When talking with other volunteers in country, inevitably someone will throw out the phrase, "you know you're in Peace Corps Guyana when..." and then supply some random anecdote that, more often than not, universally applies to everyone in the group. Most of them are funny or amusing, often in some ironic way about how poor/sweaty/dirty/crazy we have all become since we began our Peace Corps journey. Here are a few that my friends and I have observed are true for almost everyone:
1. You own a "fancy" pair of Crocs
2. Getting ready to go out usually involves sunscreen, bug spray, or both.
3. Everyone has various tan lines on their arms and legs, depending on how often you wear different tank top/t-shirt/shorts/pants combos.
4. Dressing up or looking nice for something will most likely just mean that you washed your hair that day.
4. At the end of the month you can't afford both peanut butter AND jelly so you stand at the shelf for 20 minutes trying to decide which one to get this month.
5. You answer to someone calling you "white girl" the same way you would if they had said your name.
6. You can tell which pair of shoes other volunteers wear the most by the tattoo like tan lines we now all have on our feet.
7. You can name at least 3 different spices used in making curry
8. A week without any blackouts is considered a good week (hasn't happened yet, so that one is just a guess lol)
9. To save power/money, you walk around at night with your headlamp on instead of turning on the lights.
10. A shopping "splurge" is almost always a food item and is usually some American-brand of junk food that is almost at it's expiration date.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Jungle run part deux
This past weekend, I attended my 3rd Guyana Hash House Harriers run, or just hash run for short. For those of you who haven't been obsessively keeping up with my blog and didn't read the 1st entry explaining what a hash is (shame on you) here's a brief explanation: Hash groups exist all over the world and are described as a drinking club with a running problem. Basically, groups of people get together 2 times a month and go on "extreme" runs, so not just a typical jog on a marked path or trail. The point is to have them in some kind of weird or unique or crazy environment, which here in Guyana can mean jungle. Two or three members of the group pick a place, mark out a trail (there are various rules to the club as well), and then everyone does the run, comes back, eats food, and drinks a lot of beer (it's important to carbo-load after a workout, right?).
This most recent run was set in Santa Mission, an Amerinidian community that is pretty isolated in the bush. We had to take an hour boat ride up a black water creek just to get to the village. Once we got there, the run was 6 miles total in almost complete bush, like climbing over trees and wading through creeks type of bush. It was more walking than running but in 90+ degree heat and 100% humidity, it was absolutely exhausting. But cool as hell, walking through the jungle, not being able to hear any other human being or car or any sign of civilization for miles, literally crawling through bush and balancing across fallen logs over creekbeds.
The run took just about 3 hours, since we walked most of the way through the thicker jungle areas ( and took a few wrong turns and almost ended up in Suriname, but that's not my fault, the freaking jungle all looks the same out there). After words we all ate delicious bbq chicken, cook up rice, dahl rice, and drank lots and lots of beer. One of the rules of a hash is that you can't leave any beer behind so you have to drink it all, no matter what. My group usually doesn't have a problem with that :) After the food, everyone forms a circle and the GM of the run (the guy in charge of that particular hash group) gets in the middle and starts calling up different people who, for various reasons, have to chug a beer. If you mapped out the course, you chug, if it's you're 1st run, you chug. If you were 1st back to base, or last, you chug. This time, we had so much extra beer that the GM was just making up rules for people to drink so we would finish all the beer. He made me chug because I was wearing a headband, this is not a typical hash rule :)
The hash runs are definitely a fun way to unwind, relax, and have a good time on the weekend and it's also a good way to meet new people. The Guyana hash group is a pretty even mix of locals and foreigners, mostly Peace Corps or various Embassy people. They love when new people join the group and whatever city or country you were in when you did your 1st hash is considered your "mother hash", no matter how many other hash groups you participate in. After 10 runs, they give you a hash nickname, which is almost always inappropriate and slightly offensive. I cant wait to get my hash name, only 7 more runs to go :) God knows what it will be lol.
