In Guyana tonight is Old Year's Night, rather than New Year's Eve.
We are still "enjoying" Christmas events connected to work. Yesterday we had two Christmas meals. The first was at lunchtime for the Curriculum Unit at work - it was quite nice because before the meal everyone took turns to make a few comments about the past year - although the emphasis was on being very positive and thanking people. There is little room to be anything except positive as being otherwise is just seen as criticism and undermining the status quo.
The second was a Ministry of Education bash at the cricket club - free bar, free meal and extremely loud music making it difficult to talk to anyone. My flatmate and I dressed up (elegant casual) and turned up to find that the only person we knew was the minister of education. We had a little greeting chat to him. Later my local colleague showed up and introduced me to a few other big wigs. The meal was nice though - rice with bits in, chicken, turkey, duck, fish, potato salad, green salad, then ice cream to follow.
This week has been a bit frenetic as my house purchase in Hereford completed yesterday. Emails have been flying around in great numbers. The estate agent will hopefully be able to rent it out, pending my return in summer 2010.
This week at work we have been asked to make a list of all work visits, training and activities for the next four months. This is on top of the costs list for setting the budget. So that has given us a focus for reviewing and discussing what we are planning to do. It has been helpful to have that impetus.
On Wednesday we are going to be interviewed on the media, newspaper and audio, about our work in special needs. I am preparing to talk generally about inclusion: all children are different, all children can learn, all children have a right to learn - then how teachers can either teach in an inclusive way (for example doing practical activities) that different children can take part in different ways, then how teachers can have different expectations of different children and how to keep track of progress for individuals. My colleagues will talk about remedial reading, and about coordinating action across Guyana. Sounds OK??
Happy New Year - we have fireworks at midnight down the road - I have a good friend coming round and staying over, so maybe I'll stay up that late.
At the weekend another friend and I hope to make a visit to Bartica which is a minibus and hour speedboat ride away, up the Essequibo. We are staying with a very interesting older couple of VSOs, so there should be lots of interesting discussions. That's the best bit!
Thursday 31 December 2009
Monday 28 December 2009
Around and about Christmas
Had a good concert with the choir last night. The rather ambitious piece we were doing went off with great spirit although we got a mix up in the last song - the narration was a bit slow so we missed our cue to come in. We were singing against an backing tape, so if you miss it you' ve had it, we just had to try to leap back in when we recognised where we were. The rest of the concert was various smaller pieces and quite a few soloists, small groups and a steel band.
Christmas passed quietly, I enjoyed staying over a couple of nights with a friend so we could have lots of good talks and some long walks, despite the rain. It was also good to be able to communicate with home via email by borrowing her laptop. We went to midnight service at the anglican cathedral. We were expecting the place to be packed out but in fact it was quite a subdued affair. It was the streets on the way that were packed out. All the street vendors selling drinks, food, clothing, gifts and general tat were still there, and people standing around enjoying the atmosphere both at midnight and when we were on the way back. I think that the vendors are desperate to make any money they can so are hoping to pick up a sale at any time of the day or night. Or maybe it is easier to stay set up all through the night so you don't have to pack it all away. I was expecting Christmas here to be a quiet time as people here are so religious, but in fact it seemed to be just a massive opportunity to party party party. Also last evening there was a big Lime - which means a chance to hang around in the street drinking and listening to music. Main Street was closed and there were bands and stalls. I didn't go as I came out of the concert at 8.30 and it would have been too much.
Back to work today - and on the table is a form to fill in detailing our work programme for the next four months. It will go into the budget to go to the chief planning officer. At least it will provide a basis for discussion about our next step.
Christmas passed quietly, I enjoyed staying over a couple of nights with a friend so we could have lots of good talks and some long walks, despite the rain. It was also good to be able to communicate with home via email by borrowing her laptop. We went to midnight service at the anglican cathedral. We were expecting the place to be packed out but in fact it was quite a subdued affair. It was the streets on the way that were packed out. All the street vendors selling drinks, food, clothing, gifts and general tat were still there, and people standing around enjoying the atmosphere both at midnight and when we were on the way back. I think that the vendors are desperate to make any money they can so are hoping to pick up a sale at any time of the day or night. Or maybe it is easier to stay set up all through the night so you don't have to pack it all away. I was expecting Christmas here to be a quiet time as people here are so religious, but in fact it seemed to be just a massive opportunity to party party party. Also last evening there was a big Lime - which means a chance to hang around in the street drinking and listening to music. Main Street was closed and there were bands and stalls. I didn't go as I came out of the concert at 8.30 and it would have been too much.
