Swearing in tomorrow!!

Hey Everyone! Well, I made it through training! Actually, our whole group made it! Not one person has ET'd (early termination). I am so proud of us! I did okay on the written test and got an intermediate high on the speaking portion. You need an intermediate mid to swear in, so I am pretty happy about my score. We are now back in the compound where it all began. It's funny to think just two  months ago we were here, not allowed to leave the gates, unable to speak Swahili  and knowing very little about the culture and nervous about leaving for homestay.  Now we are back, homestay is over & we are running around the city, speaking Swahili, shopping, doing whatever we want.Being in Dar is like being in America, it's a nice treat before we are shipped off to our villages. I went to a mall the other day and ate fast food and ice cream and watched Breaking Dawn! Later today we are going to go eat Mexican and shopping after.
Tomorrow morning we go the the Embassy an swear in. We are singing Over the Rainbow in Swahili and English and singing the Tanzanian anthem. A couple people have prepared a speech then we cite our oath, sign paperwork and eat CAKE! Almost all of the girls had dresses made...lets just say having dresses made for the first time = some pretty hilarious dresses. Ill take a lot of pics. One girl said hers has a hood. ha. Then,Thursday morning we all leave for our sites. I am so excited (and slightly terrified)  to get to my site and check it out. It's going to be so strange to be on my own. For the last 9 weeks we have been on a fairly tight schedule and now we are going to have what seems to be all the time in the world. It's going to be a tearful goodbye to everyone. Luckily I have some great people coming to Dodoma with me. I think the closest will be about 3 hours away.

Now for some cultural differences. In Tanzania greetings are HUGE.  Greetings can take about 15 minutes. Translated to English the greetings are something like, I respect you elder/are you well/whats up, how is your morning, how did you wake, how did you sleep,how is your home, how is your family and it goes on and on. Also, when a Tanzanian hears me speak Swahili sometimes they turn into a whole new person, right before my eyes.They will be giving me the death stare and  I'll say "Shikamoo, habari za mchana?" And they break out in the biggest smile and are just so over joyed that I know the language.
Also if  I was walking down the street and someone stole my purse or came up to me and started throwing punches that person would get severely beaten, maybe even to death.Shoulders and knees are slutty here, keep them covered at all times.Crazy.
I know I said I was going to put up pics this time but its not happening, sorry. I am off to do some shopping and repack...again. Next time I wrte I'll be at my home!!
-I'll keep you posted.
ps. dont send any more packages until I get my new addy