Today is a PTFA fundraising day for the primary and secondary schools… which means music, sports and lots of food (and no school)! As I write it’s about half past 1 and I’ve already had breakfast, lunch, a big chunk of roast chicken, a plate of chow mein and pork, a couple of donuts, a slice of cake and 2 bottles of cake! Sounds like gluttony (and it more or less is!) but these kinds of food are pretty rare treats, so I decided to indulge myself, and all for a good cause 🙂
Haven’t blogged in a while, so… sit-rep:
It’s Friday, end of week 8 teaching, which means a fifth of the teaching has already gone! I’ll be leaving Sand Creek in about 8½ months and flying home in about 9½. Depending on what kind of mood I’m in, I alternate between a mindset of “damn it’s still so long before I get to see everyone I love again” and one of “damn there’s only 9 and a bit months left here“. I spend more time in the latter frame of mind, so all is good 🙂
We’re still waiting for news on when we’ll get electricity and/or Internet, but at least the government have sent some engineers to start working on getting the water supply system sorted! Since Harry moved in with me two weeks ago (to make room for the new teacher) our water tank has been emptying quickly with the two of us taking showers daily (and believe me, showering daily is an absolute necessity here!)
Plans for Christmas are coming together… there will be a staff social event (probably), a student party, a Christmas Quiz (nod to WCSF), Harry and I are joining a lot of the other volunteers in visiting Tobago for the Christmas week, and then (more or less) all 22 of us are heading to Suriname for New Year. I’ve even already written Christmas letters to everyone back home… call me Mr Organised!
That’s the future, how about now? I’m doing really well, since you asked! Teaching is still an awful lot of fun and I’m seriously considering it for a career when I return to Blighty. Harry and I continue to make good friends in the village, and have discovered which houses are the ones to go to when bored in the evening (i.e. the ones who invite us in to eat!). I know at least a few people back home are probably worrying about me time to time… don’t! I’ve actually been in rudely good health since I got here 2 months ago! Of the fairly substantial first aid kit I bought with me, so far I’ve needed a couple of Paracetamol for a headache and a few plasters when I cut my fingers (my own clumsy fault!). Amazing as it may be, I’ve only been sunburned twice so far. Consider that I’m in the middle of the South America Savannah and very fair-skinned, and I’d say that’s pretty good going!
That’s all for now – I miss y’all* and can’t wait to see y’all soon! Oh, and I’m planning a surprise or two for when I come home 😉
* Y’all is one of those words that the Guyanese use all the time!