Back to work today - and on the table is a form to fill in detailing our work programme for the next four months. It will go into the budget to go to the chief planning officer. At least it will provide a basis for discussion about our next step.
Wednesday 23 December 2009
Signing off work for a bit
This is my last day at work until Monday, I have two half days for "shopping" which I will be taking tomorrow. I am looking forward to having a bit of a break, just to empty the mind a bit. Yesterday we had a visit to a special school which is some way up country. It is called a centre for the disabled, so perhaps that is the best description in that it is not really trying to be a school. However there was a desire for training of the two teachers from someone on the management committee, so I feel it would be worthwhile trying to do something there. The children are either Deaf, or have learning difficulties. My new VSO colleague works in deaf education, so I am going to have a go at researching a framework for skills and ways of tracking progress. I think if it is simple enough then the teachers will find it encouraging rather than a threat. That is my story anyway! There are four special schools which are quite similar, so I think I need to visit and try to get an overview of what they are doing at the moment, and what skills areas they want to work in. Then I can research some ideas, present them and see what they think. My very practical attitude seems to work quite well here, as mostly teachers are on the defensive if they think someone is from the Ministry of Education. I am attempting to turn that around. I remember so well having staff development sessions myself where I felt overwhelmed by grand new ideas, and the cry went up that it would just increase the burden of paperwork. At least this project idea is one where I feel I know what I am doing, as I like to work with making complex systems into something workable in the everyday classroom - pragmatism I suppose.
On home matters, I am very pleased to say that my house purchase is going ahead with completion at the end of December. I am hoping that the estate agent will be able to rent it out until I get back to the UK in summer 2010.
I am still feeling that I want to limit my time here to one year. I feel I can get my work done for the blind in that time, and the other work that I am doing does not require my particular skills. Every week I am trying to maintain my positivity about my work through some inspiration - this week I am trying to maintain a reasonable, holy and lively attitude (quote from the end of the church service). I think lively is the hardest of those three, as I feel I can maintain the brain power OK, and I am finding that I am able to walk in the light of my faith, but feeling full of life and enthusiasm in the face of all the barriers and negatives is a minute by minute challenge.
By the side of the roads here there are cold drinks sellers, who have slogans on their carts - frequently BLESS UP. This seems pretty useful advice to us all.
Have a blessed Christmas
Kate
On home matters, I am very pleased to say that my house purchase is going ahead with completion at the end of December. I am hoping that the estate agent will be able to rent it out until I get back to the UK in summer 2010.
I am still feeling that I want to limit my time here to one year. I feel I can get my work done for the blind in that time, and the other work that I am doing does not require my particular skills. Every week I am trying to maintain my positivity about my work through some inspiration - this week I am trying to maintain a reasonable, holy and lively attitude (quote from the end of the church service). I think lively is the hardest of those three, as I feel I can maintain the brain power OK, and I am finding that I am able to walk in the light of my faith, but feeling full of life and enthusiasm in the face of all the barriers and negatives is a minute by minute challenge.
By the side of the roads here there are cold drinks sellers, who have slogans on their carts - frequently BLESS UP. This seems pretty useful advice to us all.
Have a blessed Christmas
Kate
Monday 21 December 2009
Crocodiles and hummingbirds
This weekend some VSOs have been staying over in Georgetown en route for Christmas trips overseas - it is good to catch up on the news from volunteers who are out in the hinterland - their perspective is very different. I think I am quite glad to be in Georgetown as I think the isolation would be too much.
On Saturday I was walking along the sea wall and saw some people parked up in an isolate spot cutting meat from crocodiles - they were about 5 feet long. I didn't speak to them but I gather that catching crocs for meat is illegal although the tail is seen as a special delicacy. They would be catching them up the river, not in the sea.
Yesterday I made a Christmas tree - just from a tree branch and some improvised decorations but I enjoyed doing it. It is strange to be getting that organised on the same day as spotting hummingbirds near the swimming pool. They were bright green, black and white - they are like massive bees around the flowers - working around one bush then zipping off to the next.
