Wrap-up

I was hoping to write more after coming back, but the truth is, having found my friends and family again, I don’t feel the need to write here anymore … except one last time. Just to wrap things up.  So here we go.

French Guiana was not easy. And I was also not the easiest person with whom to work. But I would never change that experience with anything in the world. I have discovered so much about myself, about others, and about ties that unite seemingly different peoples into one family. I’ve seen the power of words, of the Word, and of wordless communication. I’ve seen the devastating effects of illiteracy, and shared the joy of my friends when they discovered that, after months of work, they could string together syllables. I’ve experienced the freedom of washing and bathing in a small creek under the stars, and playing in a dusty field with children until dusk. Sang out loud and not cared if we were in tune or not. Encouraged girls and women that they do have a place in a world dominated by men. Shared prayers for healing, protection, mourning, and growth.
And, for a year … I felt useful.

This is a quote from a letter I wrote to some members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ottawa. I find it wraps-up my feelings quite well.

I am now a Master’s student at Université de Montréal, studying film scoring composition. It’s very exciting, and very heavy as far as course load goes (think 3 short videos to score within the span of 6 days, each having between 24h-48h to write them).  Here’s an example:

I have also been reunited with my good violin. He and I have had quite a few adventures already. I have stepped on a stage for the first time today since my return. I’d forgotten how much I love it. Thankfully, I haven’t lost too much of my technique, though my fingers are distinctively slower.

I now live in Montréal in a beautiful large apartment, high ceilings, wooden floors – my room is so big it could fit all of the family at PK-10 where I would stay during the weekends (this is still awkward for me …). Food is cheap. My new roommate is another fiddler – and we are currently fiddling together, and building a studio in our apartment, as she will be also studying in my program in January. We have wonderful neighbours, and there is a small sense of community in this building. There are many trees – we practically live on the top of Mount Royal and can see the whole city from our roof top (because we have access to a rooftop!).

Some have asked me if I had some sort of culture shock coming back: many white people, big cities, different values, different levels of honesty …. I’ve got to say: culture shock has been at minimal level (especially when you consider I flew directly from French Guiana to New York City). I had braced myself for things to have changed back home. And things have. And I was fine with it. (Again, though – I’m still in awe with the luck we had finding this apartment, getting into the film program, and how everything is just so … easy … except when it comes to paperwork.)

I have also somehow transformed into a more initiative, calmer, and flexible person. Not only people tell me – I feel it. I rarely feel rushed or stressed anymore. I spend less – I feel less like I HAVE to buy this and that and ooo that too … Of course I’m still extremely far from perfect, and will always be … but these are good changes.

I have also officially switched from coffee to tea, as tea was more available and affordable than coffee back at the Walker’s house. This may contribute to me being calmer …

I find myself being asked so many times the following: “SO! You were gone in South America! How was it?!?” … and not being able to answer (this, Sarah Windle has also experienced). So many things happen in a year. So many emotions, so many thoughts, so many decisions.  How can I wrap it all neatly into a two-minute answer? I see now that I can’t. So I must sift through many of my experiences and pick out small episodes that may interest some people. Even my new roommate has heard practically nothing.

I’ve reconnected with the Baha’i community of Montréal … I can’t believe how many artists, GOOD artists, there are … I’m now trying to get some artistic projects going: such awesome opportunities! I’m also volunteering at the Shrine of Abdu’l-Baha once a month as a guide, where I get to learn more stories of Him, and get to tell them in turn … (and learn how to make Persian tea … mmmmm, Persian tea …)

I got to communicate with the next Youth Year of Service which will be picking up the projects where we left them in French Guiana. She sounds very competent, and is starting up a blog of her own (http://dugoutcanoe.wordpress.com). Apparently reading this helped her get an idea of how it can be over there. If that is the case, then this blog has served its purpose, and I’m happy about it.

And lastly, today, I just gave my first children’s class in North America. Ever. Who were the kids? … a bunch of jovial kids, many having just arrived from Haiti and Africa this summer (with one little Québecois girl).

And for a moment, while the kids were clibing all over me in the yard … I was transported back in French Guiana.

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If for some strange reason, someone wants to continue reading about my ramblings as I go on with life as a film music student, you can find my thoughts on my other blog, which I’ve also had for a while in French Guiana when I wrote of things that did not involve my experiences there: http://randomivity.wordpress.com

Hide Glue

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)

Youth Day

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.

Seven Months and Monkey Meat

I look at the amount of times I have posted in December and January, then in May, and notice I have more than a 50% decrease of activity on my posting. But life down here is not less exciting than before. So, to counteract the possible impression of banality in French Guiana, let me tell you why things are still exciting.

First: I only have three weeks and a half left with all of my classes. This is especially pertinent with my French classes, as my main side project here was developing a French-Second-Language curriculum for illiterate students. This, I have been working on all year long, and I have just finally figured out how to grade my students and with which criteria. (Now to figure out how to evaluate them fairly within the next three weeks.) (Remember: I’m trained in music – not pedagogy.)

Second: I’ve managed to arrange carving lessons for my girl’s group (the one I keep raving about). We’re starting tomorrow. And yes, I did finish my chess board. It’s going to be heavy in my luggage. Darn.

Third: Speaking of board games. Monopoly with improvised cards, such as “teach your right-hand neighbour how to play your instrument for 10 minutes”, “show Sarah how to fold a paper crane”, “Yell Marco: the fastest person to reply Polo gets 5000$”, “Make lemonade for everyone” … well, you get the idea. Philip, Sarah and I amused ourselves yesterday evening. I also got spontaneously challenged to a game of “Quarto”, which a man promptly taught me how to play (sort of a mix of chess, tic-tac-toe, and bingo, all in one). I may need to make myself a board of that too.

