setting out

In the morning, we set out for training villages!!  A training village is a village that has pretty much been trained to host a few of us learning PCTs at a time.  We get dropped in our  villages tomorrow afternoon.  There will be 4-6 PCTs in each village and we each get a host family.  In this village we have language classes for several hours a day and homework language and culture activities every day.  I'm pretty much going to be immersed in Mandinka, so I feel like I will learn fast.  Today, we had out first practical application activity.  We went to the market and got a chance to try out language we'd learned and get some stuff.  I got some fabric.  Enough for 2 skirts and some curtains.  I practiced my Mandinka with a guy from a fabric shop.  He said that I was "good for only being here one week."
I can't believe that tomorrow I move into a village!  That means that my internet communication ability is going to go way down.  It is very likely that I won't get back to a computer until the new year.  My cell should still work though.
As far as things happening between now and the new year: we are having a big Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving.  And there will absolutely be mashed potatoes.  And on Christmas our whole training class will be together so it won't be depressing.  Christmas eve we have a 26K hike through a national park.  By new years I should be a mid-intermediate Mandinka speaker!
I know that moving to a village will be stressful, but I am very excited.
Language lesson of the day:  (phonetically spelled for you)
N toe moo Lindsay la tea.-   My name is Lindsay.
Everything is going great.  I'm feeling good and having a good time.
So.... "fo nyata" (till later)!