Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A Visit from My Sister

My sister came to Guyana! I didn’t sleep the whole night before she came because I was so excited – and partly because I knew that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep on the plane! Navin and I arrived a little early and were eating our bake and saltfish when we realized her plane would have landed and we should get over the to the arrival area. It became a bit of a joke as various types of men and women of all ages and races came out of the luggage area with Navin exclaiming, “There’s your sister!” The guard wouldn’t let us in to see if there had been a problem with her luggage and finally as the last person came out, she told us that the plane from Trinidad had been delayed so she wouldn’t be back there anyways! (the airport monitor was broken). A couple of hours late, Lesa arrived tired, but happy to see me (or atleast she told me the tears were happy tears!) The rest of the day was rather uneventful as someone was apparently tired and slept the afternoon away!

The next morning we caught a flight from Ogle airport to Annai, a village in Region 9 and more specifically to Rockview Lodge. We were greeted by the apparent loss of our luggage (misplaced in the wrong storage compartment) and by our long lost sister, Andrica Holmes (a Guyanese from Region 1 working at the lodge – I knew I was part Guyanese!)! The lodge and Annai are located on the savannah with mountain ranges nearby (http://www.rockviewlodge.com/). We were greeted by lunch and then given a tour of the lovely grounds that was completed with a demonstration of how to roast cashews and a sample! After a few hours by the pool, we went for up the Panorama Nature Trail that was built on the Cock-of-the-Rock mountain, getting a lesson on the local flora, birds and some amazing views of the savannah below! The next morning we arose in the predawn darkness for coffee and cookies before heading out to the Iwokrama Nature Reserve for the canopy walkway. We happened to probably pick the only time of year when no trees are fruiting or flowering so there wasn’t a lot of activity for our 6:30am viewing of the tops of the trees, but the view was spectacular and it was a personal accomplishment to overcome my fear of heights and stand 30m above the floor of the rainforest and walk 154m in the trees! I personally napped upon our return to the lodge, but I think Lesa spent some quality time with a book in the hammock. We took full advantage of the pool before we left and even took a trip to the village of Annai to see the community with their thatched roof homes and the largest benab in Guyana (wider than the Umana Yana, but I think not as tall).

Birthday celebrations started upon our return to Georgetown with afternoon tea at Pegasus – can only be described as quaint with excellent service and cute little finger foods. Originally with no plans for a big party on the actual day, we started with drinks on the patio and a need for food found us at Windies Sports Bar. The final birthday celebration was a random assortment of Guyanese family and friends that I have collected over the past year. A lovely evening!

Saturday morning after a trip to Oasis for breakfast found us at Stabroek Market and the Hibiscus Craft Plaza for exploring and shopping. We thought the Carifesta air show was on Saturday, but the planes were a no show from our seat at Celena’s on the sea wall which was explained the following day after our trip to Sophia Exhibition grounds and the real air show took place – and all of Georgetown was on the sea wall to see it! For Lesa’s last night, we went for dinner and drinks at Pegasus, enjoying the ocean breeze, fruity cocktails and the closest thing to a real burger that I’ve found in Guyana.

Her departure was bittersweet – I wish she could have stayed longer, but the end of August means I am that much closer to going home myself.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Naya Zamana 14 at the National Cultural Centre

Last night, I went with Gina, Priya and Anu to see Naya Zamana 14 at the National Cultural Centre. Before the show, Gina, Priya and I went to Sizzling Platter, an Indian restaurant, where I enjoyed some delicious mango juice, along with my mango chicken curry and chapati. I don't remember what everyone else ordered, but it also looked tasty! And as per the name, all dishes arrived sizzling on a platter/skillet.

Naya Zamana is put on by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sbha to showcase the work of the dance students at the Dharmic Sandkritik Kendra. Two sisters are the choreographers and creators of the dance show, and offer free teaching of a variety of forms of dance to the students at the school. From the program, "Naya Zamana remains close to the heart of all the dancers, actors, performers nd persons who have worked with the sisters in this prestigiou hallmark production of the Sabha. Naya Zamana continues to reflect a passion for dance that encourages excellent, promotion of cultural art forms and positive vib rations and camaraderie among young people".

As we were arriving, the sirens wailed and the president's motorcade pulled into the theatre. We saw him in the lobby and Gina took stalkerish pictures. We were arranging to take our picture with him in the background when he moved and Priya said that we could probably just ask him to have our picture taken with him. So we did! Gina and I had our picture taken with the President of Guyana - don't worry, we had the permission of his bodyguard first before we asked him.

