End of Training, Linden Life Begins

Here are some photos from our last few weeks of training:

 

Linden Life: 

Soaked through, we walked beneath a massive rainstorm. It was our first storm here in country, but it won’t be the last. We’re finally placed at our site and it’s wonderful. We drove down here the other day with all our stuff. It was hilarious to watch the four of us “white people” take up the 8 rows in the back of large bus. And after getting to Linden we drove around looking for our house, which no one really knew where to find it. We had to call our landlady to give us proper direction, but it all worked out in the end.

Tony, Sara, Chelsea, and I all live in the same house. Tony and Sara live on the bottom in their own respective apartments, while Chelsea and I live on the top floor. There isn’t much here just a couch, a table, a few chairs, and a bed.  We were also left some plates, cutlery, and teacups. Though we each live in our own space we tend to gather upstairs to eat dinner and watch movies, crowded around our computer.  

We’ve been to market and met many, many people from market vendors to friends of friends who knew we were here, to just people on the street who stop us to have a “gaff” (I mean 4 white people walking through the streets is not exactly inconspicuous.)  Anyway, so far the people have been simply amazing.

But here are couple little vignettes to share, I am sure Tony can tell the tale with more humor and vigor, but I’ll give it my best shot.

On our first morning Tony’s counterpart came by and said she’d walk us around town for a bit, but first she wanted us to meet the Regional Health Officer (RHO), who is in charge all the hospitals in the Administrative Region. So we go the regional office, shaking hands describing our situation. Eventually, we make it to the back the building and a suit-clad woman walks out from the door at the end of the hall. This is the RHO we intended to meet. We give our introductions and mention that we hope we can work together in the future. She goes back to the meeting.

Out she comes again, “Excuse, excuse, but the policy-makers want to meet you,” she says. With our eyes wide with excitement mixed with nervousness we agree to go in. We walk in and see a circle of tables fill the room. There are a couple of tables to the sides with clerks taking copious notes on the proceedings and then they make a motion to suspend the meeting to introduce us!  For perspective, think of yourself walking into the State Legislature and them stopping whatever they are doing to introduce you. Granted, this was on a much smaller scale, but it was still a pretty big deal. So basically we have been officially introduced into the record of the region.

So here’s another story I like to call “4 white folks and a big bunch of rope”. We were setting up our clothesline this morning when our 3 lbs of yellow line became unfurled and turned into a giant tangled knot. Sara organized the line, while Tony and Chelsea were attempting to tie our line to “sturdy” post; yeah it didn’t work. However, our gracious neighbor offered his assistance and he was able to whip that line in to a taut, operational line in no time. But the image of four of us struggling was classic.

 

As I wrote this post a miracle occurred. WE HAVE STRUNG UP OUR HAMMOCK! Now, I know you in your comforts of the first world can’t even imagine the beauty of hammocks, but trust me they are miraculous. I didn’t think we’d be able to string one up because our house is entirely made of concrete, but the amazing resourcefulness of Tony and Chelsea has no peer. It’s true; necessity is the mother of invention!

April 14th, 2010

So I wrote the above post about two weeks ago before I started work, and I wanted to expand on it.

We’re still doing very well. We eat such good meals from pizza to “burritos” to a Guyanese dish called “Cook up.” We still all get along really well and we started an exercise regimen. Tony and I jog three times a week, usually in the morning since it gets so hot here during the day. We also work on some core, arms, and I usually do legs. It has only been a week, but the habit is forming and I feel better already.

Chelsea and Sara have their own routine. They brave the streets and walk every morning and then do their own workouts. I hear the best stories when they come home. They are constantly catcalled or “sipped” at (which is this sucking/kissing sound that the Guyanese do so well); labeled “white meat”, “baby”, “beautiful” or the men call out random, American sounding names like “Mary”,“Susan” and sometimes they get lucky and call out “Sara”, which is quite disconcerting; they are asked to be married; and also asked if they would have peoples Guyanese babies. It quickly gets old, and hopefully it will get better when they realize we are community members and not going anywhere. 

Work has been going. I have been visiting schools, talking with Head Teachers (HMs), and regular teachers to see where I can be the most valuable. So far I think I am going to focus on improving literacy, IT training (MS word, Excel, etc.), and classroom management through student empowerment. The Health Center crew is doing their own thing: wading their way through weighing babies, one-on-one nutrition consultations, and talking with nurses in terms of Youth Friendly Services.  We are all still searching for our primary niche and project.

It was my birthday yesterday and I wanted to thank everyone who wished me well: Thank you all for your support and love. I wanted to thank my roommates too who made my B-day in Guyana extra special with their thoughtful, yet practical gifts. It was a wonderful 29^th.

Anyway, if you haven’t noticed I have also posted pictures on our blogs so you can see a bit more of what we’re experiencing. We’re still thinking about getting a photo site to store our photos, but for now I hope you can enjoy the ones we’ve shared.

Much Love,

T & C