Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Peace Love and Meaningful Moments
Nine.
I cried harder than I have in years watching this video. You dont realize what you miss till you really miss it...and I am so thankful I have such wonderful family to make sure I dont miss a moment...Especially a meaningful moment like this.....Darius should be a baby model!!!!! So lucky. So cutie. So Love.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
The ASL spelling bee practice round took place today! Traveled to Georgetown with 9 of my kiddos where we learned how the spelling bee would go down and practiced signing and spelling SLOWLY so when its televised, people will be able to learn too!! Our students were rockstars, all of them made it to the second round in just practice!!! I think one of our kids could win this thing when going up against the other schools!! SO exciting.....very happy day...kids cant stop smiling or spelling!!
Peace love and Spelling!!!
Peace love and Spelling!!!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Peace Love and Meaningful Moments
Eight
Sunday morning, caterpillar and I are snuggling in bed while I do some work on the computer. My fan is going, people are marching away, and banging upstairs, and then I hear it. The knock gets louder and louder and more rapid. I get up, leave pillar in a blanket cocoon and unlock my door. To my surprise it is a 9 year old girl I do not know, and her smile is so big. Her Grandma has sent her to collect me for church. I am not dressed for the service that starts in ten minutes, and Kirsten also needed to come over to get her keys. I told the girl I wouldn’t be able to make it today, but tell her thanks so much for coming. She stands there smiling, and then I ask her her name. She responds with “ My name is Nicolette” She then stands there for a second longer and asks “ Please for some water” I say of course and she can come in. She looks up at the map and says to me “ I am not Guyanese, I am from Antigua.” You see that flag up to the left, that’s my countries flag. I giggle and say well do you know where Antigua is on the map, have you ever seen one of these maps? She says know, so I explain that it’s the worlds map and then point out the different continents, where I am from, where we are, and then show her exactly where she is from. Her eyes get big and and I can see her excitement. She tells me next year she is going to be baptized there, and this summer she is flying out. I tell her that’s happening fast, and she says yes. She came over here to spend time with her grandma after her grandpa passed away last year. This summer they are both flying back to Antigua. I say that’s very nice of her to come and stay with her Grandma for so long. And she said its easy, Grandma makes everything fun. Very fun. That made me smile so big, because I thought of my own Grandmother. She then asked if I had ever been to another Caribbean country and I said no I haven’t, but id love to go visit, especially Antigua. She looked at me with bright eyes and said very slowly, “ so you will come then, for a visit?” I looked at her and said id have to find out how much plane tickets cost, as well as maybe ask my own grandma to join us. Because I agree. Grandmas do make everything fun, very fun.
Sunday morning, caterpillar and I are snuggling in bed while I do some work on the computer. My fan is going, people are marching away, and banging upstairs, and then I hear it. The knock gets louder and louder and more rapid. I get up, leave pillar in a blanket cocoon and unlock my door. To my surprise it is a 9 year old girl I do not know, and her smile is so big. Her Grandma has sent her to collect me for church. I am not dressed for the service that starts in ten minutes, and Kirsten also needed to come over to get her keys. I told the girl I wouldn’t be able to make it today, but tell her thanks so much for coming. She stands there smiling, and then I ask her her name. She responds with “ My name is Nicolette” She then stands there for a second longer and asks “ Please for some water” I say of course and she can come in. She looks up at the map and says to me “ I am not Guyanese, I am from Antigua.” You see that flag up to the left, that’s my countries flag. I giggle and say well do you know where Antigua is on the map, have you ever seen one of these maps? She says know, so I explain that it’s the worlds map and then point out the different continents, where I am from, where we are, and then show her exactly where she is from. Her eyes get big and and I can see her excitement. She tells me next year she is going to be baptized there, and this summer she is flying out. I tell her that’s happening fast, and she says yes. She came over here to spend time with her grandma after her grandpa passed away last year. This summer they are both flying back to Antigua. I say that’s very nice of her to come and stay with her Grandma for so long. And she said its easy, Grandma makes everything fun. Very fun. That made me smile so big, because I thought of my own Grandmother. She then asked if I had ever been to another Caribbean country and I said no I haven’t, but id love to go visit, especially Antigua. She looked at me with bright eyes and said very slowly, “ so you will come then, for a visit?” I looked at her and said id have to find out how much plane tickets cost, as well as maybe ask my own grandma to join us. Because I agree. Grandmas do make everything fun, very fun.
