Dennis is in the Air - Literally and Figuratively

This week has flown by with so much to do and to leave undone...  I can't remember a busier time here at Mercy.   Anyhow, I can only do what I do... so  let me share some of the things that I remember and are fit for print... Well first a little racy skinshot... and it is still not NSFW.

The water droplets are running down my
slightly modified six pack gut before 6:00 AM

Dennis LeBlanc is on his way down as I write this ..... And believe it or not first wanted to visit Canada when I was not there, so routed himself through Toronto and then T&T and then Georgetown .....   At his age, he is going to be very tired.  He was here last year teaching with me and volunteering at John Bosco Home for Boys in Plaisance - and it looks like he will be doing more of the same this year

This Week's Star at Mercy

Arya "Doc Devi" Karyampudi

Doc with office colleagues
Roshanie and Dainty

Doc again with Tracy

Doc has something to say to everyone.
Here she telling  Georgina something important. 

Doc Devi was one of the first people to greet me when I arrived in 2002 and she was already a veteran staffer then... of almost 20 years. She comes from Southern India, Andhra Pradesh State. A brother and sister still live there, so she keeps up with the news including the latest cyclone. She said she has stayed because Guyana is a beautiful land.

"What do you like best?"
"I love the weather here." I thought I may need to get her a psychiatrist, but she went on to explain, "This is the weather from my home - just sun and moon.  And I like the people here."
"So what is the best part of working at Mercy?"
"I like St. Joseph Mercy Hospital very much; I am happy.  I like to see patients, helping them go through what they must - diabetes, hypertension, HIV; I am a family doctor.  I am from the old school."
"What do you mean by that?"
"My ethics;my principles."
"What are some of your principles?"
"To be truthful,to be kind, to be compassionate.  Now everything is business, but I cope with it."
"Doc, what and where will you be in 10 years?"
"If God permits, I will be here."
"And which God is that?"   (I had assumed she was Hindu as she is a total vegetarian.)
"Any God... I am open to every religion.  My father was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and we grew up with his principles... and I am still a follower of Gandhi. My father taught us how to spin on the wheel.  And he planted every thing that we ate. I never saw meat when I was growing up, so I do not eat it now."

(Blogger's Note: It was such a pleasure and honor to meet someone with whom your soul shared a life's journey, but only met a decade ago.)

An Old Nursing Student Returns - Sort of...

Let me tell you a story.  Even I feel I am making this up, but no:  Gospel or Seven Principles Truth!

Latoya was a first year student nurse at Mercy in 2010…  She was already a single mom and working hard in the true Caribbean kind of family where her mom was a single mom and they lived together ...…  Well, a few months into the semester she developed TB.  We had sent her to Emergency as she was coughing in class all the time.  Yes, diagnosis TB…  so the whole class had to get tested and she had to withdraw from the school.   Dr., Carr (who was teaching with me) and I went out to her home to see how she was doing as she was the brightest student in the class.     She survived!

Well, several days ago, I was sitting on a wall outside the Georgetown Public Hospital when a voice says, “Hello Rev.”   I look up and it is Latoya in a student nurses uniform from the Public Hospital ..…  She had been refused at Mercy when she reapplied – politics.   But she was so determined she got accepted at the Public Nursing School and is in second year.  At the end of first year, she received four or five awards for best student, etc …..

I asked her for her email as my taxi had just showed up and she didn't have email any longer as she had no money for a computer – let alone an internet connection.  She gave me a call and wanted to chat longer and come over to see me at Mercy.   As we arranged the time for today, I asked how she did her research and papers, etc for school… She borrows other  batchmates' computers and uses the one computer in the library…

So I told her that I had a tablet for her and her studies.  (I usually bring a few extra tablets on spec that someone will need one.)   I gave her the tablet at lunch on Tuesday and when I got home after class ..... notice of a donation for a tablet appeared in my email.  

I know what Anne would say, “It is surely a sign.”  And it would be hard to argue with her this time. 

I am not making this up … No Bullsh** here.

More Logic in Guyana

The students have been having trouble accessing the internet for their studies.  They cannot log on because there is limited bandwidth, or so I was told.  I have been complaining since I got here 7 weeks ago.   But before October, I had offered to pay for doubling the bandwidth for October and November; this had been recommended to me by the IT Department staff.   This was not altruistic ..... The students couldn't (and still can't) do their research.    I had then offered it to the "powers that be" to follow-up...  I'll tell you if I get a final decision before I leave...

Sylvia has been using modern inspiring people to get the students to think about their own dreams and aspirations.  One of her heroes was Anne Frank.  The students had never heard of her,  So as I wasn't teaching I went down to the library to see if they had a copy of The Diary of a Young Girl.   Sister Catherine did not think that they had it, so I thanked her and left.   In Guyana, people want to be helpful.   Sister came by the classroom and had a book for me,  a biography of Marie Curie.   She wanted to k now if that would do.  Now Sister Catherine knew that it was not what I was looking for and that they were entirely different people, but she wanted to be helpful.  Bless you Sister Catherine.

3rd Bedroom is Usable

Well, it seems I just don't have enough faith.  The room got built and almost done by today - with one day to go .....  Sylvia suggested that I should sleep in this new room.   Her logic -- similar to Guyanese logic -- was that I am up early (5 or 5:30 am) and would disturb Dennis in the mornings ..... And since I can sleep through almost anything, when I went to bed early, I would not be disturbed.   As well, she promised me points in the great beyond!   How could I refuse, eh?   And though she didn't even mention my snoring ..... I am a little suspicious.   I think she has worn out her ear plugs.   After all, Sylvia took the bedroom with two sided ventilation and now I am giving up my cooler upstairs one for this.   All I have to say is that I hope there is an afterlife and these points count.

Paulina and Ashley happily waiting to eat.

Canadian Thanksgiving

Sylvia getting the stuffing

I don’t usually celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving here, as Canadians are scarce like turkey’s teeth...  However, this year there is an abundance of Canadians, thanks to the Scarboro Fathers.  I got invited as a Canadian (as well as adding an ecumenical flavour) and brought some wine.  The others slaved to prepare a wonderful Canadian meal.   No turkeys in Georgetown, so Sylvia prepared two large chickens and the kitchen at Mercy cooked them in their ovens.  Ovens, Sylvia tells me, that are without any thermostats!  She did excellently.   So there were the old timers like Sylvia, Bev and Donna along with the two young ones Paulina and Ashley, Deacon Luis and Father Mike who came in from New Amsterdam. 

As a small aside:  Father Mike knows John Ahearn, who is with Maryknoll in Hong Kong.  I was in John's class at Maryknoll, as well we both started seminary high school together at Cathedral in Brooklyn, which is celebrating its 100^th birthday soon.  I guess that is less than 6 degrees of separation.

All of us at our small Thanksgiving meal were especially grateful for all those of our families and friends who support us throughout the year.  

Father Mike celebrated Mass before Dinner!

The three "older" women - Bev, Sylvia and Donna

Annual "Massive Prayer" Service 

The day before the Seniors write their final RN exams, the whole school gathers in prayers for their success.  I hope God's prayer line is faster than this internet connection!

I am having lots of internet problems today, so I hope I can post... I doubt that I will be able to load the Slide Show, but I'll try...  Thanks for reading