Cake and Cutlasses

ONE way a Yupukari child celebrates their birthday.

It was my goddaughter, DeAnna's first birthday on Sunday (Sept. 19th). This was one of the first things I was made aware of when I became her godmother (one of those bits of information that came right after learning her name, too.) Months ago, Zaruti, DeAnna's mother, had mentioned her first birthday, and how we'd celebrate it.

Here, it's custom that the godparents will help with the celebrating of their godchild's birthday, whether it be hosting it, providing supplies for a meal and drinks or simply assisting. It's the godparent's role to go inviting people to the party, to call the party to a start, by welcoming everyone, saying a prayer and calling for any presents to be given to the child. Now, these roles are loose, it could just be the parents who sponsor everything, or grandparents or neighbors, though the godparents are the second most noted people for the ordeal. They definitely get preference on the kari, if anything.

Now, I don't know if maybe Zaruti thought I'd have godmother powers superior to local godmothers or not, but I found myself struggling with this little task. First of all, I've been out of country, secondly, they've been out of village, so no real planning took place. DeAnna was on my mind, a bit, - I brought her back some things from the States - but other than that, I bordered on falling into Inattentive Godmother status. Back in the States, you'd go to the store, buy a card, buy or make a gift and if you couldn't make it to the party, send a check in the mail. If you were to help with the party, you'd go to the store, buy some balloons, order/bake a cake and maybe find some other thing to make the day special for the person. Something like that.

I was happy to let the Yupukarian godmother, Georgina, take the lead, and since she said she'd come early on Saturday morning to get some chicken and help strain cari, I told her to come to my house and pick me up so I could help, as well. No one had slaughtered lately, otherwise they would have gotten half a cow, but I offered to get some chicken, and help cook, if Georgina could lead it all. But Georgie never came, and then CH had a crisis in the morning that I had to be involved in, then there was a PTFA meeting, whew!

DeAnna's birthday was on Sunday, but they wanted to keep it on Saturday, as to maximize the party hours (parties - for children or adults - can be a day long, night long event) of the weekend, but we discussed pushing it to Sunday. Godfather Cecil didn't agree; there was kari to be consumed, what more could you need? Nothing, according to Cecil. Okay..... so there was no chicken was to be found, and Georgina and I had to break it to Zaruti. No meal. I offered to make a cake, instead....

Much more my forte, anyway. I had also brought back a couple little gifts for DeAnna and the family from the States and shared those with them that morning. Anyway, they waited for me to finish baking the cake, and by 6 p.m., the 'party' was ready to begin. I took the cake to Zaruti and began helping to strain kari with Flora, Zaruti wanted pictures taken so I got that ready, too. I think it was both a help and a hindrance that I didn't know quite what to do or how to help. A help in that it made me attentive to anything Zaruti might need to host this party and that I could add my own different celebratory ways, but a hindrance that I couldn't have made this party well-oiled and typical party down here.

Zaruti suggested I cut the cake, so I asked for a knife, and was given a 1.5 foot long cutlass to do the job with. We took it outside and put it on the main table, and Zaruti said it was time to welcome everyone, so Georgina started, speaking in Makushi, making the customary apologies for no food, mentioning the shortage of chicken in the village, saying we didn't have much, etc. She mentioned the kari, as well. Nope, I'm not fluent in Makushi, I can just pick out main words and read body language. Then it came my turn to talk, and so I did what I do best and remark upon the momentous day and the cute birthday girl, etc. I mention the proccli (Makushi for kari) and get a laugh, then motion to start a customary prayer.

Then, we sing the Birthday Song, a customary 5 or 6 verse funeral-march rhythm tune. We (try to) take a couple pics of the birthday girl with her parents and godparents - of course the batteries were dying and there's no Walgreen's around the corner to pick up real quick. Then we call for any gifts for the birthday girl, and this is when people will file up, putting bills into the girl's hands or handing off other small gifts. It was the godparent's role to then go and assess the booty. Some sweet biscuits, some sweeties, a bath towel, a bar of soap wrapped in newspaper, a little outfit, and $1220 total, which we then report back to the crowd.

