...26 to go!
I know I'm slacking on the blog, please forgive me, they keep us really busy around here. I've added my mailing address (see right) for all of you who have asked - but please don't send me anything until I get to my permanent site (except for letters, of course - they are always welcome). By then (Nov. 8) I'm sure I'll have a long list of things I desperately want and/or need.
Things are humming along here. Language classes are going maayo gid. I'm enjoying the other volunteers in my "cluster". I'm adapting to all the PC rules and regulations (not easy, but I'm doing it - it's been a long time since I've had to be accountable to anyone). My co-teacher is a sweetheart (even though I'm still only feeling lukewarm about teaching). My host family is super nice. I love the food. So overall, I really don't have anything to complain about. But, of course, there are things I miss about home (and seriously took for granted), such as:
Hot showers (no such thing here)
Peanut butter (who knew I'd start craving it?)
Cold milk (another who knew?)
Driving
Project Runway
Certain people ;-)
My laptop (yes, SP, I know I should've brought it)
Cheese
But there is plenty to love about this place, too, like:
All the different types of sticky rice desserts
My host family
Riding trikes and jeepneys
The kids and their smiles
Being compared to a coke bottle (a compliment, really)
The seafood
Dante's internet cafe
Cockfighting
It's been a pretty good first month, I think. There are 2 more months of training and then I officially become a volunteer. Everyone says that at that point things get easier - less restrictive mainly - and I can't wait. It's hard being told what you can and cannot do and having to explain your every move to everyone (part of this is Peace Corps regulations, part of it is the culture here - which I'll get more into in a separate post).
FYI - I started a Flickr account to store my photos, so let me know if you want me to "invite" you to have access or if you just want me to send the link to you every now and then (leave me a message in the blog comments or email me directly).
Miss you all!
(and I was kidding about liking the cockfighting, labcabbie)
7 comments:
Not just labcabbie. I almost fell out of my chair at "cockfighting".
Janet
UMMM . . . YEAH. You LIKE cockfighting???
Oh jeez . . . sorry. I was so SHOCKED I didn't even see the parenthetical. I'm relieved. But your pictures got me wondering!
You're 1/27 finished with your trip! Yay! You'll be home so soon! You're missing some CRAZY American politics. But at this point I must admit I'm a little jealous of your escape. We miss you terribly and will def mail you hot water for a hot shower asap. Your Johnny.
I'll save my cockfighting comment for later...
but for now, I'll just say I MISS YOU! and I'm glad things are going well, despite the Big Brother-ness (and I'm talking Ol' School Orwell, sister!)
Since Johnny is sending the hot H2O, how about I send the cheese. You like stinky cheese, right?
xox
Will you add me to that flickr thing? This all sounds so exciting!
(hm, I thought I could use my Yahoo account. Anyway, this is Mary and my email is marybindc at yahoo.)
Hello lady! I don't have your email so I just wanted to say that I miss you here! We all do, and hope you're doing well! WE send you all of our love!!! xoxo, Shauna Sige Halong!!
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