Tomorrow I'm off on a trip out to go to the reopening of a special school which is about an hour and a half journey away. It's rather a long way to go and I think we will not have much time with the two teachers as they are running a Christmas party for the children in the afternoon as well. They have 25 children there, some with hearing impairment and some with learning difficulties. At least I'll be able to practise my sign language. We have a new Ugandan volunteer who works in education for the deaf - I'm hoping we can support each other in thinking about what we can do and how we can make our work sustainable.
On Saturday I was walking along the sea wall and saw some people parked up in an isolate spot cutting meat from crocodiles - they were about 5 feet long. I didn't speak to them but I gather that catching crocs for meat is illegal although the tail is seen as a special delicacy. They would be catching them up the river, not in the sea.
Yesterday I made a Christmas tree - just from a tree branch and some improvised decorations but I enjoyed doing it. It is strange to be getting that organised on the same day as spotting hummingbirds near the swimming pool. They were bright green, black and white - they are like massive bees around the flowers - working around one bush then zipping off to the next.
Tomorrow I'm off on a trip out to go to the reopening of a special school which is about an hour and a half journey away. It's rather a long way to go and I think we will not have much time with the two teachers as they are running a Christmas party for the children in the afternoon as well. They have 25 children there, some with hearing impairment and some with learning difficulties. At least I'll be able to practise my sign language. We have a new Ugandan volunteer who works in education for the deaf - I'm hoping we can support each other in thinking about what we can do and how we can make our work sustainable.
Friday 18 December 2009
Coming up to Christmas
Quite a few volunteers are going home or overseas for a Christmas break, but I am staying put in Georgetown as I don't feel I can afford to spend the money at the moment. I have arranged to stay over for the actual Christmas bit with a good volunteer friend locally - she says she will do the cooking so that sounds OK! I am teaching her to play bridge, so that will give us a bit of a hobby. The weather here is still hot humid and sunny, we have not had a rainy season because of El Nino - it is just a bit cloudy on some days and can rain heavily for half an hour or so at times. You know about it if you are caught out in it though. So the Christmas experience will be quite different from the UK, with outdoor events being the order of the day.
On Tuesday there was a Christmas event in the park run by the mobile phone company. There were beautiful fairy light decorations strung between the trees, and entertainments of various kinds on the bandstand - carols, gospel singing, speeches by the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, prayers by Christian and Hindu religious leaders, and a visit by Santa. The statistic is that 95% of people in Guyana have a religion, and from my experience that means a very strong religious belief - in a multitude of varieties. The zeal of young people is particularly striking - in the UK it would be small children dressing up as angels, but here it is teenagers who lead.
Last night our choir sang the Halleluia Chorus at the end of the Carol Concert in the Catholic Cathedral, which went pretty well. Then the second half of the evening we had our own practice working on the big piece we are preparing for our Christmas Concert on the 27th. It is a bit ambitious - the idea is to sing along to a backing CD but we have practised with someone playing the piano - so now the conductor and the choir are trying to make sense of the changes in pace on the recording, and also pick up enough rhythm to get the entries correct - if you miss it, then there is no adjustment like you'd get from a pianist! I am enjoying the challenge of the music, I have borrowed a recorder from someone in the choir so I can go over my part at home and try to learn it. It is also good to be busy at this time as many other things take a break over the Christmas period.
On Tuesday there was a Christmas event in the park run by the mobile phone company. There were beautiful fairy light decorations strung between the trees, and entertainments of various kinds on the bandstand - carols, gospel singing, speeches by the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, prayers by Christian and Hindu religious leaders, and a visit by Santa. The statistic is that 95% of people in Guyana have a religion, and from my experience that means a very strong religious belief - in a multitude of varieties. The zeal of young people is particularly striking - in the UK it would be small children dressing up as angels, but here it is teenagers who lead.
Last night our choir sang the Halleluia Chorus at the end of the Carol Concert in the Catholic Cathedral, which went pretty well. Then the second half of the evening we had our own practice working on the big piece we are preparing for our Christmas Concert on the 27th. It is a bit ambitious - the idea is to sing along to a backing CD but we have practised with someone playing the piano - so now the conductor and the choir are trying to make sense of the changes in pace on the recording, and also pick up enough rhythm to get the entries correct - if you miss it, then there is no adjustment like you'd get from a pianist! I am enjoying the challenge of the music, I have borrowed a recorder from someone in the choir so I can go over my part at home and try to learn it. It is also good to be busy at this time as many other things take a break over the Christmas period.
