Permanent Assignment and Early Experiences

So, I've been in training for a little over a week and just found out a few days ago that I'll be permanently stationed in St. Lucia for my Peace Corps service! Even though it would have been great to travel to another island in the Eastern Caribbean, I feel comfortable here on St. Lucia and am excited to try and learn a new language (Creole), explore the many hiking trails and beaches, and most importantly get settled and integrated into a community.

So the St. Lucian people I've met so far are probably the most hospitable, welcoming, and friendly people I've ever met. I've really enjoyed my host family, especially my 6 year old, energetic host-brother Gus, who's really going on 27. Even though my host family only consists of my mom, dad, two brothers, and grandparents, people I don't even know are constantly in and out of our house...neighbors, cousins, aunts, etc; it seems like everyone is related (and in many cases, they are). As we ride in the back of the truck, my host mom calls out to people's houses as we drive by, and they respond from inside with a hello.

On the other hand, here are some slightly unpleasant things about my experience so far...
-40 plus mosquito bites on my ankles and arms (fresh blood!)
-crazy intense humidity and heat...gotta love sleeping in your own sweat. Where are the sub zero temperatures of Vermont when you need them?!? :)

Some things I've come to appreciate...
-really cold showers; it's seriously probably the highlight of every day
-saying hi to everyone you pass on the street
-fresh fruits (especially mangos)
-dental floss ( to get the stringingess of the mangos out of your teeth)

Some things I never expected to be doing...
-watching WWE wrestling and kung fu with my host grandmother...she gets really into it
-whistling along to American pop ballads (e.g., Celine Dion) as my host mom sings along
-watching geckos crawl across the ceiling (so cool! they eat the mosquitos!)
-waking up to the sound of roosters each morning around 5:30 or 6...something that mysteriously never happened in Kansas...
-watching cartoon network with my host brother as hip-hop music plays in the background

My Peace Corps training has been going pretty well so far...some days are pretty tiring, but all in all it has been good. We've been learning quite a bit about the asset-based approach to community development, which basically relies on strengths and resources from within the community to bring about sustainable change. It also focuses heavily on developing projects that stem from needs expressed by the community, ultimately promoting ownership (and thus sustainability). I think that when I'm put in my community that I will most likely be essentially left to my own devices when it comes to assessing where I see a need, but I'm becoming more comfortable with that idea as training progresses.

Well, I'm here in an internet cafe and have to run now, but I'll write more about the country of St. Lucia, what's going on here economically, and a hiking trip I took to the Grand Pitons (hopefully with a few pictures) when I get the chance. Peace!