The First 3 Months at Site

Focus on integration, they say. Do as the people do, build relationships, work on your language, be a learner. Take these first 3 months of service to stay at your site as much as possible, avoiding trips back to the city and seeing other volunteers regularly. These instructions were encouraged at the end of training.

So here I am at the end of my first 3 months and by golly I have yet to learn everybody’s names. Help! According to the most recent census (calculated by previous PCV), I have 430 names to learn, 200 of those are children. I have no idea how many I know at this point but I’m feeling decent about it, but not good enough.

Speaking of names and keeping everyone straight, the villagers are having quite the time keeping the two of ours straight. Adding a “t” to Suzie Kay’t’ is very popular as well as just calling either of us by either name. How they keep Shenada straight from shanimba and Oohma straight from MmmMa, but can’t quite grasp ours is baffling. Oh wait, just one more. How about Sakilena and Sasilena for not being confusing? J

I set my alarm. NOT. People rise and shine at different times, but the majority is early. The first visitor usually stops by around 8 or 8:30am. We had to train them first however, after having a few people knocking at the door at oh, 6:30am’ish. Thankfully for me, my roommate likes to be up earlier than me so she can entertain even the 8am’ers for me.

After waking up, my must do daily chores are waiting for me. These include washing myself, washing the dishes (from the day before and breakfast), and washing clothes (though this isn’t quite a daily chore). These tasks all include a ¼ mile schlep to the river, carrying a large bucket (think laundry basket) on my head (still holding it with one hand), and the correct soaps and towels. I can't do them all at once so usually it takes 2 trips per day to the river, but often 4 trips/day. Sweeping is a big deal and a never ending chore.

The most important part of the day and in being here is spending time with the villagers one way or another. Some days I walk to a certain part of the village to see who I can run into to chat with, some days I go directly to someone’s home to see them specifically, and other days I feel content with time I’ve spent with people that have come to our house to gi odi (to visit).  Gradually I’m learning about people’s lives and gradually I feel like we make a connection. It’s in these moments that I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be and I feel really grateful to be here.

Other parts of the day I do things for myself like sew pangies, clean house, yard work, try to build something, attempt the harmonica, do yoga, go walk or run, take a nap, cook/bake. Oh yeah, and did I mention play games with kids. Yes, kids are at our house nearly at all times unless we tell them to go to another place. They mainly request to color, do a puzzle, jump rope, play with a ball, play Zingo, or go play slagball. It mostly is great, very good for speaking the language, just the monitoring and disciplining that gets exhausting. 

Three times now I’ve gone to grounds. Each time has been with different people and doing different things. Going to grounds is an eight hour workout, a bonding experience, humbling, and full of adventure.

Now defining work varies culture to culture, so as far as the work I do that would be equivalent to how an American would probably define work, is not how I spend most of my time right now. This American style work would include doing readings for our PC Early Service Training happening now. Readings includes topics on facilitating groups, leadership, community mapping, community assessments, seasonal calendars, grant writing, funding. Our village does have a Stichting (Nederlands word for foundation or institution) and we’ve held about three meetings in our home and have attended one village wide gathering/meeting led by the village Captain.

So while my day might sound like vacation compared to your day (American readers), in many ways it is. J But with the amount of constant cultural differences, adjustment to everything, foreign language use, and missing what I was used to having, being here is nothing like vacation and somehow is just as much work.

A bathroom situation.

Written Aug. 6th, 2011

Maggie came to visit this morning. She is a frequent visitor. This time, only after a minute, she asked if she could go poopa (poop). I replied assumingly, you have a place at your house for that.

You see, this is our go to response for when the kids ask for water or something to drink because it is true, almost all families now have durotanks (holds rain water in a safe, clean place), thanks to the former grant work done by RPCVs David and Christine. This also is our go to response because you have to be wise with water here. During the rainy season, we have plenty for us and some to share. But I'm learning quickly if you go sharing the wealth as if you have endless running water, soon you'll lbe left with an empty durotank and no rain to fill it.

