Jason Pearce

I was able to post some photos that have been taken by other volunteers this afternoon. I have posted them all here, so please click here to view them.

You should note that I have not had the time to view, edit, or properly label these photos; so you’ll just have to figure out what is going on and who is being pictured.

I am taking some photos of my own using a very basic camera that is attached to my Palm Pilot (Handspring). Since I’ll need to install software on a computer to upload these photos, it may be three months before I’ll be able to share them. For this reason, I’m shooting very low resolution black and white photos. We’ll eventually see how they turn out.

At least I hope you enjoy these photos until I find a way to post mine.

Yesterday was a great day of training, for it was our culture day. We loaded up three busses, which look more like vans, and headed south of Georgetown toward the airport. After about an hour and a half, we arrived to a small cricket field and creek. The facilities were like what you would find at a summer camp: small huts, open dining all, and outhouses. But it was great for us.

We started the day by learning how to play cricket, the national pastime of the Guyanese. Of course, if we were to play a real game of cricket, it would last several days. So we only played for about three hours before we were all ready for lunch. During play, we had a few rain showers to keep us cool.

After cricket, we gathered in the mess hall for some Guyanese food. The staff did a great job preparing many local dishes.

Following lunch, we headed down to the creek for a swim. In many areas of Guyana, the creeks will appear quite dark. Not muddy, just dark. So much so that the locals call it black water. I thought the experience was much like swimming in a big pool of Snapple or chilled coffee.

All in all, culture day was a real treat away from our usual nine to four days of lectures and uncomfortable plastic chairs. I wish more of training was like yesterday.

Upon return to Georgetown, my host family said that had some action on their street earlier that day. Just a block away from where I’m staying, there was a car chase and shoot out with police and the Guyana military. My host mom Gale said she could hear the rapid fire of automatic weapons and the bullets rattle against cars and houses. This is the second car chase that has occurred on my street or the other street that I walk on to class everyday.

If you are interested in learning more about the whole story, I posted a copy of what I found in the Guyana Chronicle here for you to read. Always a reminder for me to be aware of my surroundings while working as a volunteer in a developing nation.

Cop shot in movie-style car chase in city
By Neil Marks

A MOTHER and her son miraculously survived a hail of gunfire from gunmen in a car who were fleeing from Police after shooting a constable in a midday chase around Georgetown yesterday.

According to well-placed sources, the brother-in-law of the woman is in Police custody, but Police Commissioner, Mr. Floyd McDonald declined to name him when he reported on the incident yesterday, as the man has not been charged.

Police Constable Pareshram Khali sustained two gunshot wounds to his left leg and was reported in stable condition in hospital.

Stephanie Morgan and her young son were alive and well after the terrifying incident, but severely traumatized.

She was discharged from the St. Joseph’s Hospital where she was taken after the gunmen opened fire on her vehicle. Nurses there reported that she was in a frantic state throughout the entire examination process.

The Toyota Starlet that took her to the hospital was searched by the Police and a 9mm semi automatic pistol with seven live rounds of ammunition, a Rasta wig and a bullet proof vest were found in it, Police said. Morgan’s brother-in-law was reportedly the driver of the Starlet vehicle.

Reports are that Police on patrol in a vehicle around the city spotted HA 8561, a white Carina car and recognized one of the men inside as Quame Penbleton, who is wanted by the Police.

As the Policemen made eye contact with him, the men in the car opened fire and the Police fired back. This took place at Barr Street and Vlissengen Road.

Shooting continued as the Police gave chase, pursuing the car to Middleton Street and Durey Lane, Campbellville.

There, Police Commissioner McDonald said the bandits discharged several rounds at a pedal cyclist who was in the path of the car “causing him to fall off his cycle”.

Eyewitnesses said the men left the car and then a hail of gunfire rang out for about two minutes.

“All I see was a man with a big gun in the middle ah de road and I run inside”, a nearby resident told the Chronicle.

It was during this battle that Constable Khali was wounded.

