Batten Down The Hatches...

Election fever has hit Guyana.

Just a brief post to let you know of what is going down in 'the hood' of Skeldon, Guyana. Tomorrow is election day here in Guyana, which is a very big deal. There are three main parties, all of whom are signified (for the illiterati) by different symbols: the cup, the hand and the key. Currently ruling are the cup, but they do so amidst a lot of accusations of defrauding and misappropriation of funds. Making no comment at all... apart from that the only party that has managed to run a successful ad campaign - with posters, trucks playing music and dance parties - is the said party in control of the purse strings...mmm.

Election day and the succeeding days can be a little turbulent in Guyana, we are led to believe. In the capital there has already been a bit of violence and in previous years people have been killed and attacked in the street, for professing a certain allegiance. Due to this, we have been advised to take the Blitz approach and stock up on food and drink and stay indoors for at least a day or two! Eeeek. This led us to a mad panic yesterday buying all the lemonade, cookie mix, flour, dairy milk and rum that we could get our hands on/afford.

Our plan for tomorrow is to meet up at DC and Sarah's for a brunch and then bed down for the day with movies, games and lots and lots of bad food to eat and cocktails to consume. We are secretly wishing that we need to do this on Tuesday too, as most of us have our time for the month and are crying out for an excuse to stay in bed.

Message to the mother - I will be fine. We should be okay really, as we are mostly regarded as neutral parties, so as long as we do not venture out onto the main road where people congregate and will be travelling to and from the polling stations, the whole thing should pass without incident. The only time bad things will happen is if the popular party lose and then people are know to get a bit aggressive. I will keep you posted!

On a nice note, we had our monthly sign language meeting today at a hall about an hour away - 45 in attendance, on whom 26 were deaf. Not a bad average!

Well, off to lock the gates and plump the cushions and get ready for the joys that tomorrow will bring.

Ciao for now.x

Photos

Hey all

Quick post to say that I have uploaded some new photos from the beach day last week. Please note the brown water and the fully clothed bathing!

Follow the white rabbit: https://picasaweb.google.com/115841554552813020315/GuyanaBeachNov11?authkey=Gv1sRgCMKg_rq83Yj72gE#

Suriname and Beach

Hi to all

As some of you know from my mother's SOS to all, I left the country to go to Suriname (neighbouring country that is in fact Dutch owned). Contrary to her belief, I did not die there, rather, I just popped across for the night to renew my visa for Guyana. 3 months completed!!!

Suriname is a bizarre place, made so by the fact that it is a 25 minute ferry crossing, yet could be another world. It has the same climate etc, yet, it is populated by people who do not walk half naked around, by people who do not just throw their rubbish on the floor as they walk, by shops that have a VARIETY of choices and have air conditioning in their restaurants, hell, they HAVE restaurants. It is like a mini-Europe. I had a very sedate evening in Suriname and then travelled back in the morning for the meeting back in Guyana. It was very uneventful, but resulted in me gaining another 3 months in the country. The immigration guy was extremely reluctant to grant me another 3 months, but I think there was a Balaam moment where the dude said 'I will give you a month... well, I have done 3 months'. Thank you Jehovah! So, I am all good now for another 3, which will take me to February.

Monday was a national holiday so we took the opportunity to head to the beach. I had been before, but this time was so much better. We managed to get an area that was quiet and had a seating section (bleachers to the Americans) where we could all hang out. I spent most of the time in the water fighting with all the young boys. As noted before, Guyana is actually below sea level, but defended - this results in the water being all silty and brown. It is horrible. I folded this time and entered the water - kinda like swimming in tepid tea. That said, it was so nice to be in the water and to have a swim. A good day had by all. Posting a couple of pics, and will try to upload more to picassa later.

Miss you all.

OASIS

It is both eponymous and literal. I am currently sitting in an air conditioned, wireless connected, proper coffee serving, Perrier providing coffee shop called ‘Oasis’ – but I am still in Guyana! It is like one of the wonders of the world! Amongst the arid wasteland that is Guyana, the capital still smells like the backside of a cow, yet, thanks to the Embassy Quarter, Oasis has been created to cater to their more Western needs, much to the glee of Guyana’s inhabitants.

I am in the ‘metropolis’ today to apply for a visa that will allow me entry to Suriname for a few days and see me popping across the waters to renew my visa for Guyana. Yes, guys and girls, I will have completed 3 months here by Tuesday – sorry to whomever lost the sweep stake with that prediction. I had planned to go to Trinidad, but I was a little scared that if I went over, I might not come back! I would have had to have stayed for at least a week in order to get the cheaper flights, and I did not feel that I yet deserved a week off. I am going to save it for a treat, much like the whiskey that Leon bought me – ‘open in emergencies’.

