Yet again – T-minus 7 hours and counting (that is, for the pirogue-bus trip – then plane trip the next day).
This past week has been very, very productive, as far as typing, creating, fixing, visiting, and packing goes. If it’s worth discussing, I’ll have to decide later – the computer’s now going in its bag.
Here’s to hoping the luggage doesn’t get lost again.
I usually don’t post videos as the official post itself, but this I must do.
It is fixed. And I can play on it. I have learned how to reglue a viola neck on its body, fill in potentially annoying cracks, sand down pegs for a good fit, and drill holes in the pegs for the strings.
And Bob and I had fun doing it.
So it hit me a few days ago that I was really leaving for good. A friend recently contacted me bout traveling plans, and while searching through festival events in New York and Montréal, and train and plane tickets, I thought, “Hey, that plane ticket is dated for in … two weeks?!?”
If I can count the days and they’re numbered under 20, then that’s a shocker to me. So it hit me, then and there. Like a Mack truck. Optimus Prime size, actually.
I’ve been on my toes ever since, trying to finish up as much of the French curriculum as possible, coordinating a long-distance lease with a future roommate, and checking out my possible class schedule for my Master’s degree in September 2008.
Needless to say, my head’s a little foggy as to what will be my reality in two weeks.
How about treating it as an adventure. I think that’ll work.
(Note: see related post here)
I’ve had to say goodbye to many people already, since a lot of families are leaving on vacation.
Yesterday I had to say goodbye to Irène in PK-10. She’s the one that, from the beginning, would help me out, explain things that the kids would like, and with whom I could just hang out. She tried (TRIED) to teach me to dance (I’m almost hopeless – but Sarah and I got some butt-wiggling success last Saturday), and I could be just plain silly with her, and we would be comfortable with it. In short, she was my best friend down here, despite the age difference.
So saying we were a little sad while saying goodbye would be an understatement.
I did get the year’s tightest hug from her, explained to her how to mail letters (she’d never bothered before, and never had a reason to until now), and we’ve promised to write. Which I’m looking forward to – in this day and age of Internet, it’s rare to find someone who’s only mode of long-distance communication is letters. That means printing out pictures I want to share, making little packages … I’m going to enjoy this.
And in French, there are two ways of saying goodbye. There’s “au revoir” (implying we’ll see each other again), and “adieu” (implying the next time we’ll see each other is when we’re near God, meaning dead). She said “adieu” – I answered “au revoir”. I insist on coming back. We’re aware that it’ll be years before I finish my studies and find funding to come again, but I’m dead set on coming back (hopefully for another project – most probably a shorter-term one: a month, three months, depending on what it is). You can’t live in a place like this, grow roots, and never come back.
So in the end, she switched to “au revoir”. And she believed it. So do I.
_______________________________________________________________
Random little things of the day:
Walking barefoot in the living room today, I was going to ask Bob if we should glue the violins today (see previous post). Here’s how I asked it while walking. “Bob – I had a question. Do you think we could … get … rid of this snake in the living room?”
Indeed, I was about to step on a two-foot snake.
Ten minutes later, after snake-catching and a neat little zoology lesson from Bob, I finally asked to glue the violins.
We also had fried pineapples today. Yum.
In mid-December, I’ve mentioned that my viola’s neck unglued. Since then, I got hold of another violin while waiting for violin-fixing materials to arrive. Though they’ve arrived safely about over six months ago, we haven’t taken the time to fix the viola.
A month ago, unfortunately, the second violin, which at the time was being the center of attention at a pre-youth party, got dropped – and the scroll broke off. (Way to go MC – my violin braking record is increasing at an alarming rate …)
Seeing this instrument was not mine, I was adamant at getting it fixed before I left.
So today, we took out the violin glue, the clamps, the foam, and any other tools we thought were useful, and adventured ourselves into the world of violin-making. Meanwhile, Sarah went picture-happy. 
(click for more pictures)
A long, long time ago (“in a galaxy far, far away” or “I can still remember” – take your pick), perhaps in January, Philip had an inspired idea. We should have a Youth Conference.
