If I had to describe a perfect PC day, this was it. I wouldn’t have been able to describe it to you yesterday, but today was it. A little bit of everything thrown in there at once – examples of successful integration, progress at work, observation of cultural differences, small tests of will, something to drink, and a few US comforts thrown in there. I found myself using the word “rich” in description of some of the day’s humble gifts.
I breakfasted on instant coffee and peanut butter toast, and then was visited by Cindy, Delene, Wendy and Sasha. Cindy brought me oranges and rolls she had baked the day before. Pleasant gaff with them, then I went to work.
Set out 4 computers in the library and got Lorrie to work on making a poster for our upcoming movie nights. She got some girls to help her. We had the kids that came in draw for awhile, then I took them downstairs and we did stations on the computers with Mavis Beacon, simple machines and other games – great!
Sylvester invited me to take some beers by he for lunch, and Shamir came, too. We lime, gaff and drink pleasantly for more than an hour. We are joined by Toshao and then Felix and Combrencent, and I am wondering how much I should drink and how long I should stay. “Lunch break” back home is 1 hour long, and I should have been back to the library by 1 p.m., theoretically. No one follows time so rigidly here, though. It was the middle of the day; should I keep drinking even though I need to return to work? How much do I let go of American standards and try to blend in with the flow here? Not to mention, I was the only lady there. I was entirely comfortable being there, laughing and gaffing about things of interest to me. The men joke and I don’t mind it, they encourage me to drink more, they try to get me to smoke a cigarette with them. I could have. But I stopped myself after so many beers and did not take the cigarette. Best not to push the boundaries, I figure. I DID stay almost two hours, though.
When I had joked I was drinking “so much” on an empty stomach, Sylvester whips out some fried cow liver and farine – it was delicious. I was slightly buzzed going back to work, and I knew my visit was kept for just the right amount of time (no boundaries were overstepped, US or Guyanese), which put me in an amused, good mood. I get back and more kids – some of the same and a few new ones – are at the computers, doing the same stations work. Lorrie pulled up some of the educational sites she knows, so some kids were working on math problems, others were playing checkers with other people halfway around the world. They continued to do so until the library closed at 4 and then we had a good amount of kids linger, checking out books.
I had finally asked about getting some small scraps of wood to replace the pieces that hold my screen windows closed. Oswin was working in the Termite House today with Kenneth, they were making more cow-hide chairs, and so I went to the house and he cut me two pieces. I carried them home and attempted to nail them in myself, but the wood split when I hammered the nails through the wood. Slightly red-faced, I carried them back, and Kenneth told me a hole should have been drilled in them first. Oswin cuts me another pair and Kenneth drills the holes. I carry them back and am successful this time. Small little thing, but I was beaming with pride, the wind would no longer blow the screens open when I open up the shutters to the windows.
I go to wash the dishes and Melvina shows up to gaff, with her youngest, Baby Myra. I haven’t seen her since I got back and it was good to see her. She brought me some oranges, too! I bring up the idea of creating some stories to go along with the phonics I teach to her nursery students and she seems willing to collaborate. I make a mental note to go lime by she with some ideas on hand. I ask how farming is going and she says she’d been making some cari by her mother’s farm; if she goes up there, she’ll bring me some; mmmmm.
She leaves and I go back to washing dishes, when Desmond Park bicycles by, calling hi to me through my screened windows and asks if I want to buy bananas – you bet I do! I buy 4 pounds - which is probably more than I can eat before they go bad, but oh well. When I look at my abundance of bananas, oranges and the two mangoes I had, I think, “I am rich.” I take an orange, open one of the screens and sit in the open window, watching Shamir and others play football. Melvina comes up on the back of Mark’s motobike, carrying me almost a full mug (a pitcher) of cari. As I open the container and pour it into my own, I breathe in the yeasty, sweet and sour smell of the cari and wither away a little. Being in Town and out of the Rupununi, I haven’t had cari in weeks! And now I have a mug of my very own to drink and share out with whomever! I finish the dishes, put away the cari for the next time a friend stops by and fall into my hammock, eating a roll that Cindy brought over, listening to my current favorite Goo Goo Dolls song as some Super Hit incense wafts its scent my way.
Thank you, O Magnanimous gods of the Peace Corps persuasion, for shining down on me today.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Puppies with a Side of Anteaters
~A day in the life…
So, I’m getting a puppy and I just got to see them after being 2 weeks away – they’re 6 weeks old now and romping around and are adorable! I chose a girl and she’s snowy white. I wanted a black dog and was gonna name her Bonny, short for Bonita, but the white one doesn’t seem like a Bonny, so I’m not sure on a name yet, but I’m excited about bringing her home. And CH temporarily befriended a baby anteater. Mike fed it a chunk of an anthill with some dog food mixed in. It fiercely growled when anyone came by, though it was pretty apparent it has no teeth to maim with… but it had some hella long claws! I was relieved to discover that the huge back half of it was only it’s bushy, bushy tail; for awhile, I was under the impression that anteaters had their legs disproportionately in the middle of their body and their rear flopped around quite awkwardly. The things you learn. Just one of the many tidbits I’ve acquired during my time here.
