Brooke Crumpton, Peace Corps Volunteer

I have been in the capital for the past week, and I really thought I would have more time to update my blog.  I hate that I did not have time, but life did not slow down like I thought it would. I have had a wonderful week though.

Since I last posted, I spent my last week with my host family. I was there from June 29 until July 6. I have to admit that I did not want to go back to homestay after having visited my future site. My site is very different than my homestay, and after visiting and discovering what Malobi was all about, I really could not get excited to go back to being on someone else's schedule. I am extremely grateful for all that I learned in my first week at homestay, but I just really could not get excited to go back. The week was not so bad, and I made it through and left my host family with hugs, an ornament of the state of Mississippi, and the promise that I would come visit them again in the next two years.

July 1 is Keti Koti, Emancipation Day for the Maroon communities, and because the kids are out of school that day, they celebrated on June 30. Jonathan and I walked to a neighboring town behind a group of kids in traditional dress, singing songs, and beating drums. It made me smile. It was such a neat site.

I got really sick the last few days at homestay. I had awful aches, a fever, and really upsetting stomach issues. I had to use the latrine that I avoided my first week at homestay. I had tears in my eyes as I walked to utilize it the first time. I did not take a picture of the inside of it because I know if folks saw it they may not believe that I actually used it. It was unpleasant at the very least. I have never been sick to that point and not had my Momma to take care of me. There was one night that I wanted to call her, but I knew if I did I would have lost it and probably cried myself to sleep. It was not an easy week. Nevertheless, I overcame illness and a really disgusting latrine.

The week was not all bad. A little girl that was terrified of me when she first saw me, let me hold her. She even smiled at me once. Jonathan and I cooked for our host families on our last day in town. We finished cooking and turned around to almost every kid in the village holding a plate in the air for us to fill. They really seemed to love it and appreciate our efforts. That felt good.

As always I caught myself wishing my family and friends could see me in situations here. I wish they were here to see me hold babies and cook for the village. I wish they were with me when a kid asks me to come look at something in their house, and then they proceed to leave me standing in said Saramaccan house in the middle of Suriname all alone. I wish they were with me as a brushed my teeth staring off into the jungle.

I left homestay and moved to the capital, Paramaribo, on July 6. I was so excited to see the rest of my group and hear about their weeks. July 7 we had Representational Day at the Ambassador to Suriname's house. It was a pretty swanky affair for Peace Corps folks in Suriname. We got dressed up and stood on stage to be recognized by the Ambassador and the President of Suriname. It was definitely one of those moments in which I am reminded that I am doing something pretty big. It was awesome to be recognized in that way.

We had another celebration at the Ambassador's house on July 10. We spent July 10 celebrating July 4. There were lots of military folks and their families there. There were real hamburgers and hotdogs and Doritos. There was a karaoke machine set up and we danced and ate the day away. There were red, white, and blue banners everywhere. It was like any Fourth of July cookout in America, but at the Ambassador to Suriname's house. The only thing that would have made it more American is if we had actually been in America. We all had a great time.

The rest of my week has consisted of eating fast food, meetings at the Peace Corps office, and getting to know a few more of the SUR 16s. A few of them showed us a couple of new places to eat and a karaoke bar. I am so glad my group has been able to get to know a few of them better.

Yesterday was one of the greatest, most wonderful days I have had in Suriname. It was also one of the most emotional. I woke up yesterday ready to take my oath and become a Peace Corps Volunteer. Our ceremony was on the balcony at the PC office. Three of my fellow trainees gave speeches in the three languages our group has been learning, and then our country director spoke before the Ambassador administered the oath. George, our country director, mentioned what a huge accomplishment it was that our group that started as 23 was swearing in as a group of 23. That has not happened in the history of PC Suriname. SUR 17 is fantastically fabulous and wonderful. George also wanted us to extend thanks and gratitude to our families and friends back home for the sacrifice they are making in not only allowing us to be here, but supporting our efforts and dreams. I was a little choked up. My family has been there to see every achievement in my life thus far, and not having them there yesterday to see me take my oath and become a Peace Corps Volunteer was hard.

