I came to the city on February 1 to take the Foreign Service Exam. I have never taken a test with zero expectations. I did just that with this test. I'm not even sure I want to work for the FS, but the test was offered and it was free, so I took it. I will have the results in a couple of weeks. I don't know if I passed it, but I don't think I bombed it. I knew a couple of things.
Since I've been in, I've had meetings for the two committees I'm on. The PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) team is working to compile a portfolio of all the HIV/AIDS projects Peace Corps Volunteers have implemented in Suriname since 2010. Our hope is that when Peace Corps Suriname closes in July, local organizations will take over some of those projects and keep the good work going. PCVs in Suriname have done such great work in this area, and have some great ideas that are both culturally appropriate and effective. We want them all to continue.
And speaking of HIV/AIDS projects, I just finished one. During January, Julie and I implemented a curriculum geared toward sixth grade students. The program covers everything from transmission/non-transmission, the biology of HIV and when it becomes AIDS, as well as stigma and discrimination reduction. The kit includes a manual in Dutch, so that the teachers can continue with the program every year. In a PCV's perfect world, that would happen. The sixth grade teacher we worked with was less than enthusiastic and didn't really help us at all. It was frustrating at times to be doing the work that we wanted the teacher to do. It's hard to get the teachers excited about extra work. Nevertheless, Julie and I facilitated the lessons and the kids learned a lot. I was actually really surprised and excited about how much the kids knew all ready. I give that credit to all of those youth leadership camps we held months ago. In the end, I think the project went as well as it could have. The goal was for the kids to learn the facts and how to protect themselves, and I know they did.
The final lesson involved the kids making posters to educate others on the facts of HIV and how to protect themselves. I had the posters enlarged and laminated. Julie and I are going to hang them at the school and in the stores in our villages.
Drawing a picture about the importance of getting tested for HIV
Julie being a Peace Corps Volunteer
Showing off their certificates and red ribbons.
Julie is behind the camera not telling me she's taking the picture.
I was happier than that to be there.
On February 8, I traveled to Albina to visit Michelle's site. Albina is an Amerindian site, so it's very different from my life in Saramacca. I gathered that Amerindians are a way more quiet culture than Saramaccans. Albina is on the Marowijne river, the border between Suriname and French Guiana, so of course we hopped across the border for the day to enjoy delicious pastries and cafe au lait in St. Laurent. And by "hopped across the border," I mean we took a boat across the river and went into French Guiana totally legally and with permission.
Michelle's house. That's Michelle in the middle.
This street made me think of New Orleans
Strolling through the market
French Guiana was once a penal colony, this is the entrance to the prison
Inside the prison. The buildings are now used for festivals and theater events.
Vietnamese food court
Vietnamese pho and an egg roll was not a bad lunch.
I had a great visit with friends at Michelle's site. French Guiana was a nice treat, and the food was wonderful. I took all of my Euro change back to the bakery before we left. I bought four pan au chocolat, a quiche, and an apple pie thing. I think we left the country with roughly seven baguettes. All of it was eaten. Success.
I left Albina on Monday morning and returned to the city around noon. I jumped on Facebook as soon as I returned to the office, as I always do when I have internet access. This is the first thing I saw...
I cried. Without knowing what happened, but knowing it was something bad, I cried. I knot formed in my stomach and I was almost scared to find out what it was. After browsing Facebook, I found out it was a tornado. A tornado hurt Hattiesburg and my Southern Miss. I immediately thought of my brother, my friends, and my parents. My mom is in grad school, she had class over the weekend. Were she and my dad still in town? My brother lives in Hattiesburg. Did the tornado come close to his house? So many friends are still in Hattiesburg. They live all over the city. What was the tornado's path? Were they all okay? I was scared to call my mom. It's always hard being so far away and not knowing what's going on back home. That's even harder when tragedy is involved. I called my mom. She answered. They were all okay. Andy's house and neighbor's houses have some damage, but he was out of town for the night, and not at home when the tornado hit. I let out that breath I was holding. I eventually found out that no one was killed in the storm. That's a miracle, y'all.
Maybe it seems silly to some folks that a picture of a rock, broken trees, and a street filled with debris evoked such emotion in me. And if it seems silly to you, you didn't attend the University of Southern Mississippi. Yeah, that's my alma mater. I have a piece of paper that says so. It's so much more than that though. Southern Miss is my home. My parents went to Southern Miss, and regardless of how much they wanted me to believe the decision of which college I attended was mine, they wanted more for me to believe that Southern Miss was the best place for me. My mom was a Chi Omega at Southern Miss. Going through sorority recruitment was not an option. She told me the choice of joining a chapter was mine. My dad's words were different. "You don't come home if you're not a Chi Omega at the end of the week." I didn't and I was. At Southern Miss. Six weeks into my freshman year, I told my parents I was going to study in France the next spring. Because of Southern Miss. I know without a doubt that I would not be a Peace Corps Volunteer had I not spent a semester in France. I wouldn't be a Peace Corps Volunteer without Southern Miss. With the exception of about three people, my best friends were given to me by Southern Miss and Chi O. I wouldn't have the support I need to be in the Peace Corps without Southern Miss. My heart and life were changed by Southern Miss. So, yeah, a picture of a rock, broken trees, and street filled with debris was hard to see.
I love this picture of students helping clean up our campus.
"...so lift your voices high, show them the reason why that Southern spirit never dies. Fight. Fight. Fight."
When the day and the tornado are over, buildings will be rebuilt. Spirits will be lifted, and Southern Miss will be okay. After all, it's not the buildings that changed my life. It was the people, the soul, and the traditions. Those things are all still in tact. And because of that, Southern Miss will continue to climb to the top. And in a few months, I'll be there to see it.
My state never ceases to amaze me, whether it be for the good or bad. I have seen so many pictures and newspaper articles in the past few days of folks coming together to help in whatever ways they're needed. In times like this, I am reminded of why I love Mississippi and why I couldn't imagine my life being rooted anywhere else.
I obviously did not take any of the pictures of Southern Miss posted above. In case you're just tuning in, I live in Suriname. If Molly, Hannah, and Mary Lois are reading this, I stole your pictures. Thanks.
I am going back to site on Monday. Julie and I are cooking up activities for a World AIDS Day celebration and field days at the school. We're going to be busy. I'm thankful for that. When I return to the city in late March, it will be for SUR 17's COS conference. That means Close of Service. Close. Closing service. My service is coming to a close. Holy cow. I cannot believe it. I've lived in this country for a little while, y'all. Wow.
As always, thanks so much for taking time to keep up with my life, read my blog, pray for me, and make me feel so special. Seriously. I cannot say it enough.
Also, I will not miss Mardi Gras next year.
