I'm official, and I have a new home in Falmouth

Just for the record, I still hate the humidity and the mosquitoes.

Wow, a lot has happened since my last post. I had tried posting 3 other times, but due to technical difficulties I lost them all.

So, I finished what the Peace Corps calls "training", which is a nice euphemism for a total waste of time. I learned more tips in one hour at the bar with another volunteer who has been in country for a couple years. Regardless, I am an official Peace Corps Volunteer now! We swore in as official volunteers as Hurricane Gustav rushed the island, and we got to stay in Kingston for an extra two days(which wasn't so bad because the hotel bar was still open).

As some of you may or may not know, I can be the king of irrational and impulsive decisions. One night after a horrible day, I decided that I need to leave because this place isn't for me. It was supposed to unfold like something out of a movie where I go to the airport with one small bag, walk up to the ticket counter, and say "I'll take a ticket on the next plane going anywhere". Must have been divine intervention because that very same night I got bit by something(some say it was the giant centipede aka 40 Legs), and my elbow swelled up like a baseball. I got so paranoid that I couldn't sleep, having fantasies of the rest of my life without my right arm. Needless to say, I couldn't go get a ticket to anywhere with my arm all swelled up. So, I'm still keeping the dream alive here in Falmouth, Jamaica. Thanks for the encouraging words Mom and Pops....and the rest of you!

Actually, things took a turn for the better. I got out of the tiny, cramped house up in the hills and into a new house in Falmouth. I have a little cozy place detached from the main house with my own shower, sink, and toilet. It's very Peace Corps, and could use some work, but it's perfect. The candles and mosquito net are actually very romantic, and would be appreciated by the right lady! Plus, I can walk to work and anywhere in town within 10 minutes, and saves me over $4,000 Jamaican dollars($60 USD)/month in taxis. The house is owned by a retired American woman who is married to a Jamaican man, so I get the best of both cultures. I have full access to the kitchen for cooking, although I wouldn't call what I do cooking on my Peace Corps budget.

Work is still very slow at the Health Department, so I am reaching out for more stuff to occupy my time. I found a connection with the 4-H club, and I may be helping install some water pipes for their farming/livestock operation. I also may be doing some work with two of the schools in town, and with the Police Station assisting their new neighborhood policing program. It's definitely strange not having any structure, so it's all self-starting and self-motivation. My host mother and I have an idea for a future project to possibly start an animal shelter. There are some scary-sick dogs roaming the streets of Falmouth that need to be claimed and/or put out of their misery. The problem is there is no leash law here in Jamaica.

Participated in a beach clean-up and Volleyball tournament fundraiser this weekend to raise money to assist poor children buy school books and uniforms. Not sure how much money we raised, but there was a good turnout and lots of fun had. 30 volunteers from across the island showed up to support, and also to celebrate a few birthdays. Drunk dancing and skinny dipping, which included many White Dolphins, capped off the night before we all went and passed out at some big house we rented. It's tough coming off a weekend like that, so I had a case of the Mondays today.

I think the adjustment and break-in period is about over. It's finally starting to sink in my little brain that I live in Jamaica and work for the Peace Corps. It's all very surreal still, but frustrating and awesome all mixed together too. I started recording my mood/attitude at the end of each day in my journal on a ten scale. 1 being the worst day possible, and 10 being the best. After 30 days, I plotted it on a graph and found that the only "pattern" was that it peaked very highs to very lows over very short times. It helped to know that this is considered normal, and that others are going through it as well. My goal is to post every month on my wall, so I can visually see how my attitude changes over time. Maybe the Peace Corps will adopt it, and force the trainees to do more nonsense "training".

Thanks again to you all for your support and encouragement!