Yellow Misquito Net

Dear Friends and Family,

Good Afternoon! Everything here in Guyana soooo proper its intense. Its always Good morning - Good afternoon - Good night. Miss, Mister, Sir, Auntie and Uncle. - However the people don't actually have to be your aunt or uncle to call them Aunt or Uncle - Its kind of weird but I enjoy it because its less formal than Ms or Mr and shows more affection.

I titled this blog Yellow Mosquito Net because I really have had to learn to enjoy the small things in life. Mr. Lambert the man who bought our nets bought us colored nets!! I got a yellow one which made me really joyful. I also have an orange fan! This week has really taught me to enjoy the simple things. I spend a lot of our evenings reading and talking with my two housemates. One of my housemates is a nurse - and the other works with the boys at the Orphanage - So there is always plenty of stories to share. We have also taken turns cooking every night. We have been cooking mostly Guyanese food other than one night - when it was my turn to cook - I made spaghetti. :)

I started a new job at the Hospital this week. I teach MWTh&F so on Tuesdays I will be working at the hospital in the HIV program. I will be doing pre test and post test counseling. So basically talking with the patients and referring them to the social workers & informing them on the disease itself. I am looking forward to it. I love the girls at my work - but it will be good to do something different one day a week.

This week I had a free hour at work so I helped Miss Abigail in the computer class. Some of the boys were getting really frustrated because they didn't know how to do anything. It was a huge culture shock when I was working really intensely with one boy in particular because he didn't know how to use a mouse - and the paint program was a little too intense for him. We went over paint and Microsoft word. And Basically we went over opening - typing a sentence- and closing/saving. I know 6 year olds in the US far superior in their computer skills. One of the boys was getting really excited because he was finally getting it - but I had to go help another boy - so as I was helping he kept saying "Miss, Miss, Miss" and I kept saying "Just now" (Which means hold on a minute - if you say hold on a minute - they don't understand) and eventually he just poked my side because he wanted my attention sooo bad. I couldn't be mad but I had to pretend to be. He genuinely was really just wanting to learn more. It was very cute. One boy in particular is very nice - and yesterday he wore a Chicago White Sox hat (They don't know the teams they just wear them for the looks). I said good morning to him and then explained to him how much I didn't like his hat - and that I don't know if I could teach him while he has that hat. (in a joking way). But its good because I feel like I am getting to know more of the students - and one of them tried to explain cricket to me today - but I still don't really understand.

One of my girls - I think I talked about her in an earlier blog - she is the one who is coming to school because she wants to get a job to help her parents - yesterday I found her in the library during their free time. She was reading a very easy Dr. Seuss book and she explained to me that she is reading during her free time because the more she reads the smarter she will become. It broke my heart because this girl tries so hard to learn - and yet she is so low - but she doesn't give up. Its very inspiring to watch her. The english teacher said that she gave out spelling words to my whole class - and that she was the only one that actually studied them and got 100%. But don't get me wrong they all have really great stories - and if I had time - I would write them all - I guess this is just the one that is on my mind today.

Well I am sure I have many more things that I could share - but as always I only have so much time. But for now I wish you all the best. You have my prayers and love.

Ashley-Ann