Sunday, May 22, 2011

Mi lobi Saana. I love Suriname.

Life is about the same as a couple of days ago. We still have language and cultural classes, as well as a session at night.

Last Sunday most of SUR 17 returned to Foto (Paramaribo's nickname) to meet up with some PCVs for a tour of the capital. Paramaribo looks like a ghost town on Sunday. The stores close about 1 o'clock on Saturday and the only things open on Sunday are a few restaurants. I saw a McDonald's, Popeyes, and a Burger King.

We went to the Chinese Market first and I had a delicious pork dumpling. I saw tons of statues and the Presidential Palace. Oh, and Suriname is home to one of the only places in the world where you can find a synagogue and a mosque next to each other. I'm pretty sure it is the only place in the world where they share a parking lot.
One of the PCVs, Denise, was headed back to America after our fun filled day in the city. She had not been home, nor had she seen her family in 2 years. It gives me chills to think about how she was feeling. I haven't been here three weeks yet, but it is impossible to avoid thinking about seeing folks I love during and after my service. However, I'm sure that returning to the States after 27 months away will be harder than I can imagine at this point.

Language training was a little overwhelming last week. I was really tired and it was hard to focus and study. Although I have to remind myself to be patient at times, I am not at all disappointed in my progress. Less than 2 weeks ago I had never heard a word of Saamaka Tongo, and now I can hold a basic conversation. I also know the days of the week and how to count in two new languages (Dutch and Saamaka Tongo). I am proud of myself.

I move in with a host family in a week. I am ready to meet them and so excited to be thrown into their way of life. I have no doubts that it will be shocking and difficult at times, but that's one of the many reasons I chose to come here.
We played kick ball a couple of nights ago, and I took my first run in Suriname a few days ago with a fellow trainee.  I would really love to run the half marathon in the city in November. Maybe in 2012 I will do the full. That would be awesome to say that my first 26.2 race was in Suriname during my PC service.

Yesterday and today our group was divided in half to attend a eco farming seminar. I went today, so I spent a few hours in Foto yesterday running a few errands with some other trainees. The seminar was really interesting and gave me more insight into composting and setting an example for my future site of a better, more sustainable way of farming.

No huge spiders yet. There are tons of frogs everywhere, especially since we are getting into the rainy season. Kate, a fellow trainee, was walking the other night in the dark and kicked a toad the size of a small melon. She said it really hurt her foot. The thing was seriously big.

Tomorrow starts another week. I have four more language sessions before I move in with a family to put it all into action. I am so excited.

Peace.


Saturday, May 14, 2011

Jumping Spiders and Bus Rides

I have been in Suriname for ten days. This past week seemed like the longest week of my life. The days were not long, but the week seemed to drag.

I am settling into a routine. I wake up about 6:30 and go to breakfast at 7:00. Language classes start at eight o'clock and I am there until noon. We have a break for lunch from 12-2, and then we have some sort of cultural session (nutrition, village life, etc.) until about 4. From 4:30 until 6, we have more team building activities and such. When sessions are finished for the day, I eat dinner and do my homework and journal. I try to shower and be in bed by ten o'clock (sometimes earlier).

The center where we are staying only feeds us breakfast now, so we are on our own for lunch and dinner. Sometimes we go into town to eat fried chicken or roti, but I try to stay in most nights and eat a sandwich and some fruit. Our language groups are allowed to use the kitchen one day a week to cook. Tuesday my group made pasta with a garlic butter sauce, and we put green beans and pumpkin in it. I was totally satisfied after lunch that day. It was so good.

My language classes move quickly. Learning a completely foreign language, and knowing that I will have to be pretty proficient in it within a couple of weeks, is a stressful task. I am still so excited about it though.

I had a diet coke (coke light) the other night with my dinner. It tasted like pepsi. Needless to say, it was my last diet coke in Suriname.

Wednesday night we had a guest speaker. He was a Biologist from Suriname, and he came to talk to us about “Creepies and Crawlies.” I have always heard about dangerous bugs and snakes and such in science classes, but never really paid that much attention. That all changed last night. Oh, and FYI, the most poisonous spider in the world lives in Suriname. And it will jump at you. Awesome. I almost threw up when the man said that. Somewhere within me lies the courage and strength to handle all of these creepy crawly creatures. So for the next couple of months I will prepare my life, even more, to move into the jungle and live among them.  

I have not been homesick, but there are some things I miss. By far, the hardest part of this adventure is experiencing it without my family and friends. I want everyone I love to be here to experience and learn all that I am learning and doing. I know that there are, and will be, things that I just cannot explain to someone that has never seen them, and that is really hard.