This most recent run was set in Santa Mission, an Amerinidian community that is pretty isolated in the bush. We had to take an hour boat ride up a black water creek just to get to the village. Once we got there, the run was 6 miles total in almost complete bush, like climbing over trees and wading through creeks type of bush. It was more walking than running but in 90+ degree heat and 100% humidity, it was absolutely exhausting. But cool as hell, walking through the jungle, not being able to hear any other human being or car or any sign of civilization for miles, literally crawling through bush and balancing across fallen logs over creekbeds.
The run took just about 3 hours, since we walked most of the way through the thicker jungle areas ( and took a few wrong turns and almost ended up in Suriname, but that's not my fault, the freaking jungle all looks the same out there). After words we all ate delicious bbq chicken, cook up rice, dahl rice, and drank lots and lots of beer. One of the rules of a hash is that you can't leave any beer behind so you have to drink it all, no matter what. My group usually doesn't have a problem with that :) After the food, everyone forms a circle and the GM of the run (the guy in charge of that particular hash group) gets in the middle and starts calling up different people who, for various reasons, have to chug a beer. If you mapped out the course, you chug, if it's you're 1st run, you chug. If you were 1st back to base, or last, you chug. This time, we had so much extra beer that the GM was just making up rules for people to drink so we would finish all the beer. He made me chug because I was wearing a headband, this is not a typical hash rule :)
The hash runs are definitely a fun way to unwind, relax, and have a good time on the weekend and it's also a good way to meet new people. The Guyana hash group is a pretty even mix of locals and foreigners, mostly Peace Corps or various Embassy people. They love when new people join the group and whatever city or country you were in when you did your 1st hash is considered your "mother hash", no matter how many other hash groups you participate in. After 10 runs, they give you a hash nickname, which is almost always inappropriate and slightly offensive. I cant wait to get my hash name, only 7 more runs to go :) God knows what it will be lol.
Pictures!!!!
Here are 2 links to 2 different facebook photo albums, for those of you who don't have facebook (aka Mom and Dad) The 1st one is just random pictures taken over the past month or so and the 2nd is from the Amerindian Heritage Festival I recently went to in Georgetown. Enjoy :)
Album #1
Album #1
Album #2
7 months
Well, it is almost the 7 month anniversary of arriving in Guyana and I honestly can't believe it. It feels like just yesterday I was getting on the plane at JFK and now suddenly, not only am I in South America but I LIVE here, this is my home. I have an apartment and a job and a cat and I get to say to people "No I'm not on vacation, I really live here". It blows my mind.
Now that I've been in Guyana for 7 months and living at my permanent site for 4 months, my life has taken on a routine, which is probably why I forget sometimes that I'm not just living in South America but actually in the Peace Corps. During the week I wake up, go to work, come home, cook dinner and then watch a movie or read a book before I head to bed. The other volunteers and I talk about this a lot, that we don't actually feel like we're in the Peace Corps cause everything is so normal for us now. Our houses, our villages, our jobs, it's all just our lives now. I like that though, I think it's a true sign of integration, when you feel like any other person who lives here with a house and a job and a life.
My job is still going well; I am at the maternal and child health clinic at the regional hospital. I only work with pregnant women and children under 5 which I really really like. I get to interact not only with the health care workers and nurses at the clinic but with the patients as well. I do health talks about various topics such as nutrition and breastfeeding (FYI, I am now a breastfeeding expert I've given so many freaking health talks on it lol). I like being able to talk with people one on one and really do grassroots outreach and education. That being said, the schedule is pretty light compared to what I was used to back in DC, with my 12 hour double bar shifts and full class schedule. I definitely have plenty of free time to lay in my hammock and read :)
As much as I am enjoying my time here in Guyana, I am also very excited to come back home for a visit in December. I bought my ticket and will be arriving in the Land of Plenty on December 20th. I may or may not have a panic attack when I walk out of the airport and it's less than 80 degrees but I think the best solution to that is to get me into the nearest sports bar and force feed me fried food and beer :) I have a list of things I want to do when I'm home, both in Allentown and DC, and 99% of them involve food and/or alcohol. And seeing my family and friends of course :) So let the countdown begin....(less than 4 months to go....)