Flush it down the toilet
I am overwhelmed. I guess that’s nothing new…although it felt like it this week. So many things to be grateful for: Inclusion teacher training workshops were awesome, started cooking classes with the older students at my school and teachers mentioned they would be interested in having a cooking class too! , had a successful PTA meeting and parents are finally interested in having the support group !!!YAY! it will start in two weeks, led the first People with Disabilities Support group, my program manager came and was very encouraging, I got through with a proposal to teach an ASL course this summer, I got to spend time with kids that I love, I am finally getting things accomplished at my school…I got letters from my momma and dad! Jenny is coming in less than a month, Caterpillar is getting stronger, there were only 2 black outs..haha oh life, its just passing so fast, and really the only thing that is overwhelming me is my living situation.
This week I had someone over and I think they flushed something they shouldn’t have, so my toilet stopped working. Every time you went to flush it, it would fill all the way to the top and take hours to go back down. I had to bucket poop water for about 2 hours one day, just so it didn’t flood my house. After that I told my landlady, she said it was too late in the evening to get anyone, but she would ask a guy for a plunger the next day. The next day came (Wednesday) and I didn’t get home till 6 because of work and therapy. I asked her for the plunger and again she told me the same thing. On Thursday I got home from my workshop up the Corentyne and it still wasn’t working…I asked my landlady for the 3rd time and this time she told me that she wasn’t going to pay or help me or call a plumber, I needed to, then she walked away.
This was day 3 of pooping in plastic bags and peeing in my shower, and I just couldn’t believe how rude and unkind people could be, all because of money. I never really felt like such a burden to someone, and ive never really had someone be so bluntly mean to me.
I know its just a toilet, and its silly to even stress over something like that, especially after having to hear stories of struggles from so many people this week….i just don’t know…I guess I am tired of unkind people….and shitty situations(literally in my case)
Anywho I am lucky. I had one of my favorite teachers husband come over Friday morning and he fixed it in 2 hours( kinda) but then on Saturday it stopped working again, and so I had to go and talk with my landlady one more time. I brought one of my Guyanese friends with me this time, Terrianna. Its funny how here tone in voice automatically changed when she realized someone else was there and told me she could get someone to come, but it wouldn’t be until Thursday. I asker her what I was supposed to do and she just shrugged and started to ramble on and on about how she was just a woman and things cant change instantly..yada yada yada.. She also said that when a man was staying here he would fix his own toilet because she gave it to him in working condition and he should make sure it stays that way…and she wouldn’t ever have to deal with it. ...and that I should be lucky that I have someone who helps and aims to please me all the time and I wouldn’t get it so good in other places. I then said thank you, but I also needed to tell her that I felt like I am a burden to her and so I said that and if she wants me to move out I will gladly start looking for a different place. ( which would be silly because I pay her more than double any local would) She then started raising her voice, telling me she is vexed at me that I would even say that, telling me that she doesn’t like that on and on and on…so she basically was saying she is mad at me for feeling hurt in this situation. Oh man. I just don’t know what to do in this situation anymore. It’s not the end of the world, and I know that I am very lucky to have what I do have. I just hope it doesn’t take more weeks and more of my money that I don’t even make to fix this.
Peace Love and finding good in every situation because there is some.
This week I had someone over and I think they flushed something they shouldn’t have, so my toilet stopped working. Every time you went to flush it, it would fill all the way to the top and take hours to go back down. I had to bucket poop water for about 2 hours one day, just so it didn’t flood my house. After that I told my landlady, she said it was too late in the evening to get anyone, but she would ask a guy for a plunger the next day. The next day came (Wednesday) and I didn’t get home till 6 because of work and therapy. I asked her for the plunger and again she told me the same thing. On Thursday I got home from my workshop up the Corentyne and it still wasn’t working…I asked my landlady for the 3rd time and this time she told me that she wasn’t going to pay or help me or call a plumber, I needed to, then she walked away.
This was day 3 of pooping in plastic bags and peeing in my shower, and I just couldn’t believe how rude and unkind people could be, all because of money. I never really felt like such a burden to someone, and ive never really had someone be so bluntly mean to me.
