More photos

Above - mash camp - a lot of glitter!

below - the parade

Below - we had a cooking lesson from a neighbour

A wooden house next to the programme office - there are lots of interesting wooden buildings here. 

More of MASH

A notice you will see a lot by any council building or the library

 Mash

I have forgotten the name of the church - but it is the famous one in Gerogetown! Biggest wooden building in the world i think. 

Flying cockroach 0 – Shelley 1

Well I have passed the two week mark which was a good mile stone to make! Again another rollercoaster of a week!

Went to the children’s mash- a carnival parade made up of schools and organisations – the theme was celebrating culture and often promoting messages such as no bulling don’t take drugs, abstain. The day was so lovely – they looked fab in their costumes and were such confident dancers! I got a bit too much sun and even on such a cloudy day got quite burnt! Lesson to myself!

Continued with our in country orientation – we visited the malaria doctor who told us all the lovely illnesses you can get! Also advise on hospitals and ambulances (or lack of them) – main advice – don’t get ill! Makes you realise what a great health care system we have! Then we went to the British High Consular (same as an Embassy but it gets called a different name if the country is in the commonwealth). Again another interesting chat this time on security! I also got told off for taking a photo of the sign outside – opps!

We went to see a volunteer in our field of work – I went to the teacher training college and watched special needs being taught. SEN is quite a new thing in Guyana – the attitudes and provisions for people with disabilities are quite shocking at times. But they have signed up to the agreement for inclusion for all and SEN now features as part of the teacher training course. There is just one teacher training college in Guyana. It was great to see what was being lectured and made me feel a bit more inspired about what I am here to do and that I would like to get started! All the students were uber smart in their uniform (blazers, skirts and a special tie - don’t quite remember Exeter being like that!)

We had another session Roy’s gear – where you get given your mossie net, torch, water filter, filter candles, fire alarm, personal alarm – and get shown how to use them. Need to get into a better routine for the water. You have to boil it (on a stove – no kettle!) then wait for it to cool down (which takes a while!) then put it through the filter. I have bought some bottled water (which is quite expensive) so need to get a bit more organised!

Then it was Mash! This is a national holiday to celebrate when Guyana became a republic (Independence Day is in May). They have a big carnival in Georgetown which I ended being part of! So the days previous to it and over the weekend we had been helping at “mash camp”. Our float was based around the theme of national volunteering (a programme area of the office) the slogan was “celebrating volunteers, recognising volunteers” it was made up of a lot of younger national volunteers – some people with disability groups and international volunteers (us, peace corp etc). Mash camp involved making costumes and a lot of glitter – we were covered in it just making the costumes. We made 100 costumes of orange and gold! So decided to brave it and wear a costume! We then paraded down the streets dancing to the music blaring from the floats sound system. We tried to dance but just do not have the rhythm of the Guyanese people – I think they must have an extra joint! We were also introduced to ‘whining’ which (in case of younger readers) I’ll describe as very exotic dancing between the men and women! Did not know where to look – but it is normal in Guyana! I managed 2/3 of the parade and then sat inside the bus due to the extreme heat! It was an amazing experience to be part of something like that – we were one of the first floats and finished about 2pm – there will still float finishing at 7pm! Saw some of them – costumes were amazing! There was then a big party on the streets – but we had a little party at a friends house (not hard core enough yet – was quite full-on, on the streets!)

Thank you for all the birthday messages – it was a bit of a strange day as I was moving to New Amsterdam – my new home. We had to visit the Ministry of Foreign trade and international something in the morning! Lots of formalities had to be smartly dressed – glad I bought all those smart clothes). Then tried and failed to open a bank account then went home to pack. My lovely new group of “also newbie volunteers” friends made a birthday sandwich – with a candle on and I got some presents too! Then a current volunteer in NA bought me to my new house.

So the house … I am feeling a bit better about living here than when I first arrived. It is the downstairs part of the house. Basically most houses in Guyana were built on stilts but a lot have now built in the lower part. My part is still a little raised up so it shouldn’t flood (a problem which I have already witnessed lots in Georgetown – they were going to cancel Mash because of the flooding- it was cancelled and put back on!) I was concerned about the security which is an issue in Guyana. And had my first cry this morning after a night of little sleep. My landlady was very understanding and they are going to put a grill on the back door – also she seems very alert such as I went out last night to get some food and she came out to see who was opening the gate. The house itself is ok and I am sure in a few weeks it will feel like home. I cleaned all of my bedroom today and sprayed lots of “fish” which apparently kills all bugs. I put my own bedding on the bed and have sorted out the mossie net.

