If you love life, life will love you right back...

Peace Corps, Guyana!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its funny how the minute you feel content with life, you really just can exhale and be in the moment..and enjoy them all.

I spent Friday night at the Alpha home!We held a Lock in for the kids as their xmas gift and man was it fun!! Gosh the kids will make you happier than you have ever been!...from airplane contests to crazy dance moves..and finishing with the movie Elf...it couldn't have been a better friday night here.
Saturday I was in charge of games at their annual christmas party! 36 kids turned into 100 and 100 turned into 137..pretty soon i was playing musical chairs and all sorts of tag in the yard with so many silly kids!!

Saturday night there was a Christmas party at mi casa...lots of food, dancing and music! My parents called during the party...said they were waiting for a snow storm....WHEWWWWWWWWWWWWwww what a thought at that moment as sweat was dripping down my body!!

Sunday was beach day!! Can't beat the ocean in the middle of December...and now...its time for home!! yes, can you believe it???USA here I COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things i cant wait for:
meeting my nephew!! snuggling biggie, brats, beer and cheese, family time, friends time, wearing more than one article of clothing, driving?!? (yikes- i was bad before...could i get worse??) drinking water straight from the tap, sleeping under blankets!, constant electricity? tv stations that dont play obituaries, justin bieber waking me up in the morning/nothing waking me up in the morning and ahh really just everything Wisconsin!!
and I cant wait to see all of you!!!!


There are soo many things to be thankful for this year!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY 2011!!!!

Peace Love and the New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

We Have RICE?!?!

HOLA! And Happy December!!! Its nice to walk down the road in a tank top, getting sunburned and sweating my booty off in DECEMBER!!! AHHH hard to believe….in this perpetual summer season.

So this week was disability week!! My school hosted a March and Rally on Friday Morning to support and raise awareness to people with disabilities! It was a fantastic march, kids were really getting into it, more like dancing down the street than walking…and we had signs that read “ Stop Discrimination”, “We have rights” “Support us” …We walked the streets of New Amsterdam, with the support of a few neighboring schools, singing our school song, and chanting away! It didn’t take long for the “We have rights “ chant to become “We have rice” chant. It was too funny to stop..and it pretty much sounds the same when you are yelling it!  After the march was the rally, we had a few speakers talking about awareness of special needs, as well as awesome dance performances and signing performances from my students!!! The media was there and a lot of people from the community came! We served channa and drink to follow and everyone left shortly after that. However, that doesn’t mean that our day ended. The music played loudly(as it always does in Guyana) and my students and I danced danced and danced the afternoon away under the trees shade(some how I still ended up sunburned)

It was one of my favorite days here. The kind of day that makes you realize your attitude really does change everything about the way you look at life. The kind of day that makes you want to have nothing but happiness and moments like these with kids you love so much. The kind of day that when you inhale you take it all in and when you exhale you cant let any of it go. The kind of day that you just never want to end. That’s the happiness I have here. You can have all the money in the world, all the possessions you can ever dream of, but if you don’t get a day like to day, in my opinion, you have nothing.

Peace, Love and Rice(Rights)

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Friday, November 26, 2010

GOBBLE GOBBLE

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!

I even had turkey..although it tasted mostly like ham.However, it was the first Thanksgiving ever I have spent away from family, sweating in a tank top, but nevertheless eating copious amounts of food. SO much in fact that I was in pain for hours, and my Gpas tradition of napping didnt even help!

I made Handturkeys with the kids at my school this week...they had no idea what they were doing, or what it was, but they hand tons of fun doing it!!

Here is a list of things they are thankful for:

Spoon
Bed
Ice water
shoes
clothes
friends
family
God
school
teachers
sun
rain
microwave---how do you use that again?
washing mashine----if only!!
hammocks
pencils
learnings
cricket
and fruit!

HAPPY HAPPY DAY! There are so many things to be thankful for!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Ooochie Walli Walli…Ooochie DIWALI!!!!!!


Fun Fact of the day: you can send me boxed wine as along as you label it “concentrated grape juice” on the customs slip…creativity is positivity!! Especially with merlot!! 


Ahh I can’t believe its November…..where has time gone? In this perpetual summer I feel as if the days are just flying fast enough…hoping for them to come any quicker is a shame…and these last days I’ve really just wanted life to go in slow motion.

Monday and Tuesday I was at school…I’ve began doing art projects with the entire school, and the first one is making ornaments! The kids love being in the kitchen and then decorating their creations glitter! (But believe me, more glitter ends up on their faces and skin than on the actual ornament!) We are going to try selling them at the tea party that’s this month at the school!! The kids are so excited!!!!!!!!! Which makes me even more excited!!

Wednesday and Thursday were teacher training days ….the second module of the Inclusion workshop!! Although the rain and all the firecrackers that were let off were a little distracting (Its always fun when you are in the middle of a discussion and you hear a loud, ear frightening Booom!! (I usually have to feel around my body to make sure I wasn’t shot) …and its equally fun to literally shout at other teachers because the rain is so heavy….needless to say I lost my voice for a bit…but there are no holes in my body  But the teachers were very motivated and open to all the new information! It’s one of my favorite things to teach teachers…its challenging as well as a great learning opportunity for me!

After those four days I was grateful for the day off…because on Friday was Diwali!! And it was the first time I got to experience the lighting up Hindu Holiday….

I had to travel over the bridge, to Shieldstown, which is about a 20 minute drive in a minibus from where I live…but this 20 minute drive ended up being an hour and a half wait at the stelling then the 20 minute ride over the bridge….by a woman bus driver…just wanted to throw that out there, because its not common at all for women to drive here.!!! But I was thankful that the tire didn’t blow out and people had to shift all to one side of the bus…cuz that’s when the bus rides get really fun...
Anywho, I made it safe and sound and met up with a few other volunteers and we went out to explore our first Diwali at night. Houses were all lit up with dias (clay pots filled with coconut oil and wicks), Christmas lights were shining bright, and thankfully the last few days that were filled with blackouts seemed to be outshined by that very moment.
We went to Vannis house where her family were so kind enough to make us some potato curry…..oh have I mentioned that Vannis Jahndi was the first one I have ever went to? Jahndis are a different kind of celebration, more like a party, and at it I was being so awkward that I started crying…and apparently no one has ever cried at a Jahndi before. Needless to say I will never live that down. and the family has not forgotten yet.
After eating the curry we walked over to a Mandir. We entered with bare feet as song/chant in Hindi was being sung. .offerings were being made to the God of the light and there was a bang of a chime and blow of a conch. It was so different than anything i've ever experienced spiritually.(although the little girl rolling around on the floor sticking her tongue out at me while I copied her back was very known to me) . At the end they shared some sweet rice, vermicelli, and persaud. … It was a happy day and night…and ended with some pholourie and sour, which is always a good way to end a day.

In fact it should be a way we end each of our days…with new lessons, with good food, with belief in people.

There continues to be so many new ways of learning and experiences to be had...I hope that wherever you are, you’re seeing life as this too. There is not a simple destination we should be reaching….its the life we live in the meantime…the life of the journey that will be our favorite memories…and the light in those memories that will shine on.

Peace, Love and Light!

“I do not think that light is God. I think it is possible, and it is reasonable to say, that light is the language of God. Light may be the way that Gods speaks to the universe and to us.”- Shantaram

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Banana Land

What do you do when you are welcomed to a school with hands grabbing for you, pinches to your skin, smiles to your eyes, laughter for your ears? There is nothing like walking into a school ground of primary aged students all reaching to hug you and hold your hand and know your name. There is no other feeling like it, and least to say, it is one of the best feelings a person could possibly feel. Love of children.

Thursday afternoon that’s all that existed to me. Doing school visits around Berbice (visiting teachers in the Inclusion program), has quickly become one of my favorite parts of the week. Tuesday and Thursdays are days that I leave my own school to do this. I enjoy the travel, meeting new teachers, and of course new students 

There’s a kind of luck that’s not much more than being in the right place at the right time, a kind of inspiration that’s not much more than doing the right thing in the right way, and both only really happen to you when you empty your heart of ambition, purpose and plan; when you give yourself, completely to the golden, fate-filled moment.- Shantaram

Peace, Love and this very moment.