The gunmen abandoned car HA 8561. According to the Police Commissioner, this vehicle was reportedly stolen during a robbery committed on June 26 at around 19:00 hrs at Fifth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown.

Two false license plates were found in the car. A black pouch and other articles were discovered in the back seat of the vehicle, Police said.

McDonald told a news conference at Police headquarters that “due to the presence of schoolchildren and other passers-by” the Police were prevented from returning fire.

The gunmen then hijacked a passing hire car at Middleton and Garnett Street and made good their escape. The driver of the car received a gunshot wound to his right side, McDonald said.

The gunmen next pounced on Morgan, who was waiting for the traffic lights at Mandela Avenue and Homestretch Avenue to indicate ‘go’.

According to eyewitnesses, the car with the four men swerved in front of Stephanie Morgan’s Prado land cruiser and opened fire.

Three of the men were at the doors of the car shooting, while the other, looking like a Rasta, got out of the vehicle and headed straight to Morgan’s Prado.

One witness said the men were wearing bulletproof vests marked ‘Police’.

The Rasta man tried to open the left side door of her vehicle but it was locked with the window up.

The eyewitness said the Rasta then used his gun to shatter the window but as he attempted to jump into the vehicle, the woman slipped into high gear, reversed with force, slamming into an ‘Uprising’ taxi behind her.

That taxi slammed into another hire car behind it, the witness said.

Morgan then made her way from between the taxi and the gunmen and sped off.

When her vehicle swerved, the gunman, who was attempting to jump into the Prado, was hurled to the ground, the witness said.

Morgan raced off into Homestretch Avenue and the gunman jumped into the car he had emerged from and they sped away.

McDonald could not say what happened to the Policemen who were in “hot pursuit” of the men up to after they sped of from the Campbellville area.

He said the first shooting incident took place at around 11:40 hrs and the hijack of the car in Campbellville, five or ten minutes later.

Indicating that he was not absolutely sure, he said the incident at Mandela and Homestretch Avenue took place at around 12:00-12:30 hrs.

“I am not able to tell you exactly where they (the Police) were, but I know they were in pursuit of the men”, he told reporters.

He said that another vehicle might have been involved in the incident but indicated that there is not enough evidence to support this.

McDonald reported that the Police have since erected several cordons around the city and have intensified their manhunt for the bandits.

“They can be anywhere, so we are searching (everywhere),” he said.

The Police Chief said he suspects that the weaponry used by the gunmen were automatic, semi automatic and those of “high caliber”.

Given that many taxis were involved in the recent surge in criminal activities, McDonald said that an encounter between the Police and taxi owners is planned.

“Even though some of those taxi owners have question marks behind them”, he quickly added.

The Commissioner again appealed for public cooperation and support in fighting crime, adding that the recent spate of criminal activities is “troubling”.

“As Commissioner of Police, I wish to assure you that we are doing all things possible to apprehend those who are bent on causing fear and terror in our society”, McDonald said in a message to the Guyanese people.

We have just completed three days of HIV/AIDS training. Going into it, most of us could imagine what we would talk about for three whole days. But in the end, much of the information was useful.

Most everyone in our group of 23 is doing well. Darren, one of the Information Technology volunteers has had a case of diarrhea for the past few days. That’s right – days! I’m sure not looking forward to having that happen to me.

I thought now might be a good time to introduce the other volunteers who I am spending all of my time with. There are 24 in all, but one of them, Peter Petzold, never showed up to our staging event in Miami.

Information Technology
Janice Brackett
Patrick Joyce
Darren McLaughlin
Lisa McNally
Jason Pearce
Russ Starck

Health Education
Aryn Bartley
Gina Brusseau
Will Carrasquil
Tammy Cole
Anna Joyce
Helen Oyen
Megan Rayman
Jessica Shannon (Long)
Nicole Shy

Education
Hans Andersno
Tim Camuti
Stephen Casale
Shannon Ewert
Judy Houlihan
Justin Long
Dean Oyen
Emily Sutherland

We are the tenth Peace Corps group to arrive to Guyana. Guy9 started out with 25 people, but now have only 20. Guy8 started with 23 people but are now down to 12. Most of the Guy8 volunteers will be returning home around the time of my swearing in.

