I think I'm quite a curiosity to most of the students in my classes and around the school. Naturally, I get asked a lot of questions. Here are a few off the top of my head. Some of these are paraphrased since it's been a while since the event in question occurred.
"Sir, there are going to be lots of nice teachers at school sports, you should chat them up."
"Sir, there are going to be lots of nice teachers at graduation, you should chat them up."
"Sir, we really want you to enjoy your time in Guyana. So you should definitely find a wife. We want to get invited to your wedding before the year is out." Noticing a trend here? I have one class that's obsessed with my personal life, or lack thereof.
"Guyanese girls are nice. The diet here gives them nice bodies."
"Sir, do you listen to metal? [Prompted for examples:] Like Linkin Park or Breaking Benjamin." I guess they're a little young for Megadeath or Metallica.
"Sir, what is a pap smear?" This must have been some sort of school assignment, since Keith said he was similarly asked. I guess this is what to expect when you're a science teacher.
"Sir, are you having a bad hair day?" Upon reflection, I think I was.
"Sir, what do you think of the [rum, beer, etc] in Guyana?" I've been asked so many times that I've given up trying to dodge the question and tell them that I think its nice.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but I hope to revisit this topic in the future.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Guyana: Nerds Not Welcome
So, just because inter-house sports are over here at ARMS, that doesn't mean sports are over. Far from it. This week on Thursday and Friday, we have inter-school sports, where the top athletes from ARMS will compete against the best from other nearby schools. Following that at some point, the best of the inter-school competitions will advance to inter-branch (maybe the region level? not totally clear) and then on to national competitions. The take-home message is that students are missing class like crazy for what I think will be about the next month to practice, and the whole school gets out on Friday to watch.
Anyway, that's a long intro to give a short story about a brief speech the headmaster gave today to all the students. He basically said something like this (paraphrased)):
Presented without further comment.
Anyway, that's a long intro to give a short story about a brief speech the headmaster gave today to all the students. He basically said something like this (paraphrased)):
We have school sports on Thursday and Friday this week. On Friday, all the students will be able to attend. You can attend or otherwise you should stay home. I noticed the other day when we had school sports that some of you were just sitting around under the pavilion, not watching or participating. Some of the students at this school are nerds. All you care about is books. Here at this school we want well-rounded people, not nerds. So next time we have inter-house sports, I suggest that you just stay home.
Presented without further comment.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fun With Food and Drink
So I've been here in Guyana for almost 2 months now, so naturally I've eaten and drank a few new and interesting things. On the balance, the food here is pretty normal. There's a lot of curry, beans and rice cooked with coconut milk (they call it cookup) and fried rice, but nothing I eat on a regular is all that out of the ordinary to me. I have had a few notable exceptions:
Food
Labba - This thing (sorry I couldn't find a better, bigger picture. I think its also called an agouti, if you want to do some independent research. It's a large rodent. I'd say it was sort of pork-like. Not bad, would eat again.
Iguana - Definitely tasted like chicken. Also had an egg, which tasted like, you know, an egg. Would eat again.
Goat parts - The people I was with wouldn't tell me what I was eating until after I tried it. Even after I tried it they were still vague. Anyway, I think it was various goat organ meats cooked in goat intestine. It was chewy and pretty heavily seasoned, so I don't have much opinion of it. Not bad, not great. Would probably try again.
Curried duck - I have had what is claimed to be the best curried duck in the southern Caribbean (an area that may or not actually exist, but I am using to refer to at least Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago). I'm not sure how popular duck is here or there, but it was pretty tasty. The curry was a little spicy, but in a good way for my wussy spice preferences. The duck was great. Would eat again.
Drink
Piwari - Amerindian drink, made from fermented cassava. Opaque brown color. Tasted like a combination of bark and campfire. Would prefer not to try again, but did finish my drink.
Fly - Another Amerindian drink. Made from fermented red potatoes. I guess the actual potato is red not just the skin, because the drink is magenta colored. Tasted like really vinegar-ey wine. Not the best think I've ever had, but I found it a nice contrast to all the sweet drinks I've had since I was here. Would drink again.
Capadulla - Some non-alcoholic drink made from tree bark (what tree? who knows? not me) that I got a juice stand the other day. It was most reminiscent of chocolate milk, mixed with a little bit of that tree/campfire taste, much like the piwari. The campfire taste was subdued, and since there's not really any milk around, the chocolate milk taste was appreciated. The woman at the juice stand told me it would make me big and strong as well, so I'll be looking forward to becoming popeye.
Anyway, I think that's about it for now, off the top of my head. I'll revisit as the year goes on. I think I can outdo large rodent or iguana for weirdest thing eaten this year.
Food
Labba - This thing (sorry I couldn't find a better, bigger picture. I think its also called an agouti, if you want to do some independent research. It's a large rodent. I'd say it was sort of pork-like. Not bad, would eat again.
Iguana - Definitely tasted like chicken. Also had an egg, which tasted like, you know, an egg. Would eat again.
Goat parts - The people I was with wouldn't tell me what I was eating until after I tried it. Even after I tried it they were still vague. Anyway, I think it was various goat organ meats cooked in goat intestine. It was chewy and pretty heavily seasoned, so I don't have much opinion of it. Not bad, not great. Would probably try again.
Curried duck - I have had what is claimed to be the best curried duck in the southern Caribbean (an area that may or not actually exist, but I am using to refer to at least Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago). I'm not sure how popular duck is here or there, but it was pretty tasty. The curry was a little spicy, but in a good way for my wussy spice preferences. The duck was great. Would eat again.
Drink
Piwari - Amerindian drink, made from fermented cassava. Opaque brown color. Tasted like a combination of bark and campfire. Would prefer not to try again, but did finish my drink.
Fly - Another Amerindian drink. Made from fermented red potatoes. I guess the actual potato is red not just the skin, because the drink is magenta colored. Tasted like really vinegar-ey wine. Not the best think I've ever had, but I found it a nice contrast to all the sweet drinks I've had since I was here. Would drink again.
Capadulla - Some non-alcoholic drink made from tree bark (what tree? who knows? not me) that I got a juice stand the other day. It was most reminiscent of chocolate milk, mixed with a little bit of that tree/campfire taste, much like the piwari. The campfire taste was subdued, and since there's not really any milk around, the chocolate milk taste was appreciated. The woman at the juice stand told me it would make me big and strong as well, so I'll be looking forward to becoming popeye.
Anyway, I think that's about it for now, off the top of my head. I'll revisit as the year goes on. I think I can outdo large rodent or iguana for weirdest thing eaten this year.
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