What's new in Guyana?

Yep, this time next week 94% of the Guy 26 crew will be the newest Peace Corps volunteers! We will keep the two crew members who terminated early in our hearts as we move through service over the next two years.  We have become quite a family.  As excited as I am to begin my purpose here in Guyana, I know I will miss seeing my "family" I have seen nearly every day!  It has been a test of the emotions and no one can emphasize the key ingredient to "getting tru" (as it is said in Guyana) enough.....resilience.  I know I will be faced with more obstacles, more apathy, more delays, more stares, more ....whatever.  All along, I will move forward with purpose to leave a positive impact, how small or large is yet to be determined. Today I will prepare a favorite meal for many in the states.  I must be a bit creative preparing lasagne today as I have cheese limitations, but it will be lasagne Guyanese style!  I have appreciated my host mom and dad making sure I am fed and

Wow....what a busy week we trainees had.  We traveled to Georgetown a week ago and prepared ourselves to meet and work with our counterparts.  Of course, we had our "down time" to enjoy the Kings Plaza swimming pool and air conditioning. We had our training in a lovely place called the Grand Coastal Hotel.  The conference facilities were great and the food was amazing.  I would recommend this place to anyone coming to Georgetown, Guyana. Here is a group picture with most of us and our counterparts on the stairwell in the courtyard. We all packed up and rode along with our counterparts to our new sites on Thursday.  I was so excited to see my new school and Ms. Ray first had me drop my luggage off at my new home, meet Maggy the owner and quickly take a brief walk to the school.  The children had spotted our arrival by mini bus and many were waiting in the road to watch us walk to school.  I was greeted with signs, a welcoming statement, songs and invited to eat lunch wit

Yep - I now know where I will call home for the next two years!  More about that later. I thought you might like to see just what we have been learning since our staging in Miami, FL.  I can't imagine learning a new language along with all of this. Some of these may be on the agenda the last few weeks. Here you go: Category : Language and Culture Rules of the house Creolese 101 Guyana Test Kitchen 1,2,3,4 Relationship Building #1 Express Yourself Who We Are Part 1 Who We Are Part 2 Folklore Social Vibes Seasonings, Spices and Things Host Family Relationship Building #2 (getting ready for move to site) Found in the Kitchen Host Family Appreciation get together Bush Cook Category : Medical Malaria Alcohol Mental & Emotional Health Sexually Transmitted Infections HIV and AIDS Nutrition and Dental Health Domestic Partner Violence Emergencies Category : Technical Crossing Educational Cultures: The Volunteer in the Guyana Education System Building Goo

Challenge is a curious word.  By itself, it brings to mind a test of will or strength.  It can also remind one of a time or a person that might have tested them or engaged them in a battle of some sort.  Although the Peace Corps training schedule shows Challenge Week as the upcoming week, the small group of trainees working at Timehri Primary brought it forward one week on the calendar.  Naomi, Kaylee and I planned a Literacy Fair for after hours this past Thursday due to testing next week.  We hoped for a better turn out that way.  It was, indeed a challenge.  The day started off with a dousing from Mother Nature and she kept it going most of the day.  Our initial plan to create various tables outside soon became a dismissed notion and we were forced to place all of our literacy stations around the area used by 2 6th. grade classes.  The children were super excited and I think we had an amazing turn out.  We had given bookmark style flyers out and asked the children to return on Thurs