And THEN, it was kari and forro time. Georgina and I went out to the crowds with a first 5-gallon bucket of kari with two cups for dipping and serving. Each adult got a cupful; some shared with their kids, some shared a bit back with Georgina and I. Once one round was done, it was time to start another one, apparently. So we went out again. They asked if I was ready to go around sharing on my own, giving to the new arrivals, but I couldn't tell who was new or not, or even if some were adultish or not. So I clung to Georgie, we both dancing as we waited for the person to finish their cup. It was a good excuse to not have to dance with anyone I didn't want to, too. "Oh, sorry, I can't, I'm sharing kari."

DeAnna was put to bed soon after the songs, and both Zaruti and Albert watched the festivities from the doorway of their house. Albert let us know he wasn't drinking at all, so he could keep an eye on things. (I was quite impressed). He was always there to help with any buckets/cups needed or anything else.

I got to talk with a bunch of people, dance, drink a little kari, and have an overall good time, it was a nice first party to go back to in the village. As always, I was mindful to exert control over dancing duration and kari consumption. Oh, the pains of responsibility... The party went on until past 3 a.m. and I left my co-godmother and godfather there at 10 p.m., to continue celebrating without me - which they most definitely did. We saw Georgina and Cecil walking from Zaruti's house the next afternoon in the same clothes as the day before.

And it was with this modest, traditional, yet random way that DeAnna Agatha Elijah celebrated her first birthday.

An Afternoon Lime

Heading to Shaira's
"Miss! da da da da da?"
-"What does that mean?"
"'Where are you going, Miss?'"
-"Oh, how do you say "I am going?'"
"da da dada da."
-"da da dada da.... Shaira's.... you'll have to teach that to me again on Monday."

Walking from Shaira's, across an area of bow and arrow target practice, at Maureen's and Clifton's
"Come, come!"
(I don't come, but wait, as a man puts a bow into place; he shoots his three -)
"Come, come!"
(I quickly cross the area, go safely into Aunt Maureen's kitchen. After catching up with Lorrie, drinking a cup of lime juice and getting three small lukanani, I go on my way, passing the archers.)
-"Make sure you don't hit me, I'm not a deer! Hows the practice?"
"We are making progress."

At Alice's shop
"I love how you are teaching my daughter, you are teaching her to speak proper English, we love you........"
-"Thank you, I try."
"I love you, I want to marry you, Miss."
-Cane' cane' cane'! (no!)

"You got fat, Miss Sarah!"

From Alice's, passing through Vilma's, encountering a passing, stumbling uncle
"You can read Peter to me? Second Peter?"
-"Sure, if you want."
--"That's not a Bible!"
"You will read Luke to me?"
-"Sure, if that's a Bible."
(it's not a Bible, it's a hymn book)
"Ok, I will come by you.... in the Garden of Eden."

Heading home... at the phone booth
"Hey, Sarah! How far you go?"
-"Just been liming about."

...On the football field
"What are you doing?" "You will come to Katoka?"
-"No, I can't. You all ready to beat Katoka tomorrow?????..... No one????
--"Yeah!"
-"Thanks, Rosita, at least SHE's ready to beat Katoka."

...Coming 'pon' the house
-"Heyo, neighbor!"
"Yo, yo!!"

Suburbia

Welcome to suburbia,
Where life is so superbia.
A swimming pool in every yard -
The livin's easy, never hard.
The houses here all look the same,
Like plastic pieces in a game.
Our schools are smart;
Our streets are clean.
Our perfect lawns
Are always green.
The people here are trouble-free
But die from the monotony.
-Douglas Florian

He he.

Afternoon Delights

SO happy to be back. :)

My new roommates, Martin and Jeff, are nice easygoing guys. It's a bit different to room with males - shoes all over the place and a stack of books in the bathroom, for example - but we're getting along easily; they're very excited about and complimentary of any cooking I do.

Saturday was a small village lunch - toma pot and cassava bread - followed by a bow and arrow competition. You bet I participated! I even hit the target board 3 times, one time even scoring! Such nice village time.