I was lining all the drawers today when I opened a drawer and out came a very large flying cockroach. I will admit to being a little scared! I went to get a glass to catch it (you cannot squash them because if you do their eggs may scatter!) and it flew somewhere else and finally landed near to the window so I pushed it out with the glass whilst saying “get out” – obviously cockroaches understand you! So was very pleased that it had left the building! I am told it is common to find them in drawers that haven’t been used for a while so I hoping not to see one again! The house generally is run down but it is one of the nicer houses in the street (and made of stone not wood) and there are lots of pluses – I have running water and electricity – minus the power cuts (so far they have only been for a few minutes)! I have a fridge which has a freezer in the top – good for ice. And I have a TV! There are 3 or 4 channels which I have witnessed for the first time tonight – including one which is a memorial channel to people who have died – it just scrolls their names!

So it is the weekend tomorrow and I’ll find an internet café to post this and then I start work on Monday – I am excited about starting – it is the reason why I came here and feels like it has been pushed to the back as you concentrate on adjusting to your new way of life – also a little bit scary – what do I have to offer? – at the moment I am definitely the one learning!

Thank you again for all your lovely emails it does mean a huge amount – miss you all lots.

Shelley x

Note i wrote this last night on my laptop at home and  i have had to deal with another cockroach this morning and a power-cut for three hours! I think i jinxed it!

Was going to try and add the photos in with the text but here are the rest! Sorry they are in a random order!

How you get over the flooded path!

The mash costumes! 

Another float

Our queen!

The market in the rain!

At mash camp making costumes

The steel band which is made up of blind and visually impaired people - they played for our our section of the carnival 

At the teacher training college

Our group at mash

Two students from the teacher training college

Another float

The floods

 The bus station - it was very loud here with all the music blaring out!

 We fed the manatees grass in the national park - they were in a lake and you whistled and they came up to the side - was quite amazing!

 The sea and the sea wall - which stops the sea flooding the town (hopefully!) Not quite like the rest of the Caribbean!

 The local park - which was full of people playing cricket - the most popular sport here. 

 My room where I am staying at the moment and my new best friend - the mossie net!

 The newbies! I arrived with (L to R) Ian, Fiona, Susan, Me and Nick.  We went to a creek park for the national Muslim holiday on Wednesday 16th. There are 12 bank holidays in the year.

 We had a lesson on all the new types of fruit and vegetables - or ones you knew but had new names.

We went to another creek today (for training honest!) and had a dip in the black water creek. There is a saying in Guyana that "if you drink the creek water and eat the Laba (bush meat) you'll return to the Guyana" well I did one of two today - not intentionally but the current was quite strong!

New in town

Happy Valentines!

Wow – where to start! Well I have been here 5 days but it feels like 5 weeks! Has been a rollercoaster of learning and emotions! 

Arrived with 4 other volunteers from the UK and Ireland and we are all individually staying with other volunteers. This is a trial as usually you stay in a hotel – plus side is they are lovely and a wealth of knowledge on Guyana – downside is it would have been nice to stay with the others as you can empathise with each other (which is needed!)

Had to fill in a lot of forms for visas and work permits – they seem to like forms here!  Have had training on culture, history, how VSO works in Guyana, the different programme offices (disability, securing livelihoods and education) and had my first Creoles lesson today! Getting my head around the accent and language – one to one it is fine but over a conversation there are things I don’t understand! There are some rules and we have been learning them today – th goes to t or sometimes completely drop the th e.g. birday,  completely new terms ‘to lime’ is going out for a drink. Or just a different way of saying something - I’ll see if you can work these out –

Wappening

Yuh tek yuh eyes an pass meh

Nah mek me see yuh back

People here have been really friendly – everyone at the programme office and other volunteers have been really welcoming. Guyanese people are always smiling and they like to laugh a lot and make fun of each other – or you! Being white you definitely stand out here and it gets commented on every time you walk out of the house – often narrating what you do – “white girl is walking down the street” generally it is not meant as offensive – just saying what they see – though have had a bit of cat calling.

There is quite a bit of wildlife here – beautiful birds, and yesterday we went for a walk in the national park and they have manatees in their lake – you whistle and they will come up to the side and you can feed them grass, There were about 4 – 10 ft long and beautiful. There a lot of mosquitoes and they like to bite – I think I have about 30 so far! I’m sleeping under a mossie net but they still manage to get under it! Luckily in the capital there is no malaria but there is dengue fever. There are also lots of crickets and frogs which are quite loud at night – and dogs which can also be VERY loud at night!

The flat I am staying at is really nice – we have electricity and water – getting use to the cold showers – ever though it is hot here there are still refreshing! Did some hand washing tonight as going through clothes quite quickly due to the heat – everyone keeps saying it is cold for here! I have mattress to sleep on and a mossie net.

Loud is a good way to describe Guyana – we went into the town centre and there is music blaring out everywhere – this is very common in Guyana and you can hear you neighbours music, phone, them etc!

So I have learnt a lot and have felt more settled the last day – I am on training until 25^th then I move into my house in New Amsterdam. The 23^rd is a big Masharami celebration which celebrates independence from Britain – there will be a carnival and we may even be on a float!

Thank you for all your lovely emails etc they mean a lot Xxx