"Jerky crumbs? Gold bonds?"
I recently spent the last three nights in the interior of the country along the Suriname River.
To get to the interior the other 7 volunteers and I had to bus and then boat out to our sites--we all stayed at differed villages. After our bus ride, we had lunch in a small boating town. Here, I had my first taste of monkey meat which I believe is ordered as baboon. The best way to describe it is that it does not taste like chicken. The taste is fairly strong but the texture was the most unusual part of the piece of meat. After lunch, the other 7 volunteers and I got on our "motorized canoe" as Peace Corps refers to it and headed up river to our volunteer sites. And so I spent the past few days with a volunteer named haansepai.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, you are given a nickname by your village. In this case, haansepai means handsome son. And in every village, just as in haansepai's, there is a social hierarchy within the village. First, there is the captain who is like the mayor of the village. Captain's are established by bloodlines on the mother's side. Then, there are the bashas who are essentially the captain's right hand guys. I am not sure if there is any method to these appointments. Anyways, when there is business to be attended to the captain and bashas are involved. Below these folks you have the other adult villagers who are growing agriculture products, fishing, carving wood or helping to build something in the community. Then, there are kids. Kids who are old enough to go to school leave the village on boat by 7 or 8 o'clock and are gone until school gets out, which is at 1. So until they arrive back in the village, usually around 2 pm, things are very quiet and still. But once the kids are back in the village, things start to pick up, most notably the local soccer games. My first impression of the river is that life moves at a pretty slow pace. There is going to be a LOT of downtime, much more than I expected so I am going to make a plea for movies/books/music.
Finally, now that I am back in the city, I am getting treated by the doctor. I am having some kind of allergy problem and my skin is getting rashes and is covered with bug bites. So, the fun begins...
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Laundry and showers in the heat
(Day 4): "Damnit! I'm already out of shirts."--me
In my last blog, I tired to give you an idea of the weather pattern here in Suriname. All day the temperature ranges from 75-95 degrees with humidity. Throughout the day, I constantly sweat and have to change shirts regularly. On the average day, I may start out in my Rooney jersey, after lunch and playing soccer from 12-1 I will then change into a polyester T-Shirt. After training is over, I put on a tanktop for the local soccer game and finally end the day with a comfy cotton Tee. Needless to say, I have to take a lot of showers and do a lot of laundry.
To cope with the heat and keep relatively good hygiene, I have to take at least 2 showers everyday, usually 3. The morning shower is not enjoyable because after sleeping under a mosquito net all night, I wake up sweaty and hot and when the water hits me I am practically in shock. On the brightside, I don't need coffee to get me going in the morning though. I would say that water heaters, and more importantly the accessibility to ice, have been the first material aspects or things from America that I really miss. But fortunately, all is not as bad as it seems. The cold showers in the afternoon and evening have been quite pleasant.
After coping with the heat, you can only compensate by wearing more clothing and that is where the laundry comes into play. Doing laundry here has been an experience. First, I have to fill a bucket with soap and water. I carry this bucket and my clothes to the back of the training facility. Next, I put my clothes in the bucket and use a scrubber on the real dirty garments which have dirt, sand and grass stains from the afternoon soccer games. After ringing out the soap in these clothes, I carry everything back to my room. Next, I use the faucet in my bathroom to rinse my clothes and have to wring them out again! My arms are getting ripped ;). Finally, I have to find a spot outside to hang and dry my clothes, and with 23 other volunteers at a small training ground you have to get creative--like the back of a lawn chair or a propped broom. Unfortunately, there is no way to incorporate fabric softener here. So, I have accepted the fact that I will probably be the most smelly guy in Suriname since I can't get the smell out of my soccer clothes and don't care to wash them too often. And to conclude, I think that the people who created the washer and dryer should be given awards. That is all, thank you.
In my last blog, I tired to give you an idea of the weather pattern here in Suriname. All day the temperature ranges from 75-95 degrees with humidity. Throughout the day, I constantly sweat and have to change shirts regularly. On the average day, I may start out in my Rooney jersey, after lunch and playing soccer from 12-1 I will then change into a polyester T-Shirt. After training is over, I put on a tanktop for the local soccer game and finally end the day with a comfy cotton Tee. Needless to say, I have to take a lot of showers and do a lot of laundry.
