[ MY OVERALL STATUS ]
STATUS | Trainee.
LOCATION | New Amsterdam, Guyana.
DURATION | 66 days.
MOSQUITO BITES | 531.
COLD BUCKET BATHS | 112.
STOMACH FLU | 0.
[ GUYANA 101: SO HOT. ]
So hot. I spent the night sweating in my bed. So hot. I had enough of being hot so I woke up early and looked outside to watch the sunrise. Except there was no sunrise, only the darkness. Hmm, maybe a little bit too early? So hot. I checked my clock and- what the!? 2:15 in the morning?! Screw this, I'm not going back to bed because I might melt into a puddle on my mattress. So hot.
Pictures are my thousand of words stories and here they are:
Timehri, Guyana.
Everything has been a blur. As you can see obviously, the raindrop splashed right onto my phone's lens at the moment I took this picture of the shop right across from my host family's home. We, fellow trainees, take pictures to show where we live to find each other easier since most homes in Guyana doesn't have exact street addresses and Google Maps... I'd rather take my chances with some old treasure map over Google Maps here in Guyana. I was about to delete this picture but I realized this is purely a symbol that reflects my life in Guyana right now: a blur.
Wait, what? A blur? It has been more than two months here in Guyana already?! Where the hell did time go? Hold up, let's rewind back to my first month of pre-service training in Timehri, Soesdyke, Essequibo Coast, Takapuma, and more.
Welcome to da Jungle.
Takapuma, Guyana. Region 2.
One of my first pictures in Guyana in the first week. As many of you know, I LOVE adventures and getting dirty everywhere I go and this couldn't have been more perfect to "trek" through the jungle in Takapuma to get a taste of what Guyana has to offer. Up next on my list is the trek in the jungle to Kaieteur Falls. Anyone!? Anyway, we visited Takapuma, a small village with less than 500 villagers in the hinderlands, to understand how Amerindian villages work and what is expected of Peace Corps Volunteers to live among villagers and work with their communities. Not every Volunteer lives in the hinderlands because many of us will live in a coastal town to work with larger communities and organizations. We'll get to that in the next post full of pictures. So hot.
The other side is always greener.
Takapuma, Guyana. Region 2.
We also checked out the farming site in Takapuma where many villagers grow their own sections of fruits, vegetables, and corps of the season. It takes more than thirty minutes of a walk from the village through the jungle to this farming site. What's most fascinating about many farming sites in Guyana especially in the hinderlands is that when everything is done growing for the season, they just set everything on ablaze and watch it all burn into charred soils for fertilizer for many seasons to come. Life goes on and on.
No one got burned in the burning pyre this time.
Lake Mainstay at the Essequibo Coast of Guyana. Region 2.
In case if no one understood the burning pyre reference, you have to read and watch Game of Thrones to find out what this is ablazing about. Consider yourself warmed. Anyway, we learned everything we wanted to know about the Guyanese culture during our first week at Mainstay Resort including Guyanese proverbs, norms, rum, folklore and superstitions, how to do laundry, and did I mention rum? We gorged on the Guyanese feast, celebrated around the pyre on the sand, and watched the fire light up the night. So intense.
Lake Mainstay at the Essequibo Coast of Guyana.
Zach, me, Rachel, Eneka, and Kirsti who was behind the camera.
First week in Guyana and we were already on the mission of perfecting our beach bods. Nah, that isn't the only reason why we work out but to keep ourselves fit, healthy, happy, and sane in Guyana. What to do if there is no access to the gym? Hit the beach and use what we can find spot-on! We got up at 5:50, started our warm-ups at 6:00, and worked out like hell before the sun blazes and breakfast was served. To this day, we still work out as much as we can together through two years! Kirsti, you are da beast for getting this started! All of you, I miss ya, gyals and bai! Let's run on the Laluni trail soon! Eneka, I know you're in! Anyone else?
Rising above in the darkness.
Timehri, Guyana. Region 3.
May + June and December + January are the rainy seasons in Guyana. This was one of few rare nights that the moon finally emerged between rainy clouds, shining upon the shadows of the jungle beyond. Not bad for a phone photo, huh? Since we live so close to the equator of the world, the sunrise always rises at 6 and the darkness descends at 6 - people who live in the hinderlands beyond the coast usually wake up before 6 and sleep after 6. That is just the way how life is for some in Guyana.
My first home in Guyana!
Timehri, Guyana. Region 3.
My first host family is the best host family I ever had in Timehri! They are the most loving, wonderful, and thoughtful family who welcomed me in as their third Peace Corps daughter. In the family, I have a host dad, host mom, two host sisters (19 and 16), one brother-in-law, and one little Gem. I am staying with them for three months during the pre-training service and they are one of many reasons why I am able to integrate into the Guyanese community well, taught me everything about Guyana, and even taught me how to cook without burning the house down. I still need to master making roti without burning my thumbs. My host dad built this house with his bare hands - he works as a carpenter all over in Timehri and Soedyke. I'll share more about my first host family in the next post!
Rise, shine, and wash!
Timehri, Guyana. Region 3.
Laundry time in Guyana! This is how many Guyanese folks wash their clothes because not many have access to washers. As you can see obviously in this picture, one bucket is for washing and another one for rinsing clothes. How does all of this work? Fill buckets with water > pour soap into one bucket > dump dirty clothes into the bucket > wash them with hands > dump the washed clothes into the other bucket > rinse them > wring them to get all out of water out like you're gonna wring a towel to horse around in some locker room > hang 'em and hope as hell that rain doesn't drench them in a downpour which happens 90% of the time during May and June (I'm so happy that I brought hundreds of undies with me). It usually takes me 30 minutes to one hour to wash my clothes. It's a load of fun.
