The Two Week Warning

I am leaving in about two weeks’ time, yet it doesn’t feel like it.  I am busy as always, finishing things up, making the most of my time.  Sleep is starting to become optional.  I’d rather spend as much time with people as I can.  I walk the streets here comfortable, like I’ve been here for a while; I have been here a good while but only a blip in the terms of my life.  I watch people, the woman at the shop tending to customers, children making fun of each other on their bikes; it will all go on when I am gone.  People will continue to do the same things they have always done.  The only difference is that I will no longer be here.  At this moment, I can’t imagine what it will be like to not be coming back here, it hasn’t sunk in yet and I’m not sure when it will.  Actually, I’m a little frightened of that moment to be honest.  I’m at a point where I know it is coming, I know it is going to hurt, there is nothing that makes me want to leave, but still my next adventure is calling me so it is time to go.

I think your eyes are open widest when you are seeing a place for the first time and then for the last time.  When I first got here I was making observations, trying to figure out what it all meant, what people were doing, learning what sights and sounds should be familiar.  Now it makes sense.  I have to keep myself from laughing sometimes because I recognize certain things as “so Guyanese,” things that only really happen when you live here.   Yet I’m still meeting new people and every time I do new doors open to things I haven’t seen before.  And I thought two years was a long time.   We had our Close of Service Conference at the end of January, which was supposed to be a reflective, emotional time to say good bye to each other and hang out. Unfortunately, a crazy stomach bug struck, reminding us that even after two years, life in Guyana is still unpredictable and it still can be tough to get by sometimes.  I think that is another reason why leaving doesn’t quite seem real.  Our COS didn’t really seem like a COS.  I also have been working like normal.  I’m finishing up my courses at school, and will probably work until the last week I’m here.  I am not one to sit around and take a long time to pack.  If I sit alone for too long you might as well buy me boxes of tissues because all I will do is cry for a good portion of the time.  I really don’t like doing that so I try to remain busy and if I don’t acknowledge things too much, it isn’t really happening.  IGNOREance is bliss right?

I was away from site for a bit with a whole set of doctors and dentist appoints you have to go through with COS stuff.  Goodness!  I was pretty ready to get back after my medical appointments and follow-ups kept me out of my site for 6 days.  I ended up getting 8 moles removed, which I would have thought to be a minor procedure, but I was admitted to the hospital for the day.  I went to the OR (Operation Theatre here), got stiches for the first time, and everything.  It did make me very excited that I will be doing nursing in the fall, so I will actually know what things are and proper procedures for things.  It definitely was an interesting experience and I have realized that I will never make a good patient.  It was really hard to let a nurse walk me to a place or listen to her when I should have been lying down in bed.  Normally, I like to take care of people, so it was really weird to have someone assisting me.

Despite trying to wind things down, I feel like they are winding up in a way. I attended a mini-BRO (Brothers Reaching Others) a boy’s leadership camp in Linden.  I was very excited to be a part of this because it symbolizes the start of a next venture for the Gender and Development Taskforce.  We have put on girl’s camps and a large boy’s camp is our next step.  It is just really cool to see something you have thought about and planned for become a reality.  It shows me that we have made some amazing strides in this area.    I also got the GLOW girls from my area together for a little party.  We made pizzas, cookies, and watched movies.  It was just a fun day to hang out, relax, and reminisce a bit about camp.  It also helps to keep our network of girl strong and encourages them to support one another, plus I love hanging out with them and seeing what they are up to.   

One of my most recent moments that really just astounded me (in a good way) was the training I led for the Cancer Society.  We all recognized that the members wanted training so that they too could give health talks about cancer and improve their own knowledge; we just never found a good time to do it.  Since I am leaving so soon, we finally arranged a date.  I asked the President to call the members and tell them I would bring a snack as a somewhat motivator for them to come out.  Normally, we get a handful of members at our meetings and I really expected the same amount.  When I arrive at the meeting, there were over 15 members there ready for the training.  I couldn’t believe it!  I am not sure if it was because I am leaving, because they were threatened (a joke), or what, but I was impressed.   Even more encouraging, all members listened and interacted for over two hours!  I made macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and cookies as a dinner / reward for the hard work they put into the session.  They were all so excited about the information and I think about having the tools now to go help others.  These women are simply community members that care about raising awareness about cancer and their willingness to learn simply humbled me in an inexplicable way.  I had to hide the tears that came to my eyes when we were closing our meeting because I was so proud and touched by each and every member.  One older woman came up and gave me a hug, a kiss on the cheek and dashed away in smiles. 

I never intended to make great waves being here, to build anything great, or to be rewarded and praised for doing a whole set of things.  I only brought some knowledge that I learned through my studies and was willing to put the time and energy into working with who ever wanted to learn.  I always remember a slide in one of my lectures that says “health promotion is not done to, on or at people, but rather by working with people.”  This might have been one of my top moments here, working with these women so that they can do something big. 

Two weeks and I will no longer be a PCV, I will embark on a next journey that will surely include finding ways to keep these moments I’ve had in Guyana alive. 

I think I will have one last post before I head out.    Spring better don come out der up North cuz me not able wit all dem snow storms up der budday… :-)

-KB

Here's to New Experiences

Naturally, when you move to a country you've never been to before, you are going to get some different experiences. It is part of the reason why I signed up for the Peace Corps, to experience different people, cultures, foods, and to gain work experience. I always say that I am willing to try most things once, for the experience. But what makes an experience different from just going about your day to day business? The dictionary states that "an experience is the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation." That describes the process, but in more precise, meaningful terms, an experience is "the conscious events that make up an individual life." They are the stories you tell, the pictures you show, and the things you laugh at and learn from.
So now that I have been very philosophical about gaining new experiences, I will let you in on one that was very surprising and of course a little embarrassing. My life here would not be complete without a few awkward/embarrassing moments (some things don't change).