To cope with the heat and keep relatively good hygiene, I have to take at least 2 showers everyday, usually 3. The morning shower is not enjoyable because after sleeping under a mosquito net all night, I wake up sweaty and hot and when the water hits me I am practically in shock. On the brightside, I don't need coffee to get me going in the morning though. I would say that water heaters, and more importantly the accessibility to ice, have been the first material aspects or things from America that I really miss. But fortunately, all is not as bad as it seems. The cold showers in the afternoon and evening have been quite pleasant.
After coping with the heat, you can only compensate by wearing more clothing and that is where the laundry comes into play. Doing laundry here has been an experience. First, I have to fill a bucket with soap and water. I carry this bucket and my clothes to the back of the training facility. Next, I put my clothes in the bucket and use a scrubber on the real dirty garments which have dirt, sand and grass stains from the afternoon soccer games. After ringing out the soap in these clothes, I carry everything back to my room. Next, I use the faucet in my bathroom to rinse my clothes and have to wring them out again! My arms are getting ripped ;). Finally, I have to find a spot outside to hang and dry my clothes, and with 23 other volunteers at a small training ground you have to get creative--like the back of a lawn chair or a propped broom. Unfortunately, there is no way to incorporate fabric softener here. So, I have accepted the fact that I will probably be the most smelly guy in Suriname since I can't get the smell out of my soccer clothes and don't care to wash them too often. And to conclude, I think that the people who created the washer and dryer should be given awards. That is all, thank you.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A day of Peace Corps training
"What the people of the world want most and have always wanted...are bread and peace."--Patricia Young
Here is how a typical day of training goes for the Peace Corps in Suriname. I have come to realize that my day revolves around the ringing of a bell for food. My training ground is in a little Suriname city off a dirt road. We have several neighbors nearby and most are very friendly. I am rooming with a guy from Arizona, he goes by A.T.
7 am: Breakfast bell rings
So long as I do not sleep through my alarm, I wake up at 7, otherwise A.T. kicks me out of bed at 7:30. About 7 am, a man comes out of the kitchen to ring the first bell of the day, the breakfast bell. I head to the mess hall for a healthy portion of bananas and peanut butter on bread and possibly a bowl of corn flakes. After food, I go back to my room and proceed to get ready for training. It is usually about 80 degrees this early in the morning.
8 am: Morning(mamanten) Training begins
Morning sessions have consisted of several different activities. We usually start off with our community meetings and talking about what is on tap for the day and the coming weeks. Then, we break into our sessions where we have done self-assessments and language training. The language training, thus far, has been mostly Sranan Tongo. But now, I will be required to speak fluent Saramaccan as I will be working with this tribe along the Suriname river. One morning, our sessions were interrupted by a puppy who wandered into our meeting room. Wandering dogs on the grounds are very common but at least they are much nicer than those Naples dogs. By the end of morning training, the temperature is starting to reach 90 degrees and the humidity is starting to wear on us.
12 pm: Lunch bell rings
Lunch and dinner at our training grounds has been quite an experience. Most nights, we are things we have never seen before--local stews, roti and some ridiculously hot peppers. No, seriously, I had to take a shower after dinner one night because the peppers were SO hot! Rice appears to be the main staple of the local diet but I have enjoyed that so far. Most meals are usually accompanied with some type of meat and a third course. Besides eating, the rest of this hour is spent conversing with other volunteers, my newest friends.
1 pm: Afternoon(bakadina) training begins
In the afternoon, we have had a series of medical sessions on how to keep one's self safe and healthy in the interior, which plants and bugs to avoid, how to clean water and how to shit properly in a hole. After these sessions, we are either in meetings with our bosses or getting a couple of numerous vaccinations--my right arm was sore for two days after the yellow fever shot.
4:30-5 pm: Training ends
After training, there is a local soccer game we have been attending with the locals in the community. We found out about this by talking to a local while walking back from town. So far, we have played two games and we were able to beat the 12 year olds once--I do not think we are ready for the men's game yet. The soccer field itself is quite a site. It is surrounded on three sides by two houses and a long building and at the far end is surrounded by a thick wall of jungle. The main game is played on the sand field with 11 players on each side and usually has several spectators hanging out in the trees or on the benches around the field. The game is usually played in 85 degree weather.
6/7 pm: Dinner bell rings, I eat again!