Now that I've been in Guyana for 7 months and living at my permanent site for 4 months, my life has taken on a routine, which is probably why I forget sometimes that I'm not just living in South America but actually in the Peace Corps. During the week I wake up, go to work, come home, cook dinner and then watch a movie or read a book before I head to bed. The other volunteers and I talk about this a lot, that we don't actually feel like we're in the Peace Corps cause everything is so normal for us now. Our houses, our villages, our jobs, it's all just our lives now. I like that though, I think it's a true sign of integration, when you feel like any other person who lives here with a house and a job and a life.
My job is still going well; I am at the maternal and child health clinic at the regional hospital. I only work with pregnant women and children under 5 which I really really like. I get to interact not only with the health care workers and nurses at the clinic but with the patients as well. I do health talks about various topics such as nutrition and breastfeeding (FYI, I am now a breastfeeding expert I've given so many freaking health talks on it lol). I like being able to talk with people one on one and really do grassroots outreach and education. That being said, the schedule is pretty light compared to what I was used to back in DC, with my 12 hour double bar shifts and full class schedule. I definitely have plenty of free time to lay in my hammock and read :)
As much as I am enjoying my time here in Guyana, I am also very excited to come back home for a visit in December. I bought my ticket and will be arriving in the Land of Plenty on December 20th. I may or may not have a panic attack when I walk out of the airport and it's less than 80 degrees but I think the best solution to that is to get me into the nearest sports bar and force feed me fried food and beer :) I have a list of things I want to do when I'm home, both in Allentown and DC, and 99% of them involve food and/or alcohol. And seeing my family and friends of course :) So let the countdown begin....(less than 4 months to go....)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
My 1st Guyanese wedding
Last weekend my landlord’s daughter, Aarti got married. Now, you should know that this wedding was apparently the wedding of the century as my landlord had been planning and getting ready for it for years. It was literally the only thing I heard about since I moved in 4 months ago, I was invited over and over, and then invited again, and then one more time, just to be safe. I tried to explain to my landlords, Uncle Ronald and Auntie Sarita, that since the wedding was taking place literally in my backyard, I probably wasn’t going to miss it but eventually I just started nodding and making some comment about how excited I was for the food (why else did they think I was going?). So after months and months of talking and preparing, the wedding finally happened the weekend of August 6th.
This was my first Hindu wedding so I actually was excited to see all the different traditions and ceremonies, the only thing I knew for sure was that an Indian wedding starts on Friday and ends Sunday and that there would be seven curry served at some point ( FYI, seven curry is the best food to ever exist. More on that later). I wasn’t sure exactly what was going to happen, at what time, or where, but I figured I would just follow the crowds of people and hang around the massive tent now covering my backyard and I wouldn’t miss much.
The first event took place on the Friday night before the wedding ceremony at the bride’s family’s house (which also happens to be my house). In the Hindu culture everything between men and women is very, very separate and weddings are no different. The bride’s family has their own celebrations and the groom’s family has there’s. At no point on Friday did I see the groom or his family. In fact, I didn’t even know what the groom looked like or what his name was until 5 minutes before the ceremony on Saturday. So on Friday night the bride’s family and friends (and me, that random white girl who lives upstairs) headed out at sunset to a “sandy area”, which I think is traditionally supposed to be a beach but who’s really paying attention, so that the mother of the bride could dig a small hole in the sand and then do a dance around it with other female members of the bride’s family. I asked someone what this process represented and I was told that by digging the first layer of sand, the mother of the bride is ensuring that the bride will have a marriage that produces many children (gotta focus on the important stuff). Auntie Sarita was dressed in a beautiful yellow sari and there were drums playing and clapping as she danced and as we all walked back to the house. When we got to the house we watched some more dancing by the bride’s family, ate some delicious channa (chickpeas) and maitai (kinda like a donut, it’s basically fried dough with sugar), and then watched the bride come out and do a religious ceremony with a lot of whispering and praying. I tried to find out what was happening but no one really seemed to know what was going on. Oh well, the food was good :)