I washed clothes again yesterday. It is such a tiring, hot and sweaty task. I am convinced that I will never feel as dirty as when I have clean clothes for the next couple of years. I was soaked when I finished. I choose to believe it's because I'm that good at it. The fact that I can wash clothes in a bucket and manage to wash the ones on my body, come on, that's talent right?

Today we went to the capital, Paramaribo! We went with our language teachers and they showed us lots of places we will have to utilize in the future to buy really useful things, like machetes and rubber boots. We are going back to Paramaribo tomorrow to meet some current PCVs, and they are going to show us a lot of the tourist spots. I will try to post pictures after the excursion, but the internet is slow and it takes a really long time. We are sharing a few computers at the moment, so I only have about 45 minutes on the computer every few days.

Riding a bus back from Paramaribo, I could not help but stare at my reflection in the windows of the cars passing by. There are moments in which I still cannot believe I am here, but there I was, riding a bus in Suriname.


That's all I have for now. Love each other and appreciate your washing machine's spin cycle.

Sometimes, I catch myself allowing the water to run, like eventually it is going to heat up.

I miss my electric toothbrush. I can count to ten in 5 languages.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Life is Good in Suriname

Greetings from Suriname! I cannot believe that this country I have thought about for months is now my home for 27 months, and I am really here. So far so good.

My group left Miami about 11:00a.m. on Tuesday. After a layover in Curacao and a stopover in Trinidad, we arrived in Paramaribo at about 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday. It was a long day of travel, but worth it nonetheless.

For the past week my group (SUR 17s, meaning we are the 17th group to serve in Suriname,) has had a lot of orientation with PC staff and policies. The days do not feel long, but a lot of us feel like we've been here for weeks already. It's a strange feeling. As for the group, SUR 17, I really feel like we are a solid group of folks and are all very excited to be here. Everyone is getting along great.

We found out what languages we will be speaking yesterday via a sorting hat! It was funny. A few current volunteers played Harry Potter music and we each sat in a chair while they put a hat on our heads and shouted out our language groups. I will be learning Sarmaccan, a language that only about 30,000 people speak. I am super pumped for language training to start on Monday.

Yesterday I also washed clothes by hand. It was not so bad, but my clothes are still wet, and that was almost 24 hours ago. The humidity is a lot like Mississippi in the summer, but imagine that you had to spend the entire month of August outside in Mississippi. That's what it feels like here. I look forward to my cold shower at night. I am thankful to have a shower and a flush toilet at the moment! That will change soon.

My feet are stinky.

I wish everyone back in the States could see my life here. I really feel very lucky to have been asked to come to this country that not a lot of folks know about. I am happy to be here and cannot wait to learn more about my home for the next 2 years.

From now on, please forgive any errors in my writing. I do not have a ton of computer time, so I am trying to fit as much in as possible.

Hooray for learning and growing. Peace.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Not Alone

Wow, the time has really come for me to leave Mississippi. The days since I received my invitation have flown by. The past week I was able to stay busy, which left little time to think about my upcoming departure. I spent Easter weekend at my grandmother's house in Raleigh, MS with some of my family. Tears came as I hugged my grandmother and brother and said "I love yous" and "be seeing ya". April 27th I went to Jackson to meet my friend, Josh, to take a trip to New Orleans in a minivan. We went to see the Railroad Revival Tour and it was awesome. My roommate for life and one of my best friends, Taylor, came to meet me there. I don't think my smile left my face all night.

This past Friday I went to Oxford, MS to hang out with Kathryn one last time before my departure. I also saw my dear friends Russ & Anna Polsgrove. What a wonderful weekend and way to spend some of my last days in Mississippi. I am loved and I have a lot of people to miss in the next 27 months.

This morning I went to church with my parents. As we extended our hands to say a prayer for some folks going on mission trips this summer, I closed my eyes and felt my mama lay her hand on my arm. I'm not sure what was said in the prayer, but I know my mom was crying and praying for me the whole time.

Wednesday night as Taylor, Josh, and I stood beside the Mississippi River, sweating and listening to Mumford and Sons sing songs, I thought once again about how lucky I am. As the band played their song, "Timshel," I thought about the next 27 months and I was reminded of how many people I have rooting for me and loving me. The chorus says this,
                                    But you are not alone in this
                                    and you are not alone in this
                                    As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
                                    Hold your hand

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the people in my life. It is an amazing feeling to know that people are so proud of me and love me so much. I have learned so much in the past few months, and cannot wait to learn even more about myself and the world. I will leave Mississippi in the morning with the confidence that I am loved and that I am doing exactly what I was created for. And one thing is for sure, hugs are way tighter when you're leaving the country. I can only imagine the hugs waiting for me when I return after my service.

Tomorrow I leave Mississippi to make another continent and country my home once again. Your prayers are welcomed as I fulfill the latest calling for my life and my service.