One week, today.

I've survived my first week in paradise!!!

It has been a LONG week full of welcomings and information, alumni meetings, shopping trips, making new friends and getting oriented... learning about tax, doing health insurance, cooking, unpacking and creating a temporary home.

This program really does sound exciting - mostly because the other people in it are so friendly and interesting! AND, we're in Hawaii!!!
There are two sections to the upcoming adventure, in two stages:
i) learning about the issues affecting the Asia Pacific region
ii) developing our skills and capabilities as individuals, to tackle those issues of regional concern.
The first four and a half months are based here in Honolulu (with field trips to Washington DC, New York, Beijing and Hong Kong) and the next five months are for practical application during an internship opportunity anywhere in the Asia Pacific region...

I am really keen to get into it now, and look forward to the end of next week when orientation ends and the program officially begins.

P.s. To all my friends and former co-workers who have been asking if I am in a US intelligence recruitment program, I don't think so. Turns out that the CIA did used to be based out of the University of Hawaii during World War 1, but that they ceased operations out here a long while ago. Sorry to disappoint.
;)

k