Hello, hello!! I'm a newly minted PCV, V for volunteer, as of last Friday. The swearing-in festivities followed a busy week of moving from the host family's home and PASSING my language exam. I'm still not certain how that happened, but I was rated "intermediate low." That language rating basically means that using rudimentary grunts and lots of hand gestures that someone will take me to the hospital not because I'm bleeding, but because they believe I need to be committed. Regardless, I'm thrilled.

I was really sad to leave my homestay family. Nurse/sister/mommi Jane and the kids had been so sweet to me. As a parting gift they gave me two outfits, one is a traditional garment from their homeland in the upper western region of Ghana. It is woven strips of cloth sewn together to form yard goods, basically mine was a vertically striped shapless bag of a dress, although highly prized and valued by some Ghanains. I believe that once I cut it into pieces that I'll have a great kitchen towel assortment. The second outfit is completely different. It is s tie-dyed deep purple 2-piece slack ensemble. The top's collars are deeply notched, the buttons have been covered with the same fabric and the trousers have pockets, a non-native species here in Ghana. The outfit makes me look like something from Sesame Street, all I need is a big red rubber nose and a little more hair gel. As you might have guessed, I'm not one-with-the-clothes here, neither the styles nor the colors, perhaps the last lifetime??

Back to the swearing-in for a note about African ceremonies, they are marathons involving speeches by everyone and anyone who might be remotely politically related, drummers, dancers and hoopla. In this case we also heard from the recently arrived American Ambassador. The local chief chanted and poured libations on mother earth and we had prayers from both the Christians and the Moslims. In addition to the dignitaries, all the trainees participated in some way. My language recited Fanti proverbs and their English translations. Mine was--agor hia sen hia pa--lack of friends is worse than poverty (actually in this extended family culture, lack of friendship means poverty). So the end of training, yahoo!!!! Now the 49 are dispersed in every direction in Ghana to fulfill our respective missions.

So, here I sit in Cape Coast in the whiz-fast internet. Sarah and I arrived y'day and we weren't met by our counterparts, actually they thought we had keys to their guest house and instead we spent the night in another accomodation, frustrated and weary from a day of travelling. Four hours on a crowded, sweaty and dusty 30-passenger bus can deplete every molecule of good humor from a girl. AFter some apologies, we moved into the guest house this morning. We'll use the guest house as a home base this week to accumulate our new household supplies and hopefully get moved into our places by the weekend. It is Africa and nothing happens the way you plan....

So that's my story this week. I hope to get some pictures here soon. X-mas?? I can't even imagine from here in the tropics.

I miss you all. xoxo...d

ps. healing thoughts to Grandma and Jen. Bravo Brian, I'll come visit in Uganda!