May 6, 2010: Day 89: Missing Home
That's right. I said it.
Two planes came in today and neither had mail for us. We have yet to receive any mail since getting to our site after training. It's lost in transition, and while Peace Corps is working on it, it's still hard not to have it. Getting a letter from home would be more than enough right now. Thankfully we should get it in the next two weeks. All of it. Ahhhh......
It's funny how much being here has had Paul and I talking about home, and not home as in missing it as much as about future home and what that looks like. We talk about where we want to go and what we want to do, as well as what we don't want to do. So many ideas.
I think being here has reminded us of some core things about ourselves and what we truly enjoy in life. Not too bad.
May 8, 2010: Day 91: A GARDEN!
Tonight we sat by the front door in darkness to watch the lightning storm. We get them a lot here. Every few seconds there would be a burst of light in the distance, outlining the mountains. The storm was too far away to hear, but we have our own sounds: crickets, frogs, bugs, and of course the generators.
Today was the day set aside for the village to help us with our house. Only five people showed up, but we managed to get a chicken wire fence most of the way around our garden plot, and a teacher helped us trim our roof as the leaves still hung down long. It's amazing how much light comes in now through the windows. We still need to fill in
one of the two garbage pits that becomes a pool each time it rains. We want to clear some mroe of the land create some clear pathways, plant some more trees, build some furniture so we can have benches outside, fix the latrine so it doesn't leak when it rains, and lightly fence the property so the donkeys can't eat everything in sight. We'll finish the garden first.
Oh, and I killed centipedes #8 and #9 today clearing palm leftovers from roof building. I rock.
May 12, 2010: Day 95: Flying Peanuts
Our next door neighbor kids came by today to show us an acushi ant they caught (pronounced Cushy). They are these crazy big ants that eat up your garden, but when the rains come, sometimes giant ones come flying. The locals call them flying peanuts. They were catching them, hitting them down with sticks and towels, then pulling their heads off so they couldn't bite. The ants bite and it hurts. Then the things still keep moving.
Later the kids cook them and eat them. The head is meat and the body is milk, or so we've heard. We haven't tried them. It was so much fun to watch them running around after the ants, even trying to make their buzzing noise to attract them. Paul and I joined in for a bit, hitting them down with sticks and even our hands. We have pictures I hope we can get uploaded sometime soon.
May 14, 2010: Day 97: Progress!
Today was, thankfully, an evenful learning day. Paul and I are still trying to figure out what in the world we are doing here and going to do here. There are tons of needs, we just need the resources and the support from the community. Sometimes people in the village are a little vague on how we can help, or at least vague by our standards.
I observed the nursery classes, which is preschool back home. I talked with one of the teachers about getting the nursery kiddos their own space. She feels like the ministry won't pay to build a nursery school because the enrollment is too low. That really bothers me We have contractors here building a rather luxurious building as teacher's quarters with electricity, plumbing, and indoor toilets, yet a simple one room building can't be constructed. Meanwhile the students are kept quiet and from singing so as not to disturb the other classes. They usually go outside, if the rain isn't coming down.
Paul and I spoke with the grade four teacher about taking her class to teach health once a week. She was more than eager to get that started, and liked the idea of getting the school garden up to date as well. She even asked Paul about learning to play the guitar. We also spoke with the headmistress about our desire to work in the resource center, Paul more with IT and I with everything else. I'd like to integrate the school children more into the resource center. She seemed to like those ideas and expressed interest in computer classes for adults as well. She also asked me to do some teacher training in phonics, math, and classroom management.
After a late lunch, I headed over to our counterpart's house for a women's meeting. Our village hasn't had a women's group in many years, and today nine women showed up. We discussed registering the group, selecting a chairwoman, treasurer and secretary. The group wants to focus on sewing and crafts. There are many skills in the group and the village, and the women want to learn them all and hopefully find a way to make a profit as well. I hope I can assist them in my two years.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
5/01/10 - 5/05/10
May 1, 2010: Day 84: Lizard Breath
We took a walk in the afternoon toward another teacher's house 30 minutes away. On the way we saw two students walking out from the busy, each with a slingshot, and the younger carrying a lizard by the tail. The boys were walking in front of us and I took a better look. This little 6 year-old is carrying an 18" lizard by the tail, dangling at his side, the tongue hanging out almost to, and at times touching, the ground. Yes, they were going to eat the lizard.
The walk was amazing. Our village is beautiful and from the top of the hill this teacher lives on we could see down into the valleys all around us. Amazing.
May 3, 2010: Day 86: Youth Group
We had our first youth group meeting today. The group doesn't meet very often, so we talked about getting it started regulary and meeting on Saturdays in the afternoon after families have returned from their farms. There's a lot of room to grow. We discussed life skills, cooking, sewing, wood working, public speaking, hikes, drama, sports,
games, and camping. Paul and I also thought about doing some education on basic first aid, alcohol abuse, and environmental issues. We shall see. The kids are great, there's just a lack of leadership, and we're hoping to build some up.
May 4, 2010: Day 87: Stars
It is night and the full moon has passed. It comes and then it is gone, each night taking another hour to come out and shine. We're asleep long before it does, and though the absence of the moon leaves it incredibly dark, you can see every star in the sky. You can see them twinkle, and they are bright enough that you can still make out the edge of the mountains on the horizon. We're going to print out some constellations when we are in Georgetown because this is probably one of the best times we'll ever be able to see some of them.
May 5, 2010:Day 88: Beauty and the Beast
Today is Arrival Day which is a national holiday so there is no school. Our neighbor and her three kids offered to take us up one of the mountains so we went. We hiked for about three hours through some of the most beautiful scenery I do believe exists. Endless trees covering mountain after mountain. Brightly colored wildflowers grew
in abundance, and the kids picked so many that my hands were full with a bouquet by the time we got home. Vibrant green parrots flew about, singing along with the other birds. The day was just overcast enough for clouds to cover the top of the tallest mountains. We walked over small streams and around cacti. we went higher and higher, never
going back the same way we came, allowing us to see more and more. Our neighbor showed us different plants and the medicinal purposes for each. Some helped stomach pains, kidney problems, and diarrhea. She knew many of the plants and their names.
