2004-09-10 - 5:14 p.m.

Swearing in was much better than I expected. I got all gussied up, combed my beard, and headed below a huge set of tents to swear my allegiance to the US government. A funny side story: a few weeks ago I we had to come through Kaedi to get to a smaller village on the otherside where we were doing tree transplanting. On the way back we talked the driver into letting us stop at the local store. I got a cold pop and delicious snickers bars. By coincidence we ran into two of the volunteers that currently live in Kaedi (Matt and Adrianna). Matt informed us that all of the guy volunteers were going to grow huge moustaches for swearing in. I nodded in consent and upon returning to site I proceeded not to shave. Then one day it hit me how near and dear my beard is to my. I’ve had the silly thing since I was a sophomore in high school. If I was going to join in on the other guys fun I would have to shave it off. “No No” I said, “never in a million years would I part with you oh beloved beard of mine. SO I shaved my upper lip and defied the rest of the group. “I refuse to conform an be another sheep in your moustache movement! I am the antithesis of everything you stand for.” In the end nobody really cared and I was the only guy that didn’t look like a complete idiot.

So as for swearing in. We all pilled in under the big tent. I was sitting next to Molly (my site mate from M’Beidia) and Jae. Jae and Dara were really sick, and I rally felt bad for them both during the whole ceremony. The virst person to speak was the mayor of Kaedi(a woman which is very surprising and hopeful for this conservatives society), then Obi, our PC country director. He basically talked about how hard all of us had worked, and that each of our services were going to be different yet each exciting. After that it was the US ambassador to Mauritania spoke. It was at that point I realized the importance of what I was doing (basically the equivalent of swearing into military service). He again spoke of how hard we had each worked, and hop experienced we each are. He then spoke about how important our work in Mauritania is. It is a nation that not 20 years ago supported the Saddams regime, and it is through our work and aid that we keep them allies to the US government. After that we each were asked to raise our right hands and swear to uphold the constitution of the United states of America. I was then officially a Peace corps volunteer.

After we had a big party which was lots of fun. There was music, lots of cold juice and soda, and one volunteer made oatmeal raisin cookies and brownies. I thought I was going to cry. We had dance music after and everyone knows I put it down. I didn’t get t bed till 2 which is the latest I’ve stayed up since getting here

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