7 pm - ?: Post training, the night(neti)
Most nights we have tried to get out on the town and do something or meet someone new. We have been out and about at a few local restaurants trying the local cuisine, hanging out at the local markets/shops, and making some new friends along the way. The internet cafe where I am at now, is also a very popular spot in the town and with new Peace Corps volunteers. We have also been able to meet up with some of the volunteers who came to Suriname last year and they have been a huge help for us. In town on our own, usually, Wednesday's Champion's League final is the hot topic of conversation. Unfortunately, most people in Suriname are rooting for Barcelona which makes me the outlier.
So far, my most favorite night was going to the city of Paramaribo for the first time. I got to see my first football(soccer) game in South America. The club champion's from Suriname played one of the club teams from the Netherlands. As we walked into the game, a Suriname marching band performed and they were awesome--they had style. During the game, the Suriname people were totally confused--they thought we were Dutch, and they could not figure out why we were rooting against the Netherlands team. The game was pretty exciting but ended in a 1-1 draw; Suriname almost scored in the injury time.
After the game, we came back to our training site and stayed up way too late, again, playing games, watching movies (Old School is the movie of choice) and just hanging around with one another. We have a great group this year and the next two years will be exciting.
Here is how a typical day of training goes for the Peace Corps in Suriname. I have come to realize that my day revolves around the ringing of a bell for food. My training ground is in a little Suriname city off a dirt road. We have several neighbors nearby and most are very friendly. I am rooming with a guy from Arizona, he goes by A.T.
7 am: Breakfast bell rings
So long as I do not sleep through my alarm, I wake up at 7, otherwise A.T. kicks me out of bed at 7:30. About 7 am, a man comes out of the kitchen to ring the first bell of the day, the breakfast bell. I head to the mess hall for a healthy portion of bananas and peanut butter on bread and possibly a bowl of corn flakes. After food, I go back to my room and proceed to get ready for training. It is usually about 80 degrees this early in the morning.
8 am: Morning(mamanten) Training begins
Morning sessions have consisted of several different activities. We usually start off with our community meetings and talking about what is on tap for the day and the coming weeks. Then, we break into our sessions where we have done self-assessments and language training. The language training, thus far, has been mostly Sranan Tongo. But now, I will be required to speak fluent Saramaccan as I will be working with this tribe along the Suriname river. One morning, our sessions were interrupted by a puppy who wandered into our meeting room. Wandering dogs on the grounds are very common but at least they are much nicer than those Naples dogs. By the end of morning training, the temperature is starting to reach 90 degrees and the humidity is starting to wear on us.
12 pm: Lunch bell rings
Lunch and dinner at our training grounds has been quite an experience. Most nights, we are things we have never seen before--local stews, roti and some ridiculously hot peppers. No, seriously, I had to take a shower after dinner one night because the peppers were SO hot! Rice appears to be the main staple of the local diet but I have enjoyed that so far. Most meals are usually accompanied with some type of meat and a third course. Besides eating, the rest of this hour is spent conversing with other volunteers, my newest friends.
1 pm: Afternoon(bakadina) training begins
In the afternoon, we have had a series of medical sessions on how to keep one's self safe and healthy in the interior, which plants and bugs to avoid, how to clean water and how to shit properly in a hole. After these sessions, we are either in meetings with our bosses or getting a couple of numerous vaccinations--my right arm was sore for two days after the yellow fever shot.
4:30-5 pm: Training ends
After training, there is a local soccer game we have been attending with the locals in the community. We found out about this by talking to a local while walking back from town. So far, we have played two games and we were able to beat the 12 year olds once--I do not think we are ready for the men's game yet. The soccer field itself is quite a site. It is surrounded on three sides by two houses and a long building and at the far end is surrounded by a thick wall of jungle. The main game is played on the sand field with 11 players on each side and usually has several spectators hanging out in the trees or on the benches around the field. The game is usually played in 85 degree weather.
6/7 pm: Dinner bell rings, I eat again!
7 pm - ?: Post training, the night(neti)
Most nights we have tried to get out on the town and do something or meet someone new. We have been out and about at a few local restaurants trying the local cuisine, hanging out at the local markets/shops, and making some new friends along the way. The internet cafe where I am at now, is also a very popular spot in the town and with new Peace Corps volunteers. We have also been able to meet up with some of the volunteers who came to Suriname last year and they have been a huge help for us. In town on our own, usually, Wednesday's Champion's League final is the hot topic of conversation. Unfortunately, most people in Suriname are rooting for Barcelona which makes me the outlier.