They could all name different trees, even from far away when mixed among other trees. Often one would say, "See that mango tree over there?" or, "See those banana trees?" and all I saw were hundreds of trees. Finally I asked, "Which one? All I see are trees." I'll learn them eventually, I hope.
From halfway up we could see a few farms nestled at the botom of the mountain. Usually we saw a small house serving as the camp, surrounded by cleared land. Most fruit trees grow better in the bush, but it's more dangerous to live there. That's why many build their homes in the savannah and keep farms in the bush.
When we got home the kids helped us plant some things collected from the trip, and then they brought things from their own yard: pumpkin, watermelon, 3 baby pineapple plants, a mango tree, four cashew trees, two soursop, some variation of bamboo, lots of wildflowers, seeds, and vines. They're amazing.
That was the beauty. Now here's the beast.
Later in the afternoon, our neighbor sent her three year-old granddaughter over with some more watermelon for us. She's practically bouncing off the ground because tomorrow is her 4th birthday. Knowing she's probably driving her family crazy, we let her stay for a bit. She played with our rocks, clothespins and pens. She found a small piece of chalk while I was bathing, and Paul had her drawing on the table and the door. She drew a jumbee. He told me
later that he just can't do that age level for very long.
Suddenly, she ran out of the house saying she had to urine. We expected her to go a little way from the house if not to the latrine. Nope. She dropped her pants a foot from our doorstep. She squatted right there and for so long. Then she inched forward a bit. I asked if she was done. That's when she said to me, with her sweet little face looking up at mine, "No. Sh*%." I lost it. She had to poop, and was ready to let it go right there by our front door. I had to walk to the back of the house I was laughing so hard. Thankfully so was Paul.
She came back inside, apparently having changed her mind, as there was nothing but the puddle outside our front door. Less than a minute later she jumped up, grabbed a stick from the ground and ran down the latrine path. I have no idea whether or not she was in fact headed for the latrine, but halfway there she dropped her pants and crapped
right in the middle of our path. I couldn't believe it. Paul and I were almost in tears from laughing when she began to break the stick into pieces. She took a piece, wiped herself with it, examined the stick, then threw it. She repeated this one more time, and satisfied, put herself together and came back to the house. It was then that I decided to give her a mini-lesson on handwashing. I gave her a bucket of water, a bowl, and a bar of soap. Figuring that soap and water play could only be beneficial, I let her keep playing until her grandma came to collect her.
We took a walk in the afternoon toward another teacher's house 30 minutes away. On the way we saw two students walking out from the busy, each with a slingshot, and the younger carrying a lizard by the tail. The boys were walking in front of us and I took a better look. This little 6 year-old is carrying an 18" lizard by the tail, dangling at his side, the tongue hanging out almost to, and at times touching, the ground. Yes, they were going to eat the lizard.
The walk was amazing. Our village is beautiful and from the top of the hill this teacher lives on we could see down into the valleys all around us. Amazing.
May 3, 2010: Day 86: Youth Group
We had our first youth group meeting today. The group doesn't meet very often, so we talked about getting it started regulary and meeting on Saturdays in the afternoon after families have returned from their farms. There's a lot of room to grow. We discussed life skills, cooking, sewing, wood working, public speaking, hikes, drama, sports,
games, and camping. Paul and I also thought about doing some education on basic first aid, alcohol abuse, and environmental issues. We shall see. The kids are great, there's just a lack of leadership, and we're hoping to build some up.
May 4, 2010: Day 87: Stars
It is night and the full moon has passed. It comes and then it is gone, each night taking another hour to come out and shine. We're asleep long before it does, and though the absence of the moon leaves it incredibly dark, you can see every star in the sky. You can see them twinkle, and they are bright enough that you can still make out the edge of the mountains on the horizon. We're going to print out some constellations when we are in Georgetown because this is probably one of the best times we'll ever be able to see some of them.
May 5, 2010:Day 88: Beauty and the Beast
Today is Arrival Day which is a national holiday so there is no school. Our neighbor and her three kids offered to take us up one of the mountains so we went. We hiked for about three hours through some of the most beautiful scenery I do believe exists. Endless trees covering mountain after mountain. Brightly colored wildflowers grew
in abundance, and the kids picked so many that my hands were full with a bouquet by the time we got home. Vibrant green parrots flew about, singing along with the other birds. The day was just overcast enough for clouds to cover the top of the tallest mountains. We walked over small streams and around cacti. we went higher and higher, never
going back the same way we came, allowing us to see more and more. Our neighbor showed us different plants and the medicinal purposes for each. Some helped stomach pains, kidney problems, and diarrhea. She knew many of the plants and their names.
They could all name different trees, even from far away when mixed among other trees. Often one would say, "See that mango tree over there?" or, "See those banana trees?" and all I saw were hundreds of trees. Finally I asked, "Which one? All I see are trees." I'll learn them eventually, I hope.
From halfway up we could see a few farms nestled at the botom of the mountain. Usually we saw a small house serving as the camp, surrounded by cleared land. Most fruit trees grow better in the bush, but it's more dangerous to live there. That's why many build their homes in the savannah and keep farms in the bush.
When we got home the kids helped us plant some things collected from the trip, and then they brought things from their own yard: pumpkin, watermelon, 3 baby pineapple plants, a mango tree, four cashew trees, two soursop, some variation of bamboo, lots of wildflowers, seeds, and vines. They're amazing.
That was the beauty. Now here's the beast.
