I have learned so much about my new home, Guyana, in just 7 short weeks. I am writing this during a blackout. In America when the power goes out, it is a big deal-here it is almost a daily occurrence. It is one of the many things that have now become familiar. Seeing cows, goats, dogs, cats, horses, and chicken wandering the streets is normal; smelling burning garbage on a daily basis- also normal. I am getting accustomed to the weather and understanding more and more of the language every day
Horses chillin in the shade
A cow hanging out by the school…
More horses by the road
The ocean is brown and cold. This beach is called Bushy Park; my host mom Sally had never been there even though it is only about 30 minutes from our house.
Another shot of me and my host mom Sally and another place she had never been: the Parika back dam. The plan was to swim in the black water, but the conservancy dam was open.
The land is fertile and the weather is perfect for growing things. Here is a cabbage patch and a plantain tree. I cannot wait to start my own garden!
Oh Guyanese mud. Last week we had the amazing opportunity to visit our permanent sites for a few days. This is Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder- MY SITE!! SO much mud… There is a paved (sort of) road for cars, motorcycles, horses, bicycles and people and then there is this muddy path for tractors and people. I didn’t have any long boots ( that’s what rubber boots are called here) so I trecked through barefoot. The day before this stroll I had a dirtier adventure through wetter stuff which was about 6 inches deep. I really appreciated my bucket bath that day!
Oh, Phagwah. Glitter, powder, paint, water: smeared, thrown, dabbed and dumped all over everyone- what fun! I had two days of fun. The first day I was not prepared! Just walking through the market (my first day in Black Bush) I was shot in the side with paint by a kid with a very powerful squirt gun.
Hindu half wedding. So I didn’t get a full answer of what exactly a half wedding is, but I do know that it is a three day ceremony of great importance. People dress up, tons of food is made and eaten, and loud music is danced to throughout all hours of the night. The best part about weddings? 7 CURRY! It is 7 different types of curry eaten out of a Pori leaf. I am not accustomed to eating with my hands, but it is mandatory with 7 curry. The hardest part is getting the dholl to scoop up with the rice.
This was actually my second helping. I ate a huge portion at the weeding then had my host mom go back to get more for me…It was THAT good!
So we had a cooking ‘test’. Peace Corps wants to make sure we won’t starve for the next two years- apparently being able to cook one meal is sufficient. Anyway, I made dholl, swell roti, fried fish and fried plantains. It was actually really good. It is one of my favorite meals here.
Step 1 – Rinse the dholl (split peas)
Step 2- Put dholl (and tons of Guyanese spices) into pressure pot. After about 30 minutes of listening to the pressure pot whistle, procedure to step 3.
Step 3- Swizzle the dholl until no longer chunky
Roti balls
Roti on tawa
Last step- ENJOY! These two gentlemen where the judges- I PASSED!
While I am talking about food- here is a typical breakfast: clap aka oil roti, and pumpkin curry with a hunk of beef. I much prefer an apple with peanut butter or the oh so fantastic bowl of cereal and soymilk!
My ABSOLUTE favorite product here is Guava Pineapple Fruta. It is amazing. A-MA-Zing! It is made in Trinidad & Tobago, so it is a bit pricey, but SO worth it. Oh yeah…it is actually only 20% juice, but I think that is why it tastes so good.
I will write so much more later. It took forever to upload these pictures, so I am going to post this while I can.
If you would like me to write you, please write me first- I don't have addresses!
