A Long Overdue Re-Cap of Camp GLOW

I blinked.  I knew this would happen.  I blinked and now is has been three months since I wrote my last blog post.  Ever since I visited the U.S. in May I’ve been on the go here in Guyana.  It has been some kind of beautiful disaster.  I’ve found myself both scraping the barrel for the last bits of my own energy as well as dancing around in absolute elation. 
This year Camp GLOW was INTENSE.  It was like squeezing a tube of toothpaste and having it all come out at once.  All of my physical, mental, and whatever other capacities that encompass a body were put to the test; limited sleep, running from one place to the next, talking girls into feeling less homesick, getting people into the right session at the right time, emergencies, guest speakers, the list could go on.  Everything was so here and now you could barely think 10 seconds beyond your current moment.  We had 75 girls from every region of Guyana except one.  I personally trekked out on a bumpy 9 hour bus ride (one way) to go and collect a set of girls from a remote Amerindian village.  It was quite a journey.  Along the way back, several girls got sick and our bus wheel fell off and had to be tied on with rope to last the remaining hour and a half ride.  The girls I collected were extremely brave, some of them had never in their life been out of their remote village before, let alone on a long 9 hour mini bus ride with a broken wheel.  They were troopers and also probably cursing me under their breath in Padamona. 
Camp still had its magical flow.  The girls came in unsure, shy, and homesick.  They were uncertain of things and were very cautious.  Then everything took off.  We had arts and crafts, sessions on health, skits, guest speakers, sessions on slam poetry, modern dance, and creative writing.  We relieved stress by pelting a board with paintballs aimed at targets such “boys” or “money” or “school.”  We ran around attacking each other with shaving cream and water balloons, we ate ice cream, and sang camp songs.  You could see it in bright smiles and sparkling eyes, the girls were opening up.  They were laughing with each other, teaching each other dances, sharing their newly created poems and songs.  They even had the courage to share stories they had never told anybody else.  This is usually the hardest part for me.  That despite their beautiful smiles and laughter, camp might have been the one time they have ever truly felt safe or have had full stomachs or felt like they really mattered.  That despite things in their lives that no one their age should ever have to know, they still have the courage to remain standing and have hopes and dreams to pursue.  One girl said that camp gave her hope and the drive to push through some of the challenges that she was facing.  It was that same girl I almost gave up on.  I almost didn’t make the effort to really reach out and get her to camp.  Her statement completely rattled me.  As a Peace Corps volunteer, you don’t see a lot of big victories, but sometimes those small efforts you do make can mean a lot more than you think or ever will know. 
At the rate I’m going if I blink twice, everything will be over.  Things are just moving that quickly.  People are beginning to tell me my time is up jus' now and ask if I am ready to leave.  Six months is still a lot of time, but I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to leave.  The longer I’m here, the more things I could see myself doing or getting involved with.  Yes, trying to accomplish things can be frustrating or make you feel disenchanted.  But it is also challenging and rewarding and….I kind of love it.  Now here is the issue, you take the time to know a country, a culture, and people and are at a point where you could keep going and try to make a significant impact and then it’s time to leave.  It’s like breaking up with someone and having this knowledge about a person you will never use again in any other context.  All that time it took is gone and you could do a world of good if you just stayed where you are.   Maybe it is because I am reading Mountains Beyond Mountains but I have some inner conflict with knowing when to stay or leave.  Paul Farmer just picks Haiti and decides to stay there (there is more to it than that, but that is the gist).  Because he takes so much time to be immersed in the country he is able to have a huge impact on health there.  The crazy thing is he was younger than I am now when he made his decision to stay put.  I know I am not Paul Farmer, I will leave Guyana, not that I particularly want to, but because I know I need to go one step further before I feel adequately equipped to answer the question of staying.   Of course Paul Farmer traveled between Haiti and Boston while completing medical school, but I get the feeling he is kind of an over achiever.  ;-)            
September was a much quieter month .  I have been teaching, trying to start/finish my practicum, and applying to nursing school.  I get so distracted by all the possibilities of traveling, school, where I will live, jobs, etc. that I haven’t been super productive at moving towards any of these things.  If you are interested in traveling around South America (maybe Brazil, Bolivia, Peru) at the end of March/ early April, let me know.  I’d be happy to travel with someone, even if it is for a week.  :-) I am also on a potato / veggies and rice diet for a while because I am trying to save money to see Kaieteur Falls in October.  A bunch of us are going to do an overland hike, which I am REALLY excited about.  Alright, I think that is it for now.  Hope all is well and you all are looking forward to the crisp fall weather.  Send some cool thoughts down South, its been hot down here!
 