Later in the afternoon, our neighbor sent her three year-old granddaughter over with some more watermelon for us. She's practically bouncing off the ground because tomorrow is her 4th birthday. Knowing she's probably driving her family crazy, we let her stay for a bit. She played with our rocks, clothespins and pens. She found a small piece of chalk while I was bathing, and Paul had her drawing on the table and the door. She drew a jumbee. He told me
later that he just can't do that age level for very long.
Suddenly, she ran out of the house saying she had to urine. We expected her to go a little way from the house if not to the latrine. Nope. She dropped her pants a foot from our doorstep. She squatted right there and for so long. Then she inched forward a bit. I asked if she was done. That's when she said to me, with her sweet little face looking up at mine, "No. Sh*%." I lost it. She had to poop, and was ready to let it go right there by our front door. I had to walk to the back of the house I was laughing so hard. Thankfully so was Paul.
She came back inside, apparently having changed her mind, as there was nothing but the puddle outside our front door. Less than a minute later she jumped up, grabbed a stick from the ground and ran down the latrine path. I have no idea whether or not she was in fact headed for the latrine, but halfway there she dropped her pants and crapped
right in the middle of our path. I couldn't believe it. Paul and I were almost in tears from laughing when she began to break the stick into pieces. She took a piece, wiped herself with it, examined the stick, then threw it. She repeated this one more time, and satisfied, put herself together and came back to the house. It was then that I decided to give her a mini-lesson on handwashing. I gave her a bucket of water, a bowl, and a bar of soap. Figuring that soap and water play could only be beneficial, I let her keep playing until her grandma came to collect her.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
4/22/10 - 4/29/10
April 22, 2010: Day 75: More Unwelcome Guests
We have currently survivied 6 centipedes and 2 millipedes. I just killed a centipede in the extra room, first detaching the middle and back from the head, and the tail end crawled toward me and started moving toward and up the cutlass. Paul didn't believe me. I don't know how it knew where I was, but it was coming for me without eyes or pinchers.
We attended our first staff meeting. Three main things happened. #1: Paul is to be the guest speaker for graduation. #2 It became apparent that the teachers don't feel completely comfortable with the headmistress and bringing up important issues with her. #3: There was absolutely no discussion about he loss of a teacher and about how next year they'll be down by three, unless of course more teachers leave. It's difficult for me to understand their lack of concern, but I guess it's something they are accustomed to.
April 25, 2010: Day 78: Chop! & Rain!
Today I either truly lost my mind, or I really have confidence in Paul, because I let him cut my hair. not only that, but I let him cut it shorter than I've ever had it, except maybe when I was three and didn't have much hair. It's up past my chin but before my nose. It's short. It's also fantastic. It's easy to do and keeps the hair off my neck, because there isn't any.
We're learning more and more about the innerworkings of our village, mainly from the kids. They tell us who to buy coffee from, where and when the markets are, which plants and bugs are what, as well as a
whole bunch of things we really don't need to know. They just love helping us anyway they can.
The rains are starting to come which means drying clothes inside. I miss the smell of clean laundry. Here, clean laundry smells like nothing more than the absence of sweat and dirt. The rains also mean something we have referred to as day bats. They are birds that come out in swarms and eat all the bugs, and they're everywhere. You can hear their wings flapping from inside your house, and if you stand outside they fly inches from your head. There were enough birds to put my dear best friend into a rocking fetal position (Don't worry Leanna, the birds only come out at the first rain). Rain also means Kabura fllies. Evil little black flies that spread Leishmanisis. No good.
April 26, 2010: Day 79: Even More Unwelcome Guests
Last night, as I got out of bed to use the bathroom, I started singing a little song to myself titled, "Please For No Centipede". I had just turned the corner when I discovered C#7 in the corner. It took some Baygon (magical bug killing spray) in the crack to coax him back out once my light him in, but come back he did. He did shortly thereafter, only requiring three separations of the body to accomplish the task. At this point I think it's just fun for Paul and I to watch them contine wriggling in pieces. This one actually had part of his spine come out from his tail end. We must remember more Baygon when we are in Georgetown.
April 27, 2010: Day 80: Kids are Funny
The kids are become braver and braver. They come over about everyday. They just discovered Paul's soccer ball. They built goals outside and kicked it around for awhile. Sometimes having the kids over can be bad timing or even annoying, but without them we'd be lost. Plus, hearing kids that have little physical possessions laughing outside your window as they yell, "Goal!", reminds you what's important.
They also discovered that if they ess on my skin, particularly my upper arm, it will temporarily turn white. They think that's hilarious.
April 29, 2010: Day 82: COFFEE!
The coffee man is our neighbors' grandfather. What good luck we have! We ordered some and have been enjoying it. While it may not be the best coffee in the whole world, it is good, and much better than the
Nescafe dissolvable stuff that most people drink here. It's amazing what a little jolt will do for your mood.
Our counterpart's granddaughter is three. She's adorable, and today she walked all by herself to our house carrying some watermelon for us. Don't get worried; she lives just three houses down. She and some of the other kids started helping "Mr. Paul" put some stakes in the ground for our garden fence. A dog went running after something, and I asked what she was looking for. One kid said lizards. The three year-old said a jumbee. A jumbee here is an evil spirit. She's a funny little thing.
We have currently survivied 6 centipedes and 2 millipedes. I just killed a centipede in the extra room, first detaching the middle and back from the head, and the tail end crawled toward me and started moving toward and up the cutlass. Paul didn't believe me. I don't know how it knew where I was, but it was coming for me without eyes or pinchers.
We attended our first staff meeting. Three main things happened. #1: Paul is to be the guest speaker for graduation. #2 It became apparent that the teachers don't feel completely comfortable with the headmistress and bringing up important issues with her. #3: There was absolutely no discussion about he loss of a teacher and about how next year they'll be down by three, unless of course more teachers leave. It's difficult for me to understand their lack of concern, but I guess it's something they are accustomed to.
