Christmas and New Year's Update

Well, it's 2007 here in Guyana and remarkably enough still hot, still very wet, and still pretty underdeveloped. I thought I would take a minute to give an update of our holidays here in Georgetown. No pictures for now, but I will add more later.

Christmas pretty much begins around December 15th here. People stop going to work (some on leave, some just not showing up) school closes for 3 weeks, everyone in Guyana miracuously has money and starts spending it everywhere you look, the TV channels put Home Alone on repeat, and everyone starts to talk about black cake and pepperpot (local dishes one made with rum and fruit, the other with wild meat).

Several volunteers left to go sweat it out on Mt. Roraima in Venezuela but about 12 of us stayed around Georgetown. A Canadian couple put on a Christmas Eve cocktail type party and we all brought appetizers and of course rum. Jessa and I had everyone over for Christmas morning brunch and we did a secret santa gift exchange. Lots of fun. Finally we ended it all with a Christmas Night pot luck dinner and found ourselves back at home on the couch with a movie by 8 o'clock.

We had 4 days off for Christmas and then were back to work for 2 1/2 days before being off yet again for a 3 1/2 day New Year's holiday. Once again we stuck around Georgetown but there were plenty of people here to celebrate. We've started going to a place called Butcher's every now and again for a beer. It's pretty much a dive so we love it and I think the locals there are taking to us quite nicely. There is a guy there that likes to buy Jessa and I beers and he's real nice, not pushy, just friendly and inviting but his name is Lucipher. We're not yet sure how to take that, but I'll be keeping an eye on him.

Nick and Meg from Chicago threw a small New Year's Eve party. Nothing wild just about 10 of us. We decided to ring in the new year's by having a countdown based on everyone's watch. So we had about 10 countdowns then all crossed arms and sang Auld Lang Syne and hugged and kissed to the New Year in Guyana.

After a relaxing Monday and a little cabbage and black-eyed peas for good luck we are back at work today. Not sure what the New Year will hold for us, but hopefully good things.

So a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you. Hope all is well. Keep in touch.

Blake and Jessa