Hello!
HELLO!
You may notice the PINK boat in Berbice river off my elbow.
Hello is not a greeting here in Guyana. It’s “HEY YOU! LOOK HERE!” I hear it a lot in the classroom and in the neighborhood when a parent is trying to get a child‘s attention. I have YET to stop myself from saying “hello” to people I meet on the street. I wonder what they are thinking. Usually, people say “Good Morning” or Good Afternoon” and expect either the same in return or I hear “alright”. Alright??? It has not settled with me so I keep giving the same “hello” and then think, “that is not what they want to hear”. Oh, well…change comes slowly.
Let me say that NOTHING is easy in Guyana. Getting “current”, phone service, internet, transportation, laundry and mail. Let me give my latest example. First of all, we have it easy in the US when we mail something. The post man or woman will pick it up when they deliver. Not here. You want to mail something, get to the Post Office. There are no boxes in neighborhoods. So, recently. after writing a couple of letters, I got on the bicycle and took a ½ hour ride to the Post Office. The stamps do not have glue on them. The humidity would just cause them all to stick together. (Funny story….the first time I bought stamps there I did lick one and the agent said, “No, you need this.” She handed me a glue stick. Yes, I was embarrassed but grateful she did not laugh.) I arrived at the PO and asked for my stamps and waited for a glue stick. She said, “No paste.” What?? No paste?? I looked at her and said, “Now I need to ride the bike to a store that sells paste?” She hollered to another agent who did have a glue stick and my letters were on the way. Taught me a lesson to take my glue stick when I go to PO! The electricity that feeds into the house is on an indoor meter and one must go into the Guyana Power and Light office to pay for electricity/current. Once paid, you get a receipt with a long number. You come home and, using a keypad you enter the number in the box. If you let the current get low, the lights are dim and them they flicker when shut off is imminent.
As for village life, things are humming along. Sugar cane has been slashed and there is daily processing. The residue of “cane dust” makes it impossible to keep things clean. The stuff reminds me of the monsoon season in Phoenix. Those big dust clouds known as haboobs come through leaving fine dust covering everything. In this case, the cane dust leaves black particles everywhere. Some tiny and some feathery pieces. At any rate, they become sooty and can be tracked and worn. I imagine it is in my lungs, but I really have had no problem breathing.
Now, about the first month of school. I help each child one on one from G1 - G6. Every student has different needs and so I tailor the session as to their needs and learning style. It all takes place in the library, which is one of the “good news, bad news” situations. Because there is computer equipment in the library, the former PC Volunteer arranged with the help of community members to have the library air conditioned. That is a blessing. Well, until there is a blackout in the community, which happens frequently and may last hours. The bad news is that when I work with the children, the sessions may interfere with class break schedules. I have needed to lock the library and prevent children from coming in while I have a student in session. I feel a bit sad about this. After all, they all need to have the exposure to books, read and be read to. I recently implemented a behavior chart and they are excited to come in and demonstrate good behavior in hopes of getting a prize….maybe even a private lunch at Miss Patty’s house! I am seeing them really try for the most part. It is heart warming to be well received. I am going to make it my mission to get around to each family and make sure the care givers know me. Even though there are PTA meetings, as we all know, not every family has representation at the PTA.
October has been an incredibly busy month. I am used to a pretty quiet pace during October and all of the activity had my head spinning. The “GUY EXPO” was early in the month. It pulled in an amazing array of products and country information. We observed the Muslim Holiday of Eid-Ui-Adha. I happened to be in Georgetown on the day of observance and the place was amazingly quiet. The holiday is also known as the “Feast of the Sacrifice”. The meat of a sacrificed animal is divided into thirds. One third is given to charity, one third to friends and one third kept for family. It comes at the end of one month of fasting. This is one of only two holidays observed by the Muslims. It is lunar based and dates can vary every year. It is meant as a day of thanksgiving, reflection and personal sacrifice. I was reminded of Christmas Day in the states. From there, we had Sports Day at school, Fun Day for Teachers, Inter School Sports Day and finishing up the month with the Indian holiday of Diwali. That is the Hindu “Festival of Lights” and commemorates the return of Hindu hero Rama from exile. There are night parades with floats and little clay cups with oil wicks lit in pretty patterns. Not a full week of school the entire month! In the meantime, I have taken on more tutoring as these children need the extra help!
On a humorous note, I reminded a student to bring extra water on “Sport Day”. He responded, “No Miss, I’ll have SKIN PISS.” AHA…now I understand why they are so fascinated with me sweating! Sport Day is basically a day of relays such as sack races or spoon/egg race in the village. There were a few mothers there to watch and made a good way for me to integrate a bit more with some family members.
Teachers Ms. Mellisa, Ms. Miriam (in hat) and barely in picture is Ms. Raylene take part in a lime and spoon race.......
On my way home from Sunday Zumba, I always love entering the village. The long quiet road (called the LONELY ROAD by locals) that divides the cane field is frequented by cows, the landscape is lovely and there is a line of palm trees swaying in gentle wind. I soak up the beauty early in the morning; before that sun forces a change in focus. I have included some photos so you may share my morning vision. Enjoy! Lately, I have seen the tractors preparing the land for another crop of cane. Recently I saw the field completely flooded in preparation of the planting. The cycle begins again.
I have just booked my first excursion out of Guyana. A new Peace Corps friend, Jenny and I will visit BARBADOS in November! I am SO excited! The trip is planned during the Food, Wine and Rum Festival which we will partake in so many ways. I have done well “reducing” as they say here and I am quite sure I will see the scale tip the other way after this trip! We will stay six nights and I am quite sure that I will wish I had more time. Along with the festival activities, I will do some genealogy research.
I have known for some time that I have relatives that came from England and settled in Barbados in the early 1600‘s. Some are buried there. Many left the island and settled later in Rhode Island. If I had known THAT fact in 2000, I would have toured the historical areas in Newport when I visited. However, back to Barbados. I have learned that the English emigrants were for the most part indentured. They were committed to five years of labor they were given “freedom dues” and perhaps some land. The family name I am researching is Rodman. My son has helped with the research and found that John Rodman owned a plantation with slaves. There are a lot of unanswered questions right now. The Cromwell years were during this time and many English rebels and criminals were transported across the ocean. The death rate was higher than marriages. Tobacco was the mainstay during this time, but that product was becoming a prime product in North American exports, which had the Barbados trade diminishing. Fast forward to 1650 when an act was passed prohibiting trade between England and the island. Dutch settlers from Brazil introduced sugarcane to Barbados and the economy on the island changed forever. Due to the transformation, those people of English descent made their way to North America. So, my mission is to see how my relatives came…in what capacity? Were they indentured? I know some details will be revealed and I am excited to learn!
Finally, the beauty of Guyana. Doesn't this look like a backdrop? It's taken east of where I live, near Rose Hall.
Hi, Patty, thanks again for your descriptive and interesting posts!
ReplyDeleteMary Julia