This is what I know at this very moment. Nothing is coincidence. Everything is out there, you just have to be open to receive. Family can be found in a place where you know not a soul. It’s possible to slow down in this life. Having a stranger say “Good Morning” to you really does keep you smiling all day. Sometimes afternoon naps are necessary during work, at least when the temperature reaches +30. Cherish every opportunity to learn from someone. A hammock is divine. People want to do things out of the kindness of their heart. When you put passion into everyday you are bound to make it. Sleeping without any covers is possible. Justin Bieber is a worldwide phenomenon. Music can never be too loud. 5:30 a.m is the best time of day. Withdrawl from Berres Brothers Hazelnut coffee is serious. Faith is powerful. Crawling insects and other bugs can’t control me. A blackout is the perfect time to be forced into stillness. Rum is really quite delicious. Knowing your neighbors makes you feel safe. Hearing a voice from home brightens your day. Walking is great exercise. Privacy in a small place is close to impossible. Laugh with life as much as you can. Cricket is much more exciting live. Belonging feels good. We can always give something even if it is only love.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Today’s forecast: Hot as shit with a chance of rain.


Seems like that’s been the same for the past 8 months…and its pretty accurate.

Oh Guyana, I fell in love with you for so many reasons…as well as battled our relationship countless times in my heart and head.

I got back after a week of conferences for Peace Corps, to a bed herded with ants, black cane dust encompassing my floor leaving my bare feet stained black, and a school slowly becoming a hot mess, again.
.As I taught the class and reviewed what they had learned the week I was gone…which apparently was only the fact that one of them had a birthday and they drew a birthday cake…I heard a bustling about the school. 2 of the 5 teachers had left, students were running around. I passed the computer room, which has also turned into a “vocational” skills room. (The headmistress is currently “teaching” hair…but, not so much teaching as leaving 12 year olds playing beauty shop. I walked in to the room to see one of my girls getting relaxer in her hair. It was everywhere, not at all being put in where it should have been, and from the look on her face I could tell the burning had started and was getting more intense with every second. It is supposed to be put on the root..Not the entire length..and it should be done fast as it basically is a product that burns and uncurls the hair…this was not known to the 13 year old putting it in. I quickly asked for the brush and tried as best I could to sign how to do it as I finished it up and told her to rinse it out. …As I left the room I passed by the bathroom But when I got there my eyes met a new intake. A 5 year old that looks like he is 3, standing there naked with poop all over his body. He looked lost and no one was around to ask any questions. There is no running water in the school so I took him outside to the rain tank and started rinsing the poop off of him…but it wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped..Because the rain tank was empty with half his body done. I called the fire station, to have them come and refill the tank.
The fire station moves about as fast as a pineapple grows. I feel like it should be on America’s funniest home videos. They arrived about an hour later, and at that time I finished cleaning up the boy and got back to the classroom with about 40 minutes left to teach. It was one of those moments as I looked around the classroom that I questioned my being there.
What the hell am I doing?!
I exhaled loudly, but no one heard. Smiled softly at the kids and decided it was them that I was there for. I recalled the mural being put up from the day before and a sense of calmness overtook my fast pumping heart. The school day ended.

My walk home took 2 hours that day. I was a bit numb, and couldn’t take the world in quicker than that.

The day all in all was a pretty good one, but I was set back.
Things here are different, not better or worse, but still different, and I felt at that very moment that it was too different for me to have any kind of impact. It’s always a struggle when fighting for something, you lose your path and road and even destination, and feel barricaded into a mindset that is not helpful for the cause. And it may take days, or weeks or months for some to break through that barricade to find the path again, and to focus on the journey not the destination once more. It’s not as important the length of how long that takes, as so long as it happens.
6 days later I am a foot out of that . Lucky me, lucky to be here, throwing just a little more caution to the wind, step by step.

Oh Guyana, I fell in love with you for so many reasons, and here is just one more.

Peace, Love and Breaking through!


“Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope. Sometimes we cry with everything except tears. In the end that’s all there is: love and its duty, sorrow and its truth. In the end that’s all we have-to hold on tight until the dawn.” – Shantaram pg. 346

Friday, October 8, 2010

One day at a time...............

Things change..and they change fast.
In the past weeks I have lost my grandmother.Called social services. Stayed in Air conditioning. Experienced 9 blackouts. Fell in love with a puppy. Learned 18 new signs. Missed my family. Taught a kid how to write the first letter of his name. Fell in a pothole. Wrote a grant. Finished the first workshop for module one of the Inclusion program. Visited two schools. Taught a child her first sign. Been attacked by ants in my bed. Been bitten by sand flies. Gave countless high fives to kids that deserve the world.contemplated being here. Lived off of 2 U.S. dollars for three days. Cried. Laughed. wrote lots of letters. Missed my grandmas funeral. Skyped friends and family. Read Shantaram(one fantastic book). Felt like i was going to die in the heat. Had a pina colada.

and Hung up the schools first "Mural"

Really I just took tons of pictures and then had kids create a welcome sign. As i put it up all i saw were the childrens smiles and pointing and giggling and it was by far my most favorite moment of the past two weeks.
Just a daily reminder that it doesn't matter where you are in the world...there is beauty and happiness everywhere.

Peace, Love, and Changes!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

ants and chiggers and mosquitoes...oh my!!


I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a creature burrow into my skin until this week. Chiggers are little bug parasites that burrow and nest all up in your skin. They itch like a mofo and its especially not fun when its callused in along with a splinter on the side of your foot. Digging it out was quite a sight to see! Im a bit sad I didn’t take a picture, but hopefully It’ll happen again! Fingers crossed! (fail!!!)

I climbed under my mosquito net about 5 minutes ago, if I don’t see ants all over, I consider it quite a success. I usually smile, giggle a bit, and search under my pillow, journal and random books I have enclosed with me just incase there are some hiding. I would say out of the past 48 days, I have not seen ants one of those days. It happens to be tonight, which is what put me in the mood to write. GO TEAM!

My friend Kira came to visit last week!! It was crazy(in a good way) to have someone from “home” be in a place that I now call home. I realized a lot of the things I have in my everyday life here are not “normal” in an American sense.
For example, even though I am a fat kid, I eat for nutrition not for pleasure. I can honestly say I use about 5 gallons of water a day(including bathing, cooking, toileting, drinking) Im pretty sure one flush of the toilet back home is 2-3 gallons??) I buy things out of need,I don’t itch mosquito bites, I don’t indulge often(except in a fan when the power is on) and I have stopped looking at this way as “sacrifice” but more so how most of the people in this world live, and who really needs more?!!

My 4o minute walk to work has become a time when I contemplate this question most.
When I get to school, and 9+ kids bombard me with hugs and smiles its easy to anwer this. I don’t need more …..this is plenty for me, and for this life.

I have been teaching the sign class. I am still not fluent, but I guess it’s the peace corps experience to teach in an unfamiliar culture and in a language you don’t know either. CHECK
Most days it’s the kids and I learning signs together and even though I haven’t gotten to a place where I inspire much logical thinking, I still am there. And to be honest, that’s what most of these kids need. Someone to be there, to care for them, someone they can trust.
I struggle with a lot of students backgrounds. People with disabilities in this culture are not accepted. The lack of education plays a big role in this. There fore most of the children with disabilities are abused, physically, emotionally, sexually: and being there for them, to listen to their stories is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. There is a student that came here without a name, last term I was taking birthdays and I discovered this. He came to the school from social services. He has countless scars on this face and body, his nails have been burned and ripped off so many times most of them don’t grow and he is still extremely shy around new people. He came without a name, a birthday or an age. He has a name now, and a safe place to live, and I asked him to pick his own birthday.(which he did with a smile as he pointed to his bestfriend and picked it to be the same day as his) There are more stories like this, and
Lets just say this week has been especially tough, mostly because I don’t know what to do. It has a lot to do with the way things are in place here,or rather not in place.
If I knew a student was being raped back home, I would know the steps I needed to take to interfere with that situation, atleast get her in a place that was safe. Here I don’t have a clue. And neither does anyone.
I called neighborhood police…but its not the same...and its hard tosleep knowing that. Its even harder to make that 40 minute walk without knowing what my lie ahead.

Man, I didn’t mean for this to sound so negative..maybe not negative but just not maybe so happy?! Life isn’t always so happy I guess, but its our choice to decide the attitude to which we move toward things, and really what’s even more important than that, is to keep moving and not let these things stop us.

Peace, Love and Just keep swimming!!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

WE ARE FUNDED!!

