So I know I have been neglecting my blog duties but here is probably one of the most important entries. September 1st 2007 was the day I swore in as a volunteer! It seemed like it has taken a lot for me to get here, and I guess it has. I had to go through the almost year long application process (lots of paperwork, interviews, and fighting with doctors for appointments, etc), then packing my soon to be life in two bags, then saying goodbye to my family (including friends whom I consider my extended family), then the long treacherous trip through Senegal (*wink wink*), and then this nine-week cultural and technical training period. I mean no matter what happens after this I have actually become a Volunteer and I have lived successfully in Cape Verde for more than 2 months. Anyways, the swearing-process was emotional because although we have only lived in our homestay houses for 2 months a lot of us feel like our temporary towns and families have become very important and very much a part of our hearts. We had to say goodbye to them and soon say goodbye to one another.
Swearing-In, in some ways, felt very surreal. It was a very long nine weeks! But the ceremony was relatively short and two new volunteers gave speeches in Portugese and Kriolu (both of them did very well), and of course we were sworn in by the Ambassador (that process was a lot shorter than I was expecting). After the ceremony we ate snacks, watched the Batuk group (from txan di tanki) perform, and took a lot of pictures. We had around 4 hours to get everything we needed and leave for our sites if we were on Santiago. I walked around the town with some of the volunteers and then very soon said goodbye to all the other new volunteers. That was unxpectantly very sad. And on September 1st I came to the beautiful town of Calheta to start my two-year service!
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