Hi, all!

We've been here in the Environment training site for the last two days or so. Interesting place. I love this city. It would be my dream souk town: incredibly laid-back (I've seen women wearing clothes that would be considered incredibly shameful where we've been...), urban feeling while surrounded by peaceful monkey-filled mountains, and with a sort of a medina with winding alleyways and beautiful fabric shops, shoe shops, antiques, rugs, cafes, and it's all clean and not-touristy. I think part of the difference in feel is that it's more of a mix of Berber and Arab culture than the more Berber places we've spent the most time in. I love my part of the country, don't get me wrong, and the welcomingness of the people in the Berber areas and the whole shock and amazement and instant street credit you get for speaking even a little Berber gets you is amazing, but the whole sort of atmosphere here is peaceful and beautiful.

We've been having sessions here now on sort of logistical things once we get to site. I was one of the people in our group who did the sector presentation, which was a bit rushed and a presentation I wasn't proud of, but all in all, I'm glad it was over. The sector presentation essentially went into details of what we've been doing for the last two months and what we may be doing for the next two years at site, so we can learn what the Environment kids have been doing and they can see what us Health kids have been working on.

Speaking of the environment group, they have the ZWEENEST hotel here where they've been doing their training. Wireless internet in the lounge (where I am now), big tents with ponjs and cushions on the roof, over TEN hot showers for the group opposed to our sometimes-two sometimes-three sometimes-zero hot showers.... it's a lot bigger and a lot nicer. It's okay though, because I've really been able to appreciate having training somewhere that there is not a bar in town. Sometimes alcohol brings about a different dynamic, and I've loved getting to know people without having to worry about who's going to the bar when. I'm probably one of the only people who feels that way in our group, but our little hotel, as non-zween as it was, will definately have a place in my heart.

Oh, and another exciting discovery: this town here has a fair! A bunch of us played bumper cars last night and it was a great way to get out stress and aggression. Fun times.

We got our LPI scores: I was fairly pleased with mine; Intermediate-Mid. The best Tam speaker tested at Intermediate High; the highest out of any language in either the Environment or the Helath group, but a few of us tested at IntMid which I'm very pleased with. It doesn't mean I feel like I'll really be able to communicate well with people once I get to site, but I guess I'm in reasonably good shape.

So, Monday, we swear in. I will be an official volunteer.  Awesome. It still hasn't sunk in that we're not going back to the training site now, but that on Tuesday, we'll all be leaving for different parts of the country. Exciting. Terrifying, but exciting.