UNICEF is an amazingorganization that funds many programs to help children! It has tried to implement education for children with special needs for a few years now here in Guyana. They saw our program, we re-wrote the proposal, filled it to be more UNICEF friendly, and now I am so proud to say that the entire program is being funded by them!! They increased the funding so now not only one teacher from each cluster(18) can be trained, but one teacher from EACH school in the region can now be in the program=56 teachers= all of the primary schools in regions 6!!!!!!!!!

The program will start next Monday, September 20th,2010!!

Peace, Love and UNICEF!!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

WElcome Back?!

Monday was the first day back at school!  I was soo excited walking to work, seeing people I hadn’t in a few months and just feeling back at home.( I even tripped over a pile of cow poop!)
I had talked to the teachers to get them back in the school a WEEK before school starts. No school does that….and to tell you the truth I didn’t really expect anyone to show up. BUT TWO out of the five teachers were there!! YAYAY I thought as I approached.

We spent the day cleaning, fixing up the rooms, talking about our breaks…brainstorming ideas..as well as facing the issues ahead of us... Two out of the five teachers are not coming back….WOW…
And we have no idea the timeframe for the Department hiring their replacements(because schools do not hire their teachers, the department of the region does)
The principle has to sign off on their papers, so technically it will not be official till Monday which means the beginning of the school year will look like:


60 students with special needs
3 teachers(one with a college degree)
Me
And a principle that may come.

Hmmmmm maybe not the ideal situation to start a new school year….BUT, I have hope…especially after seeing a few of the students…who wouldn’t want to work hard for them?!

On another new beginning..
The 10,000 stipend wasn’t passed through the budget either for the Inclusion program….so a new proposal must be written and funding sources are trying to be identified……things will happen….good things will happen..take it one day at a time, right? 


Peace, love, and Nah take no worries man!!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Comida!!!

So a lot of people ask me what kinds of foods I eat here….and being a fat kid and all, I decided to write an entire blog dedicated to FOOD describing the foods here  Bon Appétit!!!

To the Market!
Banana!/green bananas
Okra
Soursop: tastes like softbrown sugar, soft like a ripe mango
Tamarind
Sorrell
Coconut
Golden apple: yellow ! kinda tastes like a sweet pea , but you eat it like an apple
Breadfruit
Bora : long green stalks, kind of the extra large green beans !
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Bolongie(eggplant)
Pawpaw(papaya)
Awara: orange hard sweet, kinda tasteless fruit that makes you look like you just at a bag of cheetos and have it all up in your teeth
Guinep: soft, little green balls, break the outer covering with your teeth, and pop it in your mouth, very soft, kind of taste like the ocean, and has a pit
Mami: orange shaped, sweet like apple, grapefruit and orange combined! YUM
Pine(Pineapple)
Plaintain
Callaloo(like spinach)
Pumpkin: not like the pumpkin back home, although its orange! Its sweet, chop up and simmer with sugar
Mango= heaven on earth…
Melon
Pear(avocado)
FiveFinger(starfruit)
Edo: starchy potatoe that is purple!
Sweetpotato not like a yam, but is very sweet, looks like a regular potatoe
Squash; green!
Guava
Cassava


Baked Goods:
Salara(red cake) made with layers of coconut and sugar
Dahl puri: soft tortilla base with crushed/fried split peas in the middle
Phulouri: little splitpeas fried dough balls
Cheese rolls; pastry with cheese in side
Cheese sticks: butter and cheese…not my favorite even though im from sconnie
Pine tarts; pastry with pineapple
Roti: kinda like a tortilla, fried and has layers from “clapping”
Black cake




Typical Guyanese Dishes/Seasonings:
Fried Rice
Chow mein
Curry
Pepper Pot( spicy potroast type of meal…served around xmas!
Porridge( oatmeal)
Saltfish and bake (friend bread and baked saltfish with seasoning
Beans and rice
Macaroni and cheese(with lots of mustard!)
Seven Curry

Achar---MY FAVORITE! Green mangoes fried with seasoning and pepper=spicies up any dish!
Pepper Sauce-Hot sauce
Marrymans Pork(basil)
Dhal-splitpea sauce
Mango Sour- put on a lot of things..like plaintain chips! YUM


YUM!!!

Peace, Love and Deliciousness!

Phone Ninjas!!

A couple nights ago A few volunteers and I decide to chill with some rum( have I mentioned that el dorado rum here is some of the best in the world..or so its claimed) and play cards…and afterwards go out to dance for a bit.
On they way to dancing my friend Jason told me to finish his text he was sending to a friend and handed me his phone…when…out of nowhere came the PHONE NINJA!!
As he was pedaling towards me on his bike…he snatched the phone outta my hands and continued to pedal his getaway!! However, he lost his bike seat in the process and was a bit wobbly if you ask me the first few pedals after he took it!!
Standing there stunned at what just happened, Jason turned to me and said “did that really just happen?” then as I was about to answer the Cops came driving by!(fyi cops here are not like the idea you have of cops)
We ran out to their escalade and tried to explain what just happened..They put their lights on, never to return….
We continued on our way to dance…with bike seat in hand….waiting for the phone ninja to return and make the trade back….He never showed up…

Peace, Love, and Ninjas!!

One of the main reasons I am here!!


Professional Development Program: Inclusion= What I’ve been talking about and creating for Region 6 of Guyana!!!!!


Let me explain:
To be a teacher in Guyana all you need is a high school diploma….however, if you do go to college to get training, you will get paid more. Sooooo people do go to college, however, at the college level currently there is ZERO training for Special needs education. That means, that even at the special schools in the country, teachers have had little exposure to any disability education.
Me and a VSO want to change that.
So we created this Professional Development Program, that focuses on different disabilities as well as inclusion for all students. A program like this has never even been thought of , so we had to start form the ground up.
First we had to come up with a Proposal, which basically explains the logistics, goals, target area, focal study etc. Then once we submitted that to the REDO(Regional Education Department Officer) we had to wait for its approval. IT was approved, so now….we had to see if teachers in Region 6 were interested in being the leader and having a model school for the entire course. We sent out letter to the school clusters, and got quite a few applicants.(mind you this means more work for the teachers, without any incentive expect being a better teacher and creating a better school….no monetary incentive= more work, same amount of money…have to find people who are dedicated!!)
Sooooooo we have our applicants, now to the budget…the actually module/workshop production planning, scheduling a venue, food, travel expenses, creating teaching aids, getting resources etc…..
Which is what I have been working on all summer long!! The program starts September 21st!!

This is just a general overview of the process and how things sorta work! It might not sound like much of a big deal…but AHHHHH Im so excited!! How great would it be if teachers knew how to teach all of their students? And if they could focus more on active learning instead of blackboard copying?!?!

oh and recently we found out that after talking to the REDO that they worked into the budget a 10,000 stipend starting in 2011 for each teacher per month! (That’s 50 US dollars!!! = a large sum of money for here!!) OWOWOWO(unfortunately it doesn’t apply to me ..haha)

Anyways, just wanted to explain the program a bit more, I mention it a lot because its one of the bigger projects I am doing here, if not the biggest!!

YAY education!!!

Peace, Love and Inclusion!!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Bring on the babies!!

SOOOOO I miss my sisters baby soo mucho that someone offered me their baby….Well it didn’t go down exactly like that, here is the full scoop:
Annie, Jason and Kirsten (other volunteers in my region) all decided to chill in New Amsterdam. For the day….with tacos and a few beers….butt The few beers turned into a few more…and after doing a special Cherokee performance to the “thong song” we decided we needed more…So we went to a nearby rumshop to buy a little more…grande idea in Guyana…heat + alcohol=worst hangovers ever, even if you just have one…anyways..After Jason walked inside to see what the situation is. us girls stayed outside(its not good for a woman to buy booze here) and as we were outside, A woman was sitting outside with her twins and offered to let us hold them, and of course we couldn’t resist…so we started playing with the babies…as Annie and Kirsten were holding them..because we were taking turns..the mom pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted one….Seriously!?!?! ummmm I know I just had a few beers, but is that really what you asked??? I was confused, so I blamed it on my misunderstanding…but… it wasn’t..The woman told me that I could even pick which one I wanted…WOW….I am really excited about being an Auntie…but not sure how I feel about being a mother…to a baby that was offered to me as I was buying beer……Oh Guyana……you have so much to offer me…including babies….