Much Love,
-KB      

Cooking..(not in Guyana this time)...Trinidadian Doubles!!

I have found people from all over the Caribbean in Guyana.  Many drivers here have flags in their cars from different Caribbean nations and I am proud to say I can identify most of them. I never knew there were so many Caribbean islands before coming to Guyana (see map below). 

 All of them have their own unique culture and food, but I also see some similarities as well.  One day I was in a car with a man from Trinidad.  He was telling me all about Trinidad and asked if I had eaten doubles yet.  I had no idea what a double was and told him no.  He didn't really explain it, but just said if I ever visited Trinidad I must have one.

View of Trinidad from the airport

Well I thought I would never get to taste one until I had an 8 hour lay over on my way home from the U.S in, you guessed it, Trinidad.  Luckily, I was able to exchange some money and leave the airport to eat at a little stand right outside.  BOY WERE THEY GOOD!  I had to get two! 

My delicious double at the airport

Bara- The roti looking part
1 lb flour
1 tsp saffron powder (tumeric)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups water
1 tbsp. oil
oil for frying

Channa - Chickpeas
2 cups channa, soaked overnight
10 cups water, for boiling
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. curry
1 tsp. saffron (tumeric)
1 tsp. geera (cumin)
1 tsp. masala
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 onion, chopped finely
5 leaves chadon beni ( bandhania), chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste

 Make dough:
In small bowl, stir together water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 or 6 minutes.

In large bowl whisk together flour, salt, turmeric, cumin, and pepper. Stir in yeast mixture, then add additional warm water, if needed, until mixture comes together into slightly firm dough. Knead dough in bowl 2 minutes, then form into ball and cover with damp cloth. Let dough rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Make filling:
If using dried chickpeas, drain and add 6 cups fresh water. Simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse well with cold water.

In heavy skillet over moderately high heat, heat oil. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Mix in curry powder and sauté 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup water.

Stir in chickpeas, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until chickpeas are very tender, approximately 20 minutes.

Assemble:
Punch down risen dough and allow to rest 10 minutes.

Dampen hands, pinch off walnut-size piece of dough, and flatten into 4 1/2-inch diameter circle. Set aside. Repeat with remaining dough.

In deep frying pan over moderately high heat, heat oil. Fry dough circles, in batches if necessary, until lightly browned, about 40 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels or on wire rack set over baking sheet.

Place 2 tablespoons filling on 1 piece fried dough. .

Recipe adapted from: http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/2009/09/doubles.html#ixzz2YOpdC89f

Daydreamin'- "I fell asleep beneath the flowers, on such a beautiful day.."

Beginning line up for sports day

Sometimes I wonder when we day dream if it is a way to reset our minds, to flush out everything inside for a minute and fill it with some sort of great desire.  Today I woke up straight day dreamin’.  I visualized how I was going to run and then actually went for a run.  I day dreamed about far off things, tried to get through the rest of my work-out but ended up laying on the floor day dreamin’ for almost an hour.  I decided to chop off a good bit of my hair and went into work.  Nothing much was going on except the looming excitement of sports day on Friday.  In Guyana, there is a whole month where schools are dedicated to sports.  They compete against one another and it’s a really big deal.  Not many schools actually have organized sports so it is an opportunity for the kids who like sports to really shine.  Some of the events for our sports day include late for work, where you have to get dressed in a sort of relay race, staff race, and more traditional 400 meter runs.  I seriously challenged a student of mine to a roti curry eating contest and I’m pretty stoked if I get to participate.  I can chow down some food like it is nobody’s business.