Tuesday 15 December 2009
Music events
The party on Friday was pretty special - one of the leaving volunteers likes live music, so we had a group of drummers. They had a large bass drum, a medium drum and some small drums worn around the neck. They said that it was similar to Muslim drumming - it was extremely LOUD. The rhythm starts quite gently then gets louder and faster, with complex sub rhythms. The leader spoke to me about it afterwards - he is trying to revive local traditions - it is based on a mix of the cultures of Guyana. They played outside in a yard, so the sound was bouncing off the stone floor and walls. The other interesting aspect was that the neighbours did not complain, but that is also due to the local culture that having extremely loud music blasting out is absolutely fine. However some of the VSOs live near a rum shop which was very loud late at night, and they have a banning order in force at the moment which has kept the volume down to a low level - so things do sometimes happen and do get enforced.
It was the Bishop of Guyana's enthronement on Sunday - there was a huge choir based on all the five anglican churches in Georgetown plus our Woodside Choir. The amount of singing was huge as it was a very formal service with sung responses, huge long hymns and anthems. It went off well - we managed a bit by the skin of our teeth as we had not really practised some of the things much, and it was difficult searching through all the sheets to find the music for the various bits and pieces. Afterwards there was a reception on the top of the bank building, which is about 4 storeys high, one of the biggest buildings around - so we had a great view round Georgetown by night. We could see the ships with lights passing up the river, see the stadium lights, the harbour bridge, the old lighthouse and of course the centre of the town below. There is another new and very posh bank being built across the road from where I work - it seems strange to spend all that money on a huge bank building - but then I suppose banks are about people trusting that the bank has money - so the grander the better!
Today I have arranged a small training session at the primary school where the unit for the blind is. I hope that that will lead to some individual contacts to support the staff to move forward a bit in inclusion.
It was the Bishop of Guyana's enthronement on Sunday - there was a huge choir based on all the five anglican churches in Georgetown plus our Woodside Choir. The amount of singing was huge as it was a very formal service with sung responses, huge long hymns and anthems. It went off well - we managed a bit by the skin of our teeth as we had not really practised some of the things much, and it was difficult searching through all the sheets to find the music for the various bits and pieces. Afterwards there was a reception on the top of the bank building, which is about 4 storeys high, one of the biggest buildings around - so we had a great view round Georgetown by night. We could see the ships with lights passing up the river, see the stadium lights, the harbour bridge, the old lighthouse and of course the centre of the town below. There is another new and very posh bank being built across the road from where I work - it seems strange to spend all that money on a huge bank building - but then I suppose banks are about people trusting that the bank has money - so the grander the better!
Today I have arranged a small training session at the primary school where the unit for the blind is. I hope that that will lead to some individual contacts to support the staff to move forward a bit in inclusion.
Friday 11 December 2009
Busy week
The training course on Monday was fine. The teachers at the special school liked the activities and we were able to listen to their concerns and needs. Hopefully we will be able to follow up to address some of these.
On Tuesday and Wednesday I went out to do training at the other unit for the blind which is inland, about an hour and a half by minibus. I arrived at the bus park, then took a little ferry over the river, then taxi up to the school. It was only a few minutes drive, so I was pleased at the end of the day that one of the teachers showed me the way so that I could walk there and back for the rest of my stay. It was the end of term so things were quite flexible - I was able to do some training with basic tactile equipment and diagrams, Braille and Jaws. The two staff are very enthusiastic and keen to learn - I just responded to their questions which led down many different paths. It was great to have a close match between my skills and what they wanted to know. Although it was quite a challenge to set up the Jaws training for them, as this is not something I've done before. But they had a list of keystrokes, so I practiced myself and set up a Noddy guide for them. I stayed overnight in a guest house, which was fine - I was the only one staying, but the staff in the canteen were friendly so that gave me someone to talk to. I went on a long walk in the late afternoon, to the library to attempt to get the internet, along by the boat ferries and market, and off along the main road out of town towards the mines. It is a bauxite (aluminium ore) mining area. I felt quite safe walking as long as I stuck to busy places. I have just finished writing up notes from this training so I can send them a copy, also these will build up to be a manual on teaching the blind - which I will be leaving as an online resource as well as print copies here, in the training college, as well as in the units for the blind.
