Status Update

Status update:

Greedy Cat has successfully killed both of my rats (and one of my bats). Hallelujah. More praise is to be given for the fact that my house no longer smells like rotting rat babies.

Should I back up a little? Okay.

So you remember when the rat bastard was eating my shorts? Well, my hypothesis was that it was creating a nest for its babies. This hypothesis was further strengthened by evidence in the form of the lingering stench of death long after said rat was killed.

The stench emanated from the rat hole, which led me to the only possible conclusion that the rat had indeed had babies and their smelly death was one last act of retribution against me.

Several weeks, bleach, Baygone, and one fabric softener sheet shoved into the hole, and the smell has finally dissipated.

Well played Rat. Well played.

Lauren: 2

Rat: 3

Now that I’ve vanquished one foe, another has sprung up: Grass louse. On my butt. You’re welcome. 

Rat Battle

I’m learning to live with a variety of creatures in my house. The presence of some is more benign than others. Some, like the frogs just sit in my dish drainer. Others are more of a nuisance. Like the cockroaches that scuttle unexpectedly from dark corners, or the cloud of flies that billows forth every time I open my trashcan.

It’s interesting though how quickly these creatures have become commonplace and an accepted part of my life. On the other hand, there are some creatures that I will never get used to.

Rats.

Since I moved into my house I’ve been unable to use the bottom cabinets in my kitchen due to the obvious rat activity. I battled it with my arsenal of sticky pads, poison, and traps. All to no avail. A chance encounter last week at 2:00am finally brought my foe and I face to face. Surprised by this chance encounter the rat dived behind the refrigerator and I stood paralyzed, unable to decide if I wanted to make a quick dart past the fridge to the only exit.

While still frozen in this state of indecision, my savior entered from stage left. Greedy Cat. Greedy Cat always wants into my kitchen. So as fate would have it, she was stirred by my nocturnal kitchen visit and came to see what she could get out of me. When her primal instincts did not immediately kick in, I placed her by the crack where the rat was hiding and scurried over to the other side of the room so I could watch the ensuing mêlée.

In the rats last desperate bid for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it made a bold dash across the kitchen. Towards me. With only the light of my headlamp to determine the rat’s path I misjudged and it ended up running onto my foot leaving two nice scratches in its wake. Rat scratch fever anyone?

In the end the sucker got what was coming to him. Greedy Cat and I walked away quite satisfied by the whole endeavor.

Round one: Lauren 1, Rat 0

Still gloating over the victory I was confused to find, a few days later, my favorite pair of athletic shorts in a corner of my living room where I know I didn’t leave them. Strange. When I went to pick them up, I realized I had to tug, for they were halfway lodged down a previously undiscovered rat hole. Curtains were thereafter discovered as a victim of the late night rampage. A new adversary has emerged.

Poison and traps were again strategically placed. Feeling confident in my enemy’s imminent demise I was shocked to find my second favorite pair of athletic shorts in the same corner the next morning. Again, half way pulled into the hole. I don’t understand its fixation with my nylon athletic shorts. It does not please me to know that it’s nesting happily, breeding its army, in my favorite form of loungewear.

Round two: Lauren 1, Rat 2. This is war.  

Three Months

I have officially been in Guyana for three months. 

Three months can be broken down into:

5 toothbrushes

36 loads of laundry by hand

8 cups of (real) coffee

7 books

4 sunburns

314 pictures

Innumerable mosquito bites

11 letters and packages from home

4 regions

1 pant size

1 caiman sighting

For our Swearing-In Ceremony, a fellow Guy 24er named Matt made this amazing video depicting our two months of training. The video will give you a better sense of what I did in my first two months in Guyana as well as a show you all the other wonderful volunteers that I'm serving with. 

Enjoy! Swearing-In Video

Love letter to my mosquito net

Last night I killed things with Baygone that I never knew existed. Armored bugs with thick legs, delicate looking moths, a creature that looked like it was caught half way through metamorphosis and still belonged in water. I indiscriminately killed all of them. I didn’t care. They were in my face. They were in my food. They were in my bed.