I know its just a toilet, and its silly to even stress over something like that, especially after having to hear stories of struggles from so many people this week….i just don’t know…I guess I am tired of unkind people….and shitty situations(literally in my case)
Anywho I am lucky. I had one of my favorite teachers husband come over Friday morning and he fixed it in 2 hours( kinda) but then on Saturday it stopped working again, and so I had to go and talk with my landlady one more time. I brought one of my Guyanese friends with me this time, Terrianna. Its funny how here tone in voice automatically changed when she realized someone else was there and told me she could get someone to come, but it wouldn’t be until Thursday. I asker her what I was supposed to do and she just shrugged and started to ramble on and on about how she was just a woman and things cant change instantly..yada yada yada.. She also said that when a man was staying here he would fix his own toilet because she gave it to him in working condition and he should make sure it stays that way…and she wouldn’t ever have to deal with it. ...and that I should be lucky that I have someone who helps and aims to please me all the time and I wouldn’t get it so good in other places. I then said thank you, but I also needed to tell her that I felt like I am a burden to her and so I said that and if she wants me to move out I will gladly start looking for a different place. ( which would be silly because I pay her more than double any local would) She then started raising her voice, telling me she is vexed at me that I would even say that, telling me that she doesn’t like that on and on and on…so she basically was saying she is mad at me for feeling hurt in this situation. Oh man. I just don’t know what to do in this situation anymore. It’s not the end of the world, and I know that I am very lucky to have what I do have. I just hope it doesn’t take more weeks and more of my money that I don’t even make to fix this.
Peace Love and finding good in every situation because there is some.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Peace Love and Meaningful Moments
Five.
Carlon is 8 today. He is running around with his brother Linroy, and his friend Jaheim. He lives approximately 8 houses away from me and I see him atleast once a day. He is thoughtful, quiet, kind, and just like any other 8 year old, he likes to play. He easily plays the big brother roll, always sharing his sandwich, his banana, his coloring page, his pencil. If he has it, and you even hint at the fact that you’d like some or want to use it, he willingly gives it up, never asking for anything in return. Can you believe that? An 8 year old so selfless….i’ve never met a kid like him and with all our moments together I have become so grateful for this child. Today was his birthday. I didn’t know this until 4:30 p.m. He is running outside with a net fishing in the trench with his buddies. I yell happy birthday after his sister marvela told me. He said “thank you”. It was a simple exchange, yet a heartfelt smile went into it in both ends. I asked him what he got for his birthday. He said 500 Guyanese Dollars($2.50 US). I then asked if he spent it all already, and he said yes…I went and bought a drink for my family. This 8 year old child took his birthday present and decided to share it. If only every person viewed the world and celebrations like this, the world would be a much happier place. Happy Birthday Carl.
Six.
Sunday morning, Mothers day. The plan was to wake up at 4:30 am to start the nurses health walk at 5:00am. Well, I wake up, get ready…but there is a different plan in mind. We meet Mr. Hazel, the guy who told us about the walk in the first place. He is on the side of the road and waves for us to come over. He says that the walk isn’t organized enough….there isn’t water, so we are going to do some aerobics instead. Oh boy I thought. He has us running in a 15 foot space, back and forth, back and forth. I am getting dizzy around the 18th lap, and then he adds a new twist…have to bend down and touch our toes. We do this for literally 20 mins. This is located right off the main road, it’s a 50 year old man, and 3 white girls, maybe an 11 year old(his son) and his nephew who is 3. I don’t really understand what is going on, but we continue…and then after we are “warmed up” we jog on over to his place. He breaks out some music, and then the jumping, and punching and kicking and standing up crunches begin. He tells us he wants us to have a nice time….his 11 year old son is also video recording us for some weird reason. It wasn’t creepy..well maybe a little. But his wife came out and was doing it with us, so it didn’t feel as awkward. Here we are 3 Americans, at the bottom of this mans house at 5 am, dancing and laughing and in disbelief that this is really happening. It was one of my favorite moments here, a moment where you really just have to look around and say to yourself…yes, this is my life. I guess I know whats goin on at 5 in the morning when I hear the music play.
Seven
I was on my way to the grocery when I saw it. The smallest kitten, with the fiercest Meow. Maybe 2-3 weeks old, she was left on the side of the street without any of her sisters or brothers, and her mom wasn’t in sight. She was crawling on the ground…barely strong enough to move herself. I fell in love with her right there….right as I bent down and noticed she looked exactly like a caterpillar, only bigger. Pillar her name is. I am feeding her with a syringe. If she survives, I will call her butterfly. I hope I can nurture her in my cocoon.