Peace, LOve and Free babies!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

KEEP it on the DL!( that means down low dad)

So I made my blog private on account of PC policy because:
1. There have been quite a few instances when blogs became a safety and security issue and volunteers were moved---------I LOOOOVE where I am and never want to move..EVer...except maybe in 2 years: )
2. I dont have internet access except at local internet cafes and you never know what can happen on an open machine in Guyana...i've seen some pretty wacko stuff.
3. Its cool to be part of club!!!! and maybe now people will be jealous of you because you have access!!!


OWOWOWO

Peace Love and Secrecy

Transportating in Guyana= THRILL RIDEEEE

Ohhhhh Guyana....There are soo many things I love about you......especially fearing for my life anytime I get in a minibus or car to get around!!

Let me break it down for you. You have two options(sometimes);

Its HOT!!!!!!! humid,mosquitoes everywhere, smell of dead dog in the air, no breeze, and there you are, waiting to get on a minibus A line of minibuses are parked...you approach the one that is most full. If there are only 4 people in it, I usually wait to get on, but if there are 13 i usually just get on right away...Soo its hot, you are sweating...and then you get to cram on to a mini bus and sit next to what looks like a cracked out version of Mr. T, and a mother with 4 babies on her lap, or a teenage lovers being all PDA and an extremely overweight woman eating chicken and throwing the bones out the window while hitting you with pieces of fried rice. Window seats are always the prefered option...SO 13 people on, you would assume that you are going to get going soon.....depending on the driver you may sit there until about 18 to 20 people are in(this minibus is like a glorified caravan by the way, 3 rows of seats made for 12 people) in which case you have no breeze and the arm sweat of the people next to you starts mixing with your own...or the driver will decide to start what i like to call, "the hunt"
He will drive up and down the same roads yelling, sipping, stopping rapidly trying to find people to get on the bus....its a fun game,and usually I want to play that rather than waiting...I'd say it takes a minimum of 20 mins to actually get going on your way...and thats if your lucky.......sooooo this is why I prefer to take the car......but for that, you have to go to the place of HUSTLE.


The car park!!!
Its where you go to catch a car to wherever you are going. You walk up to it and 30 feet before you approach drivers are already yelling at you, trying to get you in their car...trying to take your bags...telling you all sorts of nonsense. I usually go with the quietiest one. If only they knew that.
Its so fun if you are the first one in, because usually that means waiting another hour before you get to leave, but you dont have anyone elses sweat all up on you, so its not too bad.
So i sit and watch my driver try to convince other people to ride with him. Its all about the Hustle...usually anywhere from 10-15 cars are waiting to get full..I enjoy all the yelling/its a little scary!!!
Sometimes i sip at people to get them to come to the car i am in...the driver likes me most then..and then once its full...i cram into the backseat with 2-3 other people to drive 2 hours dodging cows, goats, and dogs...stopping completely for a 2 inch incline and fearing my life because no one goes the speed limit and if they do we pass them...

and these are your two options...what would you choose???

Peace,Love,and Thrill Rides!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

ooooode to pumping water

Water is essential to living!....being healthy!....and being CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(which not gonna lie, I haven't been lately....=attractive, i know.

Where I live I pay 500 Guyanese dollars for water each month($2.50 US)
I have a huge black water tank which I pump the water into from the city water lines once every 3 weeks or so. I have to hook up the pipes to the pump, which is OH so fun!! and then flip a few switches to make sure it is pumping into my tank and not my neighbors.
The city water lines are on from 6-8 or 9ish in the morning, and from 6-9 ish at night so those are the time I can pump it. It takes about 2 hours to fill my tank, and depending on my schedule , I usually don’t have enough time to fill it all the way and because it is up so high, I can never see how full it actually is.
Well last Tuesday i pumped for an hour and a half and just assumed it was pretty full.

Lesson learned: Never make assumptions.



It's never good to find that out on a Saturday afternoon at 12 after you just get done working out…thirsty and dirrrtyy...i've never felt so attractive in my life


oh and did I mention that sometimes this water just doesn’t come on? Yeah not so good to find that out on that Saturday evening…...


:) gotta love the simple things in life....i know i'll never take running water in my house for granted ever again.



Peace Love and Running Water!(and the ability to be clean!!!)

I heart SKYPE!

I don’t know who invented Skype, but I would have his babies….assuming it was a male.

For those who have never used it, it’s a website where you can make calls from a computer to a computer for free( or from a computer to a phone for 2 cents a minute) If you have a web-cam whoever you are talking to can see you!! So its a face to face conversation…for free, from hundreds of thousands of miles away= my new favorite way of keeping up to date with peoples lives!

I don’t have access to it very often…but when I do I enjoy making hotdog faces at people im speaking to and my voice apparently sounds like a chipmunk so that’s pretty sexy…who wouldn’t want to get in on that?

Skype name: jillianashjohnson

Its free, kinda silly, easy to use and reallllyyyyyyyyyy awesome! Join so we can talk!!

Peace Love and Skype

oh my goodness!! LITTLE BABY QUESO!!!!

AHHHH im an Auntie! My sister is a MOM! And My parents are GRANDPARENTS! Haha SUCKAS!!!

My sister texted me on Wednesday August 4th telling me that her water was ruptured….She wasn’t due till mid September and for the first time here in Guyana…I wanted to be home :(

She was induced Friday night and baby Darius Lymen Lloyd Gayle came into this world Saturday evening…weighing 5lbs 3 oz! A little chub for 7 weeks early! He would have been a size of a plump butterball turkey if he had waited any longer!  Jesse is doing well and little baby Darius is also in good health!!! YAY!!!!!

The first time I saw the picture I never thought I could love something so mucho….and I haven’t even met him yet…Im so thankful!!!

And so excited to hear Jesses momma stories!! She is going to be a great hot momma….just like ours :)

Congrats Sissy!!!!!! Im sooooooooooooooo happy for you! Miss you all soo mucho!!!!

Peace Love and Baby D!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

SUCKAAAAAA

Dear Rat Poison,

at first i didnt like you because i had to make rice to put you in in order for you to work, but now i understand you and like you for killing the bushrat the size of a grown cat in mi casa...SUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!/ no me gusta finding you by my front door...dang you were grande!

NOw if only i can get rid of the mosquitoes, cockroaches, tarantualas and mice!! hahah however, My house is home now...i feel very lucky to have the place I have. Its actually better than most places i have lived in the US.
Im going to watch transformers today while sitting in my hammock doing sudoku! Its a three day weekend....freedom day is Monday. So i have time to relax and enjoy this beautiful life i live: )



Peace, Love and Bushrats!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

WElcome to the Arctic/ Airconditioning?!?! WHAT WHAT????

AHHHHH schoool is out for the summmmer :)

SO basically this means I get to spend more time at the orphanage and working on the Professional Development Inclusion teacher training program!

But to get my summer started off right, I spent last week in yes...dont be jealous now, AIR CONDITIONING!!! WOW! Guyana became a different world to me in that coool air...its almost bearable :)

We had our 3 month reconnect for Peace Corps, which consisted of presenting our Community Diagnostic Surveys(about the communities we live in, because volunteers are spread throughout the country) to the rest of our group...which is called Guy 22. I am part of 28(started with 35) members of the 22nd group of Peace Corps to be in the Guyana program...fancy!!/ LUCKY ME!!!

Life here is amazing---minus falling asleep for twenty minutes in my hammock and getting 17 mosquito bites on my arm the other night..but we aren't gonna talk about that!

Last night I taught at the Institute for Distance and Continuing Education(a part of University of Guyana) on Special Needs for caretakers as well as a basic introduction to Sign Language. It was soo funnnnnnn! I never thought i would like teaching adults as much as kids...but I love it mucho!!Which is good because i'll be doing a lot more of it once the fall comes and the program me and another VSO created actually starts!!

I am going to start writing a newsletter for the orphanage, so hopefully they can get more funding too, i better get too it, it costs be a dollar and hour to be on line, and when you make 7 dollars a day, it doesn't seem to last long!

Miss you all sooo mucho! sorry this is all over the place! im soo happy and soo safe! i wish you all could be here with me!!

Peace, Love and Airconditioning!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Shady lettuce= the devil

Long time no write :(
I had food poisoning/ an amoeba too = everything including my appetite(crazy being a fat kid an all) left my body for 5 days.
I think i got it from shady lettuce that I bought at the market from a new-to-me vendor. I usually just get all my veggies and fruit from Val, but she wasn't there this week. So, as i walked in the market( it has about 25 stands, all local farmers, or people who buy and sell from local farmers) everyone comes at you with "where ya shappin gal?" "yu need spice? smell my marry man pork(basil)...i got flustered and ended up just falling for the shady lettuce lady. Lesson Learned.

