Official swearing in ceremony.............aboard a yatch

On Friday. 08.29.14 at 4 PM local time, I was officially sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer. Not only was that in itself very special, but the ceremony was held on the yatch Satisfaction II, a beautiful boat sailed here from Anapolis, Maryland by Ron, husband of Monica, the assistant CD who performed the ceremony.
As a member of the Cottage Park Yatch Club in Winthrop, the club burgee flew under the flag of the USA during the ceremony.

Here are a couple of pictures from the event:
Ron and Monica

 

Bernie, PCR assistant

 

 

Monica swearing me in as an official Peace Corps volunteer:

 

 

All in all a good day. Managed to have access to the internet for the parts of the day not in meetings. I usually start early - getting up around 4 AM and going to the lobby of the hotel for access to the internet between 4:30 and 5:00. They now anticipate that I will be here, so the owner (?) gets me coffee and yesterday donuts. Nice touch! I try to take a walk in the mornings or early evenings for exercise, and especially since I may not be back on Pohnpei, to see as much as possible. Yesterday I walked to the botanic gardens, a nice respite from the heat.

Here are a few pictures of the local scenery:

     Young man with interesting T-Shirt (taken and published with his permission):

 

 

 

 

         Breaskfast with a view:

 

Pretty flower:                                                                                        

             Japanese tank from WWII:

             Botanic gardens:

 

  Old colonial building:                                                                                                            

            Commuter traffic in Kolonia:

Views from Pohnpei Marina:

      House on hillside with water view - My type of living!

 

Who can resist a pink boat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????

 

                                           These bananas are hung on a tree across from the hotel for anyone to help themselves. It is not a banana tree!

Our favorite cat around the hotel. S/he is very friendly and likes to be petted.

            Bernie and I discussing the health related degrees from the College of Micronesia at the marina before the swearing in ceremony:

 

Main campus of the College of Micronesia, Pohnpei.