Our training center for Peace Corps is made up of two rooms. For some sessions, our Health and Education Volunteers split up into separate rooms. The washroom (bathroom) also happens to be attached to the same room where the Education Volunteers have their sessions. Not a big deal. So today I went in and used the washroom (per usual) fixed my skirt, and walked out to wash my hands. I walked out of the room and back to the room where the other Health Volunteers were. As I was walking I noticed something kind of poking me in, well...the behind. I just thought it was a tag sticking out from somewhere and tried to ignore it. I tried to readjust my skirt, but then it started to get pretty painful. I felt the spot where I thought the problem was coming from. To my surprise/horror, I felt something and what ever it was got angry and started biting/stingy even more. Upon realizing that something alive and angry was in my unmentionables I proceeded to freak out. I shouted to the whole room that there was something in my pants and proceeded to sprint out yelling. I ran through the other room and straight into the bathroom. The Education Volunteers were very confused and amused as to why I sprinted full speed into the bathroom. I am sure my "Oh My God! Oh My God!" shouts from inside made it even better. I immediately looked at the troubled area and found a small black wasp literally attached to my derriere. I promptly smooshed the sucker and exited the washroom to explain what had happened. As I would have suspected, everyone laughed and sitting through training was a little more painful than usual. Luckily, I am not allergic to wasps/bees (I can't imagine how that would have played out) and it definitely will be a moment I won't soon forget. I was also reminded of how new experiences can humble us and how important it is to laugh at ourselves. I am, however, still quite perplexed as to how that wasp ended up where it did.

Until next time,

KB

Dogs, Birds, and Snakes...Oh My!

Writing blog posts every so often when you first arrive to a new country can be challenging. There are so many little moments and stories that you just want to share with everyone, either because those experiences are so different or they are just completely incredulous. I am trying to find a good balance of stories and observations/sentiments, so tonight I will share some animal

Food at the mini market by my host family's house

Chickens...about to be dinner

stories. I am living in West Demerara the "country" part of Guyana. It is pretty urban in my mind, except for the herds of goats, cows, and packs of dogs roaming around everywhere. We are frequently interrupted at our training site by mooing cows or some unbelievably curious goats who keep trying to enter our classroom.



Dogs

In all honesty, the state of most dogs here is pretty bad. It almost breaks my heart when I see them, especially knowing how smart and loving dogs can be. Nonetheless, they also can be little devils. When I first moved into my host family's house, I cleaned some of my shoes outside and left them out to dry. I started unpacking my things and happened to glance out of the window. Low and behold, I see the neighbor's dog happily chomping away at one of my running shoes! I ran out of the house and got it back, but talk about a welcoming. My host mom has a saying that in Guyana if you slip, you slide. I am thankful this wasn't one of those moments.

Birds

'Rico' the parrot

The birds in Guyana are beautiful! They fly around flaunting their vibrant colors of blues, yellows, and oranges. I feel like I've got my own nature sounds alarm clock because they are all singing bright and early in the morning. I would, however, like to disable loud, confused rooster sounds at 3am (still working on finding that button). My host family owns two birds; a parrot and a corunga (sp?)- a cousin of an Oriole. The parrot, Chico, is cool because he says a few words, but other times he makes really loud squawking noises, which I'm not too fond of. The other bird, Bing, lives in the house and is actually quite handsome, dressed in black and yellow. The family lets Bing out to fly around the house in the morning. I am used to animals and don't really mind dodging birds flying around my head, although it is a little odd doing this inside a house. One day Bing lands right next to me on the couch and my host family tells me to reach my hand out and see if he will hop on me. They said "Ohhh Bingy's gettin used to ya! Go ahead! Go ahead!" I was very uncertain about this situation and reluctantly reached my hand out to see if Bing was in fact my friend. As soon as I did he pecked hard at my finger and I jumped back. Then my host family responded "Ohhhhh!! No no no he is definitely not used to ya yet" and proceeded to put him back in his cage. Ohhh well, maybe he will be a bit more friendly next time.

Snakes!!

Big Comudi pulled from the trench

I knew before heading out to Guyana that they had some massive snakes. I saw pictures from some other volunteers and know that some people even eat snake meat. I never dreamed that I would encounter one on my first week here. I went out for a walk with my host mom and was about to head back home, when some of the boys were shouting about something. I saw them with this giant, rope-like object and realized it was a snake. They called it a Comudi, which they say is a baby Anaconda. If this one was a baby, I don't ever want to come across its mama. It had to have been about 7 feet long and it came out of the trench water that flows on either side of the road. Remind me NEVER to fall in one of those! Some of the villagers were posing with it in pictures and asked me if I wanted to do the same. While tempting, I told them maybe next time. I sprinted down the street to get my camera and fellow neighbor volunteer Wendy. I actually think many of the villagers were more surprised by us running than seeing the snake! A large group of neighbors were crowded around the snake to see if one of them could get it into a bag to take to the "zoo" (like I said before some people eat snake here). Someone did manage to bag the snake and put it in their car. Even amidst all of the excitement, I realized that this was the first time I was among the majority of the community and was reacting to a situation with them, instead of just looking from the outside in.

Giant Frog called a 'Crappo'

Hope you got a laugh or two out of some of these stories. I am sure there will be more to come. Miss you lots!

-KB