Fourth: My schedule has had an upheaval during the weekends, and I no longer stay in the village of PK-10 overnight (though I haven’t cut any of the classes I do there). I now reside in a new area to work on a couple of specific projects. This family’s … well … here: What do you say when you see the 14-year old girl walk out with flour hand prints all over her face, saying “It was Amoni!” (her uncle), then her uncle walking out, half-covered in flour, saying, “It was Sébastienne!” (his niece), and then seeing a hoard of little kids covered in flour tromping out of the uncle’s house? … Fun times lookin’ up. (This is also the man who juggles babies while standing on a slack rope. I kid you not.)

Fifth: Seeing a wild boar getting hunted during a class in a remote village, then seeing it getting decapitated, de-haired, and prepared for cooking, alongside a couple of baboons … reminds me how sometimes I’m not exactly home. (Details of this adventure have been stacked in the “to-draw-as-cartoon” list, which I haven’t been working on recently.) (No worries. The baboon and wild boar one shall not be graphic.)

Sixth: … I forgot to celebrate the 7-month mark! It’s been 7 months! Yikes!

Seventh: Without going into any details, let’s just say that I’ve also had to rethink how I understand the Baha’i Faith, or more like how I fit into it. This isn’t something that’s entertaining for you to read about, like the baboon meat (no, I didn’t eat any, if you were wondering) or flour-fights, but it’s by far what’s been weighing most in my mind and heart. I guess that’s everyone’s struggle and search, in a way: where they fit in the world. (Ok, so some people don’t struggle with it at all, but you know what I mean.)

So that, in a rather large nutshell, is what’s been going on these days.

As my classes wrap up, and final projects get accomplished, I’m pretty sure I’ll have a substantial amount of fun stuff to post up here during these last two months. Well, hopefully, anyway. I feel like if I don’t leave with a bang on my year of service, that somewhere I’ve done something wrong.

So expect an upsurge of pictures and videos and whatnot.

Cayenne Again

I love taking a weekend to travel to Cayenne. No matter how crazy it is.

First off, this time I got to drive the little Twingo the long distance because the car’s finally completely fixed (and has passed the legal technical driving test – making it legal to drive the darned thing in public). It was Philip, Caity (a friend of Philip’s from Georgia, USA) and I manning the Twingo.

On the road between St-Laurent and Cayenne. Click on picture for a few more.

And this time, we were off to Cayenne for the French Guiana Baha’i Convention. This means: election, mega consultation on stuff, and organization of stuff. Basically. I thought, when I’d taken a day to pick up the ballots of 10 different local communities (details explained in the April 24th post linked here), that I could not possibly learn more this year about Baha’i administration.

Boy, was I wrong.

Anyway, between having to translate all the consultations and discussions to an Auxiliary Board Member from French to English (and back again when he had comments to add) and having to draft a letter to the Universal House of Justice on behalf of the Convention of the Baha’is of French Guiana, I learned many many administrative nooks and crannies. Interesting ones at that.

And had a lot of fun.

Why?

1 – I learned to drum on a djembe for the first time of my life. Not only was I able to keep the beat – I learned fast enough to bring the beat to a good speed for songs and other things! Yay!

2 – There’s a theater in Cayenne. As in, movie theater. Which was playing the new Indiana Jones. In French. But who cares if it was in French. The whole story is set in the Amazon. And, I mean, come on! It’s worth it just for the Indie theme! (*cue Indiana Jones theme*)

3 – Nothing could stop us 6 youths (including said Auxiliary Board Member) to pack in the tiny Twingo and drive to the movie theater. Not even getting the car in a ditch.

Conventions can be fun.

And on a completely unrelated note, Sarah was kind enough to post some of her pictures of me and the goat. Which I shall share here.

“lula and marie-claire go head-to-hand: a fierce contest of wills ensues…”

“and the winner gets to eat the loser’s pants”

(captions courtesy of Sarah Windle)

A Goat Called Lola

And so the “dynamic duo” is reunited once again, as a friend put it. Sarah has landed in French Guiana (“I bet I’m the whitest person ever to set foot in this country!” – indeed, I should get a picture comparing our arms … ).

Despite the different climate, country, culture, and surroundings, having Sarah walk through my house door on Friday night seemed like the most natural and normal thing to me. She plopped on the sofa and we chatted like we were still in our tiny snowy Montréal apartment.

Well, to me, it felt normal, anyway. Most probably because I’m much more acclimatised, apparently. Sarah pointed out that she had to take a few seconds to realize there WAS oxygen in the air, and not just humidity, when she first walked out of the plane. I guess I easily forgot how the extreme humidity was the cause of my viola’s unglueing …

She is now living a little ways out, between my house and the village I visit every weekend. A short drive really. I therefore got to visit her and her new home for the next three months on Sunday.

They have a gazilion pets at that house. Two cats (I finally got my purring-kitty fix, after six months), two big black labs, many chickens, and … a goat.

Called Lola.

And the goat’s role is really just a house pet.

I was a little weary at first, but Sarah showed me how you could lean your fist on Lola’s horns and forehead, and she’d playfully push back. I obliged.

Goats are strong. It was really amusing.

What I didn’t realize was, once I was done playing, she wouldn’t want to stop. So after I removed my fist, she contented herself with leaning on, then strongly pushing, my knee cap.

Cute. Real cute.

Now I want a goat too.