April 25, 2010: Day 78: Chop! & Rain!
Today I either truly lost my mind, or I really have confidence in Paul, because I let him cut my hair. not only that, but I let him cut it shorter than I've ever had it, except maybe when I was three and didn't have much hair. It's up past my chin but before my nose. It's short. It's also fantastic. It's easy to do and keeps the hair off my neck, because there isn't any.
We're learning more and more about the innerworkings of our village, mainly from the kids. They tell us who to buy coffee from, where and when the markets are, which plants and bugs are what, as well as a
whole bunch of things we really don't need to know. They just love helping us anyway they can.
The rains are starting to come which means drying clothes inside. I miss the smell of clean laundry. Here, clean laundry smells like nothing more than the absence of sweat and dirt. The rains also mean something we have referred to as day bats. They are birds that come out in swarms and eat all the bugs, and they're everywhere. You can hear their wings flapping from inside your house, and if you stand outside they fly inches from your head. There were enough birds to put my dear best friend into a rocking fetal position (Don't worry Leanna, the birds only come out at the first rain). Rain also means Kabura fllies. Evil little black flies that spread Leishmanisis. No good.
April 26, 2010: Day 79: Even More Unwelcome Guests
Last night, as I got out of bed to use the bathroom, I started singing a little song to myself titled, "Please For No Centipede". I had just turned the corner when I discovered C#7 in the corner. It took some Baygon (magical bug killing spray) in the crack to coax him back out once my light him in, but come back he did. He did shortly thereafter, only requiring three separations of the body to accomplish the task. At this point I think it's just fun for Paul and I to watch them contine wriggling in pieces. This one actually had part of his spine come out from his tail end. We must remember more Baygon when we are in Georgetown.
April 27, 2010: Day 80: Kids are Funny
The kids are become braver and braver. They come over about everyday. They just discovered Paul's soccer ball. They built goals outside and kicked it around for awhile. Sometimes having the kids over can be bad timing or even annoying, but without them we'd be lost. Plus, hearing kids that have little physical possessions laughing outside your window as they yell, "Goal!", reminds you what's important.
They also discovered that if they ess on my skin, particularly my upper arm, it will temporarily turn white. They think that's hilarious.
April 29, 2010: Day 82: COFFEE!
The coffee man is our neighbors' grandfather. What good luck we have! We ordered some and have been enjoying it. While it may not be the best coffee in the whole world, it is good, and much better than the
Nescafe dissolvable stuff that most people drink here. It's amazing what a little jolt will do for your mood.
Our counterpart's granddaughter is three. She's adorable, and today she walked all by herself to our house carrying some watermelon for us. Don't get worried; she lives just three houses down. She and some of the other kids started helping "Mr. Paul" put some stakes in the ground for our garden fence. A dog went running after something, and I asked what she was looking for. One kid said lizards. The three year-old said a jumbee. A jumbee here is an evil spirit. She's a funny little thing.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
4/17/2010 - 4/21/10
April 17, 2010: Day 70: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
This afternoon, Paul and I got to it and really worked at cleaning. I washed all the laundry, including clothes, sheets, and towels. Three neighbor kids came to watch me. It was slightly ackward as I was scrubbing my underwear, but there are things I've learned to accept and move on. Shortly after they left, it all came crashing down...literally. The clothesline fell, and I was frustrated because I was still hanging laundry and needed to make roti dough before it got dark, and Paul was taking a nap in the hammock. Not a good start. All of our frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed came crashing down and exploded on one another. We eventually took some
time to calm down and relax, and were able to make a successful meal of boulanger choka and roti. Long day, but good.
April 18, 2010: Day 71: What's a Sandwich?
Two kids came over today to check out our strange ways. The girl was very curious about our sandwich bread that I make, which is really just rolled out dough cooked on a pan. The boy was fascinated with Paul's guitar. Paul showed him to pluck and strum, move the capo, and tune the guitar. The boy put his ear right up to the guitar to hear the sound. It's been fun introducing new things.
April 19, 2010: Day 72: A Teacher's Rant
I taught grade 1 today. I realized a few things. They are not used to paying attention, and some of them can't tell you the letters in their own name. I put the letter "A" on the board and only a few could tell me what it was. none could tell me the sound it makes. Another teacher lashed her students hands, two per hand, for not
passing a spelling test made up of words chosen from a thesaurus without any correlation or theme, and which were never even read to the students. I see teacher training in my future. There is so much to do here and I'm realizing I could quickly become very cynnical if I spend all day with the primary kids. There are several other
opportunities such as women's groups, youth groups, and sports. It's hard not to jump in, but we're seeing the importance of observing not only to find what I can do, but what I cannot.
April 21, 2010: Day 74: Eggs and Potatoes!
One of our neighbors has a wife that lives in Georgetown, and he did us a huge favor and had her send us eggs and potatoes. Nevermind that it costed us 1/10 of our monthly living allowance. It was glorious. We made scrambled eggs and fried potato rounds. Tomorrow we want to make pumpkin cookies. Also on the agenda is mashed potatoes and potato latkes. We sent off our first batch of letters off with the plane today. I disciplined a student and told an Amerindian youth off when he called me baby. We're settling in just fine.
Monday, June 21, 2010
4/17/10 - 4/18/10
April 17, 2010 "Overwhelm (v) - overcome completely"
The village will have a meeting for us to get help with our house, but it's not for 2 more weeks. Our roof needs trimming, the mud walls need smoothing because the cracks are letting creatures in and the mud is falling on our floor....constantly. Dirt needs to be piled around the house to prevent flooding. The land around our house needs clearing so we can start a garden before the raining season, which comes in two weeks, around the same time we will meet to a pick a day to the the work done. We are leaning that food variety here doesn't exist as much as we'd like and that we need to stock up next time we are in the city. That way I won't gain 50 pounds eating white rice and flour.
