Communicating with me in Burkina Faso.

Sadly, I have to make this entry short because there are people waiting for the computers...I'm still at Philly and will be leaving in a matter of hours for Burkina Faso! Staging at Philly was good because I got to meet everyone and am getting a good vibe about this group. We come from all over the U.S. (me and another guy are representing California! Haaaay!) so it's all goooood.

I want to write another entry on the most amazing, drunken, cry-fest, laugh-fest farewell weekend but alas, I must save it for another day (hopefully with pictures)!

Anyway, communicating with me in Burkina Faso:

• Blog: http://mikeyberino.blogspot.com
• Check this often! This will be my main way of communicating with you.
• And please comment too!
• Mailing Address (during training): 
• Michael Berino, PCT
  S/c Corps de la Paix
  01 B.P. 6031
  Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
• When sending letters:
• Always write “Par Avion/Air Mail.”
• Send letters often and please number them so I know if I’m missing something (same goes with packages)!
• Use red ink when addressing my name (apparently, they’re superstitious in West Africa).
• Never mail postcards – put them in envelopes or I will not get them.
• When sending packages:
• Do not be truthful on customs forms! Put “educational materials” or “hygiene products.”
• Use padded envelopes as much as possible to cut the cost of fees on both ends.
• If using a box, use the USPS flat rate boxes.
• E-mail: ---------------
  I’ll try to respond to e-mails. All of this depends on when I have Internet access (once a week, two weeks, month…who knows?). So your best bet to communicate with me is via blog comments and letters!
• Skype: ----------
• Cell Phone: Will let you know when I get one in country (check the blog!); I’ll probably only be able to communicate via texting and if I have reception where I am.

Please remember that training (3 months) will be hectic and busy so if you don't hear from me in a while, please know that I'm okay. Someone said it best when they said in the Peace Corps, "no news (from headquarters) is good news!" So I'll be fine. =)

Again, thanks for all the love and support. Special thanks goes out to all of my loved ones (friends [especially all you cuties that came from LA] and family) that made it out to any of my farewell weekend activities. Truly, I am blessed and only wish the same for everyone else in the world. =)
Lastly, Mom and Dad...this one's for you!