3 cars, 2 boats, and a minibus

To get anywhere in Guyana is a struggle.  The roads are less than good and with all the rivers, boats are generally required at some point in your journey.  Recently I went to the other side of Guyana, closer to Venezuela to visit Victoria and to watch the new batch of Volunteers swear in.  To get there from New Amsterdam it required me to take a car, another car, a boat, a minibus, another boat, and one last car.  I think it took 6 hours of actual traveling time but more like 8-9 hours factoring in the times it takes to wait on the car/boat/bus to fill up.  To get a true picture of what traveling in a minibus is like check out this video.  It was made in Jamaica in the 80’s but is accurate to what it’s like here in Guyana.  

Two White Girls Pon a Minibus

 

Traveling in a car is not much better but obviously you can fit less people.  While I respect the drivers aim to make as much money as they can, I do get slightly irritated sitting with 4 people in the back of a car, sometimes with a child or two in your lap.  The term used to fit this many people in is called “small up”.  There are two ways to catch a car or bus.  Either you go to a car park where the cars will go to a designated place, like if I am going to Georgetown from New Amsterdam, I would go to the Georgetown car park.  Or if you are going more local, you stand at the side of the road and hold out your hand, point your finger down for a short drop, point it up for a longer ride. 

Boats are similar in that you go to a designated spot to catch a specific boat and they will cram as many people in as possible.  Only now you are required to wear a life jacket (this is mostly because very few Guyanese people can swim).  Boats are actually a cheaper way to travel in Guyana so they are preferred by most Peace Corps Volunteers. 

So with all forms of transportation they goal is to make as much money as possible.  This means you don’t leave until the car/bus/boat is full.  The only exception is getting a car on the road, then you make as many stops as possible to get as many people as you can.  One of the more frustrating aspects of traveling is that there are no designated bus or car stops (with the exceptions of the car parks).  So your bus will make as many stops as there are people in the car, and sometimes only feet apart from each other.  This makes the trip very long.  And of course there is no AC, so it’s a hot and sweaty ride. 

In the end you do all this to get to see your friends and more parts of your host country.  It becomes normal and routine.  In fact I’m so used to it when I get back home I am not sure how I’m going to get around!!!

Worth the struggle to get to see views like this!

You got blackout?

Blackouts are common in Guyana, they happen at any time of day or night and can last for a minute to all day.  At first when I asked around for the cause of the blackout (I was thinking down power lines or storms) I didn’t really get a direct answer.  “They just happen.”  “It happens when too many people are using the current.”  Or more commonly I got “me no no”.  But I persisted and finally got an answer that seems plausible from the unlikely source of 4 teenagers.  They told me it was because the pump/generator thing that pumps the current ran out of oil.  Now this seems likely but then my question is why does there seem to be oil on hand some days and others it takes 6-9 hours to locate the oil?  I should stop trying to figure out the logistics in this country and go with the flow as the locals do but it’s hard!

So what do you do in a blackout?  Well if it happens during the day, you go outside lay in the hammock and read a book.  It’s important to have an actual book because who knows how long the blackout will last and you don’t want to drain your phone battery.  Or you can do your shopping, or go lime (hangout) on the street.  It is also paramount that you text all of your friends to see if they have blackout too.  Your going to want someone to commiserate with, or if they are close go hang out at their house for a couple of hours.

Now a night blackout requires some other tools. Because there are no street lights a blackout at night means pitch black, you can't see your hand in front of you face black.  So you are going to want a headlamp and another light source if you have it.  The headlamp will free up your hands for your mosquito zapper and anything else you want to arm yourself with. The other light will help chase away the things that go bump in the night.  Next you want a good working knowledge of your light switches, because you are going to want to turn your lights off and seal yourself in your net.  There’s not many things more frustrating than tucking in your net, the lights coming on and you forgot to flip a switch.  You are also going to want to remember to turn on your fan in case the power does come on.  It’s also a good idea to plug in your phone in case the power comes on in the middle of the night.  The last thing is a hand held fan, postcard or something to fan yourself with.  Then you just lay in bed completely still so you don’t exert any energy, when it gets too bad fan yourself, and pray to the current gods that the power comes on soon. 

Peace Corps Application Process... Hurry up and wait

So I know some people have been asking what all was involved in the application process for the Peace Corps.  I started the process in June of 2014.  The application it self was rather long and involved two essays.  I think it probably took around a week for me to complete.  I do not remember exactly what the questions were at this point but here are the essays I turned in.

To serve in the Peace Corp would be an awesome and rewarding experience that I have, on some level, been working towards for most of my life, I just didn’t realize it.  I always knew I wanted to combine my love for traveling and community service into a career but I never knew how.  I was a member of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) in high school, which prompted my love for the health care field. I went to college and took a random assortment of courses to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  I didn’t know who I was as a person so how was I supposed to pick a career path? 