So I was out for most of the week BUT I kept my door open so I was still able to witness the outside world.
Kids running past in their school uniforms, yelling mawnin miss!, as they kicked an empty fruta can back and forth...moms holding their babies while being hovered by their man as he pedaled all three of them on a bike, and of course the "slashers"/grass cutters, that will wave creepily and smile till i wave back.

I also had the opportunity to name some of the animals in my house, the mice:Kermit, Nacho, and Grande(thats the rat), the lizards are hotdog and ketchup, and all the mosquitos i just call b**ch. :)


Anyways I am back to work now! and i just gotta say: ODE to Rainy season!

I love you because for the few moments you do rain everyday I am not covered in sweat, only in your water...which everyone then tells me I am going to get sick because of...but i still appreciate you mucho, however,I don't like you because i have to walk to work for 40 mins, and for about 10 of that water is up to either my knees, shins, or ankles because of the poor water system, so then i have to trudge through the nasty parasite ridden water, usually getting my flip flops stuck, almost trip and fall, and then i have to wait for an additional minute for it to pop back up, this happens at least twice, sometimes i decide to dive in with my hand after it...but ive decided that that is a bad decision because the water contains something called grass lous-sp? from all the sewage and trash(its usually in the grass), which is a parasite that burrows in your skin, between your toes and knuckles and itches like a mofo!!

So when I get to school, I have to bleach my skin to kill it..healthy!!

Usually only half the kiddos come on rain days too, which is another reason no me gusta :(

The students are doing testing this week though, so most of the students came!! YYAYAYAYAYYA- assessment is week long, and then next week school ends( Apparently the headmistress set an ending date too soon for the term, so we had to add on another week?? loco!!!

SO mucho work to be done, so i better get to it!

"Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough
time for the important things in her life."-brian andreas


Peace Love and Parasites!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The key is to fall 7 times, and to get back up 8!

The school I work at has 50+ special needs students, and 5 teachers. When there is a workshop, or someone is sick, or whatever reason a teacher isn't there, it doesn't so happen that they are replaced by a sub, just the teachers that are left take over their classes plus another teachers. This is what happened today.

Me +14 students who are deaf, + 8 under 6 year olds.

I was already a bit elevated, because of not knowing the teachers were going to be gone, and then trying to create some lesson plans for each of the classes, because its not as if teachers leave them..
Then in the afternoon session one of the other teachers started taunting another student, getting the other students to laugh. All I heard was screaming for an hour, and the last 5 mins i realized it was the other teacher causing it. The teacher! One of the only 3 adults.AWESOME. Yay for being on the same page??


Boo me for complaining, but sometimes its hard to internalize all the frustrations that happen on a daily basis, and then add in what happened above.

Peace, Love and Frustration

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Its one of those moments in life, when you just think, "Really? this is my life!!?"

So I was talking to my neighbor Cita on a dirt side street, when a pregnant cow started making all sorts of noises.
I told her that it didn't seem very happy, and she said,"It's not, when I say go, run as fast as you can!", I froze for a second,being from Sconnie and all, but then put my game face on, and the minute she yelled "GO!" I booked it.

The cow started chasing me, I started screaming and flailing about, but made my way home safely.Close call.

Anywho....I am feeling better after having that punk, Dengue, in my life. Went to the Alpha House Orphanage on Monday for the first time in a week, Man i missed those kids!!!They are my favorite part of Guyana.

Then I got to see my students, they are also my favorite part of Guyana, and we went on "tour" aka a field-trip to the water plant on Tuesday! Most of the information went right over their heads, but it was very educational and fun for the kids to see!!!
The entire field trip cost $20 U.S., Unfortunately some kids couldn't afford the 50 cent fee and stayed home. I didn't know this of course until the day of, and so they didn't go. It makes me sad to think of it..especially because I could have saved some of the money I make in a month so they didn't have to miss out on this opportunity.

:(

On another note...School Ends July 2! A day before my 24th birthday...happy birthday tooo meee!!!! I'll be teaching a Life Skills course with another volunteer this summer, as well as doing in home autism therapy for 2 of my kids at the school. This is a new idea for Guyana, they do not have access to in-home care, so I'm really excited to work with the families and test it out!!!!!

ohhhh and shout out to my daddio! he turned the big 6-0 this month...and is the best pen pal ever! :) owowo LOVE YOU!!!!

Peace, Love and Angry Pregnant Cows!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Reason number 845 that I DO NOT like mosquitos.

I want a t-shirt that says " I survived Dengue Fever, 2010"

Dengue Fever= headaches, high fever that doesn't stop, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and a rash all over that feels like pins and needles, kind of like how your foot feels when it falls asleep for too long...You get it from mosquitoes!!!!!

I spent most of the week away from work, and I'm anxious to get back on the grind...the nurse said it usually takes 2 weeks to fully recover, but I got my eye on Monday.

Peace, Love and Surviving the Dengue!!!!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Dont sleep with a flashlight!

When I woke up this morning I thought there was a dead mouse next to my pillow, laying sprawled out, crotch to the wind...

I screamed, picked up my pillow threw it over the mouse, and fell face first outta my bed into my mosquito net... i started shimmy crawling all over the floor having a mini panic attack...
After mustering up enough courage I checked under my pillow.

...it was my flashlight.

I laughed...but knees still hurt. from the fall!

Peace, Love and not sleeping with dead animals!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Between Black outs

Blackouts= no electricity, sometimes for hours, sometimes for minutes...sometimes for days.Either way they really do control what happens in my life...
well not control, maybe just take away a few of my smiles...especially at night when the fan goes off...the fan of which I have to tuck into my mosquito net with me, otherwise I do not feel a thing in the 90++++++ degree heat.
One good thing about blackouts in my mosquito net however, is it forces me to entertain myself, and I am getting REALLLY good at finger shadow puppets..seriously..you should see my jelly fish.

Its rainy season, which means massive amounts of mosquitoes, tons of puddles that leave me up to my knees in mud by the time I get to work, but still the sun peaks its way out to heat up my skin on my 40 minute walk to work in the morning.

Car horns blast past, almost as loud as the rum shop music at night, and cars slow down to "sip" and greet me with "gud mawnings!"and "alright" and awkward exchanges of words.
Today I was told , by a self proclaimed "Roti-Man" ,that he would make me as much Roti as I wanted if i gave him my number and was his friend...he also promised me "many other nice things." It was a hard decision to say no, being a fat kid and all. :)but I managed to get away with an empty stomach and an phone that does not ring ever 3 minutes.

As I walk on my eyes take me to the sky...I love the way the coconut trees look against blue, but the trenches by my feet quickly remind me of the poverty surrounding...and the cows diarrhea(sp??) on my feet and legs pretty much make me want to not be a vegetarian anymore....

When I get to school an overwhelming feeling encompasses my mind. There is much to do!!! But where to start?!?!?


Well, for starters: The inclusion certification program for the Department of Ed is on its way into creation!!!!!!!!!!!!!...I went to Georgetown last week, to see a module in a different program, and it gave me a good idea as to what I want to accomplish throughout this year long training for Region 6 primary school teachers along with the VSO! so OWOWOW :)

Other than work, The morning paper this week consists of a woman being pushed out of a car by her husband and ran over, graphic pictures to follow. At the clinic a girl who was gang raped and pregnant, is being forced to marry one of her rapists by her father, so the charges will be dropped...my neighbors cousin died yesterday from drunk driving a moped and hitting a cow....this is Guyana?


Things I miss this week:
family, beer, friends, wine, living without so many insects, and understanding people when we talk

Things I love this week:
hammock time!(i hung mine up this week, i officially moved in last Wednesday), no copyright laws=iron man 2 up in my house!! OWOWO, kids saying funnnnny funnny things, eating popcorn for dinner...and breakfast.


Peace love and Massive amounts of mosquitoes!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.

Its a bit different walking into a school, where kids sharpen their pencils with razor blades, teachers walk in 20 mins late, and learning for the day consists of copying words from the board...but make sure you use your ruler to have straight lines?!?

I feel as if they are going through the motions, but no real learning is being done. Sorry to be so negative, but Today/this week so far has been a bit frustrating.