Carlon is 8 today. He is running around with his brother Linroy, and his friend Jaheim. He lives approximately 8 houses away from me and I see him atleast once a day. He is thoughtful, quiet, kind, and just like any other 8 year old, he likes to play. He easily plays the big brother roll, always sharing his sandwich, his banana, his coloring page, his pencil. If he has it, and you even hint at the fact that you’d like some or want to use it, he willingly gives it up, never asking for anything in return. Can you believe that? An 8 year old so selfless….i’ve never met a kid like him and with all our moments together I have become so grateful for this child. Today was his birthday. I didn’t know this until 4:30 p.m. He is running outside with a net fishing in the trench with his buddies. I yell happy birthday after his sister marvela told me. He said “thank you”. It was a simple exchange, yet a heartfelt smile went into it in both ends. I asked him what he got for his birthday. He said 500 Guyanese Dollars($2.50 US). I then asked if he spent it all already, and he said yes…I went and bought a drink for my family. This 8 year old child took his birthday present and decided to share it. If only every person viewed the world and celebrations like this, the world would be a much happier place. Happy Birthday Carl.
Six.
Sunday morning, Mothers day. The plan was to wake up at 4:30 am to start the nurses health walk at 5:00am. Well, I wake up, get ready…but there is a different plan in mind. We meet Mr. Hazel, the guy who told us about the walk in the first place. He is on the side of the road and waves for us to come over. He says that the walk isn’t organized enough….there isn’t water, so we are going to do some aerobics instead. Oh boy I thought. He has us running in a 15 foot space, back and forth, back and forth. I am getting dizzy around the 18th lap, and then he adds a new twist…have to bend down and touch our toes. We do this for literally 20 mins. This is located right off the main road, it’s a 50 year old man, and 3 white girls, maybe an 11 year old(his son) and his nephew who is 3. I don’t really understand what is going on, but we continue…and then after we are “warmed up” we jog on over to his place. He breaks out some music, and then the jumping, and punching and kicking and standing up crunches begin. He tells us he wants us to have a nice time….his 11 year old son is also video recording us for some weird reason. It wasn’t creepy..well maybe a little. But his wife came out and was doing it with us, so it didn’t feel as awkward. Here we are 3 Americans, at the bottom of this mans house at 5 am, dancing and laughing and in disbelief that this is really happening. It was one of my favorite moments here, a moment where you really just have to look around and say to yourself…yes, this is my life. I guess I know whats goin on at 5 in the morning when I hear the music play.
Seven
I was on my way to the grocery when I saw it. The smallest kitten, with the fiercest Meow. Maybe 2-3 weeks old, she was left on the side of the street without any of her sisters or brothers, and her mom wasn’t in sight. She was crawling on the ground…barely strong enough to move herself. I fell in love with her right there….right as I bent down and noticed she looked exactly like a caterpillar, only bigger. Pillar her name is. I am feeding her with a syringe. If she survives, I will call her butterfly. I hope I can nurture her in my cocoon.
Peace Love and Meaningful Moments
Four.
The night was stealing sleep from my body, as I woke up in a bed, In one piece, in good health, with my friends and family in my thoughts and prayers. The air was warm, the breeze was light. There was no sound in the air except for animals, and a rooster that was crowing at 4:30 a.m.(roosters in Guyana have to be the dumbest animals ever) anywho. I was awake, it was early morning and I wanted to see the morning sunrise. I got out of bed, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up in a nubkin pony tail because I only have 5 pieces and headed out the door in flip flops and pjs. I get to my gate and unlock it and step outside. To my surprise I look over to my right and meet the gaze of 3 men, my neighbors. They are sitting outside, in silence. I approach them with a bit of a hesitant goodmorning. They respond with smiles and morning as well, and asked me what I was doing out so early. I responded with I wanted to see the sunrise and then asked them the same. They told me that they get up every morning at 3:3o or so and come out there and sit with eachother. Sometimes they talk, sometimes they are silent, but mostly they are there to enjoy eachothers company and bring in the new day with eachother. What a brilliant idea I thought. Its hard enough for me to get out of bed at 6, but they find it easy, because they enjoy those moments when they first get up and know exactly who they are going to start the day with and when. I love that idea, and believe each of us should have moments that start are day on the right foot. Just maybe not at 3:30 a.m.
