We passed, and are sworn in

  We moved back into the training facility Monday, and luxuriated in hot showers, water from a tap, rooms you can enter without removing your shoes, meals planned, prepared, served and cleaned up by others, hot showers, and a rooster-free environment.  And did I mention HOT SHOWERS? (Am I shouting?)  A very relaxed atmosphere before we head out Friday for our sites. 

  We learned Tuesday that we both passed the dreaded Language Proficiency Test; we hit the required "Intermediate Low," so we won't have to be re-tested in November.  But we need to get a lot more fluent if we are to have much adult communication in our community.  But passing is a big load off us. One of our group who learned Japabese as a child, scored high intermediate!  Have I mentioned, there are some smart folks in this group. 

  Now that the group is a little more relaxed and also living together again I've enjoyed watching some relationships. We had one more session on "inclusiveness", and I thought that was going to be a little much, but their focus was on how our group's minority PCVs will deal with the typical Swazi reaction that they are not "real" Americans - which they've ready heard, in just those words.  And how the rest of the group should support them. We have 3 girls with some Asian ancestry,  and 2 girls whose parents came as refugees, from Somalia and Sudan. And probably some gay volunteers in our group. Homosexuality is a criminal offense here, and most Swazis are adamantly intolerant.  We play along on some issues - "Are you Christian?" "Well, sure, some," but we are uncompromising in telling them of our different view on homosexuality. 

  "Pairing up" has been very tentative, no doubt in part because of the "dormcest" obstacle to intimacy I think our children observed at their co-ed colleges. So it was interesting to see the dynamic when some from the 1-year-in group joined us for wine, cheese and chocolate Tuesday night,  and to get to meet us. Kind of like upper-class meeting  freshmen. 

  The gang has been very excited about Swearing-In, talking all week about what they'd wear and how they'd do their hair. Cleaned up pretty good, huh?

The swearing-in was very nice. Inspiring. When we do our job well, we can make a difference. Our group acquitted themselves well speaking cleverly and well in English and siSwati, and performing the national anthems. 

 This afternoon we pack, tonight we gather with the 1-year-in-group at a pub and take a final shower, and early tomorrow morning we load out to site.  

  And our new life. For 2 years.