In Another World

My Peace Corps group, GUY 20, just had it's Close of Service conference, held in two places - Splashman's Resort, right outside of Georgetown, and Baganara's, near Bartica in Region 8. COS is held three months before service is over and is supposed to help us wrap up our projects, quantify our projects, and get ready for re-entry into the US. Since I plan to extend for a third year, COS wasn't as applicable to me, although I tucked all the info into the back of my mind for future reference, and I appreciated getting to help my peers work on their COS, plus just say goodbye. My third year will be different without most of my group, even though we have two other groups (GUY 21 and now GUY 22) in country as well.

Coming back from COS conference, really made me realize how hard it is at site sometimes. You forget, you don't see the contrast. When things go back to being easy, (for a brief moment) it (the difficulties of being a PCV, or just plain foreigner) hits you harder when you return. You remember, oh yeah, in another world, there are certain things you can depend on, certain constants. Knowing something will be where you left it, for example. Knowing you won't get pulled into a different role every day. Knowing you are working with people who are there each day to fulfill their role, who know what their role is. In another world, we can take for granted not having to reinvent the wheel every day.

In another world, we grow to expect stability on a daily basis. We know that making plans for the next day will most likely follow through. We have to confront fewer variables than one has to do here. And, once one has been here for awhile, you get used to that fact, you adapt to it, you tone yourself down, you even come to adopt that mindset. But, one week away, in the reverse world, and you start to prefer that easier instance. Flexibility means having a Plan B or Plan C. It's a quality people from all worlds should possess. But, down in THIS world, it's necessary to have a Plan D, E and F, to account for ALL the variables. And then react to each as if it were The Plan, since you are the facilitator, the catalyst, and this is the all-important grassroots development we're talking about!

In that week's reprieve, it was easy to forget what it's like to be surrounded by people who share your interests such as reading, and following rules during sports, and playing card games, and queueing in a line. You forget what it's like to act exactly how you want to act, and know that others, most likely, are acting exactly how THEY want to act - and you know what they mean by their actions. In another world, you are surrounded by people working in the same way and for the same thing that you are, when normally, you are on your own, trying to work on your own and express how you are working to others. Objectives, roles, relationships are clearer and that clarity takes a lot of mental activity off the board, freeing you for other things.

This COS conference was the first conference I attended where I found what's become The Other World, aka The States or a space filled with Americans, as a relief. It makes me wonder how I'll react to visiting the States in August, if it'll be more enjoyable than merely seeing friends and family, but preferring more than anticipated, the 'easy' way.

This occurred to me first, during the week with my comrades as we laughed, played games like Catchphrase, dominoes and volleyball, did group work and enjoyed our similarities and differences (instead of finding both similarities and differences as funny - you're funny if you chop your onions a different way here, but funny if you 'try to' chop the onions in their way.). And then it whammied me today, as I am back into the normal swing of things here and find myself irritated and overwhelmed to the point where I feel the need to change each fundamental issue here just to get some peace of mind.

Rina, a gal from GUY 19, said that when she came back to Guyana to start her third year, she was half tempted to get right back on the plane to go home. I wonder if I'll be the same way?

Pears

An avocado, a fruit grown in the area, is called a 'pear' down here. I have introduced the concept of guacamole to Lucy, at least. I think it'll catch on. Lucy suggests mashing an avocado and mixing with milk to make a nice drink.

Miracle products

Commercials/products of strong Aluminum Foil, knives that cut through shoes and never need sharpening and non-stick spray seem a little less over-the-top now that I am using such supplies and lacking those exact qualities. Who knew how frustrating weak aluminum foil is???

The grass is always greener...

Sometimes I resent the influence the NGO has in my community. Sometimes I wish I could have come into the community, starting from scratch. Sometimes I wish I had to work with only the bare minimum of materials.

Sometimes it feels like my NGO overshadows the village. Sometimes it feels like the change the NGO has made on the community wasn't a toe into the edge of the water, slowly seeping in, but a plopped rock right in the middle, disturbing the stillness of the lake, making these new, unfounded ripples, and the lake carrying forward after the plop, accommodating fine enough, but makes you wonder what the changes would have been like if it was the toe in approach.

Sometimes I think that there are TOO many resources here. That I'd rather have just one story book to work with, not 7,000 titles. I hate how the excess of resources results in them being so casually regarded/discarded.

Whereas, most of my peers are struggling to get that one storybook, that one set of crayons and cardboards. They hear about or see where I am, and desire, proclaiming my luck in assignments. I agree with them, but still sometimes envy them for THEIR surroundings.