Update Time

Whoa! It's been a long time since I've updated. The big thing that is going on right now is elections. What's interesting about these elections is that the two major parties are divided between racial lines--the PPP/C (East Indians) and the PNC (Africans). There are several other parties, but those two are the ones that have ruled in Guyana since its independence in 1960. Currently the ruling party is the PPP/C. Because the parties are divided along racial lines, you can imagine the racial tension. In Parika, things are pretty calm. But, the concern lies in who will be elected and what kind of violence will take place. Don't worry, Peace Corps is taking all precautions to make sure its volunteers are safe. In fact, a PCV is staying with me for 2 weeks or until it's safe for her to return to her site. Marlene is in her early 60’s and is an RN. She lives in New Amsterdam, and she's been in Guyana for a year and a half. She's got a lot of experience in child and maternal health, so I'm excited to take her to clinic because she knows her stuff.

Speaking of clinic, I had a good session last week with the pregnant mothers. Another health advocate and I talked about nutrition and making sure they are eating 4 of the 6 food groups everyday. Our head nurse sat in on the session and interjected comments where necessary. It went really well because of the women's participation. That same week we talked about the importance of clean water to prevent diseases like diarrhea. It was harder to get the women to participate. I think it was a combination of not having nurse sit in and the distraction of crying babies.

Other things that are going on is realizing more and more how there's no such thing as a private life here. And, there is no way to avoid the gossip that people will talk about you. It's been pretty taxing on me lately because of my relationship with Nigel. I feel like people are out to get me because they want me to be dating their son or cousin or brother. But, I guess that's all part of the Peace Corps experience. Although it's frustrating and annoying and cumbersome, Nigel has been well worth it :)

This is from an afternoon of fun at the beach. I live right along the coast so back behind my house is the shoreline. We had a cookout with Sarah, her husband, and son along with Nigel's two cousins and their families.