Showing off their cheers and banners

 

My co-worker and her son watching sport day

African Honey Bees that the "Beeman" removed from my school last year

LOVE this river view at sunset

I gaffed a bit more at work and headed out to meet a counselor for GLOW.  Of course, I had nothing at home for dinner so I stopped by my favorite baked good stand and ran into the Beeman who is one of my favorite guys in Guyana.  He is the NICEST person ever and sort of reminds me of Bubba Gump when he talks about shrimp, except talking about bees.  He told me once that Guyana has one of the largest varieties of bees in the world and many scientists come down to study them.  I happened to be biking towards where he lives, so we rode down together.  The GLOW counselor lives in a spot I’ve never been to before, but it was a quiet and seemed like a very neighbor oriented community.  A charming setting of an Indo community nestled right on the outskirts of a cane field.  The family was so nice and in true Guyanese fashion, offered me cashew fruit and drink and some sweeties.  We talked a little about camp and everyone was excited about it.  A little over a month to go!  I biked back home on the last tails of the sun and greeted other neighbors along the way.  I was smiling and just felt truly at peace.  It was one of those moments that you think “this is why I’m here, this is what it is all for.”   I mean everywhere you are, you have days like that, but this moment was unique to my life here in Guyana, the just sigh and soak it all in sort of thing.  My little neighbors came running to greet me and I had to stave them off a bit so I could get changed and wolf down the chicken sandwich I purchased earlier.  It was good, like everything they make, but it was the first time I had it.  Definitely hit the spot.  I realized I was out of toilet tissue so I had to ride down to Rasta man’s shop and along the way ended up walking my bike and gaffing with a neighbor.  I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but everyone has bbqs or fairs or weddings, or something.  I have been invited to several things already.   I was here last time this year and didn’t seem to notice all these things.  It is interesting what time will do.  Of course you can’t just sit idly, I’ve been striving to be considered “neighbor” for a long time now.  And ya know what?  I got it, at least by one person.   She said “you know, you’ve always been a good neighbor, always helping out when we need something and being there.”  I honestly couldn’t be more proud of that.  Part of the reason why today seemed to flow so harmoniously is because my present and future are intertwined with my community and I guess today I was feeling especially connected.

Walking out on the road in my village

  It is amazing how important that connection is to the key to your happiness and success here. 

I road back up to my house and the kids came running back down again.  We did some drawings and I was going to do some work on my computer, but my one little neighbors started reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory out loud.  I shut my computer and helped her sound out words or explained definitions.  So many of these kids I see here might not know how to read or write too well, but they also seem eager to know.  I wrote the word TIME on a sheet of paper and kept tracing it over again in different colors.  Sometimes you want it to speed up and sometimes there just never is enough of it. It is one of the most precious things we can measure out, divide, and make use of yet it remains quite the anomaly.  How does it pass so quickly?  How much do we have?  If only I had enough time to sit and read with each of these kids each night.  How amazing would they be at reading?  While it may never seem like enough, nothing can replace the time you do make for all the little or big things you do.  Maybe it was starting the end of my MPH or feeling particularly part of the community today, but for now I feel like I’m going at the right speed; content. Just  daydreamin’.  :-)

A bunch of us went to town to watch Guy25 (the newbies) swear in

My friend's picture I sent in of an Amerindian boy in Guyana made the front cover!!

Cooking in Guyana....Pepper Sauce!!!

If you like spicy things, you would fit in well in Guyana.  Many food items are made with the addition of a small little pepper called the Wiri Wiri, that packs quite the punch.

 "A jalapeño, which measures approximately 2,500 – 10,000 SHUs depending on its maturity or ripeness. Based on Scoville Heat Unit measurement the Wiri Wiri is a scorching 150,000 SHUs when mature – a whopping 15 times hotter than the ripest jalapeño."-According to http://guyanamasala.hubpages.com/hub/GuyanaPepperSauce.

We were given pepper sauce the first full day we were in Guyana.  Of course, we didn't think too much of putting some hot sauce on our eggs so we dabbed a good bit on.  Boy were we mistaken!  Our mouths lit fire because this stuff is HOT!  After a good bit of time living in Guyana, I have grown accustom to pepper.  I put it on most of my food, but only in small amounts.  I thought it would be a great thing to bring back to my friends in the U.S. so I had my co-worker make a bunch for me and packed it up real well and prayed it made it back in one piece.  I warned my friends at home to be careful with the spiciness of the sauce and they cautiously gave it a try.  To my surprise many of them really liked it and were happy to have a whole jar to themself.  :-)

Ingredients

• 2lbs wiri wiri pepper or scotch bonnet peppers (stems removed)
• 1 green mango (unripe mango) or 2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

Directions

1. Rinse peppers and remove all stems
2. Add about 1 cup of peppers to a blender with a little mango or cucumber, a little bit of vinegar and garlic, blend until smooth. 
3. Repeat process until all ingredients are used up and sauce is smooth and not watery (it should have a tomato/pasta sauce texture). 
4. Store sauce in a mason jar.  

