The 2019 Guyana Adventure of Rev Jo’c

Still with the Prison Shots

The End of an Era

and then Family Services

We had dueling Acrostics - Finance

Helen Browman has resigned as CEO at Mercy Hospital. There was a farewell event provided by staff and board and students. Helen has worn many senior management hats at Mercy since assuming the role of Administrator after Sister Sheila Walsh left many years ago.

Sheila asked me what I had thought of her; and to be fair I said, "Well, she definitely has better legs than you do." While at the time it may have seemed to be one of my usual slightly-less-than-politically-correct comments, it proved that I was speaking metaphorically. Helen did have "legs". She was thrown into the deep end with only a couple of months' crash course in hospitals and doctors, started at Mercy to be baptized with the huge (literal) fire of 2010. She led the staff in getting everyone out and safe. And so it continued until this week. She was [and is] committed to Mercy and its vision.

I would have bet she was off to the States, but she has chosen to use her skills in the GT area. I'll write more in a couple of weeks because Helen is in Miami but only for holidays... just in time for Hurricane Irma's arrival.

Helen looks a little too happy to be leaving.

On a personal note, Helen has always greeted me and my colleague volunteers with enthusiasm. I made many requests during the years and many of them were complaints [believe it or not]. I doubt that I could have had a more supportive and accommodating boss. It has been one of my pleasures at Mercy to see Helen mature into a strong leader... and now taking on another project.

And A Continuing Gift

Yes, once again many people have donated dollars so I could provide the new First Year Students with internet tablets in order to do their research in the PBL course. I had thought that many would have a tablet already and I would have a few leftover; but none of this years students had one. Many have phones but no data plans... They thanked me again and again. I said they should thank all you who support me. I love it when they have the resources to do good work because, to share a Guyanese Proverb,

"Harse nah know how fast he can run
till tigah ah chase am."

And then I ask them who are the Harses and who is the Tigah? I don't have to be nice; they have more than enough resources to all get A's. Well, most have no internet connection at home; several hours of chores; and, some an hour's journey each way; and some still have not enough money to have lunch. But I just see those as minor inconveniences -- and hope they do, too!.

This year we have set a record for males in the class - Five! The males are going to find it hard going because there will be too many of them to take advantage of the women ..... I mean their generosity in helping with the one poor male in a whole class of women.

You Know You are Old When...

Do you see any resemblance?

And it is not that one is tough and mean-looking and the other cheerful and sweet... Actually, they are father and daughter... Taju was a first year student in 2003 and now Althea is in my class. I have known Althea also for many years when I would visit Taju's (really, Allison's) restaurant, Princess Kitchen ..... I can't ever remember her expressing an interest in nursing and I can't think how she got so grown-up!

Robin Hood was Never like This

For one of my first classes, I use an old "values tool" called Robin Hood -- with Maid Marion, Little John and the Sheriff of Nottingham... Basically Maid Marion chooses to sleep with the sheriff to save the lives of Robin and Little John who are imprisoned. They are freed and Robin calls her a Slut. Little John takes her away to live happily ever after. They have to rank the characters 1 to 4 as most to least moral .... This is hard enough for them as there is not a right answer, but then I get them out in front of the class to defend their position against others who thought differently -- and Out Loud! No one has ever died, but this year it was close! Remember the Tigah...

Great News for Psychiatry Residency - Hopefully

And no it is not that the Grand Old Master - Dr. Tony Carr is coming back again for three weeks later to teach in person with the Residents and (because he is truly a workaholic) with Mercy Nurses as well.

Now Tony is good ..... and there have been some very recent phone calls with people from the University of Texas Southwestern, Department of Psychiatry to explore possible collaboration with the Master's Programme at the Public Hospital. Dr. Adam Brenner is the Residency Director there and along with several senior residents (Monica Gonzalez and Theresa De Freitas Nicholson and an Ethicist professor, Dr. Elizabeth Heitman) he and Tony are already enthusiastically providing support. The Texans knew of a colleague from Vanderbilt who has established a Master's Programme in Emergency Medicine at the Public for several years. Dr. John Paul Rohde is the Faculty doctor from Vanderbilt and by great fortune, he was in Georgetown now.

Left: Dr. Elizabeth Nikram, Chief Resident, Dr, Harry,
Dr. Veneta Gangaram, Resident, Dr, John Paul Rohde, Vanderbilt,
and the non-doctor John.

We were able to arrange a meeting on Friday and it was an exciting time thinking about all the future opportunities in working with UT Southwestern. Dr. Rohde did try and bring the docs from Texas in, but the internet was acting up. I will certainly be updating you on the progress of the adventure.

My Girls at Saint Ann's

Yes, I did get there and they were wonderful. Many of the older girls have left and a whole new crop of girls are there whose names I will never get straight. This is long enough, so I'l save their stories for next week.

