Yesterday was sweaty. You have no idea how hot it is working outside during peak daylight hours, wearing pants and laboring with a shovel and hoe. Regardless of the fact that all of us felt like we had just taken a salty bath, it was by far the best day of training so far. In the morning we split into our program groups (I'm agroforestry and there is also urban agriculture and sustainable agriculture-I think mine's the best because we can plant crops and trees) and went around to different training stations. First, I learned how to prepare a garden bed by double digging- which is when you take off the topsoil to expose the subsoil, move the subsoil around, add amendments (compost, manure, charcoal ash...) and then you put the topsoil back on. I feel like I'm in pretty good shape but there is no shape like farmer shape. I'll need a lot of practice before I'll have the energy to dig beds like that all day in the hot sun. Station number 2 was vegetable peppinieres which are small vegetable plots. We all were given seeds to plant so soon we will have fresh peppers, eggplant, onions and cabbage :) From there we moved on to composting (something I've always wanted to learn to do) and we all made a 1m compost pile full of dried leaves, manure and cardboard paper. We'll be turning and checking the progress of our compost piles throughout our pre-service training. Finally we were brought into the air-conditioned training room where we learned all about soil-interesting but it was much better doing hands on work. As soon as field training was finished we learned how to repair and take care of our sweet mountain bikes that we will all be issued. After two years I'm going to be a pro with bikes-I have a feeling I will be changing my tires and fixing leaks a lot while I'm here. After all of our work was finished we had a session on safety and security which included a tour of the red zone (the area by our training center where we aren't allowed to go). It was the first time any of us had been able to leave the center and it felt like we were all on parade. 50 of us marched through the dirt streets as children ran from there homes with huge smiles on their faces, asking us how we were and yelling hello. People were sitting all along the road in fold out chairs, staring as we walked passed and brave kids would kick soccer balls at our feet (testing our skills). A couple hours before dinner we were all brought to the bar where we enjoyed cold beers, surprisingly delicious wine and even a whiskey and coke. We all packed the entire bar as we sat around flinging bottle caps at other peoples' cups and enjoying freedom from the center. It was sooo nice to finally be able to have bare shoulders-at the center, the dress code requires that all women cover their shoulders). I have to admit, being in such hot weather, being a little dehydrated and tired, alcohol went to mine and everyone elses' heads so much faster than normal! After dinner we all returned to the bar and it was nice being able to get to know everyone better and ask current volunteers questions about their sites. Around 10pm we came back to the center and within minutes a dance party broke out. Seedee, one of the Senegalese trainers here, and another man brought out their drums and played music for us as we all danced insanely to rhythm. Another Senegalese teacher, Pob, tried to teach us some dances and we pretty much all failed miserably. Yesterday was by far the best day of this week and I'm sure there will be more amazing nights to come.