So far, my most favorite night was going to the city of Paramaribo for the first time. I got to see my first football(soccer) game in South America. The club champion's from Suriname played one of the club teams from the Netherlands. As we walked into the game, a Suriname marching band performed and they were awesome--they had style. During the game, the Suriname people were totally confused--they thought we were Dutch, and they could not figure out why we were rooting against the Netherlands team. The game was pretty exciting but ended in a 1-1 draw; Suriname almost scored in the injury time.
After the game, we came back to our training site and stayed up way too late, again, playing games, watching movies (Old School is the movie of choice) and just hanging around with one another. We have a great group this year and the next two years will be exciting.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Peace Corps thus far...
"Dude, your ass was sticking out like two feet..."--David
Greetings from Suriname. It took quite a while to make it here, but I have finally arrived and begun my training. For those of you who need a re-cap, I left the bay area on Thursday and flew to Miami to meet the rest of my Peace Corps group and go through orientation. I, as well as the rest of the volunteers who reside on the West Coast of the United States, arrived one day before orientation due to the length of our flights. After being delayed for over two hours, I arrived with Amber, another volunteer in Miami, around 11:30. At about midnight, I checked into my hotel, and by 12:15, to my surprise, my phone rang. "Hello, this is Chris." "Dude, this is Adam from Peace Corps, you need to come hangout in my room." Needless to say, we were off to a fun start. Anyways, Friday was spent doing Peace Corps paperwork during our orientation, nothing too exciting until the Peace Corps gave us an allowance to spend in Miami for our last American dinner. We made the most of it while kicking back at a sports pub eating burgers and watching the Dodgers lose; it was glorious.
The next day, Saturday, was one of the longest I have ever had. I was up nearly 24 hours straight. It started with a 3:30 AM EST wake up call and off to the airport by 5 AM to catch a plane. During our four hours at the airport I ate my last American meal which was an egg, cheese and sausage croissant from a Chinese restaurant--not my dream meal, but it got the job done. We finally made our way to Trinidad and Tobago in the afternoon but we were stuck in the airport for another 8 hours until our flight left for Suriname. On Trinidad, I decided to add another shot glass to my country collection since I was stuck in the airport for so long and because I got to fly over the island at least twice. I also tried what seemed to be the most popular cuisine in the airport: Kentucky Friend Chicken.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we arrived in Suriname at about midnight local time. We were picked up in an old Peace Corps VW-esque wagon and all 24 of us new volunteers rode across Suriname to our training camp. Upon arrival, we could see quite a few rowdy people waiting for us. As we pulled into our parking lot, our van was immediately surrounded by cheering and ecstatic volunteers already serving in Peace Corps. As we stepped out of the van, the volunteers gave us all pongies which are Surinamese clothing--I turned mine into a headband. Around 3:30 AM local Suriname time, I finally fell asleep.
Most of Sunday afternoon was spent in an orientation. We also took our first walk through the town we are staying in. This place is much different than I pictured it. I am staying off a dirt road, less than a quarter mile near a main, paved road which has tons of traffic from cars and mopeds. There is even a Shell station in the town. Throughout the town, there are tiny grocery stores or markets like you might find in San Francisco--I have not seen any big retail or supermarket type stores, yet. In these stores the selection is very interesting, they have anything from toys and soccer balls to food like Pillsbury cake mix, soy sauce or noodles to my personal favorite, Parbo. Parbo is the local beer in Suriname.
Finally, on Sunday night, the Peace Corps staff put on an event for us. They invited members from the Aucan tribe to do a traditional dance and music display for us. After the first set, the dancers started pulling the Peace Corps Volunteers on stage to do the traditional dances. Near the end of the night, I was pulled on stage by one of the Aucan women and that should explain the quote at the top of this post. I was shakin' the booty crazy. And apparently, the cameras were flashing like crazy during my dance so there should be pictures. Afterwards, my volunteer class and I enjoyed sometime with the currently serving volunteers and I had my first bami and nasi, which was delicious!
Needless to say, we are having a great time. I was pretty nervous before I left the States, but when the bus pulled up and the other volunteers were waiting for us, cheering us on, I knew right then I had made the right decision. There will be more good times, as well as tough times, but you've got to take them in stride. I can not wait to see how the rest of this adventure begins to unfold itself. Hopefully, by my next blog, I will know the site I will be working at for the next two years. Til next time....