Rashleigh found me... we were going to watch
Manchester United play on Saturday at Frenzy's. But the Game got
bumped for coverage of Irma on the local? South Florida station. While
I wouldn't say that the tv signal is stolen, I suggest
that it is "used under a somewhat questionable license".

Thanks for reading, John

I usually wait a whole week to post my first blog but it seemed that many memorable events happened on the way getting here.

And the Journey begins... Airways Transit was stuck on the 401, so they sent a cab to pick me up and it got stuck on the 401 too... Anne and I said our farewells... with the same corny lines, like "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." and she still laughs.

Missionary? Yes, of course.

Caribbean Air - the good and the bad. I had a second bag this year you filled with stuff for Mercy and St Ann's. I hadn't remembered to ask early enough for a "special dispensation" from their headquarters in Trinidad. So I copied their letter from two years ago and presented that when I got to the check-in. After a few people had looked at it, they gave it to someone in a duller coloured uniform.. "...if the boss said okay..." If I didn't mention the date on the letter, is that a sin? As long as it is a venial, no problem I don't mind it hot... So that is the good.

The bad is that when we got to Trinidad we had to wait an hour and a half for the second leg to Guyana. After an hour Caribbean Air decided there were "mechanical problems" and we needed to change planes. I think they were delaying our small number of passengers to combine with a later flight.. oh well. The change was reminiscent of the old Brooklyn "Chinese fire drill" but it wasn't fun... We had to leave the plane and were not allowed through the immediately adjacent door into the departure lounge. No, we had to exit to the main area of the terminal and the re-enter.. This is 5 am... And I am always in my best pastoral mood after not sleeping.

We all lined up at a special "In Transit" desk where there were three Caribbean Air people...who organized us in single file and then did nothing for a half hour ..... Chanting did not help my mood. Next, a young woman with a very nice clipboard came to take our names because they needed to issue new boarding passes for the same seat .... We were then escorted to "Security" again... Wtf! My mood had moved to the demonic ..... They were very efficient.. They seemed only to have read the first few pages of the TSA manual... We could leave our shoes and belts on though our wallets had to be put in a basket, but not our computers ..... My paper notes in my shirt pocket had to get a basket, but not my watch ..... Anyhow the screener didn't go off..😕.

Maybe because of my pleasant attitude, I got selected for a bag search. As my ex-immigration officer brother says "They are always right ..... and never give them any attitude". But a guy has to keep some integrity. I had to wait for the woman in front. She had six small cans of chicken in water... The officer decided that could be dangerous...other than the fact they were already screened in Toronto. He shook them and smelled them and had a conference with the other officer, who was worried they were packed in oil though the can said water. If she wanted to keep the chicken, she had to go back to the Caribbean Air desk - of course it wouldn't open for several hours. She was making me look pastoral again ..... She left to go back to the transit desk.

When the officer got to my bag, I figured he saw both computers. But he was only interested in one side pocket with my camera which he looked at briefly and put it back and I was on my way. I'd get a coffee, but nothing is open .....

Arrival in Guyana

When we arrived at Cheddi Jagan Airport, I was thrilled to see we had docked right in front of the Arrivals Gate as usually they seem to park the furthest away. Unfortunately, the terminal is under construction and the arrival area was ..... take a guess. Hell and gone at the other end. I am pretty sure that they do this to space out the line as the old people now wish they had checked those bags. At 7 in the morning, it was cloudy and a cool 83. The distance also gives the more time to get the baggage there, so it seems a shorter wait.

Immigration was efficient and there was even an orderly queue. I was through in no time ..... way ahead of my bags. I got my two huge bags and proceeded through the "Nothing to Declare" Desk. The Customs officer had a bemused look on his face like "You must be Guyanese to pull a stunt like this." He did ask what I had in the bags. I said, "Donations to Mercy Hospital, the little girls at St. Ann's Home and some supplies for my teaching. I was told that I could do this many years ago by the Head Customs Officer." Now I had him.... We had to go speak to someone in charge. He looked at my customs slip and me. "Missionary"??? I think my cute pony tail made him stop for a moment. Then, "Sure, go ahead." And my story was true. I could probably fit my clothes in an overnight bag without the stuff I leave in Guyana.

And Bhiro was there waiting for me. I am sure he likes picking me up as it is a real chance to visit with everyone he hasn't seen in some time. Either they shout out his name or he does to them. I am sure that my kids had the same experience when I was a real human being with a job and I would need to take them shopping with me. It would take "forever" according to them just to get milk. "Do you have to talk to everyone?"

Kaieteur or Bust!

