Bitter and cynical

Yep, that would be yours truly... at least according to one of the trainees that's going to be posted in Aleg. To think just a year ago I was obnoxiously optimistic! It has a lot to do with the mean and nasty Peace Corps not giving me a sitemate. Arg. I think that's the path we've all taken, though. Today all of my training group met in Kaedi for MTR (one of Peace Corps' - PC's - astounding collection of acronyms... this one stands for Mid-term Reconnect). We've passed the one year mark and have mostly become disillusioned with our mission here. Are we really doing any good? Some signs point to no. But it's kinda fun anyway - except when it's not.

And with that extremely ambivilent first paragraph, I'd like to add that things aren't actually too bad here right now. My new regionmates are really cool, so I'll be spending a lot of time in Aleg. We got three new girls - Erin does agroforestry, Victoria will be teaching, and Heather is a business volunteer. They'll be working with the GMC in Aleg as well, and hopefully will come out to Maal occasionally to visit and give me a hand! I'll be working hard this next year, but hopefully that'll just make it pass more quickly. Next thing I know I'll be home! It's really only 11 months to go, since I'll be coming home in July. Our earliest COS date is July 12, and I'm planning to be gone soon thereafter. Hopefully in the next year I'll find something that really makes me glad I'm here. I'm know the experience itself is worth it, but I'd like to feel like I'm doing some good as well. After all, you join PC hoping to save the world - it's a letdown to find out you'll be doing nothing of the sort. More to follow one of these days on the social issues in Mauritania that are a hinderance to development, if anybody's interested....if anybody even reads this thing! See ya :)