Februray 2, 2009

So this was saved a while back ago, but I have been unable to post it
till now…sorry for the delay...

Today is Monday, February 2nd, 2009 and it's around 10pm local time (3pm back at home) and I figured now is a good time to start writing blog entries. Since leaving US, I've must have had 4 shots/immunizations and I know 2 more are coming within the next couple of months. Shots have included; Rabies (3 shots in total), Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, and Hep A/B. You only need documentation proving you have the yellow fever shot to enter Rwanda, but of course if you plan on coming, they recommend the others. Lots of shots indeed. In Rwanda, the 4 commonly used languages are Kinyarwanda, French, English and Swahili. I got one of them down! I thought they would be training us a mix of French and Kinyarwanda, but I learned that they will only train us in the local language, Kinyarwanda, so we can better adapt once we arrive in our community (which happens to be the 4th commonly used language in all of Africa). Up until this year, classes here were taught in French, but they are now changing that to English as of this past January. Another good reason why Peace Corps is here! I hope to take up a secondary project in teaching English to the local kids in my community once I get there. First though, I need to pass the 11 weeks of Training in order to officially swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The next 10 weeks are planned out for us so we have a routine going on while we are here in a province about 2 hours south of Kigali (for safety reasons, we aren't allowed to say exactly where we are, but some of you may already know). In case you were wondering (and because I am not feeling sleepy yet since I slept from 4 till about 730pm, which I'll
explain why in a bit), here is my schedule…

Monday-8-10am Language class, 10-10:30am tea break, 10:30am-12:30pm Language class, 12:30pm-14:00pm Lunch, 14:00pm-15:45pm Language Class, 15:45pm-16:00pm Break, 16:00pm-17:15pm Dev/Cross-Culture and Safety, 19:00pm Dinner

Tuesday – Only difference from Monday is Tech Training from 1030am-1230am and then Health Session at night starting at 8pm.

Wednesday – Similar to past days, but then we have Resource Family Visits from 14:00pm-17:15pm. Since we aren't living with a Host Family, they have set up weekly meetings for us to go to a resource family where we have to perform certain tasks (language related) and learn about the Rwandan culture.

Thursday – Same as Monday, except more Tech training and less Language training.

Friday – Same as Monday except Cross Culture and Language is moved around

Saturday (Yes, we only get 1 day off) – Language and Cultural Training till around 2pm, then we have to go out in the community and perform tasks till 5:45pm.

Sunday – Rest!

So the Training Director (really awesome and funny guy) just stopped by my room to see how I was doing (don't freak out mom!). I went out to town with friends and I bought a syrupy drink (strawberry flavored) so I can taste something better than the clean water they give us here (the water needs to be boiled and chlorinated and you have no idea how weird it tastes, but we are reminded over and over again that it is clean!) I sooo need Crystal Light and Emergen-C! These Veggies-2-Go packets my folks bought me at Costco has been good, but I would like
some flavor from time to time. So anyway, I went to the market to buy some syrupy drink (which needs to be diluted with water) for 2400 Rwandan Franks (about $4) and I started drinking it in class. After 40 minutes into the 1 hour class (which is just 4 of us with 1 teacher
the 1st hour, then another teacher the 2nd hour) I knew something wasn't sitting right in my stomach and I turned into "that person", hahaha. I told the Training Director I wasn't feeling well and I asked him if it was ok to sit out the 2nd hour since I had gotten up twice the first hour and I knew I still wasn't feeling well. He said he understands and it's ok. So from 4 till 730pm, I slept and I am feeling a bit better now, but still a bit blah. Other PCT's have given me soda and Emergen-C to replenish my body with vitamins and fluids, so that was awesome of them. Right now, I feel alright, but now I know to just do well with the funky tasting clean water till I get some variety of flavors of CRYSTAL LIGHT and/or EMERGEN-C (**Hint Hint**). Everyone here is pretty cool and chill. Lots of people from the West Coast (about 75% of the group) and the rest East and in between. We started with 35 people in the group, but 1 went home due to legal reasons and now there are 34 people. The group's average age is about 24 with only a handful over 30 years old, so we are a pretty young group considering the average age is around 27.

I'll be better tomorrow I'm sure! Miss home, family, friends, Gatorade and hot water!