2 days of training

One more quick post while we seem to have a little internet:

The Peace Corps is deadly serious about: 1) its mission; and 2) the safety of volunteers. As a consequence the last 3 days, and the next 2 months, are packed with classes, instruction, and requirements. A little fatiguing, but the organization and commitment to get it right, and to help us get it right, is encouraging. The language is really tough. Stuff we thought we knew surfaces slowly, if at all, through the haze of jet lag and sleep deprivation. We've reviewed water filtration, very well-stocked med kits, HIV prevention, and how to take a bucket bath – in separate groups of men and women.

 

Tuesday we move to home sites for our 2 month training period, living with our language instructor (“thishela”) . In 2 weeks we start cooking for ourselves.

Our group is cheerful, smart, and full of diverse talents. Richard's violin didn't make it through the Jo'berg airport, but was retrieved the next day. They made a campfire and hot chocolate for us (by our body clocks it was mid-day) and we celebrated. Richard played for us – he first played Carnegie at 11 – but this sounded about as good. That's the picture.

The stars, even here in “the industrial zone” shine bright, but of course there are no constellations we recognize. My star map may have been in the folder looted from my checked luggage at Jo'Berg; hope its in the package we shipped 2 weeks ago. We've identified 5 birds – all new, of course. And that's just walking to meals and class, because there will be little time for birding this winter.