Hot like Summer :)

I am sorry it has been so long since my last post! I feel like a lot has happened in the last month.

I spent today cleaning up a local beach with another volunteer and some other Guyanese that the chairman's wife gathered together. Wow, there was so much trash, but I think we made a pretty good dent in the job. We still need to gather together for a couple more days to really get the job done, but it looks better already. It reminds me of the story about the sea turtles washed up on the shore. Have you ever heard of that one? "There is a boy walking along the beach full of washed up turtles. He was trying to save them by picking them up and throwing them back into the water. Another person walks up and says, 'why bother? there are so many there. it doesn't make a difference.' The boys looks back at the person and throws back another turtle into the sea. 'It mattered to that one.'" I love that story. It is so true about life. Sometimes people just sit because they think that little things won't make a diiference instead of doing little things that truely will help the matter. Little things DO make a difference! So anyways, I guess in a couple of weeks they are planning on getting some trash barrels for the beach (since there are none now) and attempting to make this beach a tourist site. I am happy that I could be a part of something that will hopefully really make difference for the community.

I have gone to a couple of weddings since I last posted a blog. The first one was a Christian wedding with an Afro-Guyanese family. It was a really nice wedding (pictures are on facebook). It was a sister of one of the teachers that Alicia works with who got married. She seriously looked so beautiful, like "Wedding Barbie." After the ceremony at the church, there was a reception that was held in the school building next door. They had hors d'ervs, such as meat and cheese kabobs and pasteries. Then the music started and they played some of THE most random music ever. They played a range of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Boys 2 Men, Kelly Clarkson, Pretenders...Just so random...it was hillarious. For dinner they had Fried Rice, Deviled eggs, chicken, cheese straws, etc all put in a "to-go" box. It's funny because some people grabbed a couple to go. The guy that we were sitting next to kept going back for more and kept saying, "this is for my son," "this is for my sister"...He was creative! Then we spent the rest of the night dancing...well attempting to dance, since I swear every single person there was amazing at dancing. Oh I forgot to mention that we had fairy godmothers to help us look more "hott" for the eavening. Some of the teachers from Alicia's school provided shoes and a dress for me. It was so sweet!

We also went to a wedding this past weekend. This wedding was a Hindu wedding...with the Indo-Guyanese...so it was a change from the last wedding. The wedding was early in the morning because the couple had to get across the country before transportation was no longer running. Our neighbor let Alicia and me borrow some beautiful saris to wear to the event. We were also lent hair straighteners, sponge curlers and jeweled gold shoes! The wedding ceremony was very beautiful. The bride wore a beautiful red sari that had a head piece with a lot of beads. She also had the coolest bangles andbeads that connected to the ring she was wearing. There was also gorgeous designs on her hand that looked like a henna tattoo. The groom was also wearing indian wear with a long dressy shirt and some pants to match. He also was wearing something on his head that looked like the guy from "Annie" (Punjab?) Most of the ceremony was in Hindi, but it was really cool to be there. Everyone looked so beautiful in their different colored saris and jewelry. Then after the ceremony, we got to eat the best meal EVER, 7 curry. This meal was not eaten on plates, but big leaves from lillies. So we got two leaves and stacked them on top of eachother so that none of the food would leak through. We put rice in the middle and then put all the different kinds of curries around the outside. So let's see there was catahar, banji (like spinich), mango, dhall, pumpkin, potato, and something else...that was really spicy! haha Most people eat this rice dish with their hands, they say it makes it taste sweeter! :) I think they are right! All in all, it was so good...and fun to eat! After the meal, everyone gathers back to the part of the house where the ceremony was held. They put their presents out, they bring the cake out with the champagne glasses, and then everyone listens to music and waits for the bride and bridegroom to appear. I was so surprised when they came down the stairs because the bride and the groom changed their outfits to a white wedding dress and a suit! Then they gathered in front of the cake, and did the traditional "i feed you cake" "you feed me cake" thing. They also did the traditional "I am going to hold your champagne glass, while you drink. And you will awkwardly feed me the drink at the same time!" Then there were a couple of speeches, and then the couple was off to region 2! Everyone else stayed behind and danced! It is really hard to "get down" when you are in a sari...but I tried to make it happen with the other older women who invited me to dance! Good times...
Tonight we are going to some other function where there will be dancing at the "wedding house." I totally feel like a wedding crasher in this country. If anyone has seen the movie "Wedding Crashers" with Vince Vaugn and Owen Wilson (Best movie haha) then you will know what I mean. I got like front seat viewing, I danced with the older women, ate the food, took pictures of the bride and groom sharing their ceremonious cake and drinks, and I didn't even know them! But everyone is welcome...and they share tons of food. Everyone was so kind. But I have to laugh everytime I go because I feel so strange...because I feel so comfortable!

I finished the last day of school this past Friday. The whole week was the craziest thing ever though, because the students came to school, but the teachers didn't teach a single thing. They spent the week doing paper work and records...so the kids were like, "Yay! Time to get crazy!!!" But I got some great pictures of them (they should be on facebook). I will definitely miss them. I also got some pictures of the school and the library that I tried to resurrect. We also had a teachers luncheon with rice, chicken, salad, pateries, cake, ice cream, and more. It was so yummy. The only sad part was that 3 of our top staff are leaving next year (our head mistress, our deputy head mistress (like a vice principle), and my supervisor :( Hopefully they will be happy on the next journey in their lives.

Everyone asks me from home, "So what are you going to do with the summer off?" First of all, if you are a teacher, you will know that you still don't get the summer off....you are always planning, right?? But a Peace Corps volunteer is working 24/7 which means that we are always trying to build connection and relationships with the people in our community and in the country. So I am thinking about doing a camp in either my work community or my living community (or Both!) I am thinking about either a dance camp, an exercise camp, or an acting camp? I am still trying to figure it out. I am just trying to think of a camp that does not need a lot of materials (for the obvious reasons!)

This coming weekend we have two more weddings to attend (both Hindu). I am going to barrow a sari from one of the teachers who works with me (another red one). It is so funny because I think that red is my least favorite color to wear...but at least my complexion is getting a little bit darker from the sun...so i don't look as washed out! haha. Anyways, one wedding is in region 5 and the other wedding is in region 3. We are traveling all the way to region 3 for the wedding because we are staying in region 3 for the whole week. We are having a conference...so I am excited to see all the other volunteers after 3 months!

I just want to thank Kathy Robison for the package that she sent! It was very sweet of you...It was such a surprise and I will def be reading that book soon! Thanks for the support...you will be getting a letter back soon. I honestoy want to thank everyone that has been reading my blogs, writing me letters, etc. They have meant so much to me. I have almost been here for 5 months! I cannot believe it. I would not be here without the love from my family and friends. Honestly. I know that I am feeling well adjusted here...but I still need you! It makes my day when I hear back from home. I hope everyone is continuing to enjoy the sunshine wherever you are.

Love, Love, Love to all...