Last night I went with a few of my now fellow volunteers to an Italian restaurant here in the city. It was delicious, and we spent lots of SRDs on a few courses of amazing food and a glass of wine. After dinner we went to a movie. Sitting in the theatre I forgot where I was. The beginning of the movie was a little overwhelming. I have been out of touch with main stream entertainment for a couple of months. It was strange. Tomorrow I will brave the theatre once more to see Harry Potter 7 Part 2. I cannot wait.

Today I spent the day shopping to furnish my new house in Malobi. The volunteer I am replacing left me a lot, but I still had to buy a lot. A long day and a couple thousand SRDs later, I am almost finished. I will buy food and leftover items tomorrow. I cannot wait to see my bed being transported on a dug out canoe for three hours up the Suriname river.

After dinner, before I hopped into the cab to head to the theatre, I talked to my momma. I cried and she cried. I have been pretty overwhelmed the past couple of days thinking about how my life is about to change. It changed when I came to Suriname, but that was just the beginning. I am so happy to be here and to have been given this opportunity. I have become really tough in the past couple of months, but I am in no way fearless. I am terrified to move to Malobi and be alone in my village. And not because Malobi is a scary place, it's wonderful and the people there were so welcoming to me and are excited that I am coming. I am just so overwhelmed at how drastically my life is about to change. I am fairly close to a couple of other volunteers, but the fact that my group is not going to see each other that often makes me really sad. I still think about my friends and family in the States and I miss them like crazy, but now I find myself feeling homesick for SUR 17. I am so grateful for a group that I love and will miss so much, but it will be hard to not see them.

For the past ten days I have been in a hostel with air conditioning and t.v. This has been the first time in two months I have had either of those luxuries. Saturday I will give up those again along with lots more modern comforts. I know the reasons why I came here and I know that I am going to gain so much in the next two years, but I cannot help the emotions I am feeling at this moment. I thought getting on that plane two months ago would be harder than it was, and I am blown away at how much Saturday is going to change my life. I have had tastes of the Saramaccan way of life, but Saturday it becomes my life. Saturday when I get off the boat in Malobi will be one of the most defining moments of my life. Ready or not I am moving to the jungle. Terrified or not, I am ready.

I will spend the first few months at my site learning the language better, accessing my village, and building trusting relationships with the people of Malobi. I have been told not to even think about project work within those first few months because I simply will not know enough about Malobi to help make anything sustainable. I am taking that advice to heart. I think I will have my hands full developing my language and carrying things on my head.

Keep Malobi and the people of the village in your thoughts and prayers as well. I feel like we are going to learn a lot from each other in the next couple of years, and I cannot wait to see the wonderful things that we accomplish together. 

I will come back into the city in mid September. I will not have internet until then, but hopefully will have lots of stories to tell and pictures to show then. I am anxious to see what two months without internet will be like. I will continue to have moments of disbelief in where I am and what I am doing. I will also continue to thank everyone in my life for their continuous love, prayers, support, and encouragement. I received lots more letters this past week. I am giddy every single time I open one. I am also overwhelmed with the wonderful and outstanding folks in my life. Holy cow, I'm a lucky girl. Please keep the love coming. I promise to write you back eventually.

All the love I have from Suriname!

there is no app for this

Man oh man how life has changed since I last had access to the internet. A lot has happened in the past four weeks and I am different, and for those of you that know me, I think you will agree after reading this post.

A few weeks ago, I went with half of my group to visit an eco farm to learn about sustainable ways of farming in Suriname. It was really interesting and the guy that showed us around his house was inspiring. Whether or not farming becomes a part of my daily routine once I am at site remains to be seen, but I like the thought of having a garden and growing my own food.