Saturday was the big day, the ceremony and reception. The ceremony took place at a Hindu temple and lasted 3 and a half hours. It was interesting to see the ceremony but since it was all in Hindi and the chants were so fast anyways, I didn’t know what was going on at any given point. But the really important stuff happens after the ceremony. That’s when the seven curry is served. Seven curry is a traditional food that is eaten at weddings and other religious events. Basically, you get a big palm leave that’s about six times the size of your hand and put a big spoonful of rice in the middle. Then, you get seven smaller servings of curry around the edge of the rice. My favorite is the pumpkin or the potato and channa, but there is usually eggplant, red bean, eddo, and various other types of vegetable curries. It is seriously the most delicious thing ever, even if you don’t like curry. Plus you have to eat it with your hands, taking a little bit of rice and mixing it with the curry. So good and so much fun (and the reason you sit through a 3 hour wedding ceremony done only in Hindi lol). The reception afterwards is pretty similar to an American wedding, lots of music and dancing and some more food. The stuff on Sunday is a little more low key, you’ve still got music and dancing but for significantly less time than on Saturday. Also, on Sunday you’re allowed to eat meat again (Hindu tradition says no meat for the week before the wedding and on the wedding day itself) so we got to slaughter 3 sheep for some mutton curry. And when I say slaughter I literally mean they killed the sheep about a foot from where we ate it. It was pretty delicious, I have to say :)
Overall, it was an interesting and fun experience. Getting to see a different wedding tradition was really cool and, when you add in the delicious food, it was definitely a great weekend :)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Further adjustment
So over the past few weeks my job assignment as a Peace Corps volunteer has changed dramatically. The job that I was first given when I was chosen to work at West Demerara Regional hospital is no longer the job I am working on, at least it’s no longer my primary job. Originally, I was assigned to work with the assistant hospital administrator (AMA) of the hospital and the Regional Health Officer on developing mental health programs throughout the region and also on creating, implementing, and maintaining a waste management disposal program at my hospital. Both of these project started out well, I did a lot of research on the issues, the current status of mental health and waste management in Guyana, what the current resources are, what needs to be improved upon, and what was feasibly sustainable at this time, given the current landscape. This went well for the first 2 weeks I was at my site; I was able to do a lot of this work on my own, which was good because the AMA is usually very busy. However, about 3 weeks in, my research was done and I was ready to move onto the next step, with the help of the AMA. This is when I began to run into some issues. Both of my projects were too big to develop and implement on my own, huge systems changes, even just within the hospital, is not something I am qualified or even capable of doing on my own. I needed the AMA to assist me in the next steps. However, he was extremely busy with the day to day runnings of the hospital and, while still committed to the projects, was not able or prepared to take the necessary time to work on them. I did not see him or have contact with him for almost 2 months, during which time I literally had nothing to do but walk around the hospital and try to find people to talk to who would need me to do something.
It was maybe one of the most frustrating times I have ever experienced. There I was, a Peace Corps volunteer with a college degree and field experience and almost a complete master’s degree in public health and I was just walking around aimlessly, sitting outside people’s offices for a few hours before finally giving up and going home. I felt useless and frustrated and I was more than a little bit afraid that this was going to continue on for my full 2 years. I started going to the computer room for a few hours in the morning, to help transfer paper records to the new electronic medical records system, until one morning I walked in and there was someone sitting at my desk. The hospital had hired someone full time to do the medical records and my assistance was no longer needed. I literally had no place to go or be at the hospital, no physical place to go and spend my day except my house. That was the final straw for me. I went to Peace Corps and spoke with my program manager. I told her what was happening and explained, as politely as I possibly could at that point that she needed to get in contact with the AMA, who was supposed to be my counterpart on these projects (but who had never answered one email or phone call from me and who I hadn’t seen or spoken to in 2 months) and let him know that I was going to find my own projects outside of his office unless he stepped up and started working with me again. I gave him a week, and after still hearing nothing from him and sitting outside his office for hours at a time, waiting for him to make time to meet with me, I had finally had enough. The next day, which was about 2 and a half weeks ago, I went to see Nurse Johnson, who is in charge of all the health clinics in the region. I told her my situation and explained that I was completing my master’s in public health and had a specific interest in maternal and child health (MCH). I asked her if she knew of any projects involving MCH that could use my assistance, that I was a free resource who was here for 2 years to do development work and I was ready, willing, and desperate to get my hands dirty. She immediately took me over to the maternal and child health clinic at the hospital, spoke to the medex who ran it and told her that I was a Peace Corps volunteer who was going to be working at the clinic with them for 2 years. The medex asked me if I could come every day and help the nurses, sit in on exams and consultations, and give weekly health talks to the women on various health topics. I swear, I almost gave both the medex and Nurse Johnson a hug and a kiss right there.
