tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20317516877858128112011-11-14T13:22:10.907-06:00Sometimes you just have to go wherever the road takes you.Tricianoreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-14314724150238515692007-04-04T00:37:00.000-05:002007-04-04T02:12:39.374-05:00

Well, I have been home for just over a week now. For everyone who has been asking, Tobago was FANTASTIC. I wish I'd stayed longer. Especially when I looked out the airplane window on the Manitoba - Ontario border and saw this...snow covered fields as far as the eye could see. When you consider that the last time I looked out an airplane window I saw this.... I definitely was sitting on the plane

Tricianoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-80861639572071994392007-03-18T22:11:00.000-05:002007-03-18T22:35:00.676-05:00

In just two short hours I'll be saying goodbye to Suriname. It has been a teary night of saying goodbye....and it's not over yet. There are about half a dozen people who have set their alarms for 2:00 am and who will be here to see me off. To say that I feel loved would be an understatement. To say that I will be leaving with red eyes from crying so hard would be an understatement. So, I

Tricianoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-1911135561931275012007-03-12T20:20:00.000-05:002007-03-13T07:18:47.304-05:00

It’s Monday. Today marks exactly one week until I leave Suriname. In fact, by this time next Monday I’ll have landed in Trinidad and hopped a plane to Tobago.But before then I have a lot to do….quickly, here’s what I’ve been up to the last little while:1) My fellow Canadian Crossroaders and I planned and hosted a farewell party to celebrate Canadian Crossroads International (ie CCI) in Suriname.

Tricianoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-70559462242060845372007-03-11T20:00:00.000-05:002007-03-13T07:14:44.651-05:00

Where did the time go???? As of tomorrow, I have just one week left here in Suriname. I can't believe it. Be prepared faithful blog readers. I have so much to add to my blog....and so much to do before I go....how will I ever get it all in???? Ahhhhhhh.....

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-28713645203618310592007-02-24T09:57:00.001-06:002007-04-04T02:25:54.535-05:00

So where were we…oh yeah, it all started out great. Steven picked us up in the van. We all piled in and after a stop for snacks we were on our way for what was SUPPOSED to be a 3 hour drive to Nickerie. FYI, it wasn’t a 3 hour drive to Nickerie, it was a 9 hour epic Swirsky Family Roadtrip in Suriname drive to Nickerie.Nickerie is a town in the western part of Suriname - the last stop before

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-44566292144273802612007-02-21T12:54:00.000-06:002007-02-21T12:58:07.624-06:00

So, it wasn't enough that Van Morrison was finally coming to a place in Canada and I couldn't go because I was in Suriname, now I get an instant message from the MTS Centre and learn he's going to be in Winnipeg on March 1. He's coming to my OWN hometown. But, when will I be in Winnipeg???? Not March 1. No, I arrive in Winnipeg on March 23. Do the math people...that's 22 days too late. Damn

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-27153981772287711402007-02-20T16:32:00.000-06:002007-02-21T13:00:16.158-06:00

My time here in Suriname is complete. I have now experienced everything I need for Suriname to feel like home. I have just returned from a ‘Swirsky Family Roadtrip’ Suriname style.For those of you not familiar with the Swirsky Family and their roadtrips, I will tell you this: they are famous for their roadtrips not because they take unusual ones, but because inevitably almost always something bad

Tricianoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-26046168776964869722007-02-11T18:16:00.000-06:002007-02-11T18:41:23.845-06:00

I’ve learned a lot about the world of international development since arriving in Suriname (and believe me, I STILL have a lot to learn). For one, I’ve learned that sometimes donor support can actually do more harm than good. Sometimes donor dollars are given with conditions and these conditions can actually cause even more problems than the ones they are supposed to be fixing. And sometimes

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-58804490047351313892007-02-05T15:49:00.000-06:002007-02-06T19:54:05.676-06:00

I just had one of my best weekends ever here in Suriname. I went on a camping trip…Suriname style. I LOVE camping at home so this was a real treat. The trip was organized by a group of my coworkers. There were 18 of us altogether. We went to an area called Baboenhol. It was GORGEOUS. To get there, we drove down this narrow country trail (I can't even call it a road) where we passed beautiful

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-36279312071423338132007-01-24T16:46:00.000-06:002007-01-24T17:58:06.657-06:00

While I have grown to like the food from Suriname, there is one thing I CANNOT get used to. That is waking up to the smell of the day’s hot meal being cooked at 7 A.M. As far as I’m concerned the only cooking smells I enjoy at that time of day is coffee brewing and bacon frying. I definitely DO NOT like waking up to the smell of garlic and hot peppers frying with fish or whatever meat will be the

Tricianoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-75994423826842076122007-01-15T12:53:00.000-06:002007-01-15T13:07:15.425-06:00

Someone tried to pickpocket me today. Unfortunately for him he chose the wrong day to try this. Last night I got some news that left me in tears. And so I’m mad at the world and all its injustices today. As I was walking in town today I felt someone bump against me and there was a tug on my bag. I looked at the guy who bumped me and gave him a dirty look. Like I said, I’m mad at the world

Tricianoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-8645909699784910802007-01-10T12:58:00.000-06:002007-01-11T13:19:36.151-06:00

This week marks 10 weeks until I leave Suriname. I don’t know where the time has gone. I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a top 10 list. So here are the top 10 things I like about Suriname and the top 10 things I miss from home.Top 10 Things about Suriname1) The people I’ve met. I have made some wonderful friends who I will miss dearly.2) How friendly everyone is. Everyday as I walk

Tricianoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-65429803399177360812007-01-08T12:32:00.000-06:002007-01-09T13:14:45.578-06:00

In between Christmas and New Years, at the suggestion of one of my fellow Canadians here in Suriname, instead of exchanging Christmas gifts with each other, we used the money to buy some much-needed supplies (diapers and underwear) for kids at a place called Claudia A. I was thrilled with the idea, having brought colouring books and paint sets and stickers with me from Canada with the intention

Tricianoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-82380495919541027902007-01-02T13:36:00.000-06:002007-01-10T09:31:32.569-06:00

Now that I have experienced the holidays in a warm climate I can tell you this. I prefer Christmas to have snow and will gladly spend New Years in the warm sun anytime.As for spending the holidays in Suriname here goes…Christmas Mass in Suriname It never really felt like Christmas for me here in Suriname until I went to Christmas Eve mass. I wasn’t really surprised when things got off to a late

Tricianoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-88673556940579492752006-12-22T06:59:00.000-06:002006-12-22T09:34:14.052-06:00

A quick message to say Merry Christmas. I hope this season finds you well. This is my first Christmas away from my family. I'll try not to cry! I'm lucky to have some wonderful new friends here in Suriname to spend the holidays with. That will help!I look forward to telling you next week all about what it is like to spend Christmas in Suriname. Until then....have a lovely Christmas.Here I

Tricianoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-14735953076401495172006-12-20T11:15:00.000-06:002007-01-10T09:26:46.997-06:00

So, I rode in my first ambulance EVER here in Suriname. It happened on Saturday night after I got hit by a beer bottle thrown into a crowd at an outdoor Shaggy concert. Yes, I said Shaggy. He was here in Suriname. Telesur the only telecommunications company here in Suriname is celebrating 25 years and they brought Shaggy in as a thank you to the community.He was really good too…at least he was

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-46700355551989615702006-12-18T12:54:00.000-06:002006-12-19T13:38:04.134-06:00

WARNING: This is a loooooong one. Apparently it's really interesting to get out of the city!!! But I promise...lots of pictures for the non-readers out there!Doesn't this picture look like a publicity shot for the show Survivor?!?! I love it!I took my first trip into the interior of Suriname two weeks ago - three glorious days away from the noise and chaos of Paramaribo. We traveled first to

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-68924453320190764992006-12-12T13:30:00.000-06:002006-12-12T13:53:49.046-06:00

This past Saturday night I went to help at a Christmas party for children and their families affected by HIV. The party included, food, games and presents. Santa was there too, though he (or perhaps she!) was a lot less jolly than average mall Santa in North America. This Santa didn’t Ho Ho Ho and kept sunglasses on all night. I’d say that Corina, Berwyn and I with our digital cameras were a

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-50570084281688926482006-12-06T11:57:00.000-06:002006-12-06T12:27:16.544-06:00

Friday, December 1 marked World AIDS Day. There were quite a few activities taking place here to mark the day, many lead by Stichting Mamio Namen Project. The day started with a networking meeting of all the AIDS Service Organizations (it’s rare to get them all in the same room together so it’s a nice sight to see them take steps towards working together). Next it was off to the World AIDS

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-22349984438196134172006-11-29T07:56:00.000-06:002006-11-29T07:58:36.033-06:00

So I’m a HUGE Van Morrison fan. For years I’ve tried to see him in concert. So the other day I discovered that he’s FINALLY coming to Canada, and to a city that I could get to but where am I? Where? Oh, I’m in South America. Damn you Van. Damn you! I’m feeling just a bit ripped off right now. Just a bit!PS – I’ll post about Suriname life again later in the week. This past weekend was

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-1101630341447103812006-11-22T09:41:00.000-06:002006-11-22T09:50:48.982-06:00

Today marks two full months in Suriname. Since arriving I've written some observations about the things I've noticed that are unique to life in Suriname. I thought I'd start sharing them. SO here is my first installment of: Suriname QuirksWork WearGenerally people will wear the same thing to work two-days in a row. I find it fascinating….and everyone seems to do it. They wear the same thing

Tricianoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-40995120173905049342006-11-20T12:45:00.000-06:002006-11-20T13:19:00.802-06:00

On Friday night I helped work the Canada booth at the International Bazaar. Hosted at the Venezuela Embassy, the event has been taking place for the past 13 years. It’s an opportunity for all the countries who have embassies or consuls in Suriname to share a little something from home. Most booths sell food and small souvenirs. The Canada booth sold beer & ice cream. The beer presumably

Tricianoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-15669910477348950732006-11-14T08:47:00.000-06:002006-11-16T06:11:44.119-06:00

