Anna's Suitcase Goes to Ottawa

A week from tomorrow I'll be on the plane (very early...at 6:30am!) to Ottawa for my first round of training called "Preparing for Change." I'll meet with my advisor, the VSO doctor and other volunteers. I've started getting things done. I had medical and dental clearances done last week and bought a year's worth of contact lenses. (Pssst...don't tell my optometrist that I don't change my lenses when I should and one year will last me two!) This week I got my Tetanus shot, which I know I should have had years ago but don't really get vaccinations. In fact, I'm only getting the ones I have to get in order to go (Hep, Yellow Fever...and I even read rabies somewhere!)

I'm also excited about getting to Ottawa to see my cousins. I'll be staying with my cousin D'Arcy and Blanca and get to meet little Mary MacEachern! I'm hoping for a mini-reunion of other MacEachern cousins too. Maybe take a few pictures of Parliament Hill. I've never been to Ottawa which is a sad commentary considering I teach social studies and have a political science degree. Yikes. I also failed Econ 101 at Mount Royal College and now teach grade 9s about market economic principles. But I digress.....

Peru plans are more or less coming too. Our wonderful caretaker has already taught me how to say "How much does it cost?" and "I love you." I've told him to be ready for my list of sentences that are coming. It sounds silly but I'm worried about learning too much Spanish because when I get back I'll be knee keep in French and Kinyrwanda. 

So that's about it but thought I'd leave you with a map of Rwanda. The town I'll likely be in is Gitarama which is south west of the capital. Of course, nothing is official yet. My application has been forwarded to the education district for formal approval. Click on the map to see a larger copy.