This new assignment at the clinic is absolutely perfect for me. I only just started last Wednesday and clinic only runs Monday through Thursday from 8am to noon, but it is so much better than wandering around aimlessly, waiting for the AMA to get his act together, and feeling useless and bored. Basically what I will be doing is attending the various clinics they have during the week that are specific to women and children. For example, every Tuesday is antenatal day, when pregnant women come in for routine checkups and every Wednesday is infant and child day, when women bring in their young children for checkups. I help the nurses fill out records; I do height, weight, and blood pressure. I sit in with the medex and sometimes the doctor when one is available and help with exams. Once or twice a week I will be giving health talks to the patients on various issues such as breastfeeding, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS.
Today was antenatal day, when all the pregnant women come in for checkups. I helped the nurse find all of the women’s health cards and then weighed all the women and updated their cards. I then went in with the medex and assisted her in examinations. I learned how to measure the belly for fetal height, feel for fetal presentation so that we can see whether the child is facing with its head the right way. I also learned how to listen for a baby’s heartbeat without an ultrasound machine, which was so awesome. The medex even let me help with full examinations of new admissions, which includes full gynecological exams. It was definitely a new and different experience, but absolutely incredible. Next week, I will be doing a health talk with the women on exercises they can do during pregnancy. Right now, I am planning on just observing and helping out where I can while I figure out what types of long term projects the health center may need. I already have a few ideas but I want to get settled and comfortable with my new position before I start talking about changing things or implementing new ideas. If my counterpart, the AMA, still would like to work on his projects with me I am definitely still interested in that but until then, I will be putting most of my time and energy into the maternal and child health clinic. But, even more important than that, I am finally happy with my job assignment and I actually feel like I am being helpful and useful and doing something good with my time
It was maybe one of the most frustrating times I have ever experienced. There I was, a Peace Corps volunteer with a college degree and field experience and almost a complete master’s degree in public health and I was just walking around aimlessly, sitting outside people’s offices for a few hours before finally giving up and going home. I felt useless and frustrated and I was more than a little bit afraid that this was going to continue on for my full 2 years. I started going to the computer room for a few hours in the morning, to help transfer paper records to the new electronic medical records system, until one morning I walked in and there was someone sitting at my desk. The hospital had hired someone full time to do the medical records and my assistance was no longer needed. I literally had no place to go or be at the hospital, no physical place to go and spend my day except my house. That was the final straw for me. I went to Peace Corps and spoke with my program manager. I told her what was happening and explained, as politely as I possibly could at that point that she needed to get in contact with the AMA, who was supposed to be my counterpart on these projects (but who had never answered one email or phone call from me and who I hadn’t seen or spoken to in 2 months) and let him know that I was going to find my own projects outside of his office unless he stepped up and started working with me again. I gave him a week, and after still hearing nothing from him and sitting outside his office for hours at a time, waiting for him to make time to meet with me, I had finally had enough. The next day, which was about 2 and a half weeks ago, I went to see Nurse Johnson, who is in charge of all the health clinics in the region. I told her my situation and explained that I was completing my master’s in public health and had a specific interest in maternal and child health (MCH). I asked her if she knew of any projects involving MCH that could use my assistance, that I was a free resource who was here for 2 years to do development work and I was ready, willing, and desperate to get my hands dirty. She immediately took me over to the maternal and child health clinic at the hospital, spoke to the medex who ran it and told her that I was a Peace Corps volunteer who was going to be working at the clinic with them for 2 years. The medex asked me if I could come every day and help the nurses, sit in on exams and consultations, and give weekly health talks to the women on various health topics. I swear, I almost gave both the medex and Nurse Johnson a hug and a kiss right there.