Three neighbor kids came over while I was doing laundry in a bucket by hand on my front porch. It was slightly awkward and unwanted attention as I scrubbed my underwear, but there are things I'm learning to accept. They left and shortly after it all came crashing down, literally. The clothesline with all the clean clothes, towels, and sheets fell into the dirt. It was getting late in the day. I was hot, very sweaty, and still needed to do prep for dinner. Paul was napping in the hammock. Not a good start. I yelled at him about the stupid clothesline, he yelled at me as the pole came crashing down as he tried to put it back up, cutting his toe open, and the world exploded. all or our frustrations and worn patience and exhaustion from everything taking twice as long as it would back home came crashing down and exploded onto one another. Thankfully our ability to reason hadn't already been obliterated and we took time to relax, realizing our frustration was not with one another, but that there is no Barnes and Noble or coffee shop to go to when you are overly overwhelmed. I could use some chocolate.
April 18, 2010 "Miss, do you have child?"
This is a common question Paul and I get asked by the kids, and trying to explain to them why not is a challenge when many of their parents are out age or younger. Strange enough, we have kids at our house often. They come by just to watch our strange behaviors, like making sandwiches or tortillas, or putting on sunscreen. Two came over today to look at our one magazine, "Explore Guyana", which is the publication of the Guyana tourism board. Then Paul pulled out his guitar, and for the next hour, he was a rock star. They were fascinated, the little boy in particular, who found plucking the guitar to be the coolest think since sliced bread (which I had just told them about with the whole introduction of sandwiches). Paul would be playing a song and the boy would come up and just start plucking. He wasn't strong enough to move the capo though. I wish I'd had my camera out. The boy ended up putting his ear right up to the guitar and his face was priceless, full of awe and excitement, until Paul played a really loud note and he pulled back. The guitar is a hit.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
4/09/10 - 04/16/10
April 9. 2010 "Guyana from Above"
We are back under the comfort of a mosquito net, only this time in our own home! a 14 seater plane took us and our 440 pounds worth of stuff to our site. We had the chance to see Kaiteur Falls from the air which is absolutely breathtaking. At 741 feet, it's the world's largest single drop waterfall and the water seems to stop in places it falls for so long. The view of the rest of the flight was miles upon miles of green, the trees so dense we appeared to be flying over millions of broccoli crowns. We met some of the the bigger names in the village, purchased our mattress and stove fittings , made some Mac and cheese, and went to sleep.
April 10, 2010 "The House of 1,000 Leaves"
The village built us a house. Our FIRST house! We have no running water or electricity which is surprisingly no big deal. I just don't like the latrine at night but convinced Paul to let us get an extra bucket with a lid so I don't have to go out in the middle of the night. Our house is made of mud with a thatched roof (made of 1000 Palm leaves) that likes to drop caterpillars. We need to smoke them out one of these days,. The mud and roof keep it incredibly cool during the day and warm enough at night. It is awesome. In general, the location is cooler than most places. Outside we have a pit latrine which really isn't that bad except they built it for someone shorter, so you duck when you're inside and there is not a lot of leg room to stand. Our bathing area is outside and open to the sky. We take bucket baths, and at night you bathe under the starts. It is amazing - you can see all the stars here on a clear night.The only thing I'm trying to figure out is showering when it is raining. If you go outside in your clothes or towel, they get wet. I think I might be bathing in a swimsuit some days. We have a pipe that runs fresh mountain water up near our house. Sometimes the pressure is too low and we have to go to our neighbor's house but they are all very friendly.
There are beams throughout our house so we have a hammock hanging, and then some permanent clotheslines to dry clothes when it is raining outside. Our floors are concrete so we have to sweep up the dirt often, but there should be less once they smooth our walls. The mud was still drying when we moved in so they couldn't cover it. Right now the mud is almost dry and is cracked (hence the insects). They will smooth it soon and that will help a lot. Every time Paul goes to hammer a nail in the wall, mud chunks fall. It is pretty funny.
Brenna is probably wondering about the insects we've seen so far... Several spiders, not too big, a dong beetle (yeah!), a centipede which is another story and he met his death, flies, beetles, cockroaches, moths and a lot of caterpillars and ants. For now, we sleep tightly under the mosquito net. We use kerosene lamps and candles a lot at night because moths really like to fly at your headlamp which isn't a lot of fun seeing as its on your forehead.
April 11, 2010 "Uninvited Guests"
Bugs are a part of life here, even in your home, but they are always better than snakes. Even with that said, bugs are not the best. Paul and I had just come home in the late evening to inspect the mosquito net and go to sleep when, from the bedroom, I hear, "Alyssa, get me the cutlass," which is a machete. Turns out a 6+ inch centipede was hiding in the wall between our bedroom and eating area, Unfortunately, Mr. Centipede did not like a headlamp shining in his face so he tried going back to the eating area, but by this point I was waiting with another Cutlass. (Let me just say I'm really glad Paul convinced we need 2). I nudged the nasty thing back to Paul, of course, where it started running away, of course. Paul chopped in half with the cutlass, and we just stood there watching in awe of this crazy little dying creature.
We learned 3 things about centipedes:
1. They don't die quick
2. They can survive fro quite a while with their head separated from their bodies, and
3. they have nasty little pinchers on their moths.
e was thrashing about with the him into two, trying to bite the metal. We continued to chop and chop, eventually carrying half dead in the dustpan to his grave, by this pint in separate pieces, each of which was still wiggling about. Triumph over possible painful bite from centipede was not enough for me. I searched every corner before realizing that the only creature out here that can actually kill me is a snake and that there are no snakes under the mosquito net. So it was time to call it a night.