One of our main tasks here was to find literate youth to take over the work we’re doing. Yet we didn’t seem to be able to see it happening anytime soon. So he began to think: when has he, as a youth, felt particularly inspired to go out into the world and help out? During Youth Conferences. Meeting new people, seeing opportunities to help, seeing HOW one can help … it was a great idea, and would have been simple enough to pull off in North America.
Not here apparently.
But he still held on to the idea that we should do such an activity. And held on and on … and eventually, despite the gazilion cultural/time/human resources constraints, we had a Youth “Thing-Picnic-Event” on Sunday. To our delight, we were a total of 27 youths on a small island in the middle of the Maroni river.
At 6:30am, we left Wagi-Pasi (the village where we stay the weekends) with a carload of a few more youths, and dumped them at a meeting point where a boatman was to ferry us to the island in two or three loads. After picking up a few people (including a bleary-eyed Sarah), we were finally all reunited on the island around 7:45am, ensuring us a spot (it’s summer vacation – and it’s a popular island to go swimming and picnicking).
The island and its beach
Armed with drums, food, and swimsuits, we began the day with a few prayers and split up into a few groups to study a few things. That was, by far, the one thing that worried me the most. These kids have just finished their exams – who wants to study more?!? But they did good. Many were way too shy to talk in front of the group, but we managed even the shyest to say a few words throughout the day.
One of the pavilions where we had the workshops
A group had come from Cayenne, the capital, and they were heading the main workshops. A few side workshops were a drumming session and a First-Aid workshop (done by Sarah – and me helping her translate a few things). Sarah and I must be some of the most nervous people I know. We both panic right before a presentation or before teaching a class – but when we actually teach, we really get into it. Go figure. It was great to get to do that together.
Sarah and Oginio
There was some soccer playing on the beach, some good food, some major swimming, and in all, everyone left the island in the evening with a grin.
“The ball’s in the water – AGAIN!”
How many youths can you fit on one pirogue?
The evening was wrapped up with a supper at the Doekoe girls’ house, where there was some serious Saramacca-American jamming going on (explained in the previous post). I’m still thrilled that Sarah brought her small bagpipes. The kids were quite confused by the concept. (“You blow in a bag, and then what? Huh? You have to squeeze it for the sound?”)
And it’s with this activity that four or five youths have expressed interest in helping out around.
Without this activity, I doubt they would have stepped up.
And without Philip pushing for a Youth Conference, I doubt we would have done this activity (despite it not being a Conference in the end).
So – kudos and thank you, Philip.
I am looking back at my list on my “half time” post …
- organizing the French lessons’ curriculum and evaluation system (gah – any teachers out there who would have a sheet of basic second language competencies? Mom? Dad?).
- Jam with local musicians: some recent contacts may make this possible – if anything, making up songs with Irène counts, I believe. We improvise on the spot. That’s considered jamming, right?
- Radio shorts: maybe I should be the one to initiate a discussion of the possible actors with others who are involved, as everyone’s as busy as everyone else.
- Finding new youth: set up a meeting with that one girl’s parents to see how they can all participate.
What HAVE I accomplished out of these things so as to return home in three weeks without any regrets?
So now the idea is the following. I have, starting tomorrow, three weeks left here. I’ve been here for over eight months. Most of my classes have been wrapped up (most families are on vacation now). Some people have been asking me: “what ARE you going to do during those last three weeks, then?”
Computer work.
Oh yes.
As a huge contrast to the rest of the year, I get to sit down and do solo work. Not that one type of work is better than the other – it’s just neat to have a change of pace once in a while. So here are my end of year projects.
Whew.
These are all the projects and things to accomplish to have a regret-free conscience when I leave.
Now, if only it was as simple to leave with a guilt-free conscience about one’s own attitude throughout the whole nine months. Leaving home and throwing myself in such a different environment has revealed some less pleasant sides of myself. Sure, everyone makes mistakes – and that’s fine as long as you learn from them. Somehow I feel I’ve missed a few learning opportunities and have repeated a few same mistakes, and it’s only now that I see them.
Better late than never.
(Still got three weeks!)
|