I ate a chicken foot. I was fine and really brave until I had to hold its hand. It was really tough and I thought maybe you just suck on it or stir it in soup or something. I thought that until I saw a girl at my homestay site put one away like it was a Snickers bar.

I moved to homestay and in with my host family on May 29. After meeting my host mom, Wendy, and going to the market to buy vegetables and eggs (which I dropped before we got back on the bus) I soon left for her village. After about a two hour bus ride my friend and fellow trainee, Jonathan, and I arrived and were greeted by about fifteen smiling, dark faces. One little boy took my hand and rubbed my white skin as he counted the freckles on my arm and led me to my house. I was overwhelmed and could not hold back my smile at that point.

After dinner and showing me where my latrine and wash house were, Wendy helped me hang my hammock and mosquito net in my house. I was in bed that night and covered in bug bites by about 7:30.  I wrote in my journal that night, "Life changes all the time. My life changed when I came to Suriname, but today my life became more different than anything I have ever experienced or could imagine."

After my first night at homestay, I decided I was going to be fine if I still felt somewhat rested after sleeping in a hammock in ninety degree heat, tossing and turning, and managing to keep my mosquito net off the ground.

My week at homestay consisted of learning how to wash dishes, clothes, and my body in the river. I watched my host mom clean and cut up the chicken that became my lunch one day in that same river. I slept in a 6'x 10' house with a thatch roof and fell asleep watching lizards crawl above my head. Jonathan and I walked back from a neighboring village and visiting fellow trainees one day in the pouring rain. I had a child throw poop on my porch, thought I had fleas, and ate a canned sardine sandwich for breakfast all in the same day.

I looked out at the landscape one day at the river. I could not believe that I was standing in a river in the Amazon looking at the jungle. I looked up at the sky one night waiting on my bath bucket to fill up. The sky looks the same, but the landscape beneath it is drastically different! I could not believe in that moment that Mississippi was only a two hour time difference away.

I celebrated one month of being in Suriname while I was at homestay. I remember dreaming about what life would be like once I was in Suriname, and while I cannot remember all of those dreams, I do know that something inside of me changed when I accepted that invitation to serve in the Peace Corps. That night as I celebrated my one month accomplishment, I sat in my house writing in my journal with a sunburn and the dirtiest hair and fingernails I have ever had, while ants crawled on my feet and lizards fought on my roof. I realized in that moment that all those folks that said, "You're brave, I could never do what you are going to do," were right. I never considered myself brave, but I definitely know folks that could not handle all that I have dealt with in the past weeks. I am tough and getting tougher. I know this now.

The day we left homestay our whole group had a safety and security lesson at the river. We had to jump out of a boat with our life vests on and swim about 100 yards to the shore. I think we had a little bit too much fun doing this, considering their are piranhas and anacondas in the river. Have a mentioned that I love my group? We are awesome.

I had a language proficiency exam when I returned from homestay. I scored intermediate low, which was the highest anyone scored. I was pretty proud of myself.

I left June 8 to visit a volunteer in the Interior. I will never forget my first boat ride on the Suriname river.  June 11 I went to visit my new home in Suriname. I stayed there for a few days with the volunteer that I am replacing. I was so excited to see my new house and visit with folks in the village.

My second day there a few women from my side of the village helped me wash my house. Literally. We scrubbed my house with water and brushes. I held back tears as I looked at this picture of what my life is now. These are the women that are going to love me for the next two years. I bought them cokes and cookies when we were finished and we sat and talked for a bit. They talked, I tried to figure out what they were saying. After washing off I sat down on the porch to rest for a minute, and that's when I saw it. The first tarantula I have ever seen not in a zoo or pet store. I looked at it and laughed for about five minutes, probably to hold back tears. It was the size of my hand.

Later that night I could not hold back the tears anymore. I cried for the first time in Suriname. It was a good cry though. I was overwhelmed, but in a great way. The reality of my decision and my life now hit hard that day.