So, all this “It’s been a year” stuff has got me re-assessing different things, significant AND petty. Significant, like, “Am I really doing enough? And “What are my goals for this next year?” But there’s been some random petty ones that have been creeping in, too. Like “Ok, this window has been missing it’s hook and eye thing for a year now… maybe it’s time to fix it?” or “I’ve had this plastic floral laminate stuff on my counter for a year now… how tattered IS it?” or “Oh yeah, I need to replace the filter in my water thing,” and “Is it time to start decorating?” and “I bet I could pay someone to sew me new couch covers,” and “I’ve had this Phase 10 game for a year now and haven’t played it once.” And “I have YET to find an ideal and permanent location for my clean clothes.” And “Man! Those tin cans really pile up after a year… who knew they wouldn’t burn like the rest of my garbage? It looks like a junk yard out there!” And “Ok, how many times HAVE I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in the past 12 months??” Not to mention "Hey, I haven't had to get another gas thing for my stove the entire time I've been here - does that say something about my cooking, or lack thereof?"
It’s nice to put things in perspective like that. Help me make some changes. And make changes I have! That laminate is GONE! The windows are almost fixed! And I counted, and yup, pretty sure it’s been half a dozen times I’ve read that book. Sure, I could get another book to read, but why mess with a good thing?
So, I’m getting a puppy and I just got to see them after being 2 weeks away – they’re 6 weeks old now and romping around and are adorable! I chose a girl and she’s snowy white. I wanted a black dog and was gonna name her Bonny, short for Bonita, but the white one doesn’t seem like a Bonny, so I’m not sure on a name yet, but I’m excited about bringing her home. And CH temporarily befriended a baby anteater. Mike fed it a chunk of an anthill with some dog food mixed in. It fiercely growled when anyone came by, though it was pretty apparent it has no teeth to maim with… but it had some hella long claws! I was relieved to discover that the huge back half of it was only it’s bushy, bushy tail; for awhile, I was under the impression that anteaters had their legs disproportionately in the middle of their body and their rear flopped around quite awkwardly. The things you learn. Just one of the many tidbits I’ve acquired during my time here.
So, all this “It’s been a year” stuff has got me re-assessing different things, significant AND petty. Significant, like, “Am I really doing enough? And “What are my goals for this next year?” But there’s been some random petty ones that have been creeping in, too. Like “Ok, this window has been missing it’s hook and eye thing for a year now… maybe it’s time to fix it?” or “I’ve had this plastic floral laminate stuff on my counter for a year now… how tattered IS it?” or “Oh yeah, I need to replace the filter in my water thing,” and “Is it time to start decorating?” and “I bet I could pay someone to sew me new couch covers,” and “I’ve had this Phase 10 game for a year now and haven’t played it once.” And “I have YET to find an ideal and permanent location for my clean clothes.” And “Man! Those tin cans really pile up after a year… who knew they wouldn’t burn like the rest of my garbage? It looks like a junk yard out there!” And “Ok, how many times HAVE I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in the past 12 months??” Not to mention "Hey, I haven't had to get another gas thing for my stove the entire time I've been here - does that say something about my cooking, or lack thereof?"
It’s nice to put things in perspective like that. Help me make some changes. And make changes I have! That laminate is GONE! The windows are almost fixed! And I counted, and yup, pretty sure it’s been half a dozen times I’ve read that book. Sure, I could get another book to read, but why mess with a good thing?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Love
During my last trip to Town, I had a couple wonderful exchanges with one of my kindred spirits, Chase. Among a plethora of other things, we talked about different forms of love. He uses the word ‘love’ a lot, and he says he thinks it’s not used enough. He often WILL say “I love my life,” with a laugh, or “Love it.” He has that cheerful, optimistic side to him that’s infectious, but he also is a very deep, pensive, beautifully creative person that I am drawn to and can be quite open with him, something that usually takes awhile in any relationship. I do love him.
I HAVE found myself using the ‘L’ word more here. It started with Meena, my host mom. She said it to me and I said it back - and then realized I meant it. Feeling that level of something for a person is wonderful, especially in a place away from home. Adoration, connection, admiration, and an overall feeling of being blessed to have them in your life, helping and adding to your journey. Certain PCVs like Chase, my beloved Region 9 volunteers and a few others, and some co-workers and friends in the village. The different kinds of love I have for these people is beautiful.