April 13, 2010 "And I thought no computer in the classroom was a Lack of Resources"
Try not having a teacher. The primary school here is six grades with r5 teachers, all under one roof, divided into "classrooms" by chalkboards that shake violently when two teachers are writing on opposite sides. There are few books and educational materials on the walls. No other resources exist. Some kids don't have pencils, even worse some don't have shoes. Some kids, even 4 & 5 years old, walk 2 hours to get to school each day, and another 2 back home. When a teacher is absent, there is no substitute, and the kids make the best of it. The teachers work hard and do their best, but there is a lack of trained teachers, especially in remote sites, and none of them ave formal training. Many students cannot read or write, and some don't eat until the school ives them their free lunch packaging up half to take home with them. Their school uniforms are neatly kept or washed at night for the next day because they only have one. After they finish eating lunch they go to play but there is no playground, so they draw in the dirt wit sticks, push wood blocks like trucks, or play with the one volleyball worn thin that is used like a soccer ball. Thy funny thing is that most of the time they're still smiling, and any attention you give them is a welcome treat they are ready to repay.
By the way, there is one computer in our village run by solar electricity, but the battery that stores the electricity has died.
April 16, 2010 "Upon Careful Inspection"
I observed the nursery school today, which is preschool back home. Most of the kids there are very shy, but some will come talk to me. One little boy was brave enough to come sit on the bench with me. Seconds later he grabbed my hand, but not like he wanted to hold it, but as a manicurist would. He examined my palm and back of my hand, becoming particularly interested in my fingers and nails. At one point he had his head up close to my hands, his little brows furrowed in concentration. That's when he stated saying it, over and over, "white, white".
Monday, June 14, 2010
A Day with the Village Weed Whacker
The day I borrowed the machine I was having a rough day and I must admit that having such a simple powerful machine instantly made me feel better. Quite naturally once they heard the white boy was using the "busher" they came over in droves to see if they could convince me to have a try.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Almost Mugged
First off, dont worry this situation did not happen in our village.
Secondly, we are completly fine and ok. Really just more aware and alert than anything. Oh and maybe just alittle paranoid of walking in the dark and EVERYONE we pass on the street.
Anyways heres the story:
Alyssa and I really wanted ice cream one night after dinner. It was 7:30 or so and the hotel resturant didnt have the ice cream we wanted so we opted to walk the 8 blocks or so to the market. We arrived at the store, ate our delicious ice cream bar and began walking back to the hotel. Prior to this we had never had any issues in the area of GT that the hotel is in and had actually felt fairly safe.
We some how got wrapped up in conversation, I believe it was something along the lines of how nice it was to get our mail situation figured out and resupply, but how much we HATE GT and were really missing (enter village name here). The streets werent crowded with people but there were enough people around so you didnt feel extremely isolated or at risk as we were walking on the side walk.
When we were about 2 blocks from the hotel (no joke we could see it) we came to three kids, probally late teens. Heres where we make our mistake. Ive replayed the situation multiple times and I still kick myself for it. Two of the boys were leaning against the wall and one of them was standing in the street. It almost looked as if they were gaffing to each other but, Alyssa recalls that the boys on the wall werent watching us they were watching the kid standing up waiting for his signal. The way they were situated forced us to either walk around them or walk the gauntlet through them. Unfortunately, we chose the latter. And unfortunately for them they chose me, the person who wasnt carrying anything but the hotel room key and a snickers bar and had at least 6 inches and 20 pounds on each of them.
Alyssa walked through and I walked behind as the boy standing came up on my left and rubbed against me grabbing my left arm and trying to reach my pockets while his friends (tweedle dum and tweedle dee) grabbed my right arm. I had seen it coming so I had thrown both arms in front of my pockets and as they tried to grab me and pull me down, I spun around to face them ripping my arms from their clutches and as I did so I lost my slipper (sandal). Dum and Dee quickly ran off leaving the ring leader alone.
The only thing really on my mind was getting my slipper back and being on my way. As I faced leader boy he says, thinking I was going to confront him, "watch it boy, don't try anything or I will shoot you." I highly doubt he had a weapon, because it would have made more sense for him to put it in my face and demand a randsom but you never know. I reached down grabbed my slipper, looked him in the face and went on our way. Meanwhile a few people are standing around just watching the scene play out.
I HATE GEORGETOWN!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
THE REAL DEAL ON OUR MAIL!!!
We didn't receive our mail for the past two months because our previous address was not one the post office seemed to care about. Long story. To sum up the long story, our mail situation is all figured out. Peace Corps was kind enough to give us our original address at the embassy back, and they'll deliver our mail to us every two weeks. With that said, our real, actual, definite, working address is:
Paul and Alyssa Quinlivan, PCV
Peace Corps Guyana
c/o U.S. Embassy
100 Young and Duke Street
Kingston, Georgetown, Guayana
South America
We LOVE THE LETTERS the most. Staying connected back home has been a struggle, so even a little note saying hello or a news article or comic will completely brighten our whole day. Things seem to get to us easier in envelopes than boxes, even if the envelopes are padded. Flat rate shipping boxes seem to save a lot of people money on shipping.
Again, LETTERS are our favorite thing to receive. We love the packages too. It's like Christmas but better.
Let me start this next part by saying we are not asking for things. However, we have had many of you wonderful friends and family ask if we need anything. Honestly, we need nothing. Some things, however, would be helpful for our jobs and the projects we are starting, either because we don't have them available or we can't afford them on our little Peace Corps stipend. I'll explain what we're trying to do so you know what these things are for.
Paul is starting to make some visual aids for the resource center and get some information in there for patients to read while they're waiting or when he's doing health talks. He's also trying to get the school garden going with some competition between the grade levels.
Alyssa is doing some remedial skills pull out programs with the kids on literacy and math, and trying to get the kids and families into the resource center. I'm also trying to start a reading club as well with some incentives to come and participate. I'm also working on some teacher training as none of the teachers where I am are trained, and creating visual aids for the walls that can help the students learn.
