Duma estagere, Wolunteer laa!

As of yesterday, I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer!  Duma estagere, wolunteer laa!  (I am not a trainee, I am a volunteer!)  We left Thies early in the morning to drive to the US Embassy in Dakar.  In the embassy, amidst speeches from Peace Corps staff, the US Ambassador, and one representative for each language from our training class, we were all promoted to full volunteers.  So our service has officially begun.  Following the ceremony, there was a small banquet full of American food treasures; we all devoured the pizza, beef kebobs, fritatas, cookies, cream puffs, and fruit tarts that were brought around for us to eat.  (We all crave cheese and dairy products here; yes, already.)

And tomorrow I leave for Kaolack!  Good bye training center!

 My training class

Me with my language teacher Aissatu