PCT(rainee) to PCV(olunteer)

Training is FINALLY over! We’re all in the city getting ready to go to our sites and swear-in, buying things for our houses, taking care of things, and eating a lot of food that we aren’t going to get for awhile. I think most of us will be living off rice, peanut butter, beans and fish (cheap and easy to get) so we’re taking advantage of what we can get while we’re in Paramaribo. It’s really hectic and we don’t have enough time to get everything done. Not to mention we leave at 6am on Saturday for out sites.
After the last trip to the city for the 4th, we went back to our home stays for 3 final weeks. When I came back, my mom’s hubby was there, and brought her a little present, a tiny pet monkey. I am completely a fan of monkeys, or yapi-yapis, but it’s really sad bc she keeps him tied up on about 6 inches of string. I don’t think he can really enjoy the monkey life that way. So, the next night, I get this tupper of ‘mystery meat’ for dinner, and it smells and looks like nothing I’ve had before. Suddenly I remember that people usually have pet monkeys when they hunt the moms for food. Needless to say, I didn’t eat dinner that night. And was really sad.
The good news-finally- was that when I came back everyone said that my language was a lot better- I think maybe going to site and realizing I really needed to step it up if I was going to be able to communicate helped. I also tried to talk more to my mom, but it gets frustrating, bc she’s so quiet and looks at me with a blank stare when I do try and talk, so I have no idea if I am saying anything right or wrong.
I FINALLY got my first care package when I got back – us girls managed to eat everything – all 30 granola bars, Dots, 1lb. of beef jerky and everything else-within a week. (p.s.-beef jerky is a good thing to send!) I was so excited, bc every time I would see me trainer, I would ask if we had mail, and it is usually no- it took 5 weeks for it to get here from MO. Stuff comes faster from other places- Caroline’s stuff from MD comes in 2-3 weeks-which is frustrating.
Having my 25th birthday in Suriname was …different. It was basically us girls making a cake after language class, and then going to the ‘winki’ or kinda convenient store, for some drinks. And a lot of cheese sticks (or fake cheetos). Evidentially I was really in a Saramaccan mood be I just couldn’t stop talking in it (I guess I forgot English) and was doing really well- or so I’m told. Talked to Nic, mom, dad, and got a call from Uncle Marty and Aunt Rosemary singing me Happy Birthday—it was so good to talk to you guys, but it made me wish I was back home, too! And Grandma Smith, I got your belated birthday card the day before my birthday- so it was right on time! Shockingly, my mom (here) gave me bread and peanut butter (I know it was the one thing I told her I liked, but I’ve been getting that 2x a day for the past week and am REALLY getting tired of it) and then rice and dumplings. I was so wishing I could have been eating Caesar salad, manicotti, and some chocolate lasagna cake, but maybe in 2 years. Kept thinking of last year, back in KC, going out with everyone and wearing a dress and heels and actually looking like I put myself together or something. It’s kinda nice not to have to worry about hair/make-up/clothes/etc., but then it would be really nice to be able to for a change. That’s what going to the ‘big city’ is for.
Friday the 25th was our last training day, and we had language testing and project portfolio evaluations all day, so it was one langa daka (long day- see you can learn Saramaccan too and join the 12,000 other people-yes only 12k- that speak it!). Everyone made me a super sweet and cute card and Joe gave me a broken dead rose (nice) and then a really pretty bunch of flowers that he stole from someone’s garden. They’re so pretty that some of them look fake.
We had our last big project of training- our CDA (Community Development Project)- a health fair with a bunch of kids teaching them about nutrition and teeth brushing. It wentr well, but some of the kiddies were getting a little rowdy, expecially when the jumprope came out!
So, Sunday, we made dinner for all our host families- spaghetti (but with peanut sauce bc they hate marinara sauce here), meatballs (I made those and they were delish!), chicken, garlic bread, salad (I am really missing being able to have salads and fresh stuff whenever I want-as delicious as sopropo is- the MOST bitter vegetable you will ever eat-or actually you will most likely never eat- lettuce and carrots and grapes would be amazing, if they weren’t so hard to find, or expensive. The diet here is going to be really limited when we have about $160 USD per month to work with for our living expenses.) We’ve had a good group at our homestay- me, Caroline, Kimmy and Gwyn- and the good news is we are all on the same river for our sites, just 3 hour boat rides between us. We took a pic with all our 'moms' that I think you can see in the photopucket album. We left our homestays at 6 am on Monday- our moms were there to see us off and told us all to 'belle' (call) them when we get to our villages.
On the 2nd we go to our sites- at 6 am, the morning after swearing in-not very excited about that- and we’re supposed to stay there for 2 months- BUT I will be back in the city mid-Sept, so I will try and update and fill you in on how everything is going. I miss you all and love you!!! CABA! (done!) Happy 65th Birthday dad- hope you guys all have fun at the lake and don't miss me too much! And Amanda- I'll be thinking of you on your big day!!! Congrats to you and Lucas and I will be there in spirit!