Tonight is a party for a batch of VSOs who are leaving. Then over the weekend and next week there are a number of choir rehearsals and performances at carol concerts and at the bishop's enthronement service. I like being busy!
Weather here is a little cooler, so the temperature of the swimming pool at 7 am is a slight shock to the system. I'm just trying to make you jealous...
On Tuesday and Wednesday I went out to do training at the other unit for the blind which is inland, about an hour and a half by minibus. I arrived at the bus park, then took a little ferry over the river, then taxi up to the school. It was only a few minutes drive, so I was pleased at the end of the day that one of the teachers showed me the way so that I could walk there and back for the rest of my stay. It was the end of term so things were quite flexible - I was able to do some training with basic tactile equipment and diagrams, Braille and Jaws. The two staff are very enthusiastic and keen to learn - I just responded to their questions which led down many different paths. It was great to have a close match between my skills and what they wanted to know. Although it was quite a challenge to set up the Jaws training for them, as this is not something I've done before. But they had a list of keystrokes, so I practiced myself and set up a Noddy guide for them. I stayed overnight in a guest house, which was fine - I was the only one staying, but the staff in the canteen were friendly so that gave me someone to talk to. I went on a long walk in the late afternoon, to the library to attempt to get the internet, along by the boat ferries and market, and off along the main road out of town towards the mines. It is a bauxite (aluminium ore) mining area. I felt quite safe walking as long as I stuck to busy places. I have just finished writing up notes from this training so I can send them a copy, also these will build up to be a manual on teaching the blind - which I will be leaving as an online resource as well as print copies here, in the training college, as well as in the units for the blind.
Tonight is a party for a batch of VSOs who are leaving. Then over the weekend and next week there are a number of choir rehearsals and performances at carol concerts and at the bishop's enthronement service. I like being busy!
Weather here is a little cooler, so the temperature of the swimming pool at 7 am is a slight shock to the system. I'm just trying to make you jealous...
Monday 7 December 2009
I have a busy week ahead. Today we are doing the first training session at one of the seven special schools in Guyana, hopefully this will give me a start in working with those teachers in sharing good practice, or perhaps developing good practice. I would like to set up a way for ideas to be shared with teachers in other special schools, hopefully tobuild the confidence and motivation of teachers. I will need to follow VSO's advice to have big ears and a small mouth, so that I listen to what is needed and not impose my own clever scheme which may not work with the local culture.
Then Tuesday and Wednesday I am off to the other unit for the blind which is up country. It takes about an hour and a half by minibus. I will stay over on Tuesday night at a guest house there. Again I need to listen to their needs and find ways that I can share skills with them.
Over the weekend I had a first game of bridge - the new VSO wanted to learn. I think that will be a good little group as we are none of us inclined to be too serious, there is plenty of time to chat.
I saw the person from the Rotary Club on last week, so hopefully that will push forward my appeal to them for funding for a Braille embosser. She invited a couple of us to their Christmas concert which we went to last night. It was a bit of an elegant event, with jazz and blues backing group and a succession of lady singers - it seems funny to have songs about mistletoe and snow flakes when it is still 30 degrees and so humid!
This week is a big choir event supporting the cathedral choir for the enthronement of the new Anglican Bishop of Guyana. We are singing at the big service on Sunday. I've really enjoyed the experience of going to the practices every Saturday over the last few weeks. There are people from the five anglican churches in Georgetown all joining in - a choir of fifty ish.
Then Tuesday and Wednesday I am off to the other unit for the blind which is up country. It takes about an hour and a half by minibus. I will stay over on Tuesday night at a guest house there. Again I need to listen to their needs and find ways that I can share skills with them.
Over the weekend I had a first game of bridge - the new VSO wanted to learn. I think that will be a good little group as we are none of us inclined to be too serious, there is plenty of time to chat.
I saw the person from the Rotary Club on last week, so hopefully that will push forward my appeal to them for funding for a Braille embosser. She invited a couple of us to their Christmas concert which we went to last night. It was a bit of an elegant event, with jazz and blues backing group and a succession of lady singers - it seems funny to have songs about mistletoe and snow flakes when it is still 30 degrees and so humid!
This week is a big choir event supporting the cathedral choir for the enthronement of the new Anglican Bishop of Guyana. We are singing at the big service on Sunday. I've really enjoyed the experience of going to the practices every Saturday over the last few weeks. There are people from the five anglican churches in Georgetown all joining in - a choir of fifty ish.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)