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.