Where has the time gone? I can’t believe it is already
October and the leaves and weather are changing back home. It is a very strange
thing to have my favorite season happening, but I don’t see any of those
changes. I love crisp fall nights with the stars shining and a nice bonfire
hearing a football game off in the distance. I also hear rumor that the Grand
is starting up soup night soon. Someone should go have a bowl of vegetable
dumpling soup and some of those amazing breadsticks for me. Diane, if you ever
decide to start an overseas delivery service hit me up! Also, did I hear it is
snowing back home? That is hard for me to believe when we are sitting around 89
degrees here!
We are heading to Georgetown tomorrow to head to GuyExpo.
From what I have heard it is like the varied industries building at the Iowa
State Fair only much larger and all about Guyana. It should be fun. Our
students have also told us you get a lot of free stuff such as guidebooks,
cups, and posters which perked up our ears.
We are going back to the Redeemer parsonage where we stayed our first
few nights in Guyana. This is our first time back to town after moving to
Berbiece. I think it should be a nice little get away for us and a good change
of scenery. It’s really easy just to stay in one area while in New Amsterdam,
especially since we don’t have a car or a license in Guyana. This puts us in
the same old routine which can get dull after a little while. Sort of like
living in a rural town in North Iowa before you are old enough to drive
yourself to Mason. You do the same type of things every day and really don’t
know what else there is to do in the world.
I have had several people ask me about what type of things
should be sent in care packages. To be honest, I really don’t know. I can tell
you that I am happy to receive letters and cards all the time. Things that
remind you of home (Midwest America) are always welcomed as well. For Claire
that is Hershey’s chocolate, for Dan it is coffee. Me? It’s hard to say really.
I have traveled and done so much in my short life there are all sorts of things
that remind me of home. If you get some good pictures of the fall colors I
would love to see them!
Classes are about to hit the one month mark. I am so proud
of my students and how far they have come since their first class. This past
week my students have been preparing to take home instruments. Everyone has a
playing/written test this next week to make sure they are ready to take home
their instruments. I still have a couple brass players struggling, but I think
they will be able to get it much better after they have their instrument home
with them and they can practice every day and over the weekends.
For Eric’s birthday
my beginning brass class buzzed happy birthday (as only brass can) to make a
video for him. He still has not been able to see this video because our
internet has not cooperated with us enough. All of the academy classes sang
happy birthday as well for him. I put them all together into a video edited
together. Eric seemed to really enjoy that. Yay for video editing programs that
we are able to do something like this! Dan’s birthday is coming up on the 15th.
I’m not really sure what we are going to do yet, but I’m sure I will think of
something. For Claire I baked a cake, Eric and I cooked a really good meal, and
we decorated Eric’s apartment with birthday decorations. Eric got the videos,
but what on earth do we do for Dan? I’m starting to run out of ideas,
especially since their birthdays are all so close together. Sadly, I am the
only one who will not have a Guyana related birthday, but that is okay.
Hopefully I will be able to spend my birthday seeing friends that I haven’t
seen for a year!
I will say, I am really happy that Julie continued bidding
on the calendar for me at the Summer Drummer Bash in Des Moines this summer. I
just turned the page to October and was greeted by a Jordan Fratt selfie that
makes me smile. This calendar brings me a little closer to my drumming family
even when I am 3,000 miles away. I never realized just how much I would miss
drumming until recently. Sheltered Reality was a great stress reliever for me
and kept me connected to my drumming family. I have had a few short
conversations with people, but that is it. We don’t have timbales at the academy
and my iPod has stopped working or else I would be over at the academy playing
songs all the time! I suppose I could take my computer over and play on the
trap set some, but it isn’t quite the same. You can’t dance as well with a trap
set.
I want to thank my wonderful Fairy Godmother Jeanie
Grotewold for the cards. I promise y’all, mail does come to my address even
though there are no numbers. Guyana mail is a whole different world compared to
the USPS. It has been really nice to see the love that you all have for me. I
greatly appreciate it! I suppose I better get ready to start teaching soon.
Until next time everyone, enjoy the fall (if you even really get one now) for
me!
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