Greetings from Suriname. It took quite a while to make it here, but I have finally arrived and begun my training. For those of you who need a re-cap, I left the bay area on Thursday and flew to Miami to meet the rest of my Peace Corps group and go through orientation. I, as well as the rest of the volunteers who reside on the West Coast of the United States, arrived one day before orientation due to the length of our flights. After being delayed for over two hours, I arrived with Amber, another volunteer in Miami, around 11:30. At about midnight, I checked into my hotel, and by 12:15, to my surprise, my phone rang. "Hello, this is Chris." "Dude, this is Adam from Peace Corps, you need to come hangout in my room." Needless to say, we were off to a fun start. Anyways, Friday was spent doing Peace Corps paperwork during our orientation, nothing too exciting until the Peace Corps gave us an allowance to spend in Miami for our last American dinner. We made the most of it while kicking back at a sports pub eating burgers and watching the Dodgers lose; it was glorious.
The next day, Saturday, was one of the longest I have ever had. I was up nearly 24 hours straight. It started with a 3:30 AM EST wake up call and off to the airport by 5 AM to catch a plane. During our four hours at the airport I ate my last American meal which was an egg, cheese and sausage croissant from a Chinese restaurant--not my dream meal, but it got the job done. We finally made our way to Trinidad and Tobago in the afternoon but we were stuck in the airport for another 8 hours until our flight left for Suriname. On Trinidad, I decided to add another shot glass to my country collection since I was stuck in the airport for so long and because I got to fly over the island at least twice. I also tried what seemed to be the most popular cuisine in the airport: Kentucky Friend Chicken.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we arrived in Suriname at about midnight local time. We were picked up in an old Peace Corps VW-esque wagon and all 24 of us new volunteers rode across Suriname to our training camp. Upon arrival, we could see quite a few rowdy people waiting for us. As we pulled into our parking lot, our van was immediately surrounded by cheering and ecstatic volunteers already serving in Peace Corps. As we stepped out of the van, the volunteers gave us all pongies which are Surinamese clothing--I turned mine into a headband. Around 3:30 AM local Suriname time, I finally fell asleep.
Most of Sunday afternoon was spent in an orientation. We also took our first walk through the town we are staying in. This place is much different than I pictured it. I am staying off a dirt road, less than a quarter mile near a main, paved road which has tons of traffic from cars and mopeds. There is even a Shell station in the town. Throughout the town, there are tiny grocery stores or markets like you might find in San Francisco--I have not seen any big retail or supermarket type stores, yet. In these stores the selection is very interesting, they have anything from toys and soccer balls to food like Pillsbury cake mix, soy sauce or noodles to my personal favorite, Parbo. Parbo is the local beer in Suriname.
Finally, on Sunday night, the Peace Corps staff put on an event for us. They invited members from the Aucan tribe to do a traditional dance and music display for us. After the first set, the dancers started pulling the Peace Corps Volunteers on stage to do the traditional dances. Near the end of the night, I was pulled on stage by one of the Aucan women and that should explain the quote at the top of this post. I was shakin' the booty crazy. And apparently, the cameras were flashing like crazy during my dance so there should be pictures. Afterwards, my volunteer class and I enjoyed sometime with the currently serving volunteers and I had my first bami and nasi, which was delicious!
Needless to say, we are having a great time. I was pretty nervous before I left the States, but when the bus pulled up and the other volunteers were waiting for us, cheering us on, I knew right then I had made the right decision. There will be more good times, as well as tough times, but you've got to take them in stride. I can not wait to see how the rest of this adventure begins to unfold itself. Hopefully, by my next blog, I will know the site I will be working at for the next two years. Til next time....
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Next Post from Suriname
Just left Peace Corps Orientation in Miami. The next post will be from my host country, Suriname.
So far everyone is real cool and everyone is already calling me C-Rod. Five of us went out to a cool little sports pub and watched some baseball and had some burgers in Miami last night. Today, our Peace Corps group woke up at 3:30 AM to catch our bus and flight in the morning, it was pretty rough. Next, we will arrive in Suriname and start our training, I'm very excited about it!
Just a quick update while I get the chance, more next time!
--CRod
So far everyone is real cool and everyone is already calling me C-Rod. Five of us went out to a cool little sports pub and watched some baseball and had some burgers in Miami last night. Today, our Peace Corps group woke up at 3:30 AM to catch our bus and flight in the morning, it was pretty rough. Next, we will arrive in Suriname and start our training, I'm very excited about it!