Berte was an excellent driver, so Bhiro and I chatted like old friends who seem to pick up a conversation from yesterday. It always scares and amuses me that we have the same attitude to many things. Somewhere on the trip, he said, "How would you like to go upriver by canoe to Kaieteur Falls; it is a 4 day trip." This is one of the items on my Bucket List; how did he know. I had wanted to do that since Anne and I flew into Kaieteur in 2003 or so... Into the Amazon Jungle in a canoe battling rapids, long portages over land... just like the explorers of old... Speaking of old --"Shit! that's me now." Let me describe my last canoe adventure with Anne's sister from England, Caroline. I wrote an old friend earlier this summer:

I thought you might enjoy a revenge laugh after my making fun of your disabilities. Yesterday, I took Caroline canoeing as she thought it was quintessentially Canadian. I booked a 90 minute route, calm water... She loved it.... I even remembered my boy scout merit badge strokes

About an hour into the trip… I started getting a bad cramp in both my thighs. I had to stand up and stretch. No problem; we’ll just pull over to the shore and I’ll walk around… Well, Caroline didn’t exactly pull hard enough so we weren’t actually on the shore.

No matter, I had to stand up… Stood up; one foot reached for the shore; however, the rest of my body stayed in the canoe – at least for a little while. My left leg sent a message to my brain… Lean back… So I did; right into the river… Ass over tea-kettle. Then. I had a lot of difficulty trying to stand up… I have so little strength in my knees…

Finally, I got on my two feet –of course, still in the river; I grabbed the canoe and gracefully put my first foot inside…However, my left foot remembered the trouble earlier and refused to move ..… so straight backwards into the river again ..… at least it was the other side of the canoe.

Finally, I got back in the canoe and in the right place ..… and we were off ..…

However, my sister in law was too concerned:
“Are you hurt?”

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“Do you think you can continue?”

I wanted to yell at her, “Shut up!... The only thing in pain is my EGO!”

But I was a good host… and thanked her for her concern.

Caroline does remember me saying,

"My mind... ( gasp)..is younger..( gasp)..than my...(gasp) body."

Looks safe to me!

Planning Ahead... Neither me not Guyana

I had left on Thursday night so I would have a Friday when everyone was working and I could better arrange for Monday's first class. However, I failed to notice that i is a National Holiday, Eid-al-Adha, and everything and everybody is closed. Hmmm...

Oh well.. it is Guyana -- improvise. I got some printer paper from an old student at the hospital. I called my friend, Taju, who collects all my mailings - including tablets and printer - and he came with his son Tommy to deliver them. Even they had closed their restaurant on Friday.

Then, I discovered two of the faculty who do the small groups were not going to be there for the first day of school... It did boggle my mind, but it does make sense when you are here. They had to use Monday as a holiday day or lose it... Another bright rule by someone who has never taught. Improvise again... We will have the First day of school on the Second day and the Second Day on the First Day. Got to stay flexible... And as I say, "In a hundred years, who will give a "darn".

And my flat also flabbergasted me... Everything was done by Helen - glass windows had replaced the open ones, so now no rain inside, a new mattress so I couldn't feel the wooden slats below, My boxes that I leave were thoughtfully brought from the school by Candy.. and most important of all I had my own dedicated internet and the passwords and it worked immediately ..... a pleasure worth savouring. Now I will just need to work around the daily blackouts by GPL.

Saturday I did my usual running around ..... but this time the tablets for the students came with European A/C adapters... PISSSS... So I had to roam the streets of GT looking for an adapter to the adapter... a really nice guy at NT Computeac told me all I need was a cheap adapter for the adapter at an electronics store on Robb... and sure enough there they were, and 30 of them too ..... good day as without them them the tablets would have been as useless as a third xxx.

Stopped and got my Guyana reading materials, from a history of Linden, to raunchy tales of Guyana Vol 2., Indian indentured servants in the l800's, and two novels to show I have culture .....

Then, got my Guyana "clean up"; I forgot again -- it is the first day of school for all the kids on Monday... So I had a long wait. When I arrived Royston told me he would get right to me. I said being the true liberal that I am "No; I can wait my turn". Over an hour and half later I got my turn... There really is a difference between disavowing "white privilege" in theory and in practice. Met lots of people on my travels including my "adopted" son, Rashleigh, who ran out of his flat when he saw me with nothing but a towel. I thought he had some women over, but he said he was showering.

This is me with my Guyana haircut and Rashleigh after he dressed.

I got my essential groceries - ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, mango achar, jam [the kitchen had already given me some peanut butter] cookies, crackers, peanuts, butter. I was going across the street to the beer distributor and ..... horror of horrors ..... it had closed! I tried a few other places, but no cases ..... I had to walk across town to a known beer distributor but they didn't have any Banks in cans ..... [Carlton, what's happening?] It was a long walk in the by-now heat of the day, To think of myself not as an addict, I remembered how far I had walked for my students adapters, so I deserved a few beers. I did get a taxi back to Mercy and a long nap.

Enough... I am here now and slowly getting set for Monday's new students.. Thanks for reading... John