Anu had asked me as soon as tv ads started whether I wanted to go to the show, and I thought Gina would want to go and I kept forgetting to ask her. And then when we determined the three of us wanted to go, we still somehow left it until the last minute to pick up the tickets and as I was going to pick up the tickets, I asked Priya if she wanted to come too! I went to the Cultural Centre box office, picked up the tickets and went back to my other office, Oasis. At which point, I realized I had paid the price for floor seats and received balcony seats. Anu needed some more tickets so Iwent back only o find out hat I couldn't get four floor seats so we would be stuck in the balcony.

The balcony is exactly where we found Anu waiting for us - less excited about our picture with the president than we were, and perhaps still a bit disappointed about our seats in the nose bleed section. I definitely felt under-dressed in my black dress surrounded by women in their beautifully coloured and sparkling Indian garb. The father of the two choreographer sisters spoke, as a former minister in the government and I am assuming an involved member in Hindu community events. He introduced the President who spoke of the arrival in Guyana, preserving Indian culture and high hopes for Carifesta starting next week to further share with the Carribbean Guyana's cultural variety.

The show itself comprised of twenty dances, three songs and a grand finale. The costumes were spectacular with their vibrant colours and accessories. Some dancers were more skilled than others, but everybody had a lot of energy and passion for what they were doing. Experienced show goers tell me it wasn't as good as previous years, less synchronization and such, but I thoroughly enjoyed all the dances and costumes. It's handy having Anu around too to tell me about some of the dances like the Peer Manava which the program tells me now (and couldn't read in the dark) has "the dancers utilise energetic bhangra and giddha dance steps teasing the dulhan about her impending nuptials". One of my favourites was "Kachi Kaliya" called a "refreshing twist of Indian folk dance allowing male dancers to express both facets of human emotion" which they portrayed in dance by having a woman mask and dress on their back - enabling them to play their masculine dance role as well as do a role reversal and be a woman, somewhat mockingly in style.

Overall the evening was a spectacular show of dance, colour and music!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Fire in the Psych Ward, Dead Bird in the Cage

It sounds like the title for a mystery novel or an episode of a crime/drama series, but it's what happened in the early hours of this morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital Compound... and the surprise that awaited me at home at the end of the day.

I don't work in the Psych Ward, but I do work in the TB Chest Clinic - to visualize the Chest Clinic runs parallel to Middle St within the compound and the Psych Ward is perpindicular to the Chest Clinic, running parallel to Thomas St which intersects Middle St. The two buildings actually used to be one 'L' shaped building before a small space was created between the two. The Psych Ward consisted of a male and female psych ward, with the Medical Outpatient Department located in between.

I arrived after my morning walk to the hospital to be greeted by a crowd outside the gate to the compound. Some of the work study students were gathered outside and weren't sure what was going on, but the guard wasn't letting them in. I went to talk to the guard who wasn't going to let me in and told me there had been a fire at the Chest Clinic - at which point, I must have looked very upset because I wanted to know where in the Chest Clinic and if everybody was okay. I think at that point she remembered me and was like, oh, you work there, come in. I looked at the clinic and what I could see was fine, but then when I walked around the corner, I saw the smoldering remains of the Psych Ward, still smoking, still being soaked with water...

There is something about a fire and the destruction that it leaves behind. I was quite shaken. Nobody could confirm whether or not anybody had died and we all seemed drawn just to stand and watch the smoking remains. The Minister of Health was surveying the site - understandably not his usual upbeat self.

About forty five minutes later, we opened the Chest Clinic. I was so proud of the TB patients that had come despite the fire and waited for their daily DOTS treatment - they are the patients that really understand the importance of taking their treatment.

Though the outside wall at one end of the clinic had experienced some fire scarring, the fire had been stopped by the quick action of firefighters (as directed by the clinic director) to wet the building- and by the still morning which allowed the fire to burn straight up instead of spreading to another building. The damage within clinic was isolated to water damage of those chest x-ray envelopes. Luckily the work study students were allowed into the compound and under the direction of some nurses and along with some other health workers, went to work, drying off the x-rays and putting them in new envelopes.

No patients were seen at the clinic - many had heard about the fire as it was covered almost as it started on one of the local channels. And like a small town, word travels fast in Georgetown, well, in Guyana. There was no power or water at the clinic so I borrowed a PSU laptop and worked at my home away from home, Oasis cafe rather productively.

It was a bit of a rough start to the day and though I am pleased with the amount of work I got through without distraction, things didn't get any better when I went home. I had been looking after a pair of lovebirds for a friend and came home to find the female, dead at the bottom of the cage. It's probably been one of my greatest fears with my own pets and looking after someone else's. Looking back I can think of nothing that would have raised alarm that something was wrong with her. The man who helps out in the yard helped me find a place for her body. He seems to be doing alright -

It's incredibly sad, a lonely single lovebird. The worst was when he started to get sleepy and went up to the ring that they used to snuggle in together - and couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in because he used to snuggle into her neck. We'll be okay- he's eating, drinking and talking. We have each other! Will hopefully be able to pick up a new mate for him soon... no lovebird should spend too much time alone.