Sunday, I went to church and had some nice time in the Word, then Lucy gave me two pieces of fry fish for lunch; that, with soaked farine and ketchup, was magical. Lucy helped me do mountainous washing over the weekend, too. My house is back to normal!

Monday was my first day back to school and YPL. Rosita took the place of Lorrie at the library, and she and Russian and I began work to get the library school-worthy for this year. Story-time at 11:30, a lunch of pbj with my roomies while talking about international fast food, then an ASP of outside games and inside word games.

Tuesday, yesterday, was another good, busy school day, followed by our first librarian's meeting of the year at my house. Jeff, Martin and Shamir were invited to attend, to help construct our library activities for the upcoming year/term. Jeff's a herp guy and Martin's a bird guy, and they'll be here until mid-Nov and mid-Oct, respectively. After that, my roomies and I went out on a village walk, collecting a pound of peppers, 3 lbs. flour and 5 lbs. sugar, all to help make dinner and start a bucket of rice wine. Egg curry and roti was on the menu and I, once again, adore how a meal can become the night's activity.

When the night wound down, Shamir came by and then Mark came calling, to tell the boys that he found a snake. It was a rainbow boa, about 3 feet long with spots like a leopard and then iridescent colors running down it as well. Cool! ( also learned, from Jeff, that snakes don't have eyelids, one of the few distinguishing traits between snakes and snake-like creatures.

All of this, combined with the pleased greetings of long-lost village friends and aunties, plus the magnificence of the clouds, the views, the trees, the stars, the breeze, hammocks.... :))))))))))))))))))))) .... it's made my home-coming so satisfying.

But, you know? It's all with the understanding that on Aug. 23rd, 2011, I will be finished with my Peace Corps Guyana service. The understanding that I will have to say my goodbyes, have to wrap up any and all projects, have to pass on the torch of librarianship to someone else, whether that be a PCV or a Yupukarian.

I am so blessed to have this third year. I got to fully complete my two standard ones, and then go home to say hello, to get a fresh perspective (of home AND Guyana), strong dose of support and fully appreciate all the beauties of my home here in Guyana, and then COME BACK, get all my 'one last time' in that I realized I needed while in the States. It WILL be over - but not yet. Even though life here is not forever, I still get to enjoy, appreciate and be a part of it for a whole other year.

And then, let The Adventures in the USA begin.... or wherever else is next.

"Guyana is Nice, Bad"

That's one thing about this country - the pride Guyanese feel for it. Most any Guyanese will boast of the beautiful land, the products cultivated, the friendly people of their country; my cab driver was one of them, the above ^ is his statement of his country.

On the cab ride from Cheddi Jagan International Airport to the Windjammer Hotel in Kitty, Georgetown, I was greeted by the familiar sights, sounds and smells of Guyana - coconut trees, car horns and curry, for example.

I welcomed the familiar sensations as even just yesterday, I was sensing the streets of Kansas City, a fairly different overall experience. Now, sure, there was crazy driving, putrid sewage smells and I wonder if my cabbie gave me a 'special' foreign rate for the cab ride, but one of the things I was relaxing into on that cab ride this morning was:

Life (activity) is so much more open here, freer. So much easier to see life as you drive by a street. In Guyana, you see LIFE (someone sweeping the drive, someone waiting for a bus, someone sitting at a shop stand, someone just sitting, children playing, etc.) but it seems in KC, you see walls, you feel seclusion coming from every angle. Space is marked and maintained, there is a privacy, a front put up between buildings and people. Life in Guyana is more upfront. I appreciate that.

On the other hand, as I was flying out of Atlanta last night, I looked down on the paved, lit roads and knew that a different sense of freedom lay down below. That sensation of carefree oneness with the world that comes from driving down an Interstate or Highway with the windows down and music blaring, with few people on the road, but knowing that even those who do share the road with you won't make your exhilarating drive too dangerous, knowing that even if something did happen, the US would have your back.... that, too, is a freedom worth appreciating.

Guyana AND the US are nice, bad.