Friday, February 16, 2007

A Guyanese Valentine's Day

Blogger's Note: I won't be able to access internet next week, so there won't be a post until the week after next. To make up for the lack of a post next week, I added a few pictures to this one taken on Valentine's Day. Enjoy.

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Valentine’s Day is the most widely observed and celebrated unofficial holiday in Guyana. On the 13th, my students told me that I had to wear red and white. I informed them that those colors were not present in my wardrobe, to which they responded, “Alright Miss. You white, so you can just wear red.” I felt quite special that they were willing to bend the rules for me.

On the 14th, true to the students’ notice, I walked into school to see the teachers in a jovial mood, dressed in a white top- red skirt uniform. One student approached me and asked, “Miss, you’re not wearing red and white. Do you not love anybody?” Several other students and teachers greeted me with hugs and kisses wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day.

The students in Form 4 were to prepare a luncheon for the teachers as a grade for their Home Economics class. The classroom was transformed into a fancy restaurant complete with red and white curtains, white table cloths with red runners, and red flowers as centerpieces. The luncheon was a light-hearted event (no pun intended) with impressively appetizing food made by the class. It was supposed to start at 11:30, but began perfectly at 12:30- when lunch is to be over. Needless to say, all the teachers were being served and eating during afternoon classes and the children were left with unattended classes, making a few teachers wonder why we didn’t just call it a half-day.

I received homemade Valentines from some students throughout the day. A few were labeled: To Miss Yvome. One was labeled: To the nice teacher, others simply To Miss. It was a pleasant day to be teaching, one where students and teachers alike were by default in high spirits.


(l) The delicious meal they cooked: Caribbean rice, baked chicken, and salad. Dessert was red jello with pink and white ice cream.
(r) Form 4 student serving juice to the teachers. Don't they look sharp?



(l) Girl BFFs love each other
(r) Boys enjoying mangoes under a shady tree



(l) Boy BFFs have to act cool
(r) Making Valentines instead of writing their essays. That's the deal I made the students in exchange for good behavior that day.

Newton's Third Law

Continuing in my focus on balance, I believe that for every uncouth action a student makes towards me, there is an opposite action someone else will do to make me chuckle a little. This week the students were completely unruly. As a result, there have been a few incidences that have brought a smile to my face. Here’s a shortlist of some of conversations we’ve had starting this Monday:


Grading papers and being interrupted by students…
Student #1: Miss, did you know that Guyana is the safest country in the world?
Me: Really? Where did you hear that from?
Student #2: Our Primary School teacher.
Me: And did she say why?
Student #3: Miss, because we don’t get no snow like America or nuff hurricanes or earthquakes. All’s we get is a bit of breeze blowing…and some killings everyday.
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Sitting in a classroom chatting with kids whose teacher didn’t come to class…
Student: Miss you having a baby?
Me: You mean am I pregnant?
Student: Yeah
Me: No, do I look pregnant?
Student: Yeah Miss

5 minutes later…
Student: Miss, can we go for break?
Me: Yeah, it’s break time. You can go. I’m going to go too and get something to eat. I’m hungry.
Student: Miss you eat breakfast?
Me: Yes, but I’m starving already.
Student: Miss, you got a worm in your stomach?

Doubtful. Otherwise I wouldn’t look pregnant.
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Walking home from school…
Me: So [Student #1], what do you want to be when you grow up?
Student #1: Aeronautical engineer Miss.
Me: Really? Well you’re a very bright student so I think you would be great doing that.
Me: And [Student #2], what would you like to be when you grow up?
Student #2: A liar.
Me: You want to be a liar when you grow up?
Student #2: No Miss, a liiiiiiiar.
[I’m still confused and give the child a quizzical look]
Student #2 [in an American accent]: Miss, a laaaawwwyer.

Right. Same thing.
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Sitting with another teacher grading papers….
Me: I don’t even know how to grade this. I know the student worked hard because he told me it took him a long time to figure out what to write, but he didn’t even follow directions properly. And instead of signing his name, look what he wrote at the end of his letter.


"The End. Miss this is my litter. "

Teacher: If that’s his litter then you should just throw it in the bin.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Dance Dance Revolution

Blogger's Note: Recently I've been all about balance. Since there is a super long post today, I'm off-setting it with two short videos for your enjoyment.
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There’s one thing about the Guyanese that I envy: the way they dance. Whether it’s a random child getting down in the bus park or liberated adults dancing at a club, they all have such a sense of rhythm. I swear all the babies come out of the womb dancing to the beat of their wails.

Here’s a quick show of Girls vs. Boys Dance Off at my school. There’s no music, so the kids are just dancing to their own beat. That’s talent.


Boys' Dance



Girls' Dance

Iron Chef Guyana

Blogger's Warning: Do not read this right before lunch or you may experience heavy drooling on your keyboard.
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When you mix a dash of creativity with a bit of boredom and a handful of crazy conversations, you end up with the first ever Iron Chef Guyana competition: Georgetown vs. Bartica. The Townies traveled about 3 hours on bus and boat for an eventful weekend that the Barticians graciously hosted.

