Goodbye Solano

Today is Sunday. Last Thursday I left my host family in Solano. It was a sweet send-off and I will visit them again while I'm here in the Philippines.

There are six kids that live on the compound who I really enjoyed talking with, so on Wednesday afternoon I wrote them each a letter and gave them each a picture of themselves (I had taken several fun shots of them). That evening while I was packing, each one of them came to my room, individually, and gave me a letter that they had written to me. My heart was really touched. I gave Manang Norma a framed 8x10 of her family. She gave me a HUGE bag (with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger on it) filled with houseware items. A blanket, thermos, plate, bowl, cup, glass, spoon, fork, basin, dipper, frying pan, and the list goes on. Then, as if that weren't enough, she gave me two necklaces and a bracelet. Oh Manang Norma . . . what a woman.

After leaving Solano the other PCTs and I all went to NVSU. On Friday I took the dreaded language exam. We didn't get our results until Saturday evening, but I am happy to report that I passed - with the lowest possible passing grade - intermediate low. Hurray! I was thrilled with the outcome! I think I was even happier than Thomas, who scored the very highest - Advanced level. I am just so pleased not to have to test again. Now when I go to my site I can begin learning Kenkan-ey. Woohoo. All nineteen PCTs took the test and all but four passed. I'm really happy to be finished with language exams!

Tomorrow begins our Supervisor's Conference and then tomorrow night is our swearing-in ceremony. We practiced the ceremony this afternoon. It will be a nice event. Together, all the trainees will be performing a tribal dance. We will be all wearing native attire and dancing to gong music. We are also singing a funny song that we wrote about being in the Peace Corps.

Last night we had movie night at the hub. We popped popcorn and watched two movies on the projector: The Criminal (which I slept through) and Motorcycle Diaries (which I loved!) We also made and gave each other superlative awards. I received: Most Likely to Hit Puberty at 50. I love it!

Gotta run, my barcada is leaving. More later!