Rat vs. Dog

Hello Everyone,

I began the week by a really good adventure to a small town called Linden. It is about an hour drive away. It was really good to get outside of the city for a while and just enjoy the scenery. There wasn't a whole lot to see in Linden but I did see the Bauxite mine and I got to walk around in quiet. I guess noise is something that I have become very accustom to. It was good to be reminded of serenity. When we got back home we all took a good nap. That night we went over to the Mercy Boys home because Sister Noel and Sister Celine Marie were throwing a birthday party for two of the boys there. We sat around ate Chinese food and talked. It was a good night!

Monday was Valentines day as I am sure you are all aware and I ended up having about 23 Valentines. Ha... don't worry they were all under the age of 10. I went up to the Orphanage with some heart stickers I was sent. The boys loved the stickers and pretended that they were tattoos. It was all good until I turned my back and one of the boys jumped on me and broke my necklace. I have had a pretty down week since then because it is the same necklace I wear every day for the past 7 years. Its not the chain itself but rather the items on the chain. I also lost my crucifix because when I put everything into my bag somewhere between the Orphanage and home the crucifix got lost. But what can you do... no crying over spilt milk right?

Tuesday was pretty normal typical days until Tuesday night. This is because Wednesday was a holiday and one of friends was throwing a small get together Tuesday night since no one had to work. It was really fun. She made homemade pizzas and everyone either sat around talking or was playing cards. It was a really laid back night. On Tuesday night one of my friends let me use her skype so I was able to talk to a good friend from back home. I hadn't spoken to him for an extended period of time since I had been here in Guyana. This was a huge blessing for me. There are people in your life who are put there to help keep you in check and he has always been that person for me. Just talking with him helped me to remember my priorities in life and to see the good in everything. He will, God willing, be ordained a priest in 2012 and it was really good to hear how that journey was going. :) Also talking to people you love helps you to feel less homesick!

Wednesday was a Muslim holiday which meant that we didn't have to work. I enjoyed some good quality sleep and then we went for a walk in the "Gardens". It was a nice area and it was good to just take a nice long walk. Attached to the Gardens is a Zoo. This is where I happened to see an Anaconda. For all of those who saw my facebook status - I guess maybe I should have made it a little bit more clear that I saw the Anaconda in the Zoo rather than the wild but after it was up it was too funny to take back down. However, it is true that Anacondas live in Guyana and are pretty common in the jungle - but not the city. The zoo was interesting but also kind of sad. There are not a ton of animals but there are definitely not the same precautions taken as there are back home. I watched some people feed a monkey some pringles. I now know why you are not suppose to feed the animals. After that we went home and spent a good relaxing night at home.

Thursday is always one of my favorite days at School because I especially enjoy the computer classes that I teach. It was a good day overall because I then got to help out in the Day Care to prepare for the Children's parade the next day. This coming Wednesday is Mashramani which is Republic day here. (Another holiday!! :)) So there are huge celebrations on Wednesday but they already began on Friday starting with the Day Care parade. It was a good afternoon. After work we ended up going out to dinner with someone that had invited the three of us out to talk about our work. When we got to the restaurant it was so cold because of the AC I was covered in goosebumps all night. I had on jeans and even my legs were cold. It was probably around 70 degrees or something but it felt like a freezer!!!!!!

Friday was great because I got to go help out with the Children's parade that I prepped for. I did get a lot of sun but I applied sunblock about every two hours so I prevented myself from getting burnt! :) It was a great day and the children were all so cute. After that I went to go see a lady who sells food in town that I know pretty well. I enjoy sitting with her and her family. It is always a lot of fun to people watch in town. Its really fun just to sit around and talk. They have begun to become my family away from my family. They are always joking with me and on Tuesday the mother brought to town a bowl of some Guyanese food that I haven't tried before. It was really good.

Friday night I spent going to a birthday party and then we went to Karaoke. It was a really laid back night but we all need those. I got to have a good talk with my Guyanese girl friend who came with us. She was talking with Audrey and I about all kinds of things and it felt like a really good girls night!! :)

Well - I guess that is the week for me. I feel sometimes that this can be so logistical and other times rather just thoughts. But it is what it is. I did find a quote this week that said: "The hardest thing in life, is letting go of what you thought was real". I feel like this describes the thoughts that have been running through my head. These thoughts were directly related to how I have many stereotypes in my head I view as real but that I need to question. If you were to walk down the road and see a dead rat you would probably say "ewww gross...". However, if you were to then see a dead dog you would probably say "ooh poor dog...". However they are both animals, they both eat, breath, sleep, and reproduce. Yet they have different habits, they look different, and one is more socially acceptable. But why is the rat more gross? Is it because of a choice of their own or simply because of the nature they were born into. A friend of mine brought this to me and it really helped me. I hope that it makes you think a little bit because we are all guilty of stereotyping people. I will be the first to admit they I have stereotyped hundreds of people within my life - I am working on that here and I feel as if it is helping me to enjoy life just a little bit more. The dog is a dog a rat is a rat neither chose that life but the world would be a different place without both.

Anyway - I hope you have a good week!

Love and Prayers,

Ashley Ann