And then realizing how much you truly do love those you already thought you knew you loved so much back home. Family. My old, close friends, some newer but just as important ones, too. Saying it to these people gives me such a good feeling, too. Some people I say it openly to, others, no. But the feelings are there.
I think here, emotions are on a much more sharper level. The relationships you DO have with people here can become lifelines and therefore, intensified. You realize how precious your loved ones back home are. You appreciate the stability, the connection with people. It makes you feel. And love more.
And love what your circumstances are doing to you. Love it.
“Always love…” – Nada Surf
I HAVE found myself using the ‘L’ word more here. It started with Meena, my host mom. She said it to me and I said it back - and then realized I meant it. Feeling that level of something for a person is wonderful, especially in a place away from home. Adoration, connection, admiration, and an overall feeling of being blessed to have them in your life, helping and adding to your journey. Certain PCVs like Chase, my beloved Region 9 volunteers and a few others, and some co-workers and friends in the village. The different kinds of love I have for these people is beautiful.
And then realizing how much you truly do love those you already thought you knew you loved so much back home. Family. My old, close friends, some newer but just as important ones, too. Saying it to these people gives me such a good feeling, too. Some people I say it openly to, others, no. But the feelings are there.
I think here, emotions are on a much more sharper level. The relationships you DO have with people here can become lifelines and therefore, intensified. You realize how precious your loved ones back home are. You appreciate the stability, the connection with people. It makes you feel. And love more.
And love what your circumstances are doing to you. Love it.
“Always love…” – Nada Surf
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Pomp and Circumstance
Graduation/Promotion was on Thursday. It was thrown together at the last moment, went through several last minute changes and could have been way better – I was stressed to the max for trying to help - but as I sat there, watching the kids stand up and move to another bench as they got promoted to the next class, or as I saw grade 11 students, grade 6 and nursery students get certificates, my heart swelled with adoration and pride. Pride at them for completing another year of school. However well they did – and pride at me for getting to know all of them and the school and competing one year here. I practiced a group of grade 6 students to recite part of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. Shirin, Juniour, Synesius, Ena, Jeriana and Merilyn. With the Common Entrance Exam tutoring and the drama stuff I did with them, I’ve come to really enjoy grade 6. And I think they like doing things with me.
They only had two days to practice this recitation, and we didn’t practice much. They each had about 2 verses to recite. I made them read aloud several times, correcting pronunciations and reminding them about posture and eye contact. I tried to get them to recite with emphasis. They were all very excitable and Juniour assures me he’ll read with action. “I’m a furious man, Miss,” he tells me. Laughs like the one I had upon hearing this have been few. After I stopped laughing, I assured him he was.
Though it was he and Synesius who got too nervous the afternoon of and who didn’t want to do it. Well, actually, Shirin was the first – she bowed out the day before, muttering behind my back how she was going to absent herself the next day. I finally went up to her and asked if she didn’t want to go it; she said no and I said ok. Elvira piped up “I want to do it, Miss!” I was pleasantly surprised; Elvira had seemed shy to do me, not interested. She learned her lines, though. But then before the promotions, the boys wanted out and Synesius points out “Shirin quit, Miss!” Aw damn. But, I refused to let anyone off the hook and tried to deliver an inspiring, encouraging kick in the pants to get them ready: First, I told them I understand what it feels like to be nervous: your heart pounds, it’s hard to breathe, your voice shakes, your hands shake and you forget what you’re supposed to say. So they knew I knew how they felt. Then I told them it’s no big deal, they’ve practiced, they don’t have to have it memorized, it’s short and they have each other up there for support. And last, I told them it’s only 5 minutes of their lives. When they look back, they could see it was no different than many of the other minutes of their lives- or they could always have those five minutes where they did it – “I was scared, but I did it.”
I don’t know if it hit home or not, but it was a good note to self, if anything. And last, I left them with no options. Even if I didn’t inspire them enough – someone being forceful and holding you accountable is always an aid to improvement. I had them close their eyes and breathe (I swear, I’m gonna endorse Rupununi Youths’ Meditation/Yoga – it’d do ‘em a world of good) and we did Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to relax. Then I gave them a mental image to put a smile on their lips if they got too nervous – Miss Sarah dancing disco. Yep.
They did it. It had mistakes, it was pretty robotic and they needed to be much louder, but THEY DID IT and I was proud.