The night was stealing sleep from my body, as I woke up in a bed, In one piece, in good health, with my friends and family in my thoughts and prayers. The air was warm, the breeze was light. There was no sound in the air except for animals, and a rooster that was crowing at 4:30 a.m.(roosters in Guyana have to be the dumbest animals ever) anywho. I was awake, it was early morning and I wanted to see the morning sunrise. I got out of bed, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up in a nubkin pony tail because I only have 5 pieces and headed out the door in flip flops and pjs. I get to my gate and unlock it and step outside. To my surprise I look over to my right and meet the gaze of 3 men, my neighbors. They are sitting outside, in silence. I approach them with a bit of a hesitant goodmorning. They respond with smiles and morning as well, and asked me what I was doing out so early. I responded with I wanted to see the sunrise and then asked them the same. They told me that they get up every morning at 3:3o or so and come out there and sit with eachother. Sometimes they talk, sometimes they are silent, but mostly they are there to enjoy eachothers company and bring in the new day with eachother. What a brilliant idea I thought. Its hard enough for me to get out of bed at 6, but they find it easy, because they enjoy those moments when they first get up and know exactly who they are going to start the day with and when. I love that idea, and believe each of us should have moments that start are day on the right foot. Just maybe not at 3:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My First Published Article!!
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/features/05/03/nurturing-your-children%E2%80%99s-learning/
Peace Love and Meaningful Moments
Three
Its Easter Sunday. The sun is shining bright, the clouds are shaped into circuses of animals and things, and kites are filling up the sky like a the God just shook the world like a snow globe and filling it with colors. After 16 hourse of driving I look up to see these kites…and there he is. A stranger, a child I have never met, standing on top of 20 foot pile of sand. His eyes are laughing like my grandpas used to. He is a warrior of kite flyers with his flying high and breezing well. It is blue and wooden; hand made. I bet he made it himself. I didn’t have time to ask, but with his smile bright I couldnt help but stare. He looked down from his high pile and saw me in the bus…with a group of tired adults. He locked eyes with me for a long moment and in that moment I felt as if I were ten again too. With that look he told me to stay young at heart. To not forget the feeling of being young and enjoying the moment. I have to say…I enjoyed this one very much. After a long journey, a childs gaze filling my heart with passion for life and fun, was exactly what I needed. Exactly what should never be forgotten.
Its Easter Sunday. The sun is shining bright, the clouds are shaped into circuses of animals and things, and kites are filling up the sky like a the God just shook the world like a snow globe and filling it with colors. After 16 hourse of driving I look up to see these kites…and there he is. A stranger, a child I have never met, standing on top of 20 foot pile of sand. His eyes are laughing like my grandpas used to. He is a warrior of kite flyers with his flying high and breezing well. It is blue and wooden; hand made. I bet he made it himself. I didn’t have time to ask, but with his smile bright I couldnt help but stare. He looked down from his high pile and saw me in the bus…with a group of tired adults. He locked eyes with me for a long moment and in that moment I felt as if I were ten again too. With that look he told me to stay young at heart. To not forget the feeling of being young and enjoying the moment. I have to say…I enjoyed this one very much. After a long journey, a childs gaze filling my heart with passion for life and fun, was exactly what I needed. Exactly what should never be forgotten.
RockyRoad, and not like the icecream
It all started with a Nuggle.
This nuggle is a little peanut caramel chocolate delight and also my new favorite word. . I bought one at the gas station in Georgetown that we were meeting the bus at. The gas station that sells magazines, oil of olay soap and diet pepsi….where am I, I thought?!
I was overwhelmed by the choices of candy and food that I settled on something I’ve never had, and lets just say I don’t regret my decision. Nuggle.
Meeting at 8:30 turned into leaving at 11:30…because..well..just because it is Guyana.
I met the conductor Gary, and our driver Don and a whole crew of 30 others that were ready for the journey down to Lethem as well. (other Peace Corps Volunteers, some VSO a forestry guy, world teach, Guyanese etc) The prediction was a 15-20 hour drive, reasonably 500 km away on unpaved roads will do this to you…
We packed in, 4 to a row. I sat behind the conductor because I told him I wanted to practice being one too. The bus was so packed he actually had to sit on a bucket……
boooom we were offfffffff
So it started with a smooth 1.5 hours , then a 20 minute wait at a random house where Kirsten and I peed between two semi’s that had a bear head concrete statue thingy between. I pretended he was my protector cuz it was dark…but that didn’t protect me from Kirstens stream!! Ahhh I thought..but then I realized im gonna be on a bus for awhile anywho…nothing to get grossed out by Get back on the ride and
Then the bumps began…30 packed into this vehicle and me next to a window= a constant window bump to the side of my head… luggage on our lap because there is no compartments..and music has stopped because of the road…The only noise to hear was the shifting of gears, and the rattling of the entire bus. It kinda reminded me of our family road trips to Florida…where my siblings told me to hold the van door because the rattling was annoying so I had to keep my foot on it the entire time….only this time, the rattling was everywhere…and my foot against the door didn’t help!!