Well, life is MUCH better these days to say the least. My move has been fantastic. Just look at how much happier (and yes, thinner too - isn't Suriname great?!?!) I look in my new room!!Of course, this is just my two-week temp house. I'll actually move into yet another room when my new friend Mariel returns to Holland later this week. It's still the same address, just a different room. So

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-88133442821847539792006-11-10T06:27:00.000-06:002006-11-10T06:31:07.054-06:00

I can’t stop sweating. Even when I’m not warm I sweat. I have also noticed that the only part of me that sweats is my face. I think it’s a combination of genes and my hair. I mean it’s like wearing a toque – ALL THE TIME. I’m considering shaving my head and buying a wig just like a lot of the women here. People stare at me anyway, why not let them stare at a white girl in a black woman’s

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-11982778012454996062006-11-06T13:34:00.000-06:002006-11-06T13:52:44.985-06:00

A Cup of TeaThere was a lot of drama here for me lately. Thankfully I have gotten myself out of a bad situation and I hope, no, I know that everything will be much better now. Or, at least it better be. After the hell I’ve been through, certainly I must deserve some good things! I’m looking forward to a new chapter here and seeing this place in a whole new light. I won’t say too much, but I

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-19360271887216760802006-10-31T13:43:00.000-06:002006-10-31T13:58:46.243-06:00

Hallo, hoe gaat het? Met mij gaat het goed. Ik ben in Suriname voor ongeveer 6 weken nu geweest. Iedereen is goed met mijn werk, maar mijn huis toestand is niet zo goed. Ik hoop naar nog een plaats spoedig en dan ik te bewegen denk dat het goeder zal zijn. Ik leer Nederlandse. Ik studier Nederlandse twee keer per week – Dinsdag en Donderdag. Mijn onderwijzer is de bewerber van de krant –

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-5913285390738365972006-10-30T10:47:00.000-06:002006-10-30T10:52:05.562-06:00

It’s interesting to live in a society where there is no trust. Because there is so much lying and manipulation here I guess it is impossible to have trust. It’s hard to know how to function in an environment like this when you come from a background of honesty and openness and trust. I thought we had lies in Canada, but I had no idea. We don’t know the meaning of lies as Canadians. Our lies

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-39245607224606368972006-10-25T14:39:00.000-05:002006-10-25T14:52:51.513-05:00

I went to the Hindu celebration of Divali on Friday night with the neighbour and her son. Divali is the Festival of Light. It’s celebrated by Hindus all over the world. To celebrate, we had a parade followed by a celebration at the temple. There were cars & trucks decorated with lights and people walked, sang and danced carrying lights and torches. There was a group of little girls who were

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-76888099015212455152006-10-25T14:28:00.000-05:002006-10-25T14:39:02.240-05:00

So much time has passed since I've been able to post. Here's a glimpse at life in Suriname the past week or so...An Epic BattleI was crawling into bed the other night. Before I go to bed I do a routine check under the bed for roaches – saw my first one in the house last Sunday too by the way – when something caught the corner of my eye near the table by my bed. I thought first that it was a

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-30928123902499640622006-10-14T13:47:00.000-05:002006-10-14T14:44:13.911-05:00

Hi all, it's been a while since I've had a chance to post so this one will have a bit of everything all thrown into one big pot...which pretty much describes what I have experienced as Creole cooking. My family can imagine how well that's sitting with me. Everything cooked in one big pot. Besides Pot Roast and Stew, everything cooked in one pot is not my kind of meal. To say the least, I'm

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-19193557814758506732006-10-05T15:34:00.000-05:002006-10-05T15:51:24.868-05:00

Hey all, haven't been able to post many photos lately so here's a whole bunch....Here is one from the wedding I went to on the weekend. The man is from Belgium and the woman is from Suriname. Check out the traditional dress.On Saturday, Henna and I went to Commewijn (the Province next to Paramaribo) to see the old plantations and Fort Niew Amsterdam. Here is a picture of the path along the

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-6630527131779260112006-10-05T15:21:00.000-05:002006-10-05T15:31:49.579-05:00

Of talking about the heat here. It's the same way we talk about the cold in Canada. Here people talk about the heat. "God it's hot" "I'm so hot" "It's so hot today". Yeah, I know it's hot. I'm sweating my ass off (LITERALLY), I get that it's hot here.It's funny. Some days the heat wraps around you like a warm hug. Other days it feels like your insides are cooking. Yesterday on the bus I

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-31107755895120344972006-10-03T15:55:00.000-05:002006-10-03T16:04:29.705-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of school here. My host family even had to go back to school. And everyone wears uniforms. The little kids wear green plaid shirts and jeans. The older kids wear blue shirts and jeans. Henna (my host sister) wears a yellow golf shirt and jeans. It was adorable to see all these little kids with their backpacks on and matching clothes trotting down the roads on

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-30505646138535016842006-10-01T13:12:00.000-05:002006-10-01T13:28:44.874-05:00

Suriname is without question the most ethnically tolerant place and ethnically mixed place I have ever been. The people here come in every shape, mix and colour. Well, there aren't too many white people I guess. And those that are white most certainly are not from here.It's really interesting to see that