Amerindian village

Amerindian Village - a picture from the trip a couple of weeks ago, showing an Amerindian guide explaining about how they use fruits from this tree. This was at an Amerindian village called Santa Mission.

Things are going fine. Today we have a meeting this afternoon of the head teachers of special schools, to look at the issues involved at managing schools. There is another VSO who is an education management specialist, so she is leading this. I'm just supporting, and arranging the snacks. Every meeting or training has to have snacks. I think this is a remnant of the days when people really were short of food here, or possibly it is because the food people eat is generally cooked food rather than sandwiches. People eat rice and beans, or roti (flat bread) and curry for lunch. You go to the canteen for a snack and the cheapest is channa (chick pea gloop).

My course is all going ahead swimmingly, yesterday I got the distance learning version from my VSO colleague, which makes it all look very professional. I was really pleased with it. So just need to get some more bits sorted, then it can go for printing. Endless permission letters, application forms and notifications sent out this week - I think bureaucracy was invented here. This is because they do not seem to have a system for approval going through meetings. You might expect my boss to take it up to the next levels and get it approved, but that does not happen. You have to go and find the higher managers in person and get them to sign it. They do not have an email system here, and not even pigeon holes, so it is all about walking around. I suppose it is part of the oral culture.

Bridge game this evening with my friend from the American Embassy - last time we had cheesecake! Film tomorrow at the Indian Cultural Centre to mark International Women's Day, and a VSO potluck supper for meeting the new vols on Sunday. The position of women here is fairly dire, think 1950s in the UK. Women are expected to be in the home, or perhaps teacher nurse, office or shop. Many women run market stalls selling produce. But there are people fighting that battle, I know some at choir. They are much older women who were well educated, the younger educated people usually migrate overseas. Over half of Guyanese are overseas, many in Canada.

Last Mash picture

This one is remarkable regarding the contrast between the golden glitter covered woman pulling the float and the content of the float, which was a minaturised house, with little bits of nicely made furniture.

More Mash

You'll have to lie down to look at this one, but that may be just as well considering the look of this guy! In the background you can see all the families camped out along the road for the day to watch it all go past.

Another Mash picture

A more extreme costume from the children's mash parade. Not quite sure what it signifies, but hey!

Picture - Mash parade

Trying to put on some pictures again. This is one of the children's groups on the Mashramani parade. You can see loads of Guyana flags, and this group looked like they were enjoying themselves, so deserved a picture!

Otherwise everything is going well at the moment. I'm hoping to get my course arrangements signed off today. If that goes OK then I can send out all the letters and start getting teachers signed up.

We're also planning an Easter trip to Lethem in the interior, with a stay at an eco resort on the way. Then over the Easter weekend there's a rodeo which is a big crowd puller - it may be a bit loud, but worth it for the experience. We hope to stay over with a couple of other vols, then do a day trip to Brazil (well just the nearest bit of Brazil!). This is my first bit of time off. Most of my leave will be at the end of my placement - I'm hoping to leave here shortly after July 16, then have a week in the Caribbean before coming home.

Things are generally going well with me, I'm looking forward to a quieter weekend following all the festivals and events last week. I'm hoping to get a bit of a break over Easter, possibly travelling to Lethem in the interior where there is a rodeo, and maybe going over into Brazil. Plans are also afoot to go to the Caribbean on the way home in late July, so that sounds exciting.

I was saying last time that I needed to get the SEN Course approved, but it turns out that it does not need to go to any committee to be approved, just by the Director and that is done. We had a session with someone from the Monitoring and Evaluation section who was talking about how to match up our projects to UNICEF targets so it is easier to get the finance. So I'm doing that today. As I'm writing the course at the request of the minister, I am hoping that the finance will not be a problem, but we will see. Meanwhile I am going to write the half module on visual impairment, which will keep me happy for a while. I'm also trying to negotiate who will hold the course when I'm not here, who will write the modules for next term, and who will edit them.

Youman Nabi, Phagwah

Festivals rolling in thick and fast at the moment. Friday/Saturday was Muslim celebration for the birth (and death) of the prophet. Went to a music event which was mainly chanting Kasidas, which are songs from the Koran. I suppose a bit like Psalms. These were mainly done by young men about 14 to 20 say. Amazing strong voices and self assurance to stand up on stage and sing/chant. There was also a visiting performer from Trinidad who had two musicians playing harmonium and small hand drums. He was improvising more and responding back and forth with the musicians. The whole event was quite serious, with well dressed people.
Phagwah is the Hindu festival of spring, also new year, which was yesterday. It is about celebration, music and dancing, covering people with colour and happiness. We went to the Indian Cultural Centre. You wear old clothes because you get bright coloured paint powder marked on your face, amidst happy greetings. The kids squirt you with water pistols full of dye. There was music (same instruments) and brightly dressed dancers in various styles. The message is that when the colours wash off that feeling of happiness should remaim.
The two festivals contrast by being from exact opposite ends - one completely from thought and prayer, the other from the feeling of elation and fun. But both are clearly deeply felt by the participants as a spiritual experience. Fascinating.
Wish they had better PA systems though because it can be a bit painful on the ears when people sing too loudly into microphones. Apparaently there is sometimes trouble with people chucking water around in the streets - particularly if it is filthy water from the trenches...
Back to work today, trying to get this SEN Course approval sorted this week.
Cheers