I closed my eyes because it was 2 a.m. but sleep never visited me that night…although I pretended to a lot….2 stops 2 pees later, I decided to stop drinking water, when I scraped my legs on bush twigs…as well as noticed that we were in the middle of nowhere.. Looking around there was one dirt road…nothing to the sides for miles and miles except jungle. I got dizzy watching the trees pass by…couldn’t even see over the tops of them as the sun rose.
There was a point in the first 12 hours when we met a hill too large and started up it…the bus couldn’t handle it, although the conductor told me it was only because I was on it we were not getting up that hill driving. So we get out and walk. Walk on a red dirt road that has ridges from rain and wind….like a wash board.
. We make it up…and then 2 hours later we make it half way and we are in Irokrama. If you ever closed your eyes and pictured peacefulness, this was it with trees and rivers so beautiful its as if they were cut outs from a snowglobe of landscape…without snow…so simple. So evident of the fact that it was untouched by outside forces.
We get out of the vehicle and cross the river on a fairy. Classy jillian fell and broke her flip flop in the water..…14 hours later…
We are on the dusty trail for 2 more hours….its 4 p.m. and sun is starting to shine not as heavy. With the 30 seats next to me, we meet a line of vehicles. A line of vehicles from a fairy that passed before us an hour ago..as well as vehicles that were 2, 3 and 4 hours ahead of us….hmmmmmmmmm whats going on?! We got out and started walking in the heavy rained on mud. Oh did I mention it was down pouring before we crossed the river? Im soaked, muddy and sliding through the mud to get to the bridge. The wooden bridge that is the cause of the hold up. And there it is. A military like vehicle…with a tarp over its back has glided off the bridge and has broken a chunk of the bridge as well as is stuck in a way that nothing larger than a van can pass. Apparently it has been here in the middle of nowhere for 4 hours….where’s Triple A, I think to myself.
Vehicles are switching tires to get them small enough to sneak past, but now a vehicle is stuck with it….how are we going to get it out without the military vehicle falling over to the creek and snapping the bridges stand?????
An hour more and the vehicle that was stuck between wiggled through…and is off to Lethem as quick as he got through. We are left behind with a stuck truck..and no equipment to move it…..except when a vehicle shows up around 6:15. The sun is starting to set as they are removing all that is in the back of the stuck truck…..soda, onions, potatoes, bicycles, beams, mattresses, bags of rice, beer. I’m tempted to jump on little orange bike with my bag and start riding the next 10 hour ride, however someone handed me a beer..so I thought to myself…well atleast I am not going to die.
Another hour passes. I get stuck in the mud. The vehicle however amazingly gets unstuck..without falling sideways!!
YAY WE ARE FREEE!!!!
We pile back in the bus…smiles on our faces!! We are not stuck!! OWOWO but then there is a little muster from the engine…oh NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We get out to push and as the driver puts it in reverse it is revved up enough to start…we take offffffffffff!!!
We drive 4 more hours till we get to food and water. I stuff my face with a butter flap pastry, that is really just pastry and get two waters. Everyone stops and eats for about 30 mins..then back onto the bus because we are told its just 2 more hours….
The 2 hour mark passes and I am ready to sleep…but stay up just to see us reach. Then the 3 hour mark passes and I am so over anxious I am laughing outloud and inside breaking bit by bit. Then the 4 hour mark comes and the driver is tired so he pulls over to take a 30 min nap. We stand outside…look at the full moon and the mountains in the distance. Im so giddy I decide to take off my panties….mainly because they are still wet from the downpour before and its not my favorite feeling.
We pile back in. The 4.5 hour mark is approaching and I see a light finally!! The light comes…and then goes…..and another hour later I realize that light is just a distance dot. 6 hours into …after crossing over countless almost broken bridges I see it. A red shinning light…and that my friends I was told was LETHEM!
