the 12 days of christmas parody and a happy new year

so, who are all these people on our stairway? they are the Fordham volunteers (and a few good friends from the Mercy Boys' home), here on our steps direct from new york city. they are helping out in all kinds of ways at several places in Georgetown. they have done this program for a number of years, and several probably know Georgetown better than I do. they are a great group of young men and women, and we were pleased as punch to host them for a new year's eve party ... full guyana style, with a car crash and an ensuing blackout shortly after they arrived! but no matter, the 25 of us braved the darkness with prehistoric ways of passing the time, like chatting over candles, playing tic tac toe, and a game called "mafia" until it was time to count down the last ten seconds of the year at the top of our lungs on the porch. all in all, a great way to ring in 2006!

well, disclaimer to pat and brigitte: skip the text of this next part, as eileen and i fully intend to perform a live version of this song during your visit. just enjoy the pictures! like people chilling in our living room in the dark until they were blinded by my camera's flash --->


so last night, not quite feeling done with all things christmas, eileen and i rewrote the 12 days of christmas from our guyanese perspective. we call it "a guyanese christmas wishlist", and, well, you'll see ... just sing it to the tune of the 12 days of christmas.


On my first Guyanese Christmas I dreamed I rode inside
a really really *quiet* minibus. (*quiet* is whispered)

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!! (one for each!)
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
English that is English
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!!
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
banks with normal hours
English that is English
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!!
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
washer and a dryer
banks with normal hours
English that is English
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!!
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
a thousand dead mosquitoes
washer and a dryer
banks with normal hours
English that is English
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!!
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
milk that doesn't sour
a thousand dead mosquitoes
washer and a dryer
banks with normal hours
English that is English
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!!
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
water from the tap
milk that doesn't sour
a thousand dead mosquitoes
washer and a dryer
banks with normal hours
English that is English
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!!
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work
and a really really *quiet* minibus.

On my first Guyanese Christmas I also dreamed I had
screens for the windows
water from the tap
milk that doesn't sour
a thousand dead mosquitoes
washer and a dryer
banks with normal hours
English that is English
TWO GLORIOUS HOT SHOWERS!!!
cheese that doesn't flake
NO BLACK-OUTS!!
traffic lights that work ....

AND A REALLY, REALLY *quiet* MINIBUS!!!!!!!!!

(God bless you if you read all that, bless you twice if you laughed, and bless you three times if you sang any or all of it out loud :o)

happy new year. here are the fireworks from our front yard.