One of those days when you need a hug....

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Recipe: Black Cake

A bit like fruit cake - only not! Can't eat too much or you might get drunk... Definitely a Christmas favourite!


Ingredients

  • ¼ lb cherries
  • 1 lb local dried fruits (or raisins)
  • 1 cup rum
  • 1½ lbs. brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ lb flour
  • 12 eggs
  • 4 oz orange or lemon peel
  • ½ lb butter

Preparation

  • Grind dried fruits and soak it in 3 cups of rum. Store in an air tight container for three weeks.
  • Prepare the caramel by heating 1 lb of the the sugar until it turns dark brown.
  • Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, soaked fruits, and rum. When it is well blended, pour the caramel.
  • Add the flour with the baking powder and mixed spice.
  • Fold in the cherries.
  • Pour mixture in a baking pan and bake in a slow oven (about 300 degrees F.) for two hours. Remove cake from pan after two days.
http://guyanaoutpost.com/recipes/recipes-b.shtml#Black%20Cake

Trying to work

Work has been slow because the man that I primarily work with and helps me set up meetings with the right people, went on leave for four weeks. The others that I work with have very little time for what I do and for a little while I don't think they understood why I was still around after my internship ended. Just poor communication from one department to the next...

I am meeting the same frustrations with computer equipment as when I started. The process of obtaining computer parts is unknowingly sabotaging the success of the system. It is incredibly frustrating for me and the people that I am trying to work with that computers won't even turn on or are so slow that it is really a waste of time to use them.

I can understand that it's probably not an easy task to access the money - it seems to me like somebody recommends a part, but then somebody else has to get quotes and actually submit to purchase it, and then somebody else either aproves or rejects the purchase, and then hopefully the second somebody in the process picks up the money and buys the part so that the first person can install it. I can see this process taking a few weeks, but it is the months of waiting for parts that is frustrating me and the people at the clinic. I'm going to try again to find where the weak link is - I can't quit now at the clinic. We've worked so hard to get where we are.

I'll still continue... despite all the challenges... trying to work....

Working at the Clinic

I certainly have different emotions about work. The clinic itself that I work in has always had management issues, but they are getting worse. There is too much friction between staff, based on personalities, race and conflict of beliefs about how the clinic should be run. Those in a management role display very little leadership skills and don't respect their staff which in turn does not nurture respect in their staff. I hate to get involved with office politics, but when it affects the health information system that I am there to work with, then it becomes my business. The director has too much demand on his time to give the clinic the attention it so desperately needs. At the end of the day, it's the patients and the quality of care that they receive that suffers and that breaks my heart.

I am sure that it is not different from any other clinic, but it is my first clinic and everything is new to me. I have the added challenge of trying to introduce something new which there has definitely been resistance towards, less so now than in the beginning - but often not as much support or understanding for the system as I would like after this much time. I love the staff at the clinic and I have definitely felt very welcomed by them. A select few seem to know exactly when I need a little extra encouragement in my day and that is greatly appreciated. You can only do so much work and then wonder if it is really worth it before you need to hear it from somebody else that you do have purpose and your time is appreciated.

I can only hope and pray that somebody takes a leadership role at the clinic and that the staff learns to work better together despite all their differences. They all have so much to give and they could do so much for TB in Guyana if they saw the value in each other, respected each other and focused on the end goal of improving their current system and reducing the number of TB cases.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Have you ever....

eaten ginep?

ginep: tropical American tree bearing a small edible fruit with
green leathery skin and sweet juicy translucent pulp
[syn: spanish lime, honey berry, mamoncillo, genip]

If you haven't... you should!!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Baha'i Wedding

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." ~Emily Bronte
(quote on back of invitation and wedding ceremony program)

Yesterday I went to a Baha'i wedding ceremony. It was quite an adventure for Anu and I to find our way there - out in the middle of nowhere, sketchy street and neighbourhood, strange map... but we found it! The grounds were actually quite beautiful with the ceremony taking place on an outdoor pavilion starting right on time in Guyana. Invitation: 5pm, wedding ceremony: 5:40pm. The bridge and groom wore traditional Indian outfits and the guests were a mixture of family and friends from across Guyana and the world.

According to their website: "The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Its founder, Baha'u'llah, (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.

The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. God, Bahá'u'lláh said, has set in motion historical forces that are breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and to assist the processes of unification.

