Care Package Paradise

This weekend I'm going to write a post all about In-Service Training and work stuff and what I've been up to and all that, but right now I just want to talk about some of the wonderful things that have arrived in the mail recently.
First, from my mom, this pink mini-sewing-kit egg, which came in a box filled with protein bars and postcards and whatnot.

Miniature Things That I Own 

Then, from my brother, a pound of Peet's coffee (Major Dickason's Roast, my favorite) and cat postcard, which I loved and used to make a new nametag for my basket in the Regional House kitchen hut. 

AND THEN this arrived via Diplomatic Pouch:

(My brother is the best brother.)

Dried fruit, BBQ sauce, iPod cord, chocolate chip cookie mix, OREOS, Ritter Dark with Hazlenuts, Toblerone, Tom's of Maine toothpaste, Hawaiian Punch (Juicy Red Flavor), dental floss, facewash... OH, and A NETBOOK. And an external hard drive. It was a little overwhelming, like Christmas and Easter and my birthday all at once.

So, now I have a computer again (and a battery, which arrived separately) and I'm super thrilled about it (even though Windows is ridiculous) and will be doing my best to catch up on e-mail and Facebook and all that.

Off to Install! Back in Five Weeks.

Tomorrow morning I install at site. I am the only one left from the Kédougou, so in the morning I will get up, load the mid-sized mountain of stuff I've accumulated into a Peace Corps car, and drive out to Salémata to be shown around, introduced to the local authorities, and to officially meet my host family. I'll move in, start unpacking, and get back to working on my Pullo Fuuta language, which feels like it's been getting rusty over the last week or so.

I'm planning on being out at site for about five weeks, but since Salémata is more of a small town than a village in many ways I'll have electricity for a couple hours in the evening on most days, good cell phone coverage and possibly some e-mail access.  I'll also be doing my best to check (and send!) mail. My address again:                      PCV LaRocha LaRiviere
                       Corps de la Paix
                       B.P. 37    Kédougou
                       Senegal - West Africa 
and I'm still looking for postcards and pictures for hut decorating!

I'll be back in Kédougou in July, and will make sure to have some photo albums ready to post as soon as I get back to reliable wifi.

Also! I talked with Emma, my roommate at the Training center during PST, and was happy to hear that she had a good install and has great cell phone coverage, or reseau ("network" in French) as they say here.

ADDRESS UPDATE and Volunteer Visits!

Tomorrow morning I will be waking up extremely early to pile into a Peace Corps Land Cruiser for the long drive down to Kédougou for Volunteer Visits, where we shadow current volunteers for five days. I'm excited about seeing Salémata (my village) and getting a better idea of where I'll be living and working for the next couple years, even though it'll be really, really, unreasonably hot.

ALSO! Because it takes so long for things to arrive, starting now it'll be best to use my Kédougou address rather than my Thiès address, even though I won't actually be moving to Kédougou until next month. (Things will still make it to me eventually, there'll just be a delay if it goes to the Training Center after I've already installed.) This will be my address at site:

PCV LaRocha LaRiviere
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 37    Kédougou
Senegal - West Africa