My Mom gave me the push I needed to travel, so with her help I boarded a plane, headed for the outback of Australia.  I had no idea what I was getting into working in the outback.  And there were times that I hated it, but there were more times that I never wanted to leave.  It was in the outback, interacting and working with the local Aboriginal tribe that I realized I wanted to work in public health, preferably in a developing country.  Upon my return stateside I made it my goal to finish my education and pursue my career goals.  Serving in the Peace Corps has always been goal of mine, but until recently I didn’t feel that I had the necessary education or experience to contribute to the Peace Corps. 

I know that it seems odd that a woman in her late 20’s would want to volunteer for a two year service in a far off place, but for me it feels right.  I know who I am as a person and what I can contribute to a community.  I love to travel, experience new cultures, and meet new people from all walks of life.  To have the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture would be a scary and rewarding experience, and then to have the opportunity to help improve their quality of life is something that I would be proud of all of my life.

The biggest challenge that I will encounter is that I can be shy in new experiences.  I tend to sit back and assess a situation remaining quiet and reserved until I feel comfortable.  That is the main reason I started working in a restaurant, to force me out of my shell, and it worked.   I think it’s important not to discount how extreme culture shock can be, even if you are in a country that speaks your native tongue.  You can do research on the culture and country you are visiting, but it doesn’t compare to being in that country for the first time. Nothing helps but time.  I have been there, and have experienced the culture shock of going back home.  It is a scary experience but at the same time it is the best time of your life.

Traveling to another country and experiencing the culture of that country can be two totally different things.  I had traveled before I went to Australia, I even considered myself to be an experienced traveler having been to England, Italy, Puerto Rico, and to most of the 50 states, which was far more places than my peers had been to.  However until I lived in the outback I had never truly experienced a new culture. 

I don’t remember my first few days in Australia, I slept most of the time.  What I do remember was the unexpected language barrier that I encountered.  I did not even remotely consider that some words would have different meanings from one country to the next. After a few botched communication efforts, it became clear that this was not going to be as easy of a transition as I originally thought it would be. 

When I accepted the position at the cattle station store in the middle of the outback I assumed I would be working with local farmers.  However I came to realize that the store was for the local Aboriginal tribe and at first they didn’t trust me and wouldn’t even talk to me.  But soon they realized that I wasn’t going anywhere and they started to open up.  The most confusing thing that occurred was that when the Aboriginals spoke English, they spoke with an American accent.  However they had tremendous trouble understanding my accent because it wasn’t the Australian accent that they were used to. 

The farm I worked on not only produced cattle, and provided a store for the Aboriginals it also offered them a chance to paint and would in return sell the paintings and give the painter a profit from the sale.  The ladies and their children would come to the farm and stay all day, painting, shopping, eating, and gossiping while the men herded the cattle.  For the most part I stayed on the side lines, painting base coats or restocking the shelves, chipping in on some conversations, or played with the kids, eating lunch with them. Once they started to trust me I gently encouraged some of locals to purchase toothbrushes and toothpaste, and taught them how to use them.  I educated some members the tribe about the damage litter does and how to dispose non-perishable items.  By the end of my time on the farm I had gotten accustomed to their way of life and I like to think that in some ways I was able to help improve their quality of life.

I gained more from this experience then I could have ever imagined.  I learned that not everyone is going to trust you right off the bat.  That it takes time and patience to gain peoples trust and friendship.  I learned that little victories can be more rewarding than big ones.  Change doesn’t happen overnight and without understanding as to why the change needs to occur.  And most importantly I learned who I am.    

Once I turned in my application I received a confirmation email and letting me know I will be asked to complete a Health History Form.  It's important to be honest on this form because your doctor will have to sign off on it later.  After a month of waiting I was contacted by my local recruiter for an interview.  At this point I really started to freak out.  This was happening!  

I had my interview on August 11th, 2014.  It took maybe two hours.  The Peace Corp Recruiter was very nice and made me feel relaxed about the whole thing.  I had looked up the questions they may ask prior to the interview so I was somewhat prepared.  Naturally the day of the interview I forgot my notes and prepared speech at my house (It was a phone interview, so I did it at my Moms house to avoid distraction).  It turns out it was good I didn't have my notes.  The recruiter wanted me to be honest and raw when answering the questions.  

After the interview I had some interactions with my recruiter as to where my top picks would be and then nothing.  I waited forever for my invitation.  It finally came on December 2. 2014.  I was invited to serve in Guyana as a Community Health Specialist, departing April 20th 2015.  From there it has been a whirlwind of doctors appointments, passport applications, and packing.  

So overall the whole process from start to finish will take almost a year.  It is a lot of waiting around.  Even now with two months til I depart I don't have my plane tickets or confirmation that I have been legally cleared.  I am told by other volunteers that the tickets will come a month before my departure.  

As a side note to those people who are wanting to serve it can get very expensive.  The doctors appointments add up, and while the PC will reimburse you for some of those expenses, it won't cover all of them.  Also sending all the information in and getting things like passport pictures are an added expense.   I could not begin to calculate the total of what I have spent so far but it was pretty high.