AHHH my heart is screaming with excitement…we made it we made it!! I want to yell but only look around me to see disappointed stares or sleeping with their mouth open faces. 20 mins later we enter. A town that looks nothing like the Guyana I know or am sharing my life with. A Guyana that is savannahs and quiet. A Guyana that meets me with a peaceful calm.
Here was some Highlights of the next 1. 5 days when we were not on the bus:
1. Stayed at Auntie Foo’s….a kind woman who woke up and made us all breakfast. Porridge, hotdogs and eggs…and bread that actually tasted like grandmas…something that I didn’t believe was possible…but Grandma, she’s got your recipe!!
2. Rodeo!!! Whats more to say about listening to country and watching men buck on bulls and horses. They actually had so many cowboys they had to reuse the horses…they were so tired at some points that they bucked for a second then rested…bucked again….very anticlimactic…buttttttttttttt my favorite one was when they opened the gate after sattling a man up..and the bull just layed down.
3. Ferris wheel….3 bumper cars..one named bob espongi and meat on a stick
4. A jewelry man Lawrence
5. a gambling table game called chic chic
6. beautiful sunset
7. even more beautiful waterfall(Kumu Falls)
8. monkeys, birds and nature
9. Kite flying…millions of kites…it’s a tradition here to fly them on Easter Sunday and Monday….its one of the most freeing sights….definetly a tradition id like to keep with my own family someday
So many things to challenge you..so many things to fall in love with. Like everyday life, only in a journey do you realize the good will always out weigh the challenge…and the next day will come to show you the luckiness you truly have.
Peace Love and an unforgettable Journey
This nuggle is a little peanut caramel chocolate delight and also my new favorite word. . I bought one at the gas station in Georgetown that we were meeting the bus at. The gas station that sells magazines, oil of olay soap and diet pepsi….where am I, I thought?!
I was overwhelmed by the choices of candy and food that I settled on something I’ve never had, and lets just say I don’t regret my decision. Nuggle.
Meeting at 8:30 turned into leaving at 11:30…because..well..just because it is Guyana.
I met the conductor Gary, and our driver Don and a whole crew of 30 others that were ready for the journey down to Lethem as well. (other Peace Corps Volunteers, some VSO a forestry guy, world teach, Guyanese etc) The prediction was a 15-20 hour drive, reasonably 500 km away on unpaved roads will do this to you…
We packed in, 4 to a row. I sat behind the conductor because I told him I wanted to practice being one too. The bus was so packed he actually had to sit on a bucket……
boooom we were offfffffff
So it started with a smooth 1.5 hours , then a 20 minute wait at a random house where Kirsten and I peed between two semi’s that had a bear head concrete statue thingy between. I pretended he was my protector cuz it was dark…but that didn’t protect me from Kirstens stream!! Ahhh I thought..but then I realized im gonna be on a bus for awhile anywho…nothing to get grossed out by Get back on the ride and
Then the bumps began…30 packed into this vehicle and me next to a window= a constant window bump to the side of my head… luggage on our lap because there is no compartments..and music has stopped because of the road…The only noise to hear was the shifting of gears, and the rattling of the entire bus. It kinda reminded me of our family road trips to Florida…where my siblings told me to hold the van door because the rattling was annoying so I had to keep my foot on it the entire time….only this time, the rattling was everywhere…and my foot against the door didn’t help!!
I closed my eyes because it was 2 a.m. but sleep never visited me that night…although I pretended to a lot….2 stops 2 pees later, I decided to stop drinking water, when I scraped my legs on bush twigs…as well as noticed that we were in the middle of nowhere.. Looking around there was one dirt road…nothing to the sides for miles and miles except jungle. I got dizzy watching the trees pass by…couldn’t even see over the tops of them as the sun rose.
There was a point in the first 12 hours when we met a hill too large and started up it…the bus couldn’t handle it, although the conductor told me it was only because I was on it we were not getting up that hill driving. So we get out and walk. Walk on a red dirt road that has ridges from rain and wind….like a wash board.
. We make it up…and then 2 hours later we make it half way and we are in Irokrama. If you ever closed your eyes and pictured peacefulness, this was it with trees and rivers so beautiful its as if they were cut outs from a snowglobe of landscape…without snow…so simple. So evident of the fact that it was untouched by outside forces.
