ARRIVING

Welcome to Guyana. Local time is the same as the states, but fluctucates according to the principal of "just now" and the heat. Your bags are somewhere between Philadelphia and Georgetown, we are sure. There is a tropical storm, so Miami airport will be closed, your bags will take a few days. Do not worry, we will call.

Is it odd that I have arrived with so little - no clothes, no supplies, no job, little money, no luggage, no friends, but that I already have so much - an invitation to meet a shellfisherman and his family, information about how the water systems have changed over the past 50 years, two women who would gladly get me anything I needed, a good friend who trusts me with her tears, and who is strong enough to not be dismayed as it became clear that all of my supplies for the next two years might not be coming, ever. No, not odd. Whether Hindu like the couple sharing stories of their children and Guywa company on our layover in Barbados, or Muslim like my good friend Mentour who filled me in on all things Guyanese in the time it took to go from Barbados to Georgetown, or Christian, like sister Admirabilis who met us with a kiss at the airport when we finally came out, God is good, and I have arrived.

OTHER ADVENTURES

Day 1-
Realization that i'm sleeping in a bed with a circular (princess canopy) bugnet, and that there really are 10-15 hungry mosquitoes plastered to the outside when I wake up.
Lunch: Fish (snapper?) with pepper spice made from green mangoes, fried plantains, tasty chicken, rice, gravy, pineapple and custard for dessert and accompanied by passionfruit juice.
5 minute walk around the garden (see guide below) requiring a two hour nap afterwards due to heat and exertion of walking about 100 yards in the baking equatorial sun.
Aerobic video with sister Admi and Lydia (not a sister) - Lydia (all of bout 4'5" and 72 pounds soaking wet) taking it easy on me by giving me the 1 lb. "finger weights", while she worked it OUT with the 2.5 lb. flat weights (that's right, I got my workout butt kicked by an 80 (eighty PLUS, please, 26 days PLUS!) year old lady who is "a little bit diabetic).
Tour of the neighborhood - we live about 3 blocks from a neighborhood of "simple homes". The families who live there are very poor, similar to some of the places I have seen in Ecuador. Goats and cows in the road. Shildren run where they please.
Sisters settled in to watch "The Young and the Restless" in the afternoon (their guilty pleasure, they say) and filled us all in on the characters over supper.
Working on a giant and uncooperative jigsaw puzzle in the parlor.
Watching Seinfeld and Fresh Prince of Bel Air before turning in around 9.

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for:

BUILD YOUR OWN GUYANESE GARDEN
1 - Tin roofing sheets and tin cans for pots and flowerbed boundaries (Nestle KLIM powdered milk and Fernleaf powedered milk cans seem to be favourites, about 2500g size, but also coffee tins and platic household buckets work well)
2 - Fruit trees: cherry, banana (2 types), 5-finger/starfruit, pineapple (a bush, really), passionfruit vines, coconut, cashewfruit, psidium (plum-like? - haven't tried it yet)
3 - Herbs: Thyme (2 varieties) and sage?, chili peppers and tomatoes grow near
4 - 6-8 color varieties of bougainvillea
5 - 3 different types of heliconia
6 - Gardenia-like bushes
7- 10-12 varieties of finches and thumb-sized bees for pollenation

YOU MAY ALSO CHOOSE TO INCLUDE
A nearly life-sized statue of Jesus with outstretched arms, missing thumb and little finger on right hand (optional)
A bright yellow datsun violeta for color contrast
A neighbor with two bright red macaws
A privy in back for the night watchman
A huge brown dog named Bonzo with a fierce bark
two lovely older ladies to give you a tour

AND
an adjoining house with open eaves and windows which allow birds to fly right through (but they don't poop inside - very well-trained), lace curtains everywhere, horns honking on the street occasionally, horse-drawn carts clip-clopping by even more rarely, and the tiniest ants (white-looking) you've ever seen unsuccessfully scouring corners of the kitchen for crumbs

An amazing place, this convent - and I don't even live here. Maisy is psyching us up to learn how to cook "real food" on Monday, so we're resting this weekend to prepare for this all-day cooking extravaganza. I can hardly wait, because Maisy's cooking has been FABULOUS so far ...


