I bought my first ever sari!

Friends and family,
Hope all is well wherever you are! I wanted to comment on lasts post...I never explained my title! I wrote something like "don't tie your hammock up too loosely" and the reason for that is because I fell. HARD. On the ground. At 6am. Not fun! After coming back from the Reconnect Conference (and having brought my hammock to sleep at another volunteers house the night before the conference started), I had to retie my hammock in the house. It's so weird because I put all of my weight into it when I was tightening the ropes the night before...but CLEARLY that didn't work. So this is how it happened. I made coffee, grabbed my book, and was ready to have a quiet morning before I started the day. Luckily, I set my hot coffee down before I sat down on the hammock (and luckily no puppies were sitting under the hammock...which is their favorite place to sit, by the way), because I fell so hard. Alicia wakes up and comes out as I am groaning on the floor, "are you okay..." Hah. All I could say was "oooooooo" I probably should have sat on one of those blow-up donuts for the rest of the day. But I got through it! And now my tailbone feels a lot better!

This week Alicia and I are lucky to have two volunteers staying at our place! Harmony and Travis from region 1 are visiting to see what region 5 is like. There is culture shock even amongst the regions! Region 1 is very jungly and has a lot more water...so they are getting to experience a place that is more "bright" (as the Guyanese would say...which means populated and "more going on"). We also ALL got to experience what "Soiree" was like, which is an Afro-Guyanese celebration for independence from slavery. This event was very "bright," seriously, there were hundreds and hundreds of people EVERYWHERE just dancing, sporting (drinking), gaffing (talking), and hanging out with friends and family. The whole street of our "almost" neighboring village "Hopetown" was celebrating all night into the morning. The next morning (Emancipation Day) was still full of celebration. It was really cool to see everyone out. We even saw 3 more volunteers from Region 3 come out and we all got to hang out and dance!

I bought my first sari the other day and then brought it to a seamstress to sew it for me. Alicia and I were invited to another Hindu function (Hawan) where we got to wear the indianware. A Hawan is the ceremony for a person who has a birthday (Auntie Avi's birthday!) My sari is so beautiful though, and the seamstress did a beauiful job. The sari is a deep pink with bronze sparkles and flowers all over it. I am so excited to have this outfit to wear whenever we go to anymore hindu functions. It was also exciting because I went the day before to help prepare food for the function. The families house that I went to were super sweet and welcoming to me. They taught me how to make Matai (which tastes very close to a donut hole...very yummy) and I also got to learn how to make Pouree (which is a very thin roti that is slightly sweetened and fried). It was such a long process. I went there at 12pm and we didn't finish until 7pm! Yes! They also did a ton more cooking in the morning (7 curry). This family went to so much trouble for their guests. I instantly felt comfortable with the family and they invited us back anytime to visit and gaff. I will defintely be doing that :)

I also got 2 packages from Holly this past week! Oh. My. Goodness. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The packages were filled with so many things that I needed so many, many thanks sis! One of the things that will also totally benefit for the whole community is a football (soccer ball)! I am thinking about putting together a football club for the children at my worksite. Already I have brought the football out to the field near our house and the kids LOVED it! I am so excited to organize something fun for the community. So thank you again, Holly. It was very sweet to take the time and money to send me these things!!!

Today, we are all going to New Amsterdam (a big village about 40 minutes from our house) to visit Lauren (another volunteer) and show them what it is like there! I hope all is well for everyone.

And also MANY CONGRATS TO HEATHER CARONE AND DANNY MCFARLAND ON THEIR NEW ENGAGEMENT!!! SO HAPPY AND THRILLED FOR YOU BOTH.

Peace!