Every moment is a lesson on self, friendship, fear, love, justice, sanity, and staying in the moment. At the end of the day I’m never sure whether I should collapse with exhaustion or dance in celebration… I guess I kind of exist somewhere in the middle of those two.

My reactions to stressful situations have also changed dramtically. One small example would be when today, after the minibus I was crammed into blew a tire in the middle of nowhere for the SECOND time in an hour (how is that even possible?), I simply walked into a gas station, bought a beef patty (meat filled pastry from heaven) and some Ting (grapefruit pop with more calories than a Big Mac), sat in the shade and enjoyed the breeze. It was a great time. The thought of getting upset or impatient never even crossed my mind. I have also been practicing saint-like patience when it comes to matters of ongoing housing adjustment difficulties. Needless to say, my mantra has gone from "Livin' the Dream" to "SERENITY NOW!" in the course of a week. But don't worry, it's all gravy, baby. And if it isn't... then it will be eventually.

Highlights from the past two weeks include:
-Spending a day at Treasure Beach and eating fresh fish and rice after an extremely rough week
-Seeing my fellow PCV’s again and having a great time with them all week. They are seriously the funniest people I have ever met and I adore them all. Every last one of them. Now that we have sworn in I will not be seeing most of them until sometime in November. Sad face.
-The most awkward handshake of my life at the worst possible moment with an extremely important person (this would only happen to me).
-The incredible synchronized swimming performances of the “Kingston Squealers.”
-Eating at Chilitoes. HANDS DOWN BEST JAMEXICAN RESTAURANT EVER. No words to describe the deliciousness. It is borderline TOO good.
-The creation of a drink named“Ging” and the dance move that accompanies it, The Galinga.
-Enjoying an average of 6 hot showers per day while back in Kingston
-The perpetually surprising public transportation system (who knew you could fit 21 people in a 12 seater bus?)

(Sign at Treasure Beach)

I love you and miss you all terribly! Hope you have a fantastic Labor Day Weekend! Oh, that reminds me... I was just telling my brother the other day to make sure you are all grateful that your labor day is a day of relaxation, unlike the Jamaican Labour Day which involves community members doing actual LABOR all day to fix up their neighborhoods. Although I think this Jamaican holiday is a fabulous idea, something tells me Americans won’t soon be putting down their beers and brats to plant some flowers anytime soon. Hey, at least consider it!

Peace~