Post PST PC

OK…so I made it through the difficult time, PST (Pre-service training). For those of you lucky enough not to have heard the many complaints I had during PST, here is a quick synopsis:
- Outhouses, and worse yet squat toilets in the outhouses
- Animals that lived right outside my window (roosters, chickens, my puppy, goats) and of course the rooster crows day and night..really makes for a sound sleep
- One day I forgot I had a long skirt on bent over to pick up my puppy “Rocco” and my skirt fell in a pile of crap..didn’t even realize it until I stood up and it spread onto my legs. My host dad is standing there just laughing so hard..my host mom insists I take my skirt off almost in the front yard..when I say absolutely not, she really does not want me to go into the house with the animal crap on my clothes..
- Or there’s also the time Spas (my host father) gave me a kitten to play with for a bit in my room..however, it jumped off the bed and behind the wardrobe (which does not move)..Spas and I use flashlights and sticks and everything to try get that kitten out...but it is determined to stay in there, and basically keeps me up the entire night meowing, and it wouldn’t come out..i was not a happy camper the next day.
- And of course there is the first night we all get to site with our host families, and we all decide to go running that evening. The problem is that none of our host families will let us out. I literally had to run around my host dad who had planted himself directly in my path, and grab my cellphone and call our language trainer, Mitko. Mitko finally got me released from my family, and then had to go and talk to each of the other volunteers families..so in the meantime I waited with Ursula at her families house..We waited..and waited, and waited some more..when all of a sudden I see a guy walking in our direction..I’m so relieved because now that the other volunteers are headed our way, we can start our run..so I jump up and shout Hi, thinking it was one of the volunteers, Ken. Yep, you guessed it, it was not Ken..but the fellow insisted on coming in the gate, kissing my hand and chatting with me and Ursula. Ursula just cracks up laughing J

OK..so there’s many of these silly stories that have happened, but the point is, I made it through PST! I’m at my permanent site now, and have my own apartment. Maybe not quite like my apartments in the US..but still, all is well. Despite these silly stories, I will dearly miss my host family and my village..they were awesome, and I plan to go back and visit often over the next two years.