Things That Would Be Incredibly Nice For Our Projects
* Large colorful permanent markers!
* Pencils (many kids don't have)
* Pencil sharpeners (no kid has - they use razor blades)
* Erasers (another thing many kids don't have)
* Flashcards (mainly addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but also colors, shapes, etc.)
* Medical info pamphlets from doctors and dentists (any topic, but nutrition and basic well being are good)
* Early Readers for kids (any level - Hello Reader, I Can Read, Step Into Reading, etc - we have none)
* Stickers
* Kids songs and rhymes to teach the kids
* Education skillbooks for phonics!
* Small and INEXPENSIVE toys for kids (I'm talking from the dollar store or party city): balls, puzzles, balloons, bracelets, figurines, hair ties, hand held games, small writing books, colored pencils, small packs of crayons, bookmarks, stencils, colorful chalk, etc.
Things That Would Be Nice For Just Us
* Games for 2+ players (We have Uno, but Skipbo, Phase 10, anything like that or that we can teach others)
* Magazines, news articles, comics, etc. - especially news from around the world
* Guitar tabs (Paul says thank you so much for those he has
* Soup packets/mixes without MSG (non-existent in Guyana)
* Scraps of cloth (Alyssa's supporting a woman in starting a women's sewing group and is trying to learn some skills)
* Taco seasoning, pasta seasonings, any packet seasonings (we'll make it work)
Paul and Alyssa Quinlivan, PCV
Peace Corps Guyana
c/o U.S. Embassy
100 Young and Duke Street
Kingston, Georgetown, Guayana
South America
We LOVE THE LETTERS the most. Staying connected back home has been a struggle, so even a little note saying hello or a news article or comic will completely brighten our whole day. Things seem to get to us easier in envelopes than boxes, even if the envelopes are padded. Flat rate shipping boxes seem to save a lot of people money on shipping.
Again, LETTERS are our favorite thing to receive. We love the packages too. It's like Christmas but better.
Let me start this next part by saying we are not asking for things. However, we have had many of you wonderful friends and family ask if we need anything. Honestly, we need nothing. Some things, however, would be helpful for our jobs and the projects we are starting, either because we don't have them available or we can't afford them on our little Peace Corps stipend. I'll explain what we're trying to do so you know what these things are for.
Paul is starting to make some visual aids for the resource center and get some information in there for patients to read while they're waiting or when he's doing health talks. He's also trying to get the school garden going with some competition between the grade levels.
Alyssa is doing some remedial skills pull out programs with the kids on literacy and math, and trying to get the kids and families into the resource center. I'm also trying to start a reading club as well with some incentives to come and participate. I'm also working on some teacher training as none of the teachers where I am are trained, and creating visual aids for the walls that can help the students learn.
Things That Would Be Incredibly Nice For Our Projects
* Large colorful permanent markers!
* Pencils (many kids don't have)
* Pencil sharpeners (no kid has - they use razor blades)
* Erasers (another thing many kids don't have)
* Flashcards (mainly addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but also colors, shapes, etc.)
* Medical info pamphlets from doctors and dentists (any topic, but nutrition and basic well being are good)
* Early Readers for kids (any level - Hello Reader, I Can Read, Step Into Reading, etc - we have none)
* Stickers
* Kids songs and rhymes to teach the kids
* Education skillbooks for phonics!
* Small and INEXPENSIVE toys for kids (I'm talking from the dollar store or party city): balls, puzzles, balloons, bracelets, figurines, hair ties, hand held games, small writing books, colored pencils, small packs of crayons, bookmarks, stencils, colorful chalk, etc.
Things That Would Be Nice For Just Us
* Games for 2+ players (We have Uno, but Skipbo, Phase 10, anything like that or that we can teach others)
* Magazines, news articles, comics, etc. - especially news from around the world
* Guitar tabs (Paul says thank you so much for those he has
* Soup packets/mixes without MSG (non-existent in Guyana)
* Scraps of cloth (Alyssa's supporting a woman in starting a women's sewing group and is trying to learn some skills)
* Taco seasoning, pasta seasonings, any packet seasonings (we'll make it work)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Please Come Visit!
Alright, so I know that before we left a few of you mentioned that you wished to visit us down here in the deep South (that is those of you besides our families who are obligated to at least try and come). We wanted to extend an invitation to all of you.
Due to obvious spacial constrains (see previous blog posts) I think the maximum number of people we could accommodate in our house at a time is three and even then two is probably more realistic. However, our village has a guest house that is fairly cheap and would be easy to fit you in.
Some of you have asked, "Paul and Alyssa, when would be the best time to come?" ANYTIME! However, there are times that may be better than others. Every three months one of us needs to come out of the mountains and come into George Town to collect our money and resupply. So if you are not so much the type who thinks they could come off an international flight without a connection on the ground, then these times would probably be best.
We will be coming in this July, October, (2011) January, April, July, October, (2012) January and then finally in April. So again if you want a connection in GT plan on one of these times. Let us know in advance as well so we don't have anyone "double booking" on us. Actually now that I think about it, if you want to book one of these times to come visit us just leave a comment on this post with the dates you want to come. First come first served.
For those more adventurous of you, come anytime you want. Just leave us an e-mail, a few months in advance, for when you booked your flight so we can be expecting you.
To get to our site from the international airport get in a taxi and tell them Ogle airport (should cost $4000 Guy, or $20 US). Be aware that planes to our site only come Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday and even then if its raining or they just plain don't feel like they wont.
At the airport tell them you would like to go to (enter our site here) and then pay for your ticket ($16,000 Guy, $80 US). Then get to our site. When you get off we will be the only white people there so if you don't immediately see us ask anyone and they will get you to us.