I’ve had a chance to meet many of the current volunteers. Sometimes, a few will join us out on a Friday or Saturday night. Others show up for ultimate Frisbee at the national park on Sunday afternoons. Our times at the park have been a lot of fun, but very messy. Since this is the rainy season, there is a lot of standing water and plenty of mud. My host mom Gale couldn’t believe how dirty I get from these games.

Speaking of my host family, we continue to get along well. Zowie, the 90-pound four-year-old, continues be a handful. She is always talking and saying my name, which doesn’t give me much down time to relax and unwind. Some mornings, while I’m eating breakfast, she’ll be walking from the shower, through the kitchen, to her room. On her way, she’ll stop next to me at the kitchen table, remove her towel, and flash me, saying “Jason… Look at me… I’m naked.” I’m still not sure how to handle this.

We have just completed our second full week of training, although we have been here nearly three weeks. We have about eight more weeks of training left, so I thought I’d take the time to give you an average walk through of a 24-hour day as a Peace Corps Volunteer in training.

I should note that while all stories and experiences are true, they do not all necessarily happen in the same day. While many of these events have happened to me, I’ve mixed in a few stories from other volunteers.

Midnight
Sound asleep, yet sweating profusely

1:30 a.m.
Wake to the roar of the hardest rain imaginable. It makes me thankful that my house is on 12 foot tall stilts.

1:35 a.m.
The downpour make me want to pee. Hesitating as long as possible, I find I must remove myself from my bug-free cocoon.

1:36 a.m.
Attempt to simultaneously pee in the dark, fight off mosquitoes, and still hit the bowl.

1:37 a.m.
Flush the toilet and realize there’s no water.

1:38 a.m.
Back in bed, tucked in the mosquito net, and attempt to go back to sleep.

1:40 a.m.
Can’t sleep, because I’m paranoid that I’ve trapped a mosquito inside the net with me. After five minutes of searching the inside of my net via flashlight, I find the intruder, kill it, and eventually fall back to sleep.

6:00 a.m.
Much like a crowded campground in the middle of a city, you wake to noise. Whether it’s your neighbor’s nasty cough, a boom boom bus min-bus driving by, or dogs fighting; you awake to noise.

6:12 a.m.
Because all of the walls in the house do not reach the ceiling, you hear everything. My room is right next to the bathroom, so I feel like I’m sleeping in the next stall.

6:31 a.m.
I give up and open my eyes. To my disappointment, I find a very fat and bloated mosquito contently perched inside my net. I made sure I was the last meal she ever had.

6:45 a.m.
Get in the shower and hope there is water. There is, and it’s red–as usual. Not only that, it’s cold–as usual.

6:46 a.m.
I’ve had enough of that and I’m out of the shower.

6:47 a.m.
I try to find an available window to walk through the kitchen in my bath towel to get to my room. I usually fail and end up greeting my host mom (Gale) or dad (Anthony) in my towel, still dripping with water.

7:00 a.m.
Gale has breakfast ready for me. I’m always surprised. Sometimes, its eggs and toast. But other days, breakfast will be sloppy joes or beef stew. You never know.

7:08 a.m.
Four-year-old Zowie greets me at the breakfast table. She’s about 90 pounds and isn’t wearing any clothes.

7:09 a.m.
Breakfast is finished.

7:10 to 8:30 a.m.
I finish getting ready and spend the rest of the morning watching TV. Usually, I watch football (soccer) or cricket, for that’s what Gale enjoys watching.

8:30 a.m.
I begin my walk to our training facility, which is about a mile away. I usually stop about half way to visit our local Starbucks and wait for my friend Patrick. It’s not really a Starbucks, but we like to think of it as one. Instead, it’s an upscale rum shop that is run out of someone’s garage. You’ll find one of these about every third house.

