Dametreea Takes a Tumble

Lah dee daaah...so this typhoid shot really hurts and this flu shot has me feeling anything but normal (or maybe its all in my head).  I'm pretty sure my arm is going to fall off any minute now :-/  ...on 5/11/12 (the date that this blog was written) we had some logistic type training which included a whole heap of administrative information and expectations, applying for visas, getting sized for bikes (I ended up with the smallest one possible of course), received a space in the Peace Corps safe for important papers and such, and getting our Rwandan Monaaaay Heeeeey!!!!!  They gave us a living allowance for the next two weeks of 37,500 francs; we're supposed to spend about 2,500 each day until its gone.  For an easy conversion, you can use 600 francs per the dollar (now do the math), we're living off of about 4.16 per day (and for Rwanda, this amount is pretty generous).  After receiving our money, we went to the phone store to get cell phones and modems for internet.  I ended up spending 20,000 on just two sim cards and a modem (so much for 2,500 francs per day).  Guess who's going to be hungry this week lol...I do have a phone number and I would love to get some phone calls as I am not able to make outgoing calls (its waaaay to expensive)!  So with that being said, if you would like my number, please give my older sister a call, I would say email me, but I won't have enough internet time to respond to everyone seeing how I just spent more money than I was supposed to on a modem.

We had some language training today to prepare us for when we go to meet our host family TOMORROW.  We learned simple phrases like muraho (hello), amukura (how are you), ni meza (good), among a few others that I can't remember right now.  We had some amazing food and I discovered that I will have absolutely no problems adjusting to the food if that's what I get to eat every day.  The menu included avocado salad (I have got to get my hands on the recipe), chicken, fish, beans, rice, casava, potatoes, and some really hot pepper salsa type stuff (which I didn't eat).  Oh, and I can't forget the highlight of my day.  After hearing stories from the director about people falling in the rain or just down a hill, guess who had to be the very first person to take a tumble.  Yep, it was yours truly. On the way from the phone store, I slipped and fell...in the rain...on the STAIRS! Everyone's eyes got so big and I couldn't help but laugh.  Afterall, it wouldn't be me if it didn't happen at some point in time, at least I got it over with early.

I think that's all of the updates I have for now.  I'll do my best to post photos in the photo gallery on the internet we have here.  It's really slow so bare with me.

Love and Peace Corps,

Dametreea