The durotank spouts are made so you can put a lock through them. I guess during the dry season we are to lock the durotanks because as the supply of rain goes down the demand for water and kids wanting to drink it goes up.

So, all of this explains why I applied the same reasoning to using the toilet to this 8 yr old girl. In her family's case however, it doesn't apply. They don't have a latrine. I inquired, so where do you go when you have to poop? The answer was the busi (jungle) or the liba (river). In my head I screamed, "the river...oooooh no!" Of course then I quickly changed my mind and permitted her to use the toilet.

This incidence left me heartsick, grateful, and motivated. Heartsick for Maggie and her family, grateful for the U.S.'s sophisticated and massive water and sanitation treatment systems as well as grateful for my indoor pour flush toilet/latrine system here in my Suriname osu (house). And lastly, motivated to find a solution for the families here without a safe, sanitary place to use the bathroom.

Despite later that day or maybe the following day, her sister came for the same reaso, I don't think we have to worry about Maggie making it a habit.

In Loving Memory

Today I will wear bright colors.

Last week at a Karaoke bar we were out having a silly good old time, enjoying our city life before heading out to village life. Laughter filled the air. I looked about surveying all the smiling faces around me and thought how good life was and how blessed I felt. You see, as I have been here experiencing all this joy and adventure, I knew my Uncle Rocky was at home experiencing pain and sickness. He had just decided to go off his nutrition bags after a long fought battle with cancer, so I knew he was in the final stages of the final days.

I thought how is it that I’m here joyous and free experiencing life’s gifts, feeling full and free, when at the same time, he is knowingly experiencing the end of his life? We were in such dramatically different places in life.  You might expect that guilt or sadness followed me, but it didn’t surprisingly. I felt peace. Somehow I understood the gift I was experiencing in that moment. You see, life is something to be lived and to live it as hard as one can. To me this is exactly what my Uncle Rocky did. He lived life hard. He worked hard, followed a dream, had fun, and always smiled. He lived it up I think this is why he was such an influential person to me. So in that moment, I had peace because I knew that I was doing exactly what Uncle Rocky would have done, has done, and would want me to do.

Today I will look for that same peace. Today will be his funeral and all my family will gather to celebrate his life. I will celebrate it too. I’d guess that he’d want me to eat good food and have fun…probably by dancing. I think I can do all those things. Maybe I’ll even buy a jar of pickles just to drink some pickle juice in his honor. Better yet, I’ll promise to paint him a painting, dedicated to him. I recently found the courage to attempt painting. The final boost of inspiration came from my last visit to see him in February when he patiently answered all my questions about each painting hanging in his house that he had painted. I also uncovered his easel from the basement, assembled its creaking body back together, and browsed through his brushes and paints with him watching and revealing his memories.

Thank you for everything. Here is to you.

Cheers!

Happy 4th of July Slagball Style

We were all at home-stay over the Fourth of July. But to celebrate, those that were in close proximity were gathered together to contest the Slagball team of Brokopondo. Slagball is a sport created by the Surinamese. It is inspired by cricket and baseball. Only the women here play competitively. Take a look at the pictures for a quick idea.

I'm proud to announce that we WON. The score was 123 to 114. The point system is complicated and points are being subtracted and added basically at the same time. The coach/ref keeps track on a piece of paper and adds up the score at the end. I'm sure it is done differently when it isn't just a pick up game. This photo shows teammates getting to the home pole to score.

Bananas are cheap and delicious here

"Some day I shall fly the rut and build a small, bucolic hut, trim a hedge and hop astile, walk my camel for a mile, milk a mid-victorian cow--eventually, but now."

-- Samuel Hoffenstein

From a little book about travel

Traditional Dance Performance

Some traditional dancing that was very impressive. My legs got tired watching them. Some of the moves they looked like spiders. Also at times it was incredibly sexual--which made most of the crowd in the first two rows quite bashful (this included me).

Apparently it was pretty traditional, so not like all the young kids are doing this in the village all the time. I mean, that would be me gettting people together to do polka dancing for fun. hahaha right.