8:45 a.m.
Patrick and I complete our walk while dodging obstacles like cows, dogs, horses, manure, potholes, bicycles, motorcycles, and cars.

8:55 a.m.
We safely arrive to St. Cuthberth’s Church, our training facility, where we greet other volunteers. It’s then that we hear how lucky we are for we learn that others have been peed on by stray dogs, gone deaf from riding 45 minutes in a 15-passenger mini-bus that is holding 29 people and playing the loudest music possible, and escaped an occasional cow stampede.

9:00 a.m.
I head upstairs and take a seat in a very uncomfortable plastic chair, which seems to be the universal form of furniture throughout Guyana. Every now and then, one of the legs will give out on a chair and send one of us to the floor.

9:01 a.m.
Begin sweating, for there is no air-conditioning and only one fan.

9:02 to 10:30 a.m.
On this particular morning, we learn about crime in Georgetown (the capitol) and how to avoid getting robbed. With a curfew at dusk and a host of warnings, we all feel a little bit nervous and frustrated at a loss of freedom.

10:31 a.m.
Peal my sweaty butt and back off the plastic chair for a brief water break.

10:45 to Noon
Learn more about safety. This workshop is more for the women, for they learn how to cope with their catcalls and sexual aggression.

Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Lunchtime. Gale usually does a good job preparing lunch for me, for most of the volunteers are usually jealous. Patrick’s host mom sometimes packs a little something for me as well. One thing is for sure, I won’t go hungry during training.

1:00 p.m.
Return to my plastic chair and begin sweating profusely again.

1:01 to 2:30 p.m.
The Peace Corps Medical Officer educates us on sexually transmitted diseases. After her scary presentation, I think most of us feel like taking an oath of celibacy.

2:31 p.m.
Still sweating. Break time.

2:45 to 4:00 p.m.
Here we learn about Guyanese customs and culture. We get a lot of this in hopes that we’ll be well prepared to adapt to a new culture.

4:05 p.m.
Patrick and I walk Emily home, who also lives near our training facility.

4:25 p.m.
We arrive to our Starbucks and enjoy a cold beer or soda. Again, we are sweating and sitting on plastic chairs.

5:05 p.m.
Perhaps I stop by an Internet cafe on my way home after I drop off Patrick. Russell runs the place. It has two computers with 56kps dial up connection. He’s a nice guy and has become a comfort to know someone on my way home.

5:15 p.m.
I arrive home and am greeted by Zowie, who will continue to greet me and ask me questions well into the night. The Energizer bunny has nothing against her. I try to relax by watching some TV or studying a computer book.

6:30 p.m.
Gale serves me dinner. Sometimes it’s a normal dinner meal. Other times, it’s cheese and crackers.

6:45 p.m.
By now it’s getting dark and the mosquitoes begin to come out. And since the house is completely open, they seem to all gather inside where it is less windy and much darker.

6:55 p.m.
Blackout. Both power and water seem to cut on and off throughout the day. You never know what to expect. I imagine this will cause many frustrations once I begin working in a computer lab.

7:00 p.m.
I decide to take a shower to cool off and wash off all of my sweat before going to bed. Unfortunately, the water is also off and will likely remain off the rest of the night.

7:05 p.m.
Climb into bed to seek the shelter of my bug net. I spend the next five to fifteen minutes tucking the edges of the net, securing my defenses, and killing all mosquitoes that I inadvertently trapped inside.

7:06 to 9:00 p.m.
I spend the rest of the evening sweating in bed, reading, and playing card games on my Palm Pilot. The noise from our TV, our neighbor’s stereo, and the countless stray dogs is overwhelming, but someone I manage to fall asleep. It’s been a long day, and the rest is well needed.

10:37 p.m.
I wake from a nightmare. Nightmares are an unfortunate side effect of Lairum, a drug we have to take weekly to combat Malaria. Eventually, I fall back asleep.

All in all, it’s been a good day. It takes a special breed to be a Peace Corps Volunteer, and I’m glad that I’m one of them.