It doesn’t feel like 3 months has passed, it feels like a much longer time, which I am not sure is a good or bad thing. I have already done quite a lot here and feel in a rhythm for the min etc, have learnt some local lingo and know what Guyanese food I do and do not like – fast work for 3 months me thinks. Will I last a full year, who knows! Some friends went across to Suriname on the weekend and brought be back some chorizo, salami, proper coffee and some red and white wine! That will enable me to last another few months at least!

Missing home a lot. Missing London and all that it gives. I am, however, glad to be out of the rat race and am dreading the idea of coming back to work.

Miss you all. Thanks to those of you who have kept in touch. To those who have ignored me (Mallika), let this be a nudge ;)

Swetty Betty Serengeti Spaghetti

WHY IS IT SOOOOOOO HOT HERE?

Tonight was interpreting at the meeting and was horrified to see that when I took my jacket off, I had sweat patches on my elbows! How does that happen? And then when I sat down, I got patches on my knees! This place is not pleasant! Even now as I sit at my friend's writing this, my hair is dripping with sweat - why, oh why?

In other news, I cut my hair myself today! Yes, after spending so much money for the last few years (excluding the short back and sides dolled out in Bethel) on haircuts, I have finally realised how much I was ripped off. I even cut my hair today without a mirror for the most part. Admittedly, my hair is a little wonky at the back, but it all adds character me thinks. Despite the hair being lopped off, it did not prevent the sweat episode detailed above.

Lastly, Jo asked me to post something a little less heavy and a bit more jocular. So, I thought I would tell you about a regular sight here of dogs that seem to be siamese. Yes, they look much like the 'push-me-pull-me's' from Doctor Doolittle, but dog-type: they are the body of a dog pointing one way with a head, and then they have four legs at the rear, and then a dog shape pointing the other way. After being amazed by this mutation of nature and asking how often this happens, people broke it to me that in actual fact they are indeed two dogs, post-coital! They do 'it', as dogs do, but then they find that they are stuck, so they spend a day or so struggling around joined at the 'bits'. They twist around and try to un-join, which just makes it worse and more hilarious to see. I guess that makes more sense than a new breed of conjoined dog freaks. I shall try to get a picture so you can all enjoy the varied delights of the wildlife of Guyana. Oh, and I saw a humungous snake eating a massive bird whole the other day. Need to start taking my camera out more.

Tara.x

Two Months, First Month of Pioneering and an Assembly

Well my lovely readers, I hope all is well back home. Thanks to those of you who have been keeping in touch with emails and letting me know what is going on back home. It seems like I have been here for ages, but in reality it has only been two months! I am not sure if that is a good thing or not…

Things have been really busy, as you can tell from the title of this little update. I put in my pioneering form and completed my first month successfully. It is a strange thing to see one’s average hours go from the twenties to above the requisite seventy. I was really fortunate to do one hundred and one hours!!! I say ‘fortunate’ as this past week has been horrendous for ministry, so I am glad it all evens out through a year. With the assembly taking place, we had to attend rehearsals, spend a day setting up, have the pioneer meeting and then the two days of the assembly. Tiring stuff.

The assembly went really well, Guyana style. We feared that the set up was not going to be complete in time and my patience was sorely tested with people not living up to their word or not treating things in a serious enough manner, so that was good training for me! I had the privilege of interpreting all of the DO’s talks, along with some other talks, so I was busy with my ASL interpreting-debut. On the whole it went well, despite major power cuts throughout the day causing the speakers to have to cut and edit their talks with an axe, which makes interpreting less than easy. Everyone did a sterling job though and we made it through. We had about a thousand present on the Sunday and there were four baptised on the Saturday, one being a brother from our hall who I am good friends with. I am not sure if I will get to post pictures embedded in this blog, but I will try.

With the assembly over, we had a much earned rest on Monday, that for me has spilled over to today also. The power has been off all day, since 8 am, so I have just been chilling and reading. Sadly, no power means no fans, so it hasn’t been the most comfortable of rest days. Ho Hum. Spooky, as I type, the power has just leapt into action and the sweat is being blown from my brow by the fan!

I have to go now and see if I can wash some clothes for the week as I am completely out of wares. Missing you all.

DTG

Pictures

Hi reader people!

Just a quick note to say that I have put up some new photos for you all to peruse. Some are from our trip to the 'beach' as a congregation and the others are from Shamma-Rae's (real name, I kid you not, she is from Texas!) leaving party.

I think you need to have the link, so here it is. Enjoy.x

https://picasaweb.google.com/115841554552813020315/GuyanaMore?authkey=Gv1sRgCPmbovrepu22vQE