Last Week of PST

I cannot believe where the last eight weeks have gone.  Tomorrow, we meet Ma Ellen and swear in as official Peace Corps Volunteers.  Then on Tuesday, Sarah and I (along with four other volunteers in the southeast) fly to Maryland County to start our official service!  First of all, I want to thank all of you for your support while I have been here – it has been incredibly helpful in keeping me sane.  The emails, texts, and phone conversations are all greatly appreciated.

So what have I been up to since I last posted?  Model school finished, and I was very proud of all of my students.  They definitely came a long way from where they were when we started, and I, as a teacher, learned so much in those first three weeks.  There was a closing ceremony on the Saturday following model school’s completion, but due to a “runny belly,” I stayed home.  Kind of a bummer, but I’m feeling much better now! 

This last week was full of last-minute training opportunities, a final medical session, an admin session (where we got paid!), and all of the drama that comes with moving back to Doe Palace from our home stays.  Thursday night, we had a closing ceremony with our host families, and that was fun.  We sang the Liberian and American national anthems, presented certificates to our host families, and they were given invitations to our swearing-in program on Monday. 

Friday morning, we moved back into Doe.  I don’t know how I managed to do so, but I have significantly more stuff now than I did when I moved in.  Thankfully, I was able to purchase a cheap bag in the market to pack up my things.  We will stay here until tonight, go to Monrovia tomorrow, stay in Monrovia, and then fly to Maryland County on Tuesday. 

For the swearing-in program tomorrow, we are all getting dressed up in our lapa suits and “bluffin’” for Ma Ellen.  I have an Obama lapa, which means that it costs more money and is shiny.  (I’m not sure why it’s called Obama, but it is…)  Speaking of lapa suits, I now have three Liberian suits.  I picked out fabric that I liked and took it to a tailor to get it made into something that I can wear to teach in, etc.  One of my favorite fabrics he turned into a lapa suit that I love…had he not put pink tulle (I think?) as accents on the sleeves and the hem of the skirt.  Sarah told me it looks like something you’d wear to an 80s prom…so there’s that.  Good thing is, it is completely acceptable to look like that here, so I’m not worried too much.

Speaking of prom, we had a PST Prom on Friday night.  Held at Kem’s Guesthouse next door, we had music, beverages, and cake!  For $80 LD each (about one dollar US), we were able to enjoy cassava cake, banana cake, and “icing cake” – after not having much of anything that resembled a baked good here, that cake was delicious.  In other news, Sarah and I created the playlist for the evening, and it was awesome.  Pulling from my extensive music library of the “Now That’s What I Call Music” CDs, we jammed out to tunes from the late 90s/early 00s.  It was awesome, and I would even say it was much better than any prom I’ve ever heard about happening in America. 

This weekend has been awesome.  Having absolutely no place to be has felt incredibly liberating; after living by Peace Corps’ schedule for most of the last eight weeks, having our own agenda is a good feeling.  (Remind me how much I love this concept in a year, when I’m complaining about having too much free time…) 

Today, I will go visit my host family for the last time.  My sisters are all sad that I’m leaving, but such is life.  I will be sure to visit them when I come back to Doe Palace for training or other reasons, so it’s not like we’ll never see each other again :) 

In other news, Sarah and I make a great pair.  She somehow acquired pink eye over the last few days, and I have a nice spot of ringworm on my arm.  Thankfully, Dr. Shelly, our medical officer here in Liberia, provided her with an eye drop solution, and I found the anti-fungal cream in our med kit.  Hopefully we have gotten our sicknesses out of the way now and we'll be healthy during our time in Maryland County!  

Here’s to the next two years!

-Caitlin