First week

Today marks one week of Peace Corps service for me and so far it hasn't really been service, but more like summer camp. Since we arrived here in Bamako late Friday night, we've been living at the Peace Corps training site outside the city, spending our days listening to lectures on culture, safety and security, health and language lessons. We haven't really left the compound with huts and pavillions and I kind of feel like I'm living in a commune from which I'm not allowed to leave. We've got electricity, running water and internet access, kind of like we're at a really nice campsite in the US and nothing like we're actually in Africa-except for the nyegen-the hole in the ground that serves as the toilet. I also got a traditional African skirt yesterday although I'm nervous about wearing it without it falling down.

Tomorrow we leave for the villages where we will be spending the next nine weeks, with occasional several day visits at the training site for technical training and other stuff. In the villages we'll be learning our new languages, based on where we will be placed in the country. There are a three or four volunteers to a village and a language and culture facilitator, who will be our teacher seven hours a day, seven days a week and when we're not with them, we're with our host family practicing our new language. so it should be pretty intense but I'm excited. The volunteers with me in my village will most likely be placed near me at my final site out in Mali so I'm also excited to see who that will be.

When I know vaguely where I'm going I'll write about it, but at the homestay village for the next nine weeks, I will only have internet every two weeks or so. I'll try to write some letters soon.

I really love it so far although its been fairly easy and straightforward and I'm anxious to get out into actual Africa. Tomorrow will be the true test when I eat dinner with my host family who probably don't speak french and I have to try to communicate with nothing but handsignals.

Anyways, love and miss you all and hope to hear from you soon. sorry its a short post but I have to run.