Its getting harder and harder for me to not say anything to the Principal It's Wednesday, and she has been at work for a total of 3 hours). Its hard to feel motivated in a school, when the leader of the school doesn't even seem to care...let alone any of the teachers....:(

I finally mustered up enough courage , and talked to 3 out of the 5 teachers today about how they were feeling, and it seems as if this school has been taking a hit since the old headmistress left.( The old headmistress was phenomenal I hear, very professional, and cared so much about the learning happening in the school!)

Its hard for me to pick my spot because there are so many things to do be done, and I don't know where to start. But after talking with the teachers today, and finding out their frustrations, I definitely feel like my first goal is to get things back on track. As well as make sure the kids learning is the teachers number one priority. I'm taking it one day at at time, realizing I just have to do what I can, with what I have.

Its hard when teachers are absent though(even when they are at school too and when they aren't, its not as if they leave lesson plans or anything of that sort), and my main focus can't be the support of the teachers, but teaching itself. Teaching is my favorite thing ever, but when I'm supposed to be observing a classroom, and then one of the teachers tells me what subject they are to work on, and then leaves the school for hours, expecting me to teach it, its a bit different. Especially when its my 2nd day in the room ,and I have no idea what the students know.
Today this is what happened, I went through and did a counting and basic addition lesson with them, and after 10 mins I realized that the kids cant recognize their numbers yet. ---something that would have been good to know before beginning.

Which I guess is how it is here. But I mean, in the lesson books that the ministry would see(if they ever came to check on the school(that's a whole different story) says they are learning addition and subtraction and regrouping and all this stuff....which is bullshit...blah..sorry to complain, its just such a frustrating situation. And its not so fun feeling like no one else cares, not the department of education, not the headmistress, not some of the teachers. Just because its a school for "special needs" shouldn't change the fact that its not worthy of a high standard of education, and it definitely doesn't mean that the kids at the school are any less important, because they are, and they are magnificent, and really the only reason I can smile during any of this, is because of them.

Whew....i just hold close to the special moments of today and be grateful for them, the kids that pass me on the street saying "Happy Friday" even though its Wednesday, just because that was the first thing I had ever said to them, and they love it!
The kids at the orphanage who say the silliest things and just want to hold onto you and never let you go, and the kids at the school who greet me with smiles and hugs and laughter in the mornings, which makes me want to work harder for them.

And every night I go to bed thinking that tomorrow I will work harder...tomorrow will be better, tomorrow we'll get further, tomorrow things will change for the better.

I hope tomorrow becomes today....soon enough!

Peace, Love and Razorblades!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Happy Mothers Day

Today I had my students make Mothers Day cards.

one kid wrote this in a heart shaped, nicely colored card


Dear Mom,

Thanks for the dog,slut.






Now, At first glance, I thought the 12 year old was calling his mom a slut, but then I realized they really do have a dog named slut..apparently his grandma named it.
I'm not sure which is worse.

Anyways, Happy Mothers day to all the wonderful mothers I know! especially(my own La Mamba, grandmas, momma dork, and my sister :) )) I LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCHO!!


Peace, Love and Sluts!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

My OFFICIAL new Address :)

Jillian Johnson, PCV
I.D.C.E
22 Strand Street,
New Amsterdam, Berbice
Guyana
South America



:) XOXOXOXO

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Welcome Home :)----to a bed with two heart shaped mirrors in the headboard???

I was called Fat girl 6 times today.

:) I moved into the bottom of a house yesterday....it has two bedrooms, fully equipped with a bed frame with two heart shaped mirrors in the headboard, seriously. This is not what I expected to be sleeping in, in Guyana, but I'm pretty sure it was meant to be.....Icall it my lovers room. (pretty much I only have love for bug repellent spray and sunscreen though at this point)

I cleaned it all out(with help of two awesome women that I work with) and now the place is "clean"/I haven't seen a tarantula yet, but God knows the day is coming.I have a few rat friends, i don't know how to kick em out, so i let them live with me.
Its a beautiful house, that I am excited to make a home. I am so lucky to have all that I have.


On another note, I just got done teaching....and I'm exhausted!

I'm not fluent in sign language yet, and lets just say its a little difficult to teach 13 deaf students that are at various learning and grade levels...who don't know sign either!

I love it though...so mucho! and I just found out that I'm going to be creating an inclusive education program here for the entire region 6 of Guyana along with a VSO!(hopefully if the proposal goes through, then i'll start working on the curriculum, budget, and project implementation planning for the 2 year project!!)
I would be an inclusive educator for the entire region, which means I would be training all of the principles(or teachers who wanted to participate) in this region on inclusive education practices and methodologies... i'd definitely see my work as sustainable if i did a project of this sort :) There isn't any training for special needs in the country...or child centered learning really. SO I am verrrry excited about this project!

FYI here is an example of a lesson done by a teacher at the school:

language:
Is use with the verb ing. Will tell us what action was done in the present. For example:

I is watching tv.
I is eating an apple

was use with teh verb ing. Will tell us what action was done in the pass. for example:
salima was watching tv. Salima did the action soomtime in the pass.


word for word that was written on the board and then the teacher told the kids to copy it as she sat down for the rest of the hours. these kids get two to three of these lessons a day.

Lets just say there is A LOT of work to get done, and I'm so excited to get started!


Other fun things that happend:

A man was cutting grass, took off his facemask, and stopped the machine only to yell at me : WOW, baby, WOW. You are sooo sweet looking, I want you as my wife.

Another man walked up to me and gave me the biggest flower plant thingy ever, and said, beautiful flower for a beautiful girl. It was nice, but then i had to walk around with it all day long=not so nice.

my phone wont stop VIBRATING...funny that that would be the problem that would happen to me.

It was pouring out and a group of dogs came running at me to attack me, i yelled "F*** YOU DOGS" as loud as I could and they all backed off.(i know its inappropriate language, but im even sure my dad would have broke out a cuss word at that point) then I stepped into a puddle and lost my flip flop.

I spoiled myself with vegetarian cheese this month, I'm not sure exactly what "vegetarian cheese" means here, and it doesn't taste nearly as good as anything Wisconsin, but man it made me smile :)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sunday Morning!

FYI: I woke up this morning and have finally mastered the art of killing flies with rubber bands. I must say, it is quite an accomplishment.
At first my fingers would sting all the time, from the release of the rubber band, or my aim would just be completely off and I was pretty much just making the group of flies disperse, but now it's a different story!
Me and the Ollie have contests. This is how I spend my Sunday mornings.

Peace, Love and Rubberbands!!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

If you love life, life will love you right back :)

I started keeping a track record of the times I was called fat or chubby in a day. Its 3pm and its up to 8. Not too bad.

I woke up this morning with a completely different mindset.
Which is basically how i start every one of my mornings,l so no surprise..haha

But today I really felt an urgency to start.
Start a project, start teaching, start writing a grant, start taking care of myself, start putting in all my effort and enthusiasm into this school I have been assigned to.

The first week(last week) was a bit, lets say, hard to swallow.
Here was the headmistresses (the principles)week:
Monday: Nails done for 3 hours
Tuesday: work with another teacher on her assignment for college to be a teacher? weird, 4 hours
Wednesday: play Kangaroo, 2 hours
Thursday: Came in at 1:30, school ends at 2. (it was raining)
Friday: came in at 10:30(it was raining again), get hair done.(2 hours)

It brought me down, seeing this, but lucky for me I had the 53 kids at the special needs school to brighten each and everyone of those days.

I spent last week in the deaf classroom. I worked with a 8 year old that didn't know how to hold a pencil. By Friday she had it down, and was tracing circles.
I also started to work with her on signs. It begins of course with the alphabet and repetitions of signs that guide her throughout the day, such as wash your hands, take a rest, sit down, stand up, color this, trace this etc..
My favorite part of the first day with her was getting her to make the correct hand for the letter "f". She flipped me off for a good 3 minutes during this drill. I couldn't help but laugh.

The other kids in the class are awesome, ages range from 7 to 14. Its hard to see their abilities at the ages they are at. In the states at age 14 a student would be starting algebra, here they are still dong subtraction and addition. So I had them work on keeping the environment clean posters. I read most of them and they had good illustrations of trash cans, picking up trash and not littering. Then I got to this one kids picture and it said :" do not throw hot water on animals" with a bucket and a dog on it. awesome.

