Kushe-O Padi dem!

Disclaimer: sorry for my typing on this post - the keyboards here are noooot the best.

That's hello friends in Krio! I'm sorry it's taken me this long to do my first blog post but it's been a pretty crazy journey and I am just now getting to my first internet cafe in Bo - the ciy where we have our 10 weeks of training.

I have SO much to share already I don't even know where to start! First I should tell you I am no longer Brooke, my host family has names me Bendu and I am already answering more to that than I am to Brooke, which is probably a good thing considering "brook" means to wash your clothes. I couldn't understand why the people in Freetown (the major capital city where we were for the first 5 days) laughed whenever I told them my name, but as soon as I got to Bo I understood.

I will try to some up these last two weeks as quickly as I can.

First let me say all of the people in our group (45 total) are awesome! Everyone is extremely nice and genuine and I can still say this after two weeks of constantly being with them, which is pretty impressive seeing as though most of us have been seen at our worst.

Freetown was amazing! We stayed in a hostel within the National Stadium where our first few training classes were also held. We weren't allowed to leave the hosetl after dark, but could walk around the stadium during the day where a lot of locals hangout. Let me just say, I know how celebrities in America feel. You can't move one finger without people watching you. It's considered rude here to pass someone and not greet them so I can easily say i'm nearing a million on the number of times i have said kushe. Freetown was full of playign soccer after training, cards at night (people here love to play euchre which made me extremely happy!) Ah everyone is leaving the cafe, so I better get gonig but i'll post more later!!

I love and miss you all!! :)