I'm about to have a cheeseburger. *sigh

Hello everyone from rainy, rainy Rwanda! (*Side note, it's actually now beautiful and sunny as I'm in Bourbon Cafe in Kigali waiting for a cheeseburger and french fries and enjoying free wireless. Swear in is tomorrow morning, I'm SO excited!!)

Training has been winding down, but also incredibly busy the past couple of weeks and I haven't had time to write another blog update (yes, yes, very sorry, I know how much all of you enjoy reading my frequent and exhaustive ramblings). But I’ve finally found some time, as the never ending rain is plummeting down on our tin roof, rendering us pretty much unable to do anything but sit inside and stare at our numerous electronic devices. Arielle is watching Lost, Sonya/Sally/Jenny are watching Hook (*Ruuu-fiiiii-ooooo), the Rwandans are most likely watching a crappy American movie dubbed in French, and Jessi (never wanting to conform) is reading Marley and Me. Ah, yes, just another eventful evening in Rwanda.

On Friday we had our language placement interview (LPI) tests. It was similar to the mock one we had last week, but was more involved and actually meant something in regards to us being recommended as Peace Corps Volunteers. I (to my utter astonishment) raised my level to Advanced, (up from the High Intermediate that I got on my mock test)! I was pretty gosh darn excited that I was even able to hold a 25 minute conversation in Kinyarwanda with native Kinyarwanda speakers; the Advanced rating was just icing on the cake. However, I did in the process of my interview 1) hear that my fake carpenter (whose role was played by one of my language teachers) was selling a bookshelf for 2,000 francs instead of 20,000 francs - they informed me that for 2,000 francs all I could get a bookshelf for my shoes (yes, I found this funny on numerous levels, and I’m sure many of you do too); and 2) married off my brother to one of my language teachers (Andy, her name is Assinath, she’s super fun and super cute and looks forward to meeting you later this year. Oh and I told her that you’d call her….J)

Regrettably, on Saturday we said our “final” farewells to our host families. I say “final” because really it was a week of farewells with them. On Wednesday I was able to visit and give them some small parting gifts that my American family had kindly sent over (which conveniently arrived in country on the exact day I needed them! Thanks Mom!). My host mother (Mama Jeanne) adored the pen and stationary I presented to her, while the kids shrieked with laughter as they played with the bubbles, jump rope and silly putty, each with a dum-dum sticking out the side of their mouths. They were equally parts touched, amused and astonished by the card that my mom had enclosed, considering that it was actually written mostly in Kinyarwanda, which mom had scoured the internet in order to find. I believe I saw tears in my Mama’s eyes even. Then on Friday evening I met them at my local hangout, “Blue Bar” where they gave me a beautiful Rwandan basket, a scarf (since “it will be very cold in Musanze”) and two cards: one for me, and one for my American family. Don’t worry Mom, I’ll send it as soon as I get it translated; come on, my Kinyarwanda isn’t that good yet! I honestly wish I’d spent more time with my host family, as despite how uncomfortable it was at times, they were incredibly sweet to me and provided a very good introduction into Rwandan culture and family dynamics. I absolutely plan to visit them in Nyanza during my time in Rwanda, and hope that they’ll find the time to visit me in Musanze as well.

So, if all goes well, on Wednesday morning we will be officially sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers! This is what we have all worked for during the past 10 weeks and for most of us, for years before now. I am extremely excited, anxious, nervous and bewildered right now. By how fast the past 2 months have flown by, by how much my life has changed in the past 6 months, by how much I’m going to miss training and all of the people I’ve spent every waking and non waking minute with, by what strange adventures are waiting for me at my site, and by what the next two years will bring.

I’ll be in Kigali for the next two-ish weeks for orientation with the Access Project, before heading to Musanze. Kigali = swear-in, shopping for household essentials, eating lots of Indian/Thai/American food, faster internet (so hopefully photos soon!), and maybe even a hot shower. I hope everyone is happy, safe, and enjoying springtime (or whatever season you find yourself in). I’m off to bed, where the deafening rain will undoubtedly lull me to sleep in no time. Ijoro ryiza! (Goodnight!)

Oh, but of course: Things that made me VERY happy this week:

- Finding faster internet and the man Joseph who works there. He’s a very nice man who told me “the Peace Corps sounds very interesting, I want to join it, but you have to have a college degree”. Yep, Joseph, that and the fact that you have to be an American citizen. Regardless, I’m pretty sure good ole Joe was 5 seconds away from proposing to me, and he has a small business idea, if anyone wants to finance him!
- Dancing in many rainstorms with all of my fellow trainees and teachers!
- The sketchy guy who told me he loves “women who speak Kinyarwanda” while waiting in line for the bathroom at the bar. Hmmm, my response? “Simvuga ikinyarwanda, sketchy man” (ie. “I don’t speak Kinyarwanda,” spoken in Kinyarwanda..oops).
- Packages from America that included bubbles, jump ropes, play-doh, gossip and intellectual magazines, Arnold Palmer drink mix, girl scout cookies, victoria’s secret underwear and bottles of vodka hidden in crayon boxes (best family and friends ever!)
- Tech house t-shirts, tech house pictures, everyone from tech house pretty much. (We’re missing you lots, Papa LoLo.)
- Getting “Advanced” on my LPI. We needed to reach Intermediate to “pass” and “be allowed” to be sworn in as volunteers so I’m kinda sorta really happy. But I did work and study my butt off, so the reward was well worth it. And one of my language teachers took me aside and told me that they were really surprised and happy with my level of Kinyarwanda, which pretty much made my week. Yay!
- Did I mention girl scout cookies, magazines and new underwear? It seriously made my month.
- Hilariously fun yet still slightly awkward moments with my host family. And lots and lots of photo taking with them.
- Being days away from being sworn in as an actual PCV. Oh yeah.