The 'untide' side of Guyana.
Timehri, Guyana. Region 3.
Many people believe Guyana is the land of paradise, even possibly the origin site of Garden of Eden millions of years ago when the major tectonic plates, South American and African plates, began to rift apart toward to their current locations. I do believe Guyana is a paradise in its own right and I have shown you some pictures of that but like every country in the world, Guyana also has a litter of environmental issues like the picture you see above. I am not a type of person who endorses sensationalism in everything especially in the media with pictures, such as cropping and framing into the perfect picture. No matter how we frame things, we will never see the whole picture unless we are aware there are much bigger pictures outside the frame and understand how we can improve our framing methods of things the way they are because that is what they are. Not everyone is educated on the importance of the environment along with its issues; how to recycle, reuse, or reinvent all materials; or even understand the ripple effect of impacts in the world and the future to come. Or even that the environment is the world's legacy to us.
What the cluck?
Soesdyke, Guyana. Region 3.
Chickens, they are everywhere in Guyana along with cows, goats, sheep, cats, dogs, and so on. I want to adopt a chicken here in Guyana... just because. I'll have to let you know how eggsellent those eggs are!
Someday is today.
Soesdyke, Guyana. Region 3.
Just hanging out on the deck and watching the sunset in Soesdyke with a bunch of folks after a long day. Thanks to Kelly for showing the deck to us so we could witness this beauty! Plus, your host mom is the best for making Seven Curry. More like Seven Heavens! I'll show the picture of this seven heavens next time! I'd give anything for that right now, haha.
Oh, look at dat.
Timehri, Guyana. Region 3.
Just takin' a hike on a short trail through the jungle of Timehri with the fantastic Rachel Ivancie behind Timehri Primary School and came across a couple of that-is-so-Guyanese-houses along the small river. Well, you just have to be here in person to see Guyana for what it is. No pictures do it justice. Rachel, you and I need to hike soon! Soooon.
Deaf Education.
Diamond Special Needs School, Guyana. Region 4.
Where do I even begin with Deaf Education in Guyana? Many Deaf people I have met only could sign few signs or don't even sign at all. Only few can sign well and those who signed well were able to afford to attend schools out of the country particularly in Region 11 (often referred as United States). The majority of Deaf Guyanese people cannot read or write well. The literacy rate of Guyanese people is low, likely to be below 50% despite what Wikipedia shows because not all stats have been gathered and verified. Imagine how lower even literacy rate is for Deaf people. I'll write more about this later because it is my core project and it deserves the post in its own recognition. I believe every person has a right to education and it will take a lot of work from everyone involved to ensure that happens. Anyway, during Pre-Service Training, each trainee is required to have practicum to work at their respective schools or health clinics depending on which sectors they are in: education or health. Two other fellow trainees, Aly and Fran, and I have our practicum at Diamond Special Needs School located in Great Diamond. Behold, I got an opportunity to work with some Deaf students in Deaf program.
Deaf Education.
Diamond Special Needs School, Guyana. Region 4.
There are nine students in the Deaf program in Diamond School aged between 6 and 18, and they are fun to work with. I have learned a great deal from them and I am looking forward to apply what I have learned in New Amsterdam within the Deaf program. Maybe only two of these students can sign fluently in sign language holding conversations on their own and write in English. Five of them can sign few signs and write a little bit but based on my assessments, they repeat everything what they see instead of expressing themselves and their thoughts on their own so it is difficult to tell what their language and critical thinking skills are at. Again, there is so much more to share regarding this, let's save that for the post on own. Otherwise, I do miss them although they can be quite handful sometimes.
Hanging in Hammocks = Serious Business.
Soesdyke, Guyana. Region 3.
Aly, me, Fran, and I believe it was Kelly who took this picture.
Thanks to Kelly and her family for their welcoming hospitality!
Just working so hard in our hammocks for our SOCA project at Diamond Special Needs School on the reading room for every student. I got tons of pictures of that for the next series of pictures! Keep an eye out on that!
8/42.
Soesdyke, Guyana. Region 3.
Damaris, Jeff, me, Eneka, Liza, Aly, Allee, and, of course, Suzy.
Honestly, it's one of my favorite pictures in Guyana, hands down. Just some of us trainees cramming as many as we could to fit in the frame in the old fashioned way of taking a selfie (who needs a selfie stick?) My next mission is to fit all 42 of us (okay, maybe I do need a selfie stick after all). GUYS, we need to make this happen!
LOOK AT THAT SUNRISE!
Timehri, Guyana. Region 3.
Another favorite picture of mine. My host mom and I went out for a brisk walk on a Sunday evening and somehow, we saw this sunset... so we hung out and watched it dance beyond the horizon. Like always, pictures do not ever do the nature any justice. You just simply had to be there.
Speaking of sunrises... it has dawned on me that it is 5:45 already! Where did time go?? Still so hot and it is going to get hotter soon.
I apologize if there is any grammar error in this blog... No instant coffee for me to check through everything instantly to ensure it is well-written. More
pictures to come later jus' now... Jus' now is one of Guyanese terms for
"just now" meaning anytime from this second or even five years later. Enjoy your sunrise! Thanks for reading!