This new assignment at the clinic is absolutely perfect for me. I only just started last Wednesday and clinic only runs Monday through Thursday from 8am to noon, but it is so much better than wandering around aimlessly, waiting for the AMA to get his act together, and feeling useless and bored. Basically what I will be doing is attending the various clinics they have during the week that are specific to women and children. For example, every Tuesday is antenatal day, when pregnant women come in for routine checkups and every Wednesday is infant and child day, when women bring in their young children for checkups. I help the nurses fill out records; I do height, weight, and blood pressure. I sit in with the medex and sometimes the doctor when one is available and help with exams. Once or twice a week I will be giving health talks to the patients on various issues such as breastfeeding, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS.
Today was antenatal day, when all the pregnant women come in for checkups. I helped the nurse find all of the women’s health cards and then weighed all the women and updated their cards. I then went in with the medex and assisted her in examinations. I learned how to measure the belly for fetal height, feel for fetal presentation so that we can see whether the child is facing with its head the right way. I also learned how to listen for a baby’s heartbeat without an ultrasound machine, which was so awesome. The medex even let me help with full examinations of new admissions, which includes full gynecological exams. It was definitely a new and different experience, but absolutely incredible. Next week, I will be doing a health talk with the women on exercises they can do during pregnancy. Right now, I am planning on just observing and helping out where I can while I figure out what types of long term projects the health center may need. I already have a few ideas but I want to get settled and comfortable with my new position before I start talking about changing things or implementing new ideas. If my counterpart, the AMA, still would like to work on his projects with me I am definitely still interested in that but until then, I will be putting most of my time and energy into the maternal and child health clinic. But, even more important than that, I am finally happy with my job assignment and I actually feel like I am being helpful and useful and doing something good with my time
5 months in: Random thoughts
So the other week I decided to try my hand at being domestic, seeing as though I am living alone in my own apartment for the 1st time ever, and sew my own window curtains by hand. Having nice curtains in one’s house is a pretty big thing here in Guyana. Every window and sometimes every doorway have its own curtain and the designs are carefully selected and changed every couple months and for every major holiday. People have special curtains that only go up at Christmas or when someone gets married or when a baby is born. And of course, these curtains are usually sewed by hand. When I moved into my apartment my landlady had put up her good Christmas curtains on all my windows and about 2 weeks ago she took them down to use in her own home when her daughter gets married in early August. This left me in somewhat of a predicament, since the distance between my windows and my neighbors is about 1 foot and my windows were now fully exposed. I decided that the obvious solution to this was to buy fabric and sew curtains. Sounded simple enough. I went and bought fabric, a nice light blue with a rose/bird design (the pickings were slim at the store), got out my little travel sewing kit, and blocked out a whole Sunday afternoon. My apartment has 6 decent sized windows and about halfway through the first curtain I started to think that maybe I wasn’t cut out for the whole domestic seamstress housewife thing. My stiches were crooked, I couldn’t measure to save my life, and the only thing I could find to hang them up was this ghetto looking blue rope. Plus Nala kept thinking that rolling around in the fabric and chasing after the rope was the best game ever. But I powered through, cause already made curtains are incredibly expensive and I had already bought the fabric and I am in Peace Corps gosh darn it, I should be able to sew a few lousy curtains. Four hours later they were done, slightly crooked and hanging on hammock rope but they were up and now my neighbors could no longer look out their windows and accidently see me walking around with no pants on (In my defense, it is stupidly hot here every single day)
Jump to the next afternoon around 5: My landlady, having seen the evidence of new curtains through my windows comes up to check them out. She takes one look, feels them between 2 fingers and just shakes her head and says “Me resew for you. Don’t trouble, me resew.” And epic fail. She takes down all my curtains (And there went my plans to walk around pants-less later) and resews them all herself. When she brings them back 2 days later, they look professionally done and she even hangs them up with special elastic curtain rope that I had no idea even existed. Guess my inner housewife still needs a little bit more work :)
Jump to the next afternoon around 5: My landlady, having seen the evidence of new curtains through my windows comes up to check them out. She takes one look, feels them between 2 fingers and just shakes her head and says “Me resew for you. Don’t trouble, me resew.” And epic fail. She takes down all my curtains (And there went my plans to walk around pants-less later) and resews them all herself. When she brings them back 2 days later, they look professionally done and she even hangs them up with special elastic curtain rope that I had no idea even existed. Guess my inner housewife still needs a little bit more work :)
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