"I know i'm still you're baby"

Hello Everyone,


I sometimes make fun of myself because I always see random things as I walk around Georgetown and think "Oh, I should write that in my blog... and it NEVER happens." I was out last night with some friends and I did do some thinking and since its so fresh on my mind I am actually remembering to write about it. In Georgetown one common job is to be a security guard for some business or building. Security work is probably one of the lowest paid jobs in Georgetown and I have been told that some of them make only 17,000 Gyd a month which is 85 Usd. When talking about supporting a family or trying to take care of yourself 85 dollars doesn't go very far at all. Heck, you can't even pay your rent and all your bills. If both parents of a family are working security you could just scrape by every month. Not only is it a low paying job but its a lonesome job working all night by yourself. Quite a few of my patients have told me that they do security work and they often complain about the fact that they have to work six days a week and on their day off they have much work to do at home. Working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and barely making reminds me of how frustrating and difficult it can be for someone in poverty to beat the cycle. It was just another reminder of me how sometimes poverty can be so hidden. It's not always the people who are on the street rather it's often the person who is trying to hide it and struggling to make it by each day that is suffering the most.

This week at the hospital I had a young boy come in who has just finished seeing doctor. Now they all have a special place in my heart but this boy was just extra sweet. I always love to talk with them about school and everything that's going on. When we had finished talking he came up and gave me a big kiss on the cheek and told me to have a great day. For me it's moments like those that really make my job worth it. If he can be so pleasant and cheerful while living with HIV since birth, surely I can overcome my own obstacles.

Each week my students make me laugh more and more. There is one student in particular who's name is Janno and he always works really hard in my class. He is a little slow and so I often give him a lot of attention so he can keep up with the rest of the class. I always try to be really strict with my classes but the boys are starting to realize that beneath my attempt to be strict I have a really big heart. So this week Janno was being extra roudy and making "one set of noise" as I would say here. I laughed and asked him what was going on and he said: "Miss you think i'm being disgusting eh? Don't worry I know i'm still you're baby". I couldn't help but laugh at him. Sometimes it's just impossible for me to hide affection.

This week a group of young women from Scranton University came down to Guyana to do clinical's for their occupational therapy rotations. We went out to dinner with them on friday night and it was really fun to talk to girls from back home. At first when we saw them I thought to myself "Oh gosh wow their all sooo pretty". As dinner went on I then realized that really they just look like average Americans. The next day Audrey Sarah and I were talking and they all said the exact same thing happened to them. We found it interesting that we all had the same experience without saying anything to each other about it. Maybe part of it has to do with the fact that you find beauty in things that are familiar to you. Otherwise I guess it has just been a LONG time since I saw a large group of white people.

This was not the only group of Americans to be visiting this week. There was a group of Nursing students from the states that came to work with CRS and AIDS relief on improving the home base care system, lost to follow up patients, and young adults with HIV. I was involved with the meetings that involved working with the young students with HIV. They came with some great ideas about how to conduct a young adult group and encourage others to join. We had a meeting with the youth on Wednesday afternoon and it was good to see the few that did show up come. We are planning on having a movie night next month and I am really hoping we are able to continue the work that they started.

They all wanted to go out to a club before they left Guyana so Nurse George and I decided we would take them out. When we were out dancing one of the girls said to me: "Oh gosh, Ashley you really are Guyanese, how are you ever going to go home?!". It was fun to go out with them and show them a little part of the night life. It was also nice to get out and see some of my friends. I haven't been out very often lately because i've either been busy or sick but I'm glad to have gotten out for a bit.

This afternoon we are taking some of the boys from the orphanage to a celebration for the Chinese New year. I am excited to go out and see the boys and have some fun. I am feeling much better this week and my cough is mostly gone! :) God is good. As people often say here: "Stay sweet".

Love and prayers,

Ashley Ann