Hellooooooo blog-a-log:)
So much has happened since I last wrote! Here are a few of the highlights...
I now know where I am going to be living for the next two years of my life WOOT WOOT! I will be working at a hospital in Rosignol which is a suburb outside of New Amsterdam (the second largest city in Guyana). It was my first choice so I am very excited about it. The job sounds amazing and there are a lot of opportunities for secondary projects (can you say Ultimate Club?!?). Rosignol is right on the Berbice river and close to the coast. It's about an hour outside of Georgetown and 2 hours away from Surinam which is supposedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The only downfall my placement is that the area is flat, bare, and somewhat ugly compared to the rest of the country. Which is a shame because Guyana has so much beauty to offer. I guess I'll just have to visit other volunteers to have the "wilderness experience" I was imagining.
I only have one week left with my host family which is exciting and upsetting all at the same time. I'm very excited to get to my new place and have some alone time. I am surrounded by people constantly. I have not been alone for more than an hour since I've been here (besides sleeping) which is starting to make me a little crazy. I just have to remind myself that I will be alone all of the time when I get to Rosignol so I should take advantage of the time I have left with my host family. They really are amazing women and they've taught me so much in the little time I have known them. I'm going to miss playing Uno every night and watching Oprah with them!
Last weekend we had "culture day" at Lake Mainstay Resort. It was a lot of fun! I was able to teach some Guyanese Children how to play Ultimate and swim around. The water at the lake is called Black Water. It's supposed to be very healing but it smelled funny and the bottom of the lake was nasty. You couldn't really stand up because it was so soft you just sink down. We had a fashion show where one of the guys in our group strutted his stuff in a diaper. It was a beautiful thing and one of the highlights of my time here thus far.
Some frustrating events that happened at home have caused me to do some serious introspection. It's crazy how an experience like this can make you re-evaluate who you are completely. I find that I am constantly questioning my beliefs and behaviors here. I think a lot of it is because I am surrounded by people who don't really know me yet, and because I'm not totally comfortable around them I haven't been my self. I'm quiet and shy here (didn't think that was ever possible) and don't know what to say or how to express myself. Before coming here I was so confidant in who I was and who I would become. But being here makes me doubt... it's very humbling. I look at this situation as an opportunity for self-improvement. I wanted to come here to find out who I really am and what I want in life and I think it's completely natural to have these doubts at some point in life. I think this experience will only make me stronger.
Regardless of these doubts. I really am enjoying my time here. I have made some amazing friends and have learned to celebrate the little things in life (ie: having normal bowel movements). AND I'm slowly learning some Creolese. Nah take no worries man is like the Guayanese version of Hakuna Matatta. I'm learning how to cook some delicious Guyanese dishes and Roushanna has taught me some sweet dance moves (I taught her the running man). I saw the largest spider the other night and only screamed a little :).
Next week we have our "swearing in" where I officially become a Volunteer!!!!! I am so happy to be finished with training! Although I am going to miss seeing everyone every day.
Okay! I think that's about all that is new in my world. Hope everyone is doing well! Peace and soooooo much love :)
-Annie
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
1 Month!!!
The past couple of weeks since I last wrote have flown by! Last week we received our site packets which included all of the information we need to know about each site where we might be placed. It was very overwhelming, but I have narrowed it down to my top 5 sites and my bottom 3. Now, I have to write an essay to convince my placement officers to put me in my top 5 and not in my bottom 3. Hurray for homework!
For the past week, I was on my host volunteer visit. Where I stayed with a current volunteer, went to work with her, met members of her community etc. It was AMAZING! I am so glad I got the chance to see what it's actually going to be like once I'm finished with training. My host volunteer is a bad-ass. She works at a health center in the mornings and a secondary school in the afternoons. She also gives free pilates lessons to the women in her community 3 days a week. She lives right out side of New Amsterdam, which is the second largest city in Guyana. I loved the location and am hoping to be place in that region.
I got there on Saturday and my host volunteer's neighbors took us to this place called New Forrest. The Canje river flows through it and it was beautiful! One of the boys with us shimmied up a coconut tree and threw some down for us to eat. The father, chopped them up with his cutlass and we drank the milk straight out of it and tried the jelly inside (delicious!). Then I had a guava from a tree, fished with a net (didn't catch anything) and ate cane. It was so much fun!
On Monday, we celebrated the Hindu holiday Phagwah (pronounced pog-wa). Basically all you do is run around throwing different colored powder on anyone who wants to play. It was so much fun! I was covered from head to foot and had an orange stained upper lip for a couple of days (looked like I had a sweet stache growing). My host volunteer also had a pet dog named Riesling. She is the cutest thing ever and I plan on taking her once her owner leaves. She's a Peace Corps pup and has been passed down from other volunteers for years. Let's see... what else was awesome about my visit... I had salad twice! I had 7 curry for the first time. I went to a parade. I played catch phrase with some other volunteers. I got to weigh babies and help new mothers join the clinic. I got to read "Are you my Mother?" to some 2nd graders, I laid in a hammock for hours and I met some really cool people.
I got back to the coast yesterday and even though I had an amazing time on my visit, it's good to be back. My host family is so happy to have me here. It's nice to feel so loved!
I still miss everyone every day. But am starting to feel like I can finally call Guyana home. I hope everyone is doing well! I love and miss you all:)
For the past week, I was on my host volunteer visit. Where I stayed with a current volunteer, went to work with her, met members of her community etc. It was AMAZING! I am so glad I got the chance to see what it's actually going to be like once I'm finished with training. My host volunteer is a bad-ass. She works at a health center in the mornings and a secondary school in the afternoons. She also gives free pilates lessons to the women in her community 3 days a week. She lives right out side of New Amsterdam, which is the second largest city in Guyana. I loved the location and am hoping to be place in that region.
I got there on Saturday and my host volunteer's neighbors took us to this place called New Forrest. The Canje river flows through it and it was beautiful! One of the boys with us shimmied up a coconut tree and threw some down for us to eat. The father, chopped them up with his cutlass and we drank the milk straight out of it and tried the jelly inside (delicious!). Then I had a guava from a tree, fished with a net (didn't catch anything) and ate cane. It was so much fun!
On Monday, we celebrated the Hindu holiday Phagwah (pronounced pog-wa). Basically all you do is run around throwing different colored powder on anyone who wants to play. It was so much fun! I was covered from head to foot and had an orange stained upper lip for a couple of days (looked like I had a sweet stache growing). My host volunteer also had a pet dog named Riesling. She is the cutest thing ever and I plan on taking her once her owner leaves. She's a Peace Corps pup and has been passed down from other volunteers for years. Let's see... what else was awesome about my visit... I had salad twice! I had 7 curry for the first time. I went to a parade. I played catch phrase with some other volunteers. I got to weigh babies and help new mothers join the clinic. I got to read "Are you my Mother?" to some 2nd graders, I laid in a hammock for hours and I met some really cool people.
I got back to the coast yesterday and even though I had an amazing time on my visit, it's good to be back. My host family is so happy to have me here. It's nice to feel so loved!
I still miss everyone every day. But am starting to feel like I can finally call Guyana home. I hope everyone is doing well! I love and miss you all:)
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