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