There are many things at the school, people would view as downfalls, but the kids seem to put a positive spin on everything(isn't this one of the keys to life?) I view it more as me needing to start to get to work!!

It a different world than I thought, teaching and creating curriculum with zero resources. It challenges me to be better and think further outside the box.

My walk to and from school(its 40ish mins each way) consists of greeting people and admiring the beauty of this country, as well as trying to dodge smoke coming from garbage piles and minibuses speeding on by 2 inches from my body. I give countless kids high fives, which pretty much makes any day better.

But honestly, my day is completely satisfied when I walk into The Alpha House, An orphanage, or really a family, consisting of 30+kids. I started tutoring/teaching them on monday and im not sure if my heart has soared any higher. I have found complete reason for being here with these kids, and two of them are actually my students at the special needs school. I'll describe this place in more detail once i get a moment..because it deserves far more explanation than the last three sentences.

I am so grateful for these feelings, the beginning feelings, when everything seems possible and I have a child's like dreaming ability. I'm hoping I can keep that, and I'm hoping that whoever is reading this can challenge themselves to hold on to that dreaming as well...oh the thinks you can think!!!(yeah i just quoted dr. seuss :))

Peace, Love and New beginnings!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Infestations cant stop me

I spent the last night killing approximately 95 beetles( by spiking them like volleyballs) and 7000 ants that have attacked my house because of the rain..cockroaches were all up in my bed....and trying to cook dinner was harder because I kept getting bitch slapped by flying insects…. yummmy

Cooking dinner infact is a new adventure for me. Using a gas stove is quite a trip because
A. i didn’t know how to hook it up at first so gas leaked everywhere. I was nervous I was gonna blow myself up and
B.I bought crappy matches so it takes me about 9 to get it to light and
C. every time I go to light it I’m afraid I’m gonna light my hand on fire
= it’s a fun game that I recommend everyone try at least once. 

OHhhh Guyana…..

So I have the rest of this week off to go explore the city!!!..New Amsterdam isn’t too big to get around in a day and there are always people out and about.
As I was walking down Strand Street today however, I got spanked by a 70 year old woman with 6 teeth….literally she wound up and palmgrasped my ass….that was not part of integration I thought to myself as it was happening ..but what can you do?

On Easter Sunday Kirsten and I woke up and planted eggs for the kids upstairs to find! It was something they have never done, and it was sooo cool to play the Easter bunny for once!
Then at night I got to go to a amateur body building competition!!!! It was the most hilarious thing I have done here so far...totally took my mind off of not being at home....and not gonna lie, I have never seen so many grown ass men in baby oil!!! Delicious!
. One looked like Frankenstein.. and their faces were priceless with every new pose. One guys theme song was a track from the lion king. It rocked my world...although i think aladdin
"magic carpet ride" could have been better choice…should have told him that, but his bulging biceps were a bit intimidating.

Yesterday I got to fly my spiderman kite. best purchase ever when waiting 25 minutes to cross the bridge…it was either that or a steering wheel cover…tough decision.

Speaking of purchases… I went to buy a rope for putting up my hammock. I wasn’t sure how much I would need so I asked for a few yards....but low and behold in Guyana you can only buy rope by the pound....and just so you know, it only takes 1 pound to hang a hammock and still have some left over :)

Peace, Love and Rope by the pound!!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

I love you baby=my new name

MAN, GUYANA IS HOT! I think I am going to start counting the bottles of baby powder I go through here because I feel like its the only thing that keeps my skin semi dry.....:)!!!

So big changes…= I got on a speedboat from Supenam to Vreed en hoop singing "Mi Got one coal pot in mi belly tak em out lemme see" Its pretty comical to dance to and it involves lots of belly rubbing. We had our last few days of training at Aracari and this was the time I met my counterpart, Zoya. She is the headmistress at the Special Needs school and is FABULOUS. After training we went to a theater in Georgetown where the swearing in ceremony took place. We read an oath out loud with our right hand up and then

ITS OFFICIAL!!! after shimming across the stage(literally) I am now a Peace Corps Volunteer.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...which means I’m going to get really good at killing cockroaches and waking up to tarantulas on my pillow. It was hard leaving the other volunteers but I cant even explain how happy I was to be on my way to work in a school and train teachers...its been quite a mind trip going from student teaching...to teaching....to training teachers all in a years time..

Then, the next day(Wednesday)I traveled from Georgetown to New Amsterdam...my home for the next two years. Its the best of both worlds here. Driving in every 15 feet you feel as if you are in a different place. The homes vary door to door ;rundown wooden "shacks" to cement beautiful houses. Cows are on the sides of the streets and goats awkwardly try to cross without getting hit by a car...or horse.
I got to my place and I walked up to the gate and from the outside it seemed like it could be home...but when I walked in all I saw was a door being locked by a 2x4 and a broken chair. I walked around and noticed that the walls literally looked as if someone pooped on their hands and spread it on the walls. It was empty and unsafe and for the first time I felt not so ready for this life here.
So I made my way up to look at my bed frame and as I moved it 17 cockroaches came scurrying about.
I didn’t know how to react. I felt alone and I couldn’t find a stick big enough to kill all of them.So I sat on my suitcase and thought to myself " this is your life. this is what you always wanted, do not let this break you."

So I didn’t let it. I called another volunteer and her place had two rooms. She welcomed me without hesitation. With that I realized the true beauty of this world lies in people.

I couldnt have been more thankful at that moment. I just breathed in deep and opened my eyes to the wonderful that really is here. The people are so welcoming(and curious) and even though I can’t walk down the street without a cab driver whispering “chubby” at me, or hearing "baby i love you" yelled at me, I truly do believe that this is where I am meant to be…atleast for the next 2 years. 

The next day I saw the school I’ll be teaching at!!
The minute I walked in the gate I smiled. The "playground" was covered in broken swings and long green grass. The school itself is this bright baby blue building with 6 classrooms inside, that each have chalkboards and quite a few desks..some are broken The library is one bookshelf. There is no running water, and there are 5 computers that sometimes work…but to tell you the truth its more than I expected!

Its been an emotional rollercoaster over the last few days...and its crazy to think that if I never came here…I never would have felt these things or experienced how challenged I can be.
I feel as if my future could be anything and that I can direct it whichever way I choose. It’s the most powerful I have ever felt in my life...to take charge of my own world and reality. I wish everyone could have the ability to experience life in this view point. I really do believe that the world would be a more giving place if we were all forced outside our comfort zones.

I think I have encountered enough unexpected surprises to hold me over for now....but man I would love to go on an Easter egg hunt right about now.


Peace, Love and New Begginings!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

My smiles are endless here...along with my sweat production=SEXY.

This week I switched from health training to education, which means I got to teach in a school! I went to Sparta Primary on Thursday. The classrooms had chalk boards(and chalk this time) which was helpful in the phonics lesson me and one of the girls taught. We taught ph and f sounds, and at the end I decided to make them say their "favorite f word"- I’m so glad I never said that in my classroom back in Madison.:) and for once i didn’t even mean it to be naughty like that. (my favorite was phalanges by the way..the kids giggled)

After our lesson I was lead outside by the girls and boys to a cement sitting place where the boys serenaded us with songs and the beat of a bucket.The girls couldn’t stop smiling and giggling and pulling on me every which way. They reaffirmed how much I love kids as well as how badly a lot of them need attention. I gave blow kisses to them all as they walked me to the bus as it was time to leave. They waved so hard I thought their arms were going to break off...I told them I would be back next week. I hope that is a promise Ican keep.

In a different part of my world: My host mom saw me naked. I was drying off with my towel as she walked into my room to show me her new bra. We are extremely comfortable with each other, but I don’t think my own mother has saw that much of my skin since I was 5. She stood there as I yelled "hot momma ..my vagina is showing" she apologized and then looked around the room and said “your windows and curtains are open...everyone can see your vagina."

OWOW …good times …
On a positive note I realize how different my point of view on things are getting…Being in a completely different place, and starting a new chapter in your life really challenges you to take on new perspectives. I have a lot more patience and its becoming easier and easier for me to give and give instead of taking. I think I’m settling too, and realizing what kinds of things I want in my future. I wish everyone could have this experience in their lifetime. I am so gracious for these moments.Piece by piece my heart is becoming full, which only makes the fire inside of it burn for more change for this community…these people in my life and this part of the world I am serving.

One more week of training...Then I swear in and move away from the beauty of the Essequibo coast. Life goes by so fast, I don’t want to miss a thing.

