Il Hamdullilah!

Well, we did it.

 

This morning as the sweltering heat and humidity turned our best and newest clothes into colorful sweat rags, 41 Peace Corps Trainees stood under a tent and took the same oath that all soldiers, sailors, and other government employees in the foreign service take; vowing to defend the consititution against all enemies both foreign and domestic etc.

 

After that we were no longer PCTs, we were now bona fide PCVs: Peace Corps Volunteers.

 

That's right, no more of this kids table shit, we were ready to go.

 

In a few days we all leave for our respective regions and our future sites.

 

Until then, we get to party.

 

These last few weeks have been a little different.  My language facilitator Brahim, my foster father as it were, seemed to feel that he had finished work a week ago, so we didn't have real language class that week, we just hung out and drank tea.

 

He was right too, I guess, everyone in out language group scored Intermediate High on our final language test: Intermediate Mid is all that is required to become a PCV, and ours was the only class where everyone got that high of a score.  Brahim says that is because he is the best.  I think we might have had something to do with it too.

 

My host family sent me off in fine style, they gave me a big present in the form of henna, fancy and elaborate, on my hands and feet.  It took 5 hours; but they looked fantastic.  I have pictures; which I hope to post soon.

 

I want to thank everyone for the lovely, lovely packages.  The other volunteers are all very impressed with my family.  Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, the fruit snacks and Wurther's were a wonderful touch; thanks Papa John and Aunt Margaret Mary, thank you Aunt Liz and Uncle Steve; thanks Vanek Clan and cousin Jimmy for your packages as well; I feel so blessed.  And so do my fellow trainees, who faithfully consumed an entire package of Twizzlers in one hour, it was great.

 

I still love mail.  My new address will be:

Amy Conley PCV

Corps de la Paix

BP 40

Rosso, Mauritania

West Africa

 

I would love pictures; they are light and easy to mail and since all the family photos were packed when I left (and because my family develops film once a decade) I didn't have many recent photos to bring with me.  Other little things are spice mixes like Mrs. Dash, garlic salt; pico de gallo, taco seasoning; sauces etc.  You can't get them here.

 

Other Amy wish list items:

a pair of drawstring pajama-type pants, like at Old Navy.  To show the tailors.  I had him try and make me a pair from a sketch, they looked like MC Hammer pants.  Since I have to climb a water tower to get cell phone reception, I don't want to do it in a skirt.

Likewise a pair of jeans, I am probably a size 8 or 6, because you can get away with wearing them in the regional capital; and it gets really muddy and skirts are a pain in the mud.

Dangling chandelier earings.  I have not gone crazy, it is just that when all the girls were getting dressed for the ceremony today they were putting on make up and jewelry and I realized I had none.  I am currently wearing a pair of glintzy gold chanderlier earring that I would never be able to wear in the states, but which look good here.  They make you feel like a girl again; which is not always easy when you smell like a donkey.

 

I don't mean to sound greedy, letters by themselves are fantastic, but you always ask what I need, so there you have it.

 

Thanks for the letters; the emails; and the gatorade.

love

amy