I have learned so much in the past few weeks about life in Suriname and about myself. There have been times that I have felt ridiculously overwhelmed, but even then I felt even more ridiculously fortunate. I am so excited to see where my Peace Corps journey goes from here.

My life is unreal right now and I am changing for the better. I catch myself multiple times every single day in a wow-this-is-my-life-moment. The roads I take to visit my friends in the Interior are paths through the jungle. Some kids are afraid of me because of the color of my skin. My moisturizer now consists of bug lotion, sunscreen, and humidity. I accept the fact that my clothes are not going to smell very good for the next two years, and that at any given moment there are at least three bugs crawling on me. There was a spider on my ceiling when I took a nap the other day and I didn't bother to kill it. Six months ago I could not have slept knowing it was there. A couple of days ago I held a beetle the size of a baseball.

It was not love at first sight, but I am growing to love it more and more each day.  My life is something out of a book or movie. Fitting, since this is my version of a fairytale. It is not easy for people I love to not witness every ounce of my life, especially here and now. Life is good and so very sweaty.

That's all I have time to write for now. I leave next Wednesday to go spend one last week with my host family. I should have internet for the few days after that until I move to my site for good. Thank you for being interested in my life and thank you even more for the prayers and loving support. I have received mail every single time they have delivered it to us. I am loved and some of my fellow trainees probably think I am spoiled. I'm ok with it. I have extraordinary people in my life. I cannot say thanks enough, or begin to express how grateful I am for all of the love and encouragement. You people rock.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Aspiration Statement

All Peace Corps Invitees have to submit an aspiration statement. My aspiration statement answers questions about my expectations for service, my strategies for adapting to a new culture, and how I expect my service to further my personal and career goals.

The professional attributes that you plan to use, and what aspirations you hope to fulfill, during your Peace Corps service.

During my service I plan to be extremely cooperative, open, accepting and caring towards my community and the people I serve. I hope that through these traits I will gain their trust so that, together, we can make the most progress possible during my stay in Suriname. I hope to be reminded through everyday encounters, success, and disappointments of the reasons I wanted to be a part of the Peace Corps. I hope to return to the United States after my service with a love and understanding for a country and its citizens once unknown to me.

Your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.

I plan to be as approachable and cordial as possible. I will strive to be patient and to listen more than I speak. I want the members of my community to view me as understanding, compassionate, and trustworthy. Through these traits, I believe, that the Surinamese people I serve will feel confident in my motives for living and working with them. Mutual understanding and goals are key when working towards any change, and I hope that the people of my community will feel comfortable expressing their concerns and disagreements with me in order to make needed adjustments and changes.

  

Your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.

I know that life in Suriname will be quite different from life in the U.S., however, I do not foresee much difficulty in my adjustment. I am a versatile person and I am extremely interested in different cultures. I lived abroad in the past, so I know that many changes await me in Suriname. I hope that by being patient with myself and those around me, as well as maintaining my sense of humor, I will be better able to integrate into my community. A different way of life is one of the many benefits of Peace Corps service, and I hope to fully embrace the opportunity I have been given to experience life in a completely new way.  

The skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project. 

During pre-service training, I hope to gain a great deal of knowledge about the people, cultures, and aspirations of Suriname. I hope to spend time talking with community officials, educators, and citizens to gain as much perspective as possible on the health and sanitation needs in their country and communities. I plan to be educated in Dutch as well as my local language, and to work hard at memorizing and speaking them so that I may be as helpful as possible towards the betterment of my community and the lives of its citizens. I also plan to gain the technical knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill my position as completely as possible.

How you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends. 

I believe I will return from service a more patient person with a new confidence and fervor for meeting new challenges both in my personal or professional life. I hope that I return with a deeper understanding of the needs of the world and the ways in which compassionate listening and understanding can not only dispel myths and break down the barriers of ethnocentrism, but can, and will, change the lives of both the served and the servant.