They only had two days to practice this recitation, and we didn’t practice much. They each had about 2 verses to recite. I made them read aloud several times, correcting pronunciations and reminding them about posture and eye contact. I tried to get them to recite with emphasis. They were all very excitable and Juniour assures me he’ll read with action. “I’m a furious man, Miss,” he tells me. Laughs like the one I had upon hearing this have been few. After I stopped laughing, I assured him he was.
Though it was he and Synesius who got too nervous the afternoon of and who didn’t want to do it. Well, actually, Shirin was the first – she bowed out the day before, muttering behind my back how she was going to absent herself the next day. I finally went up to her and asked if she didn’t want to go it; she said no and I said ok. Elvira piped up “I want to do it, Miss!” I was pleasantly surprised; Elvira had seemed shy to do me, not interested. She learned her lines, though. But then before the promotions, the boys wanted out and Synesius points out “Shirin quit, Miss!” Aw damn. But, I refused to let anyone off the hook and tried to deliver an inspiring, encouraging kick in the pants to get them ready: First, I told them I understand what it feels like to be nervous: your heart pounds, it’s hard to breathe, your voice shakes, your hands shake and you forget what you’re supposed to say. So they knew I knew how they felt. Then I told them it’s no big deal, they’ve practiced, they don’t have to have it memorized, it’s short and they have each other up there for support. And last, I told them it’s only 5 minutes of their lives. When they look back, they could see it was no different than many of the other minutes of their lives- or they could always have those five minutes where they did it – “I was scared, but I did it.”
I don’t know if it hit home or not, but it was a good note to self, if anything. And last, I left them with no options. Even if I didn’t inspire them enough – someone being forceful and holding you accountable is always an aid to improvement. I had them close their eyes and breathe (I swear, I’m gonna endorse Rupununi Youths’ Meditation/Yoga – it’d do ‘em a world of good) and we did Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to relax. Then I gave them a mental image to put a smile on their lips if they got too nervous – Miss Sarah dancing disco. Yep.
They did it. It had mistakes, it was pretty robotic and they needed to be much louder, but THEY DID IT and I was proud.
Breakfast Smiles
I Amuse Me.
Breakfast: Attempt at “good” bakes.(Bakes are a form of fried bread, aka flour and water). Got hot water hotting on one burner for coffee and small pan of oil hotting for the bakes. I need to melt butter – a “good” bakes key ingredient- but no room. I get a spoonful of butter and hold it near the hotting water, a quick solution. The scoop of butter, being bigger than the actual spoon, presents a problem. A melt-and-drain technique is born. Bakes are rolled and then set to fry. Temperature is adjusted and bakes are scrutinized. They never really puff up as they should. Garlic and onions are chipped for the fried eggs and a tin can is made ready to pour the hot oil in after the bakes so the same pan can be used again for the eggs. (Limited number of burners and pan makes you thrifty like that).
Coffee water is hot and instant coffee is made, successfully. Bakes finally finish and the oil is taken to the sink, pouring into the held tin can begins. Of course, it doesn’t go straight into the can. Oil burns. I keep up the pace, however, and get the onions/garlic frying and go collect rainwater falling from my roof to soak my hand in. Got my right hand stationary in water, my left sautéing onions then cracking the eggs. Get eggs fried without losing the yolk. Eat standing up in my cooking cubby. Hard flat bakes break up the yolk and cut pieces of the egg and I scoop them, uncivilizedly, into my mouth, all the while my right hand is in water nursing oil burns. A typical meal at Chéz Sarah.
Breakfast: Attempt at “good” bakes.(Bakes are a form of fried bread, aka flour and water). Got hot water hotting on one burner for coffee and small pan of oil hotting for the bakes. I need to melt butter – a “good” bakes key ingredient- but no room. I get a spoonful of butter and hold it near the hotting water, a quick solution. The scoop of butter, being bigger than the actual spoon, presents a problem. A melt-and-drain technique is born. Bakes are rolled and then set to fry. Temperature is adjusted and bakes are scrutinized. They never really puff up as they should. Garlic and onions are chipped for the fried eggs and a tin can is made ready to pour the hot oil in after the bakes so the same pan can be used again for the eggs. (Limited number of burners and pan makes you thrifty like that).
Coffee water is hot and instant coffee is made, successfully. Bakes finally finish and the oil is taken to the sink, pouring into the held tin can begins. Of course, it doesn’t go straight into the can. Oil burns. I keep up the pace, however, and get the onions/garlic frying and go collect rainwater falling from my roof to soak my hand in. Got my right hand stationary in water, my left sautéing onions then cracking the eggs. Get eggs fried without losing the yolk. Eat standing up in my cooking cubby. Hard flat bakes break up the yolk and cut pieces of the egg and I scoop them, uncivilizedly, into my mouth, all the while my right hand is in water nursing oil burns. A typical meal at Chéz Sarah.
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