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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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)

School Art Projects!

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!

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

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.

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