Guess Who Is A Volunteer Now?!!?

V. in her attire

Me. In my attire!

All the Yap Volunteers and our new country director.

Me and our dance instructor/language teacher...she has been awesome!!

Hey everyone,

Yay!! I did it. I am finally a Peace Corps Volunteer. Things are great. I will start at the school on Monday. We danced, we gave an introduction in Yapese, and we ate and laughed. We will have a video up soon. I am going to post some picutres in this blog to show you the super traditional clothing we wore.

I have to admit that I teared up when we gave our Oath. I felt a sense of patriotism that was so strong and so sure. To swear to defend our nation, America, it feels good. Also, to know that I am trying my best to dispel the notions that people have of America...it's a task that I am up to and really want to do well.

Anyway, enough with my sapiness. Finally, I am a real Volunteer!! I will start to teach soon and the place where I have moved to, is AMAZING. It's right on the Pacific Ocean. Pictures will come soon.

Much Love,

D

Two more...

This is me and my friend, V, getting ready to dance the day away in full Yap style dress.

Our Yap group all in full dress...YES, the girls are topless!! GASP!

Finally, PICTURES!!!!

This one is my in a thuw...you already had the back view...here is the front.

A rainbow in Pohnpei...In fact, I saw a rainbow yesterday before it rained ALL over my and soaked me to the bone!!!!

This is a picture from staging. There 27 smiling faces. You can't see me becuase I am taking the picture. The picture with me in it was too blurry to see. There are also our two trainers...which both were awesome!!

My mom wanted this picture up. A friend of ours, Dale, gave me this version of a Thai thuw. I forgot the name.

This is where I went cliff diving in Pohnpei. When I say diving maybe it was only 8 feet in the air...but it was scary enough for me!!!

So everyone...I have finally learned how to use a computer here...and I have lots of pictures. I won't go into too much explantion...just know....Things are going well here.

Know too, that I love and miss you all!!!

Some Images from Pohnpei and Yap

Yes, this is it...the Thuw!! In Main Island Style in all it's glory. Main islanders (as opposed to outer islanders) wear two thuws, with a male lava-lava. My red thuw is a little short...I already have another one. You will see me dance in these in our swear in video.

My favorite sight in Pohnpei!!

I just think this picture is amazing!!! It's the store we had in front of our house in Pohnpei....I just love it!

GObama!!

A New President!!!! YAY!! I had to write on this historic day! All the Peace Corps Trainees where anxiously awaiting to see who our next President would be...and it was Obama! Again..this blog is my own...not Peace Corps or U.S. Government. I would just like to say how PERSONALLY, I am so very happy with the outcome! It just such a historic day, time, event...and this will be one of those, "Where were you when_______"?

A few of us went out and had a beer and just smiled as we watched CNN and saw the results come in slowly but surely. I am also SO happy to say that North Carolina was a close race. As of now I don't know who won NC. I just looked on Yahoo and it said it was 50/50. That is so awesome for a state that is typically red!!!

Anyway, tomorrow I should have some pictures up on the blog. Trying to make it a little more Crazy, Wild, and Interesting as it's title denotes.

Again, know that I miss everyone!!! Things are going well...we swear in...in about two weeks from now. We will be going local--girls--topless--boys--thuw (long cloth, similar to a sorong/sari--I don't know the difference). I will have pictures of that no worries!! Sarah, another Volunteer, already has pictures of me rocking a thuw to the beach. You'll see soon..I know all of you can't wait!

Much love from Yap!!