My murderous rage occurred after they so graciously held a welcoming reception for me in my house after I arrived home after dark. Instead of lovingly embracing them I lashed out with pent up fury and gloated over them as they met their untimely death. I hunted them down and performed a victory dance over their lifeless exoskeletons. I dumped their bodies outside with unnecessary amounts of flourish.

You know the scene in Office Space where they destroy the copier? I channeled that rage, but with an aerosol can instead of a bat. Same theme song.

I have been in Mibicuri for two weeks now. Apart from watching cheesy teen flicks, this has become my entertainment.

I write this from the sanctuary of my mosquito net, for beneath it I am safe from the retribution that their friends and family wish to inflict on me. Inside my pemethrin soaked cocoon I am blissfully unaware of the happenings beyond the scope of my headlamp.

Beneath my mosquito net I read novels of other’s adventures, journal about mud and sweat, dream about Mexican food, and watch movies starring teenagers from the Disney channel.

Beneath my mosquito net I feel the brunt of my new life. The enormity of two whole years, the elation felt from small victories, homesickness, joy of new acquaintances, contentment and doubt are all the things that my net cannot keep out.

Beneath my mosquito net I am recharged. I find the resolve to start each day anew, and the determination to make a difference.

Swearing In

It's official! As of today I am a Peace Corps Volunteer!

All 32 of Guy 24 Trainees made it through the two months of training and took the oath at our Swearing-In Ceremony today. We've endured highs and lows, frustrations, moments of elation, homesickness, and culture shock all the while falling deeper into love with Guyana.

Tomorrow we will all get into different cars, mini-buses, boats and planes and will move to our permanent sites where we'll spend the next two years.

But tonight... we party.

Mibicuri

The day has come my friends! I finally learned where I'll be living and working the next two years!

I'll be working with a non-profit called Mibicuri Community Developers doing suicide prevention. Mibicuri is in region 6 and is part of a collection of villages that make up the area of Blackbush Polder. It's on the east coast of Guyana near Suriname.

There. Now you know about as much as I do! I

This coming Wednesday I will be able to visit my future site until the following Sunday. I'll keep everyone updated as I learn about my new home!

West Dem Livin'

West Dem Livin'

A day in the life of a Peace Corps Trainee

12:00am – 6:00am: wake up intermittently to the sounds of dogs barking, roosters crowing, babies screaming, music blaring, and other not readily identifiable noises.

6:00am-6:10 am: listen for rain or any other excuse to not go running.

6:10: when the inevitable decision is made not to run, enter bathroom to take a refreshingly/terribly cold bucket bath.

6:17am-7:45am: do normal getting ready routine, with the added step of applying sunscreen and anti-itch cream to your bug bites.Choose clothing that will minimize sweating while still trying to follow dress code.

7:45am: walk to training center with your PC neighbor.

8:00am-8:15am: wait for the doors to be unlocked and mill with the other trainees referencing many common topics such as what kept you up last night, how was washing laundry, or have you tried this fruit?

Somewhere around 8:30: actually start class

8:30am-9:50am: point of the day where a trainee is maximally engaged.

9:50am-10:00am: think only of your snack or of getting a snack

10:00am-10:15am: break!!

10:30am-12:00am: trainees concentration is faltering. Minds drift towards lunch.

12:00pm-1:00pm walk home and eat lunch. Try to convince your host mom that you can’t eat an entire plate of rice

1:00pm-4:30pm: sit listlessly, pining for the moments when the fan turns and faces you. 

4:30-8:30pm: Change out of sweat drenched clothing.Rinse off the accumulated sweat, sunscreen, bug spray, and dust. Flop down on bed. Attempt to do homework or journal. Maybe watch a pirated movie supplied by various Peace Corps Volunteers.

9:00pm-11:59pm: Drift to sleep whilst being serenaded by the sounds of dogs barking, roosters crowing, babies screaming, music blaring, and other not readily identifiable noises.