2004-09-10 - 4:49 p.m.

I'M AN OFFICIAL VOLUNTEER!!!!!!

As of last night Mesdames et Messieurs I officially swore to protect and defend the American Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic... while raising my right hand together with my fellow new volunteers and repeating the US Ambassador's words as he stood in front of us in between the US and Mauritanian flags!

There were various Mauritanian officials present at the ceremony and many security officers surrounding the tent under which we were sitting. Many of us got to wear makeup and perfume after ten weeks of complete "ruggedness" so much that one of the guys poked his head into our dorm room and surprisingly exclaimed:"Wow, it smells like girls!!!" (It was either Brock or Matt... :-) )

That's not all we got to finally do after ten months of intense Pre-Service Training... we got to dance to blaring music... in Western clothes after all the officials had left: whomever has ever gone dancing with me knows how I can just let loose on the dance floor and put my whole soul and body into it... well, imagine me after ten weeks of wearing a veil and never dancing or really exercising... I was in heaven and couldn't stop!!! I was soaked the entire night... a shower of sweat from within: it felt sooooo good!!!! :-) Arab music, Senegalese Music, LAtin Music, European Music, American Music and a bunch of crazy Americans dancing on a basketball court with their African friends (from the lycee staff and Peace Corps staff) under the beutiful star-filled sky!

Before swearing in officially we had to pass a language test and be officially invited. I passed both French and HAssiniya at the Intermediate High level and was hence entitled to continue in this adventure... unfortunately there were two trainees who had to hold off on the swearing-in ceremony and attend intensive one-on-one classes before taking a second test. Inshallah they will join us soon!

Speaking of Hassiniya, I did end up giving the acceptance/thank you speech last night in HAssiniya, while two other volunteers gave speeches in French and Puular respectively. IT will be interesting to watch the Mauritanian news tonight as the TV station was present and so were other journalists... I will probably be laughing the entire time! Al-hamdullilah!

We got our "settling-in" allowance today, will be getting our "posting orientation" tomorrow and then leaving for our respective sites on the 12th. I will be having a "posting officer" with me for the first three days and we will have to travel to the regional capital to open a bank account, take care of basic household shopping, and finalise my lease contract/electricity and water accounts, etc.

I took a walk around the market today with Karin (who will be the closest volunteer to me)she was looking for fabric and I was looking for a "gidra". A gidra is a clay pot that has the magical power of keeping water cool even in this Saharian heat... and it is only made by Puular people, which means that I won't be able to find any in MAghta Lahjar. I figured that it would be a good investment (about 5 US dollars) since I will not be owning a fridge for two years and I will have to get all of my daily water between 4 and 8 in the morning and keep it in containers during the rest of the day... and won't be rich enough to afford cold bottled water on a daily basis! HEH... CAN YOU BELIEVE I GOT MYSELF IN THIS SITUATION ALL ON MY OWN FREE WILL??? I am laughing right about now...

KArin and I hopped on a donkey cart on our way back to the Lycee because the clay pot was getting heavy and the sun hotter by the second... it was my first donkey cart ride since I arrived in MAuritania... the two kids "driving" it were having fun going as fast as they possibly could despite the many bumps and holes in the ground. The thought of having a fragile clay pot on the cart didn't really bother them. And as we got into the Lycee compound, under the laughing eyes of about ten staff members, they didn't even seem to care about the big white Peace Corps vehicle parked under the tree... and rammed right into it breaking the tail lights! Surprisingly no one really seemed concerned about it, as Karin and I dreaded the thought of suddenly "being in trouble"... does Peace Corps policy expect us to wear a helmet on donkey carts??? :-)As the pieces of plexiglass laid on the sand the two kids accepted their total 100 ouguiyas fare for the two passengers and the clay pot and left

(corresponding to about 33 US cents and apparently a rip-off) - the Peace Corps staff was busy examining my great purchase and giving me advice on how to best transport it to ML without it breaking... Inshallah!

I might stock up on melhavas too before leaving as they seem to cost double the price in ML... everything else I will buy in my regional capital (Aleg) which is 110km away from where I live.

This is my farewell to the Internet for a while... until I will be able to spend a non-work day in Aleg! Till then Ma Seelam my dear family and friends... PEace be With YOu!

My mailing address will remain the same until further notice, except for the three-letter acronym after my name: PCT becomes PCV ( as in volunteer vs. trainee)... and mail will be delivered to me once a month with the PC "Road of Hope" Shuttle!

JORDANA SPADACINI, PCV

CORPS DE LA PAIX

B.P. 222

NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA

WEST AFRICA

Oh! I want to thank my fellow traning class for voting me "most integrated" and awarding me a tea pot and tea glasses set: I will certainly make good use of them, while entertaining my guests in ML and making the famous mint tea! :-)

And it wouldn't be fair not to thank all of the PST staff (pre-service training), including the lycee staff... amazingly dedicated and passionate people!!!! THANK YOU!!!

Au revoir!

Jordy

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