Just a quick update while I get the chance, more next time!
--CRod
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Why? (One Step Closer)
So here I am, one day away from leaving, still trying to justify and convince you that there is some greater meaning to this journey. The past few weeks have been spent memorizing Sranan Tongo, loitering in the big city, spending time with friends in Chico and the bay area, spending time with family, and even meeting with returned Suriname PCVs--Robin and Dan. And mostly, there has been an abundance of pacing and praying. My feelings on leaving are a bit hard to describe since they are so up and down between moments. In one moment, I am excited to be going to Suriname, in the next uncertain about the future, my aspirations, about family, friends, what may happen while I am in Suriname, even about what I do once I get back from Suriname. Even when I am in the good company of friends and family, I already feel faraway from home, as if Suriname has already begun to surround me. It is a strange feeling one can only relate to if they have experienced it before.
And so to answer that impending question, 'what the hell for?'. First, there are choices we make every morning when we wake up and get out of bed. Those choices are simple life decisions based on values to make the most of each day, to expand one's knowledge and to give something back. I believe these values are what tempted me to consider Peace Corps. But what inspired me to make that leap of faith and apply for the Peace Corps were the elements that have surrounded me throughout my life.
The true inspiration for my ambition to even consider the Peace Corps came from the friends I have made throughout my life, as well as my grandfather who served abroad during his youth. Thinking back to St. John's, I remember becoming acquainted with people from all over the map, especially the Philippines. In college, meeting guys like Jimmy and Khalid, or the study abroad in Brighton and all the friends I met across the pond who came from all over the globe, from Europe to Asia to Africa. By joining the Peace Corps, it gives me the chance to better understand the challenges these people have had to go through in their lives--moving to a new country, learning a new culture and language. And finally, Peace Corps gives me the opportunity to apply my skills in a place where I can succeed, where I can take back the knowledge of another people while giving something back to them. I believe this is my purpose as a volunteer and a human being.
And even though I will miss out on a lot over the next 27 months: graduations, Christmas with the family, Thanksgiving Turkey, my brother's band shows, last season of Lost, new Family Guy and Office episodes, Harry Potter movies, Transformers sequel, my San Francisco Giants, two more lackluster Raiders' draft picks, and another highly-anticipated-Will Ferrell-summer-blockbuster, I look forward to the new things, people and places I will discover in Suriname.
To my friends, family and others who come upon this blog, I hope you will enjoy my tales from Suriname. And to anyone else contemplating to take a big step forward in their own life, I leave you with this quote:
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." --Ambrose Redmoon
And so to answer that impending question, 'what the hell for?'. First, there are choices we make every morning when we wake up and get out of bed. Those choices are simple life decisions based on values to make the most of each day, to expand one's knowledge and to give something back. I believe these values are what tempted me to consider Peace Corps. But what inspired me to make that leap of faith and apply for the Peace Corps were the elements that have surrounded me throughout my life.
The true inspiration for my ambition to even consider the Peace Corps came from the friends I have made throughout my life, as well as my grandfather who served abroad during his youth. Thinking back to St. John's, I remember becoming acquainted with people from all over the map, especially the Philippines. In college, meeting guys like Jimmy and Khalid, or the study abroad in Brighton and all the friends I met across the pond who came from all over the globe, from Europe to Asia to Africa. By joining the Peace Corps, it gives me the chance to better understand the challenges these people have had to go through in their lives--moving to a new country, learning a new culture and language. And finally, Peace Corps gives me the opportunity to apply my skills in a place where I can succeed, where I can take back the knowledge of another people while giving something back to them. I believe this is my purpose as a volunteer and a human being.
And even though I will miss out on a lot over the next 27 months: graduations, Christmas with the family, Thanksgiving Turkey, my brother's band shows, last season of Lost, new Family Guy and Office episodes, Harry Potter movies, Transformers sequel, my San Francisco Giants, two more lackluster Raiders' draft picks, and another highly-anticipated-Will Ferrell-summer-blockbuster, I look forward to the new things, people and places I will discover in Suriname.
To my friends, family and others who come upon this blog, I hope you will enjoy my tales from Suriname. And to anyone else contemplating to take a big step forward in their own life, I leave you with this quote:
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." --Ambrose Redmoon
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