The rules, which were taken super seriously:
1. Everyone was to purchase ingredients between 4-5pm in the market at Bartica in order to support the local economy
2. There was a $5000 GY ($25 US) limit on total ingredients purchased
3. Grading criteria (10 point scale): 4 points for flavor and taste, 3 points for creativity/flair, 3 points for presentation
4. Venue: Two volunteers’ kitchen situated next door to each other
5. Time limit: 1 hour
6. Secret ingredient to be presented immediately before the cooking commences
7. Trophy: sponsored by the friendly Bartician that owns the local furniture store

Team Georgetown Participants: Another volunteer from my organization, a Guyanese culinary student, a British economist, an Australian medical student. Not quite the G8, but we would have made the U.N. proud. We would have also made those people who draw the earth with all the people from different countries holding hands around it proud.

Team Bartica Participants: Two volunteers from my organization, Three volunteers from another organization

The Judges: A Guyanese woman, three British men, an American woman, all with different taste palates.

The Townies, including contest participants and a gregarious cheering squad of seven, arrived fashionably late in typical Guyanese style- we’ve really embraced the culture here. After scrambling with only 30 minutes left to purchase ingredients, we arrived at our venue and the secret ingredient was revealed: Callaloo. This green vegetable, resembling spinach, is the leaf of the Eddoe plant (a local potato-like root). We had a quick moment to discuss our strategy before our challenge began and the adrenaline starting pumping



(l) Shopping at the Meat Market
(c) A stack of sweet juicy pineapples
(r) The final product

Team Georgetown’s menu:
Appetizer: Bruschetta with tomatoes, onions, garlic, callaloo, cucumbers on bread with homemade garlic butter. (And it was better than the Texas Toast that you get in frozen section of your local grocery store, lazy Americans.)
Entrée: Callaloo stuffed chicken on a bed of pasta topped with a mixed vegetable spicy tomato basil sauce
Dessert: Crumbled cookies frozen with condensed milk, topped with bananas and cinnamon. Callaloo sauce reduced with rum, sugar and cinnamon on the side. Oddly enough this was actually really delicious.

Team Bartica’s menu (a Superbowl theme):
Appetizer: Fried tiny bell peppers stuffed with cream cheese and callaloo (Where do you find cream cheese in Bartica? Cheaters.)
Entrée: Vegetarian Chili with bits of callaloo
Dessert: Crumble pumpkin pie presented on a bed of callaloo

The winner:
Final Score- Georgetown 42, Bartica 30. We did well enough to make Mario Batali and Masaharu Morimoto proud. After all the judging was done, both groups celebrated together by stuffing our faces with our delicious creations, using our fingers, napkins and the only two forks between the group of us. Talk about a friendly competition.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Cat Got Your Tongue

Blogger's Note: Sorry there wasn't a post last week. I came into town to use the internet only to find it was broken for the day. Here's the next two for your entertainment. Enjoy!
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On Wednesday morning, there was a student who was being particularly mischievous. I told him that because of his inappropriate behavior, he was to stay in 5 minutes during break. Of course the second I turned my head to talk to another student, he brazenly ran out of class and wouldn’t come back even after I called for him. As punishment, I told him he was to look up the word “obey” in the dictionary since he clearly did not know what it meant and write it 100 times. I took the student to the library and after he put up a fight (by threatening to jump out the window), he finally opened the dictionary.

Student: The word not here Miss.
Me: Yes it is. Keep looking.

I glanced down to see where he had flipped to and the book was opened to the o-c section. I immediately realized that I had to give a quick dictionary and phonics lesson in order for this punishment to be effective. After explaining how the dictionary worked, I tried to then explain phonics to the student.

Me: Ok, you’re looking in the o-c section. You’re trying to look up the word “obey.” Where should you be looking?
Student: Me don’t know Miss
Me: O-bbbbbbbey. What letter comes next after O?
Student: Me don’t know Miss.
Me: Ok, well you’re in the o-c’s, right? You want to be in the o-b’s? B like ball. What sound does B make?
Student: bbbbbb
Me: Good. And what sound does C make?
Student: Chhhhh
Me: How about C like cat? Cccccccat. What sound does that make?
Student: Ssssssss
Me. Cccccccat.
Student: Shhhhhh
Me: Cccccccccat. What sound does ccccccccccat make?
Student: Meow.

As irritated as I was at his attitude and behavior in the morning, he did in fact answer the question correctly and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

When you live in a small village and you’re a foreigner, it’s hard to maintain anonymity like walking down the streets of New York. Everywhere I go, people I’ve never met before shout out to me, “Miss, Miss! You late this morning,” or “Miss, Miss! I saw you running yesterday. You were sweatin’ up baaaaaaaaad.” I think from now on I’m going to have to officially change my first name to “Miss” since that’s all anyone ever calls me by. Of course having everyone recognize you has it ups and downs. Here is a random collection of the good and bad of sticking out like a sore thumb.

- The men sitting on the side of the road on your way to school like to report to you what you wore the day before, like weather forecasters, except they're outfit post-casters. Everything's news here.

- Some of the conductors at the bus park spot you from 20 feet away, run up to you, tell you exactly where you live and they have a front seat for you on their bus.

- Friends are able to randomly show up at your doorstep without much direction from you because they ask anyone in the village where the “American girls” live and are directed through the back roads to our front gate.

- Similarly, creepy stalkers are able to randomly show up at your doorstep without an invitation from you because they ask anyone in the village where the “American girls” live and are directed through the back roads to our font gate.

- The mini-bus drivers that live in your village will veer off the road through the back to drop you off at your front gate. Special delivery.

- People you’ve never met before come up to you and ask where your white sisters are.

- A random cab driver that remembers seeing you before and offers to drive you home for bus fare ($200 vs. $3500).