Limited Communication

Hello everyone,

Apparently the cybercafes here have been shut down, and the city I'm going to for training, Azove, has no wireless, so I will likely be without internet the next two months. I'll miss talking to you and knowing what is going on in the world, but I'll let you know if I do get to post things and email, and check how Michigan football started its season!

The first few days here have been really fun. The other Peace Corps volunteers I'm with are great. We are staying at a sort of retreat compound called St. Jean Eudes until tomorrow, when we move to our different training sites, depending on what we'll be working on. All the business people will be with me in Azove, and I'll be living with a host family.

I've already played soccer with the locals here, had a guitar sing-along with the Beninese, a Senegalese, a Cameroonian and a Togolese, taken a bucket shower, eaten some great food from street vendors, and as of yet, I have yet to get sick (knock on wood!). My French is ok, much better than I thought it was, and a lot of it is coming back quickly!

I'm really excited to get out to training and eventually to my post and start my own life. I might even by a pet dog, which you can get here for about $2 and another $8 or so for all the rabies shots and all other necessary vaccinations. Plus, apparently your neighbors like it when you have a dog because they alert when strangers are nearby.

I'm really enjoying life here, and am sure there will be tough times ahead, but I know I can make it through and that I will love it. It's hard going through training. I've realized I'm much more of an experiential person and hearing things told to me over and over again doesn't quite help, and only makes me want to get out, do stuff, and find out on my own. Well, I've got to go catch up to the group, so for now, "A plus tarde!"

Love,

Sebastian

Leaving

I leave for staging (orientation) in Philadelphia on July 17th and then fly out to Benin on July 19th. I will be working in Benin doing business advising work for two years, planning to return to the United States sometime in the fall of 2009. Best of luck to everybody I leave in the States, I'll miss you all!