Almost a Peace Corps Volunteer!

It's nearly official! We moved out of our homes in Anjozoro yesterday. It was sad saying goodbye, but also a huge relief. The final presentations all went really well, and I passed my language evaluation. Now it's just formalities, and hopefully some time to reorganize and relax before being officially sworn in and dropped off at our respective villages.

Our swearing in ceremony is in just a few days. It will be held at the U.S. Ambassador's house in the capital, and the head director of the entire Peace Corps is coming to Madagascar to attend. I believe there will be a film crew, and we heard the President of Madagascar might show up for this one as well. It's all hearsay though. We never really know at all what the plan is until it actually happens.

I uploaded a few photos to my Flickr account. I wish I had time to upload more, but the computers here are an exercise in frustration. At least you can see my host family and some of the people I've been in training with over the last 10 weeks. These people have become like family. We've spent far too much time together, and it's going to be really sad to say good bye next week to all my new friends.

Oh, also, I have my new address thanks to the former Peace Corps Volunteers in my region. They're on their way out of the country soon, and left a post office box, so here it is. All future mail should be sent to this address:

Helen Graham, PCV, Peace Corps
B.P. 36
Mananara-Nord 511
Madagascar

This is not the address to send me packages though. Continue to use the Antananarivo address for anything substantial. Letters and small packages only, please. And I REALLY appreciate all the letters I've recieved so far. It means more than you know. Thanks for the love, keep it coming, 'cause it's going to be lonely here real soon when I'm on my own. Oh, and yes, I will also still be able to send/recieve text messages in Soavina.

I may get one more chance to check in online before heading off to Soavina next week. Then after swearing in, I will not have a chance to check in again until August when I come back through Tana for In-Service Training. It's just snail mail and text messages in Mananara. No internet access for me, whatsoever. So please stay in touch. I hope to hear from you all.

Did I mention before, my house is on the Mananara River, and just a 20 minute bike ride to an apparently beautiful beach on the Indian Ocean. And from what I hear, there's a shaded gazebo and a coconut tree in my front yard.
Who's coming to visit?

LOTS OF LOVE FROM THE RED ISLAND
Wish me luck on making it green.