We'll see though, all villages are different. I'm still hoping to learn some dancing, if anything for the exercise.

pangie time

This is the night we arrived to Suriname. At 1:00am we were greeted by a group of energetic Sur-16s (they've been here one year) who each gave us a pangie. This is Christine who gave me my pangie. They draped it over our necks, but the females where them as skirts in the village.

Just wait, I'll do way more writing and pictures eventually about the pangies.

It’s like a crash course in Boy Scouts (on steroids) preparing us for village life in the Amazon.

The rivers are the lifeline. Almost all villages are located along rivers and that is how we will travel to them via canoe or motorized canoe. Dang, I should have packed more dry bags. The river will be our source to good hygiene and health by acting as our drinking water, bath water, and laundry use. They also have eels, sting rays, and piranhas to keep us on guard. I guess I won’t needing my goggles.

In preparation, we had a demonstration in hand washing clothes and tried it ourselves. We were all quite terrible being constantly corrected. J Apparently it is easier at the river with rocks and such versus our buckets and brushes.

Mosquitoes, baat flies, and siekas …OH MY!

Today, we had a presentation from “doc” as we call him, the peace corps medical officer, about infectious diseases here presenting what we potentially will get and what we will inevitably get. Sigh… It was gross. If a creepy crawly burrows into me and peeps out its worm like head to get some air I might be lucky if I can finish throwing up before I faint. Ew. Malaria and Dengue are probably far more miserable, but far less scary at this point.

Wish me luck...

Mi e leli Okinisi Tongo!

I am learning Aucan! This language is spoken by few. Basically, I’m becoming an elitist by knowing this language. It is one way to look at it right?

Unfortunately, they are not teaching anyone Dutch—even though it is the countries official language. Dutch is definitely used, but only in the cities and even then it isn’t really worth it because most people in the city also speak English. Since most of us aren’t going to be in the cities anyway—we are going to be in villages that are all located along rivers in the interior (Amazon rainforest)—it is not an efficient use of time or energy.

The language is full of super fun words. My first favorite word is “sweti” pronounced “schweti” for sweat/sweaty. The fun ones are the words that sound the most like the English word. Aaaand there are a lot.

Famii (famee) = family

Mi piisii fu miti yu = I’m pleased to meet you.

Mi abi wan akisi = I have a question

Bii = beer

Mi a siibi mooi = I slept well

Mi lafu = I’m laughing

Wi lobi lafu = We love to laugh

The ARRIVAL

SUR-17 is how you refer to my group--which is a group of 23 people with 8 great males and the rest amazing females. So far we all get along great. It truly is impressive and actually surprising I think to all of us.

Adjusting to the temperature is pretty intense, but not really outside of what I expected. So far weather and food is the most we’ve had to deal with so far. Otherwise, they have pretty much babysat us and held our hand—which is great and I am not complaining. From what I gather, we will be on our own soon enough in some crazy conditions. So I definitely appreciate the easing in approach.

"Are you ready for your trip?" - asks everyone

Trip just doesn't sit right with me. I could see trip if I was going for a month or even three months, but not 27 months. However, what else would you say because its not like you say, "have a nice life" as it certainly is not forever either. I think I'll settle for what my friend said, an extended relocation or a sabbatical from America. Yeah, that sounds more like it.

So am I ready? Oh yeah...I only have to PACK!!!!

A different morning in one week!

I went to bed last night realizing that in one week I will have landed in Suriname. So this morning I did the same thing; I woke up realizing that in one week I'll open my sleepy eyes and see an unfamiliar place compared to my hometown basement bedroom--which is packed full with memories and familiarities.

I'm curious to know what I'll see when I open those sleepy eyes and what I'll eat for breakfast...and lunch...and dinner.

Today it will be fruit, some toast with peanut butter and jelly, coffee....lunch with Shantel at Jacks Family restaurant for some borscht and a Carrie's and leftover sloppy joes and spinach salad for supper (North Dakota's dinner)!

Life.

how I feel overall and during these last few days before departure