One of the purposes of the Bahá'í Faith is to help make this possible. A worldwide community of some five million Bahá'ís, representative of most of the nations, races and cultures on earth, is working to give Bahá'u'lláh's teachings practical effect. Their experience will be a source of encouragement to all who share their vision of humanity as one global family and the earth as one homeland". (http://info.bahai.org/bahaullah-basic-teachings.html)

The religion has no priests/pastors and no traditional format for a wedding ceremony, but a couple of faith leaders introduced the ceremony and the religion. Family and friends read selected poems and readings by Abdu'l-Baha, Kahlil Gibran, Baha'u'llah, Rumi and an Apache wedding blessing.

The wedding vows were quite simple, said first by the bride and then the groom, "We Will All Verily Abide by the Will of God". The parents of the bride and groom completed the ceremony by reading Abdu'l-Baha's recommendations for a strong marriage.

Coming from a rich cultural and religious background, the bride and groom exchanged wedding rings and used a selection from a Hindu wedding ceremony - plus signed the legal wedding documents!

Dinner was a buffet of fish, chicken, pork, beef, mashed potatoes, rice, coleslaw and veggies... It was alright, but unfortunately not very nice the next day. Sympathy from my landlady included a strict lesson: "you don't eat at these thing, you just drink!" Lesson learned.



Now you will feel no pain
For each of you will be shelter to the other
Now you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth of the other
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companions to the other
Now you are two persons
But there is one life before you
Go now to your dwelling place
To enter the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon this Earth.
~Apache wedding blessing

Emancipation Day

Last Friday - August 1 - Guyana celebrated the 174th anniversary of Emancipation which was gained on August 1, 1834. According to the Office of the President, it was then, that full and final freedom was announced for all enslaved Africans throughout the British Caribbean from a system that was described as the most hideous and barbaric of human exploitation (http://opnew.op.gov.gy/).

I was one of thousands who took part in Emancipation Day celebrations at the National Park in Georgetown (http://www.kaieteurnews.com/?p=3983). The celebrations started early in the morning, but Gina and I with her husband went about mid afternoon. Other times that I have visited the National Park is usually to walk the track and to visit the manatees so I enjoyed the hustle - bustle of activity that we experienced before we even reached the gates, including men who walked up the road trying to sell us tickets for $400 when the entrance fee is $300... a version of ticket scalpers I guess that prey on people who are too lazy to wait in a two person line to purchase tickets from a ticket booth who has an endless supply!

The National Park has a stadium, a large track, various grassy fields for picnics or football and cricket games and a random area of buildings that I don't really know what they are used for. The entrance way greeted us with people selling cotton candy (candy floss, oops), straw hats, sunglasses, and the opportunity to get our picture taken on a painted backdrop [for the record, the painted backdrop cracked me up considering some of the beautiful scenery in this country that makes for an even better picture! even in GT].

Before I forget to mention, most people in attendance looked beautiful in their African-inspired fabrics and outfits. I loved when families all wore the same material with a variation in the design of the dress. I couldn't help but take some pictures though not as many as I would have liked!!

The stadium was packed with crowds sitting in the stands and starting to gather in the shade of the stands on the one side. The little stage seemed so far away, but not many people ventured into the sun to get a close look. The VIP tent had the best view, but I don't know the criteria to get a seat under it though I think the prime minister was there for a bit beside the steel pan band. It is a credit to one little boy's dancing skills that as soon as he started a huge crowd of people moved from the safety of the shade into the hot sun to see him move! And boy, could he move!

Around the track closest to the stadium was an assortment of booths selling various tasty food items, local crafts and the equivalent of dollar store finds. I bought a bracelet made of a coconut shell (Mom, trade for mine back?), but laughed with the vendor when the necklaces he was suggesting I buy, I already own!!

We took a trip around the track so that I could introduce Gina and Taylor to my manatee friends who were very social and to just enjoy the beauty of the park, especially the breeze in the shade! We watched a few dance routines in the stadium before calling it a day - not without picking up some cotton candy on the way out!!

The afternoon was young as we left, definitely with more people coming in than going out so much so that we couldn't leave from one gate, but had to exist from another!



More from the President's Office: On this occasion of Emancipation Day that brought freedom to African ancestors, the Government of Guyana is joining with all Guyanese to pay tribute to their heroism and resoluteness in the face of adversity. “Guyanese should think of the suffering and the sacrifice of our African ancestors. Let us on Emancipation Day steadfastly determine to uphold a mutual respect, appreciation, and understanding of each other. Guyana is especially proud of its illustrious mosaic of nationhood, a cultural mosaic that will endure infinitely in this beautiful land that is our home,” the President’s message stated (http://opnew.op.gov.gy/).