Recipe adapted from: http://www.inner-gourmet.com/2011/01/west-indian-pepper-sauce.html

A Visit to America

Whew!  What a mixed bag it was visiting the U.S.!   I imagined what it would be like for so long and now it has turned into kind of a blip on the map.  It definitely turned out much different than I thought it would.  In a way, I thought I’d be running down the streets skipping with joy, but I think I was a lot more dazed and confused.  Luckily I wasn't too confused to eat 5 Chipotle burritos!  

  Everything felt normal or maybe I was just silently overwhelmed.  Home always has a tendency to fit like your favorite pair of shoes, but for some reason it was just a little bit off.  Maybe it was the clash of living between two worlds that both vie for my attention.  I was incredibly happy to see my family and friends.  They were extremely welcoming and excited and absolutely wonderful.  People came by cars, planes, and trains just to hangout and it was amazing.

   In an odd way though, there was some weird gap that I felt hung right between our lives.  I left the U.S., D.C., my friends, and family bundled up inside, away from the chilly East Coast winter.  In my mind, bundled up was where they stayed.  Yes, I heard about big events and chatted away on Skype dates, but in a way everything was just standing still in my mind.  It felt different than coming home from college because everyone’s home life is put on hold when you go away to school.  Everyone picks it back up again when they return.  In this case, I was the only one who had pushed pause and everyone was going about comfortably in play.  So I returned back in a state of fast forward.  It wasn’t too bad, but I could sense that I was emotional and a bit tired from trying to keep up with everything.  I wanted to just dive into things as if they didn’t change and I hadn’t left, which is unrealistic.  It is unsettling when you miss a “home” in your mind that is different from what it actually is now. 

I did have those moments though that I could just breathe in and relish in.  Like riding on the metro late at night with jumbo slice pizza, doing work in my favorite coffee shop, watching the city bustle for the morning commute, eating AMAZING Italian food and crying from laughing so hard, making fun of SLOW MO features, driving and blasting music, seeing my old co-workers from Mary’s Center, sitting and snuggling on the coach with my dog and chatting with my family, crescent trail running, sharing good food and drinks with friends and reliving crazy memories of road trips or studying abroad, and wearing silly hats while hangin out.  

One morning I was watching people get on their way with their morning commute, grabbing coffee and reading the Express and I was envious, nostalgic really.  There is something about being a working person in the city that has always been romantic to me.  The funny thing is that I used to have a 9-5 job, with that same metro commute.  Half the time I wished I could just go travel and live somewhere else.  It is funny sometimes how the grass always seems greener.  But as the saying goes, it is always greener where you water it.  

I think that’s the thing. I have spent a lot of time making a life in Guyana and I can see I’ve done a pretty good job; my life isn’t exactly in D.C. anymore.  I also realized that a part of me has always been there hanging on, boots stuck in the mud like a stubborn little girl throwing a tantrum.  This time when I left, I scooped her up; it was time to take her with me and she knew it.  It is hard to be fully somewhere when another part of you is trying to get you to turn back around.  You have to leave things as they were and maybe they were meant to be left that way, so that years later you can get together and talk about them, like that trip to Spain, or that crazy night. 

I do know that friendship is one thing that bridges space and time.  It was amazing how you can just pick back up with people like old times.  It is truly the love and support of friends and family that have made it possible for me to even have the courage to do something like the Peace Corps, well anything in life really.  Although I’d love to go back and just be, we all have our own lives that have carried us to different places, which is pretty amazing to see.  

  So alas, I am back in Guyana with another 10 months to go.  I have already hit the ground running with Camp GLOW planning, meeting the newbies, among other things.  I think July and August are going to be busy months filled with camps so I’m gearing up for that.  If you don’t hear from me til late August, you know why.  

 

 Overall, I am so happy I was able to go home to visit and I want to thank everyone for their love and support.  I’ll be back jus’ now and in the meantime, you are always welcome to come visit me in the wild land of Guyana! :-)

-KB

P.S. I made in through an entire blog entry without using any quotes….whhaaatt???!