Sticky, luggageless and lovin' it -

Kate

LEAVING

"When they ask what I did well, tell them I said 'yes' to life."


[Written early, morning of departure, apologies]

Standing high on the eve of elation at 4am. So many things unsaid in answering ringtones and retapped keys. Like I love you - I love you. And the sun's on it's way toward the horizon (palely) as reflections dim in the windows and the all-brown sherriff cracks his gum and squints authoritatively. I am staring Guyana in the face, or really, more like a promised bride eyeing the house of her future husband, never having seen, only imagined. And God's good grace saw it all off with only a copy of the durable power of attorney ungifted. I suppose that'll have to do. Gate 10 is trying to slink over and mechanically nuzzle up to gate 9, whose plane is leaving soon for Tampa. I know the feeling - not Tampa, specifically, but ... I am the feeling. Both gates, 9 and 10.

The clouds have been gorgeous, billowing beauties lately, so much so that the occasional downpour becomes positively celebratory, rather than mournful. I suspect that the repetition of this mystery over the rainy months ahead may diminish my sense of wonder, but I hope for better.

Gate 9 finially shrinks away, and the naked plane pauses - unsure, really - for a brief eternity before beginning to inch backwards and on to friction, heights, soaring, changing trajectories, turbulence, landing hard and starting anew. New pale yellow frays to light pastel purple along the treetops. They're still pines, and that's still New Hampshire granite under my feet. And it's still August, at the dawn of a summer without end ...

PULLIN' WEEDS & RAISIN' FUN(DS)


Back to Maine after a week ouside of Philly.
Quickly - had my second orientation for Mercy Volunteer Corps on Gwynedd Mercy College's Campus (great little spot) during the last heatwave. It was an adventure shuffling from Amazonian humidity and temps outside to artic blasts in the buildings and bedrooms. Many skits and group bonding activities happened during the week. We got more information to add to our bags of tricks for problem-solving and processing while we're away, and Eileen (my future flatmate) and I finally got a little time to sit down and get to know each other, and about our expectations for community life during the next year. I met many wonderful women during this week, and have such high hopes for the future of the church and the communities where they live. It was very refreshing. Also had an afternoon off to go to Philadelphia and be a tourist, so here are some of the tourist-y things we did:

The "we are but poor, lost tourists" routine in front of Independence Hall.

Chilled with the founding fathers (life-sized, bronze figures) for a bit in one of the museums (I'm the one calling the shots, never mind Mr. Senator next to me, there with his fist on the table.)

And, of course, goofed around as much as we could to try and keep things light.

And here we have my good international buds Tuleisha and Lauren (headed for Honduras together) being manhandled by our Founding Fathers - the nerve! (or was it the other way around?) At any rate, I will miss these two beauties sincerely - they are the comfort in my cup of tea, wink wink.

We also had the great good fortune to be hosted for an unforgettable evening by the Echelmeier family (I've undoubtedly misspelled that and will double-check and change it soon) in Philadelphia. Our friend Tierney was gearing up for a viaje to Mexico, but was still the most gracious hostess, taking us to see the Marion motherhouse, the Mercy bushes, and her fantastic family. To all who were there, I can't thank you enough - it was a delicious evening in every way!

I just want to take a minute to thank those who have made a donation to the Mercy Volunteer Corps so far - much support has come in over the past week in letters, cards, notes, emails and prayers, and I really appreciate so many people taking the time to check out the site and give a little encouragementWell, since I've been back the Hamel Family Band (aka the Von Trapp Family Singers, aka the Partridge Family) has been gearing up for another little performance at picnic tonight before we all scatter to the winds. My youngest sister, Molly, leaves for Freshman year of college this weekend, then I go to Guyana, then Genna (middle sister) leaves for her senior year in Chicago. So many milestones, so many miles away ... aah, but now is NOT the time to get misty about it - I have TONS of packing, last-minute preparations and manual labor for the picnic. First things first!