almost swearing-in day!

SWEARING IN DAY IS TOMORROW!

After 9 weeks of training and orientation the Peace Corps Jamaica #81 group is finally ready to swear in. Tomorrow at the US Embassy we will take our oath, 4 of our group will give a short speech, a guest speaker and the charge d’ affairs will preside. Our site supervisors will be there and after a short reception we will head to our new homes across the island. This week we enjoyed hotel living with hot water, usually, and a pool and a bar, next week we begin life on a Peace Corps volunteer budget. But this week was busy with last minute trainings on budgeting and final documents. It has been great to hear about everyone’s sites and housing, and plans on how to visit each other.
Another especially nice event was that Wes, our acting PC director, invited all 11 of us over 50(years that is) volunteers to his house for dinner. He said his mother was a PC volunteer at 62 to Romania and she told him to look out for us older, vintage volunteers and treat us right. It was a lovely dinner at his VERY nice apartment with a wonderful view of Kingston.
Jamaica has some nice amenities that many PC sites don’t have, such as pretty universal cell phone coverage and running cold water (with some lock outs due to the drought). Our housing has been selected for safety as crime- theft and robberies- are pretty common. Unemployment is high- bauxite mining is about done here, and of course the state of the world economy.
I am excited to begin what I came here to do- contribute to improving life here in Jamaica. I thank you all for your offers of help and will keep you posted on my needs and ways you can help!