A return to Guyana

As I spoke with Uncle Neville last night, I realized how much I missed him, my family, and my country.  Thoughts of my grandmother enter my mind daily and my experience in her hometown last year gave me more of her and of myself than I could have ever imagined.  It's time to go back...to rejuvenate...to develop plans to make a sustainable impact on the health, welfare and development of my home country. It's time to make another trip to Guyana before I transition from classroom to the hospital full time. If I can save up enough $$ and plan correctly, I should be able to head out there for a week after I take my board exams in June.  I would love to spend more than 1 week, but I'll take what I can get!


Blessings abound...even if you don't recognize them!

A new addiiton!

This morning I welcomed into this world my cousin Bjorn and Nina's first baby girl!! Her name is Zoe Enid Edwards. I've been going through so many emotions since her arrival, I just don't know what to do with myself!! I look at her and I'm happy and excited, and hopeful... I'm already imagining her first birthday party, or spending time holding her and playing with her while Nina prepares her bottle or a yummy stewed carrot snack. I think about the goofy conversations we'll have as she starts talking gibberish, and the conversations we'll have when I can actually understand what she's saying. This little girl is so perfect, I just can't contain myself! If I'm feeling this way already, I can't even imagine how Bjorn and Nina are feeling right now. I have so much to give, and so much to share....

As I stood in the nursery this morning, I was talking with Zoe's grandpa Rafael about all of the experiences and hopes that we have for little Zoe... I never really understood how I changed the world for my family until I saw Zoe today. Everything is different now.

Zoe Enid Edwards was named after my grandmother-Enid Edelgertha Benjamin (Motherdear). I couldn't think of a better middle name for this baby. I know Motherdear would be so proud to see baby Zoe now. It's times like these when I miss her most. I stopped blogging after I cut my Guyana trip short this summer to return home for Motherdear's funeral, and I haven't blogged since. I think it's time to come back and share my home..my love..and my travels once more.

I am so grateful for these priceless moments...

The world is a better place because you're here little Zoe!!!

I love you SOOOOOOOOOOO much!!

MUAH!!!

Until we play again....

--Auntie Pat

Splashmins!!

On Monday, we went to Splashmins, a creek resort 30 minutes from the house. I was so excited to get there!! We left late in the afternoon, so we had only a few hours to play, but we had a great time! Check out the color of the creek water-it's a dark brown due to tannins in the forest leaves. It feels like you're swimming in tea!!!

Tariq gives me the hardest time when I try to take pics of him. He absolutely REFUSES to smile. I told him that there might be some cute 13 year old girls in Cali who will see these pics...Look how he straightened up!!

An old Guyanese saying: Once you eat Labba and drink creek water, you'll always return to Guyana. Look at the labba!!

Hmmm....Labba with a creek water stew???

Temperature 2010: Gyptian and Tarrus Riley

This past Saturday, we went to Temerature 2010-an reggae concert featuring Gyptian and Tarrus Riley. I've been waiting for this concert for a few weeks now, so I was extremely excited to be there. I've never attended a reggae concert in the caribbean, and with Tarrus Riley AND Gyptian, this one was bound to be bananas!! So of course, I had to take a couple of pics as I got dressed and in the car on the way-I was feeling particularly cute that night ;0) We met up with our friends Tracy and Warren, Dervin, Leonard, and Warren's cousin, and we had a great time. Since the tickets had no start time whatsoever, I just knew this concert would last through the night. I think we arrived at around 10pm, and the stadium was pretty much empty! The DJ was amazing, and they started to bring the local artists on stage at around 11:30. Gyptian didn't hit the stage until 12:30 and by that time the crowd was hopping! We left the concert sometime after 3am and head over to a local club called Mojo's. I have no clue what time the clubs in Georgetown close, but the club was just getting packed at that time. I realized that I may have lost some of my youthful vigor as I fell asleep in the car on the way home that morning. I was so knocked out when we got home, I didn't get out of the bed until 3:30pm on Sunday. Tracy and Warren were having a fish fry at their resort, Pandama Retreat (www.pandamaretreat.com), and I totally missed it 'cause my butt couldn't get out of the bed! smh!!

Black LOVE!!

Jewel, ready to take a seat after a loooooong night!

Promenade Gardens and the 1763 Monument

This morning (Thursday, July 1), I went to what I thought was the botanical gardens and took some really nice pics. I spent at least an hour there, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the peaceful atmosphere. Today is also Tariq’s last day of school, so school was out by noon. I head over to the school and we made plans to lime (lol) in the city together until I go to my meditation class at 5:30 this afternoon. So, since I promised to hang out with him at the arcade this afternoon, I first made him walk with me to a monument which I thought was just a few blocks away from the school. Tariq (btw, he is THE sweetest little cousin EVER) told me the monument was on the other side of town, and it would take FOREVER to walk there. I was in my jolly walking mood, and decided that he was exaggerating (as 13 year olds do), it would only take a few minutes, and we could use a nice walk for the afternoon. Well….1 hour later, we arrive at the monument and meet a ridiculous downpour. The weather went from hot , humid and sunny, to buckets of rain instantaneously. Those drops of water were the size of apples!! Still, I had to stay and take at least 1 picture of the monument :0), ya know, since we traveled so far to get there. In the space of 2 minutes, we were entirely soaked. At least I was protected a bit by my jeans and tank top, poor Tariq was wearing his thin school uniform and was completely drenched. After a while, he couldn’t even see out of his glasses ‘cause they were so fogged up and wet!! All that sacrifice, just for me…awwwwwh! He really loves me!

Pics from the “other” gardens (aka Promenade Gardens). They had an amazing Ghandi statue there. I’ve noticed Ghandi busts and statues are very common here, I see them in people’s houses, in stores and restaurants everywhere I go. I love the inscription at the bottom of the statue.

"Mohandas Karamchand Gandi Born 2nd October 1869 Died 30th January 1948. Truth and Non-Violence Are My God"

Here’s the monument from our visit today, and some other pics I took during a drive-by a few weeks ago. This monument is in memory of an unsuccessful slave revolt by a slave named Kofi

…On the way to the monument we passed the REAL botanical gardens and the city zoo…I wanted to go inside, but I figured that would be kinda pushing it. ;0) Thanks Tariq, you’re the bestest!!!