End of training

4/23/14
So today marks six days until we finish training (for the most part) and return to Addis Ababa for swearing in.  It is a nervous time for some of the trainees, there are three major events in the next few days.  Tomorrow we have a test to see if we have learned the goals and methods of PC.  On Sat/Sun we have to run  a camp with thirty something kids from our host families.  On top of that we each have to hold an hour long training session to teach the kids something.  Finally on Monday we take our language placement test that determines if we can join PC, have to stay an extra week in Addis for more language training, or will not be allowed to swear in.  After that as I said, we will go to Addis for the last small bits of training, Addis day to buy supplies we can't get at site, and the swearing in ceremony.  The ceremony will be held at the US embassy, we will have a formal setting where we meet the US ambassador, as well as some Ethiopian officials.  It will also be partly televised, so the PCT who has to speak at the ceremony has something even more to be nervous about.
As many of you know, this week was the end of Fasika.  That is the fasting season done the 55 days before Easter.  Easter being probably the most widley and prominantly celebrated holiday for Ethiopians.  It is a time where they celebrate the religious holiday, the family comes together, and they break fast.  So since Sunday Ethiopians all over the country have been slaughtering animals and eating COPIOUS amounts of meat.  I was really worried that it was going to be a hard time for me since I am a vegetarian.  Unfortunatly that problem was eliminated for me when my body decided to let an ameoba eat my intestines.  I was sick all day Sunday, and was not able to eat anything other than a banana all day.  Even the next day my worried family was trying to get me to eat and I barely could.  After the doctor gave me medicine I called on Tuesday to ask why I was still nauseous only to find out that the nausea from the ameoba had probably gone away and been replaced by the nausea from the medication.  So now battling stress, language six hours a day, I also have to contend with an upset stomach every few hours when the anti-nausea medicine for the anti-amebois medicine wears off.  But looking on the bright side, many of the other volunteers got sick from eating the Kitfo (raw meat dish) served for the end of Fasika, and even more so, we only have 6 days till it is over and the REALY PC experievnce starts!  So please, those of you back home, keep us in mind, send us some good luck to get past the next week to start our service!  
4/28
It is finally over!  I have taken my language test (LPI) and I am done with tests for PST.  It seems like such a short time ago I arrived in Butajira.  Since my stay began I have had some many amazing experiences, made great friends, and formed another extension of my family, I will miss my family here and I do intend to visit them again at some point during my service.  We also finished camp, it went surprisingly well.  I will admit I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, but by the end of the second day I was ready to be DONE with it.  The kids seemed to enjoy it a lot, there were some interesting talks, and our 32 kid camp with all host family children ended up being about 15 host family kids and the rest of the nearly 50 kids just walked up to us and joined in.  The logistics were intense, since we would not turn kids away we were on a mad dash to make sure we kept up with the snacks, there was no water at the school so we had to come up with a way to keep the kids hydrated, food had to be divided between nearly twice the amount we had planned, and supplied had to be shared by the kids to do the activities.  Still with all that we pulled it off with only one scraped knee, and happy children.
So now that it is over, tomorrow is for packing, then Wednesday it is off too Addis for swearing-in, then Saturday and Sunday morning for traveling and the official start of my two year service.  I am going to be really sad to see my friends off, but I know that we can (with some difficulty) keep in touch, and regardless I will see them again in 3 months for in-service training.
I CAN'T WAIT for some forenji (foreigner) food in Addis!  Nachos here I come!!!