When your at our site if you could just pay us about $1000 Guy, $5 US a day or so for food and gas we will call it even. Oh and no one is allowed in our house unless they bring us a tray of eggs and some sliced bread (oh how I long for French toast).
Whenever you need to get your flight back we can put you on a plane, when it comes ($26,000 Guy, $130 US- it really should cost the same both ways but I guess that once your in your stuck so you will pay anything to get out) and get you back to the airport for the states.
So if you want to come visit us it will cost you roughly $250 plus international airfare plus spending money for whatever other random things you want. But Guyana really doesn't have any touristy trinkets for you to purchase.
If any of you want to spend a little bit of time in GT look into these hotels http://www.aracariresort.com/ and the WindJammer Hotel. The first is a really nice hotel (by Guyana standards) with AC, hot water, pool, bar and security. However, it is a ways outside of GT. The Windjammer is the hotel that Peace Corps uses and that I am writing this post in as we speak. It has running water (not hot but warm), AC, TVs and all you really need plus a little more. The resort is obviously more expensive but is still cheap on the U.S. dollar.
Things you might want to think about bringing: Bug spray (we get mosquitoes but not really, its the kabora flies you have to be weary of), malaria prophylaxis, hiking boots (or sandals), sunscreen, bathing suit, clothes (don't bring all of the touristy/travel clothing, you already stand out so no need to draw more attention plus you are just going to sweat through it anyways, we have a creek and you can wash your clothes as often as you would like), passport and your sense of adventure. Oh ya and any fun things you may feel inclined to bring us like thrift store T-shirts we can beat up, dark chocolate and things for the school kids.
We have a solar shower at our site (we don't use it much but you can) and i'm working on getting a seat for our latrine so don't worry about running water or lack of luxury (honestly if you are uncomfortable we can put you on a plane back to GT and we will never talk to you again because you are such a wuss). As far as electricity goes you only really need it for light and candles do just fine so you should be ok.
Again please come visit.
Due to obvious spacial constrains (see previous blog posts) I think the maximum number of people we could accommodate in our house at a time is three and even then two is probably more realistic. However, our village has a guest house that is fairly cheap and would be easy to fit you in.
Some of you have asked, "Paul and Alyssa, when would be the best time to come?" ANYTIME! However, there are times that may be better than others. Every three months one of us needs to come out of the mountains and come into George Town to collect our money and resupply. So if you are not so much the type who thinks they could come off an international flight without a connection on the ground, then these times would probably be best.
We will be coming in this July, October, (2011) January, April, July, October, (2012) January and then finally in April. So again if you want a connection in GT plan on one of these times. Let us know in advance as well so we don't have anyone "double booking" on us. Actually now that I think about it, if you want to book one of these times to come visit us just leave a comment on this post with the dates you want to come. First come first served.
For those more adventurous of you, come anytime you want. Just leave us an e-mail, a few months in advance, for when you booked your flight so we can be expecting you.
To get to our site from the international airport get in a taxi and tell them Ogle airport (should cost $4000 Guy, or $20 US). Be aware that planes to our site only come Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday and even then if its raining or they just plain don't feel like they wont.
At the airport tell them you would like to go to (enter our site here) and then pay for your ticket ($16,000 Guy, $80 US). Then get to our site. When you get off we will be the only white people there so if you don't immediately see us ask anyone and they will get you to us.
When your at our site if you could just pay us about $1000 Guy, $5 US a day or so for food and gas we will call it even. Oh and no one is allowed in our house unless they bring us a tray of eggs and some sliced bread (oh how I long for French toast).
Whenever you need to get your flight back we can put you on a plane, when it comes ($26,000 Guy, $130 US- it really should cost the same both ways but I guess that once your in your stuck so you will pay anything to get out) and get you back to the airport for the states.
So if you want to come visit us it will cost you roughly $250 plus international airfare plus spending money for whatever other random things you want. But Guyana really doesn't have any touristy trinkets for you to purchase.
If any of you want to spend a little bit of time in GT look into these hotels http://www.aracariresort.com/ and the WindJammer Hotel. The first is a really nice hotel (by Guyana standards) with AC, hot water, pool, bar and security. However, it is a ways outside of GT. The Windjammer is the hotel that Peace Corps uses and that I am writing this post in as we speak. It has running water (not hot but warm), AC, TVs and all you really need plus a little more. The resort is obviously more expensive but is still cheap on the U.S. dollar.
Things you might want to think about bringing: Bug spray (we get mosquitoes but not really, its the kabora flies you have to be weary of), malaria prophylaxis, hiking boots (or sandals), sunscreen, bathing suit, clothes (don't bring all of the touristy/travel clothing, you already stand out so no need to draw more attention plus you are just going to sweat through it anyways, we have a creek and you can wash your clothes as often as you would like), passport and your sense of adventure. Oh ya and any fun things you may feel inclined to bring us like thrift store T-shirts we can beat up, dark chocolate and things for the school kids.
We have a solar shower at our site (we don't use it much but you can) and i'm working on getting a seat for our latrine so don't worry about running water or lack of luxury (honestly if you are uncomfortable we can put you on a plane back to GT and we will never talk to you again because you are such a wuss). As far as electricity goes you only really need it for light and candles do just fine so you should be ok.
Again please come visit.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Paul "The Farmer" and Alyssa "The Green Thumb" Quinlivan
Sunday, June 6, 2010
A Working Address!
We have a real address that will really get us real mail! YAY!
It's actually our old one. Peace Corps will make sure we get mail every two weeks, so send away!
Paul and Alyssa Quinlivan, PCV
Peace Corps Guyana
c/o US Embassy
100 Young and Duke Streeet
Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana
South America
(Make sure to put South America. They have problems with stuff going to Africa!)
Many more updates to come in the next week! Don't worry. It may be a novel though!
Love Paul and Alyssa
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