We get out of the vehicle and cross the river on a fairy. Classy jillian fell and broke her flip flop in the water..…14 hours later…
We are on the dusty trail for 2 more hours….its 4 p.m. and sun is starting to shine not as heavy. With the 30 seats next to me, we meet a line of vehicles. A line of vehicles from a fairy that passed before us an hour ago..as well as vehicles that were 2, 3 and 4 hours ahead of us….hmmmmmmmmm whats going on?! We got out and started walking in the heavy rained on mud. Oh did I mention it was down pouring before we crossed the river? Im soaked, muddy and sliding through the mud to get to the bridge. The wooden bridge that is the cause of the hold up. And there it is. A military like vehicle…with a tarp over its back has glided off the bridge and has broken a chunk of the bridge as well as is stuck in a way that nothing larger than a van can pass. Apparently it has been here in the middle of nowhere for 4 hours….where’s Triple A, I think to myself.
Vehicles are switching tires to get them small enough to sneak past, but now a vehicle is stuck with it….how are we going to get it out without the military vehicle falling over to the creek and snapping the bridges stand?????
An hour more and the vehicle that was stuck between wiggled through…and is off to Lethem as quick as he got through. We are left behind with a stuck truck..and no equipment to move it…..except when a vehicle shows up around 6:15. The sun is starting to set as they are removing all that is in the back of the stuck truck…..soda, onions, potatoes, bicycles, beams, mattresses, bags of rice, beer. I’m tempted to jump on little orange bike with my bag and start riding the next 10 hour ride, however someone handed me a beer..so I thought to myself…well atleast I am not going to die.
Another hour passes. I get stuck in the mud. The vehicle however amazingly gets unstuck..without falling sideways!!
YAY WE ARE FREEE!!!!
We pile back in the bus…smiles on our faces!! We are not stuck!! OWOWO but then there is a little muster from the engine…oh NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We get out to push and as the driver puts it in reverse it is revved up enough to start…we take offffffffffff!!!
We drive 4 more hours till we get to food and water. I stuff my face with a butter flap pastry, that is really just pastry and get two waters. Everyone stops and eats for about 30 mins..then back onto the bus because we are told its just 2 more hours….
The 2 hour mark passes and I am ready to sleep…but stay up just to see us reach. Then the 3 hour mark passes and I am so over anxious I am laughing outloud and inside breaking bit by bit. Then the 4 hour mark comes and the driver is tired so he pulls over to take a 30 min nap. We stand outside…look at the full moon and the mountains in the distance. Im so giddy I decide to take off my panties….mainly because they are still wet from the downpour before and its not my favorite feeling.
We pile back in. The 4.5 hour mark is approaching and I see a light finally!! The light comes…and then goes…..and another hour later I realize that light is just a distance dot. 6 hours into …after crossing over countless almost broken bridges I see it. A red shinning light…and that my friends I was told was LETHEM!
AHHH my heart is screaming with excitement…we made it we made it!! I want to yell but only look around me to see disappointed stares or sleeping with their mouth open faces. 20 mins later we enter. A town that looks nothing like the Guyana I know or am sharing my life with. A Guyana that is savannahs and quiet. A Guyana that meets me with a peaceful calm.
Here was some Highlights of the next 1. 5 days when we were not on the bus:
1. Stayed at Auntie Foo’s….a kind woman who woke up and made us all breakfast. Porridge, hotdogs and eggs…and bread that actually tasted like grandmas…something that I didn’t believe was possible…but Grandma, she’s got your recipe!!
2. Rodeo!!! Whats more to say about listening to country and watching men buck on bulls and horses. They actually had so many cowboys they had to reuse the horses…they were so tired at some points that they bucked for a second then rested…bucked again….very anticlimactic…buttttttttttttt my favorite one was when they opened the gate after sattling a man up..and the bull just layed down.
3. Ferris wheel….3 bumper cars..one named bob espongi and meat on a stick
4. A jewelry man Lawrence
5. a gambling table game called chic chic
6. beautiful sunset
7. even more beautiful waterfall(Kumu Falls)
8. monkeys, birds and nature
9. Kite flying…millions of kites…it’s a tradition here to fly them on Easter Sunday and Monday….its one of the most freeing sights….definetly a tradition id like to keep with my own family someday
So many things to challenge you..so many things to fall in love with. Like everyday life, only in a journey do you realize the good will always out weigh the challenge…and the next day will come to show you the luckiness you truly have.
Peace Love and an unforgettable Journey
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