Peace, Love and Education!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Living a dream life

I got my placement on Friday!! OWOWO

I'll be in New Amsterdam (region 6-Berbice) working at a special needs school! My main focus will be training teachers on inclusive Education and sign language implementation(as my site packet states) but I am sure it will become much more than that!! Or at least I am hoping!
I am so grateful that I was placed at school and that there are many opportunities in New Amsterdam to do outreach with secondary projects! I hear the mosquitoes are worse in this region...this thought makes my body quiver in fear  I have more scabs than skin at this point..but besides the mosquitoes..New Amsterdam is going to be my home away from home!

On Saturday we went to Lake Mainstay to celebrate with Culture Day. The water was "black" and when you put your foot in it sank about a foot deep in mud/algae/questionable material. We celebrated with food, music and dancing. Heather and I played a game called “lets see how many places we can put hotdogs and take pictures doing it”= the good life!!!

Sunday I did laundry again. It usually takes me about 2 hours to get it all handwashed,screeched if needed, rinsed and hanging. Its my least favorite when the wind blows sand upon my clothes all night long and I have to rewash them….to be honest..i’m not sure if my clothes ever really get clean.

I am pretending to get used to the heat...it would be much easier if I had a brat and spotted cow ;)

I feel as if I am living a dream life these days...and everything seems to be falling in place like it was meant to be.

Peace, Love and Clean Laundry!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Chubby White Meat Day in the Life

Per Request Here is an example of my day to day life:

Im usually escorted to the bus stop in Suddie by 4 goats with the largest balls you have ever seen .All while being called "hey chubby white meat" by the passersby= Typical start to the day. :)

The days in training at the pink church in Queenstown are becoming long, overwhelming, exciting and fulfilling. We go over language, medical , safety and security, and technical types of issues everyday. In our group of 35 there are both health and education volunteers(capacity building is built into each type)
We get an hour for lunch. I eat cassava, bora,bolangie, and chickpeas every day. Sometimes during lunch we go to Anna Regina—(pronounced like vagina…makes me laugh everytime) to go to the bank or get ice cream !!

Other things for dessert are Mami, which has become my favorite fruit, mostly because of its name and shape. There are drinks called the guzzler and tampioco that are the brightest most superficial color you could ever dream of. And if I want to eat something besides cassava I have “Pizza”, which is topped with hotdogs, corn, carrots and other veggies along with questionable looking cheese and sauce.Still delicious.
I would do extreme things for Diet Coke right now, and tacos!

I take taxis everywhere, unless I am walking. I occasionally go to the sea wall after work to watch kids play cricket. (which i still dont fully understand) drink a beer (wrapped in a napkin) and lime with fellow volunteers.

People "sip"(make sucking noises) at me to get my attention, and sometimes I stop to "gaf" with them(chat) I pass by the market in Suddie every evening and this one girl greets me with the biggest grin,..Im talking full frontal teeth and eyes bright. She holds out her fist so I can bump it and with that little interaction I feel as if my day was happy and I am content. Which I am
Sometimes its a struggle to deal with the visual of issues noticeable here on a day to day basis but only more reason to be here.

After training, I go home and hang out with my host family, which really has become my favorite part of the day. They remind me so much my own family!! And I love them!.

I tuck in my mosquito net after I "bucket bath". Tucking it in usually takes me an unnecessarily long time because I am not coordinated at getting the corners tight. Maybe tonight :)

I miss you all and when I have a free moment, you are all that seems to come to my mind.

Peace, Love, extra Large balls and CHubby white meat!

Friday, March 5, 2010

LIfe is a Journey not a Destination

The heat of the sun warms up this land by 6am everyday.= the beginning of sweat production factory aka my body starts!

People are out on the sandy streets, and last week it was especially busy because of the Mashramani Celebration(a nation wide holiday celebrating hard work) !!! For this celebration everyone dances in the streets as a parade makes its way from one town to the next. It reminded me a lot of homecoming in Johnson Creek. All the organizations made a float and they blast music from them, chanting all sorts of funny things. My favorite was the giant penis being pulled by a girl in glitter and spandex. Keep it Classy, Guyana.

This past week I have been in Vreed-En Hoop. I got to see a secondary school (la Ventura)which confirmed my love for education even more. FYI: I am so excited to get my placement, which i should be getting in a few weeks!

On Monday it was time for another holiday!!!! I played phagwah(its a hindu holiday where you pour powder on eachother symbolizing my blood is your blood) but really you just get extremly messy and in my case are stuck with purple/green and yellow hair...and flourscent pink skin. It was sooooooo fun…we drove to Georgetown to this venue and played withabout 300 people…
And for reals..the PRESIDENT OF GUYANA CAME!!

Its crazy how I’ve met the president of the country after being here just a month!!! 


Peace, Love and Celebrating!(with penis floats!)

Monday, February 22, 2010

mi moh mu mahhhhh (oh my god!)

Guyana has a 5 tier health system. The health post is the bottom line clinic offered in various towns and villages throughout the country.

Last week I went to one in Columbia..about 20 minutes away from Suddie. When I walked in I saw one woman, who happened to be the only worker in the clinic. She said she took a course and now has the job title of community health care worker. She can do limited health work, but provides health care to the community with the knowledge she does have. It is one room no electricity or toilet or soap or gloves are used when the patients get their shots. The needles are thrown away in a cardboard box and moms come in and wait for the vaccines to arrive from the closest hospital. The babies are weighed on a scaled that is never washed…so naked baby after naked baby is placed on it…as well as they have the option of putting them in the single crib.

Its kinda crazy to see the difference but I’m amazed by how easily accessible it still is ..and its free!!!
The moms bring in these child health books which have all the children s medical knowledge and then they also keep a record at the Post. It’s a very unique system, and I definitely think it is amazing how well it works here.

I am very impressed even with all the other things missing...im soo excited to do all the health care talks and clinicals, counseling...basically whatever my job will entail in a health post when I get my placement in two weeks!:) ....:) yay education!!!

It is Mashramani around here so I will be partying Guyanese style tomorrow with the communities. I am excited to seeeee the parade and all the booty dancing they call "whining" while listening to soca and dancehall music!!!.

Best part of the day: The cab driver this morning blasted Celine Dion the entire way to work and had Barbie stickers on his steering wheel....he was atleast 35 years old.These are the things that pretty much make me smile everyday...and everyday its something new :)


mi moh mu mahhhhh (oh my god!) im soooo happy to be here and well. Im hoping these words find you the same. XOXO


Peace, Love and Celine Dion!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Me kno nah some Creolese man

First off, there are Hotdogs in Guyana.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..but they call them sausages(which i am a huge fan of :)! I had my first one last night along with fried plantains=I am still chubby white meat/that is what they call me…along with other unnecessary obscenities.

It is absolutely beautiful here...Im not sure if i have been smiling or sweating more.
We went from Georgetown(the capitol) across a river on a speedboat for an hour to where we are doing our training now in Queenstown, On the Essequibo Coast!. (Me go to the pink chuch in Queenstown nah driver...thats what I tell them):)

I just met my host family yesterday. My Host moms name is Shurene, I call her Hotmomma because it is so hot here...she giggles when I say it…and pretends not to like it, but im positive she does.My host dads name is Grayson..but everyone calls him G. (WHAT UP G!?!) And I have two sisters Candeaca( Candy ) and Sushma( Sushi.)(my two favorite things from back home.)

When i walk down the sanded road i see palm trees and goats,4 kids on one bike and guyanese people "gaffing" in the shade. I get "sipped" at which is their way of getting my attention. (its like sipping out of a straw noise) Im greeted with gudmawnin and gudaftt and gud night. Kids run up and give you high fives and the biggest smiles you have ever seen.

I go to bed under my mosiquito net which I think is pretty fancy and makes me feel like princess.I feel today that this is exactly where I am meant to be.



Peace, Love and Creolese!

Monday, January 4, 2010

I hope they Have HOTDOGS in Guyana

So here it is. A new chapter in my life: Peace Corps. I am leaving in 4 weeks for Guyana, but I have a feeling that if I blink i'll already be on the plane.(hopefully not next to the guy setting his junk on fire)

I have been praying more than ever these days, and I imagine God looking at my prayers as if I said them with a bedazzler...a little too much detail at times, but I just want to get it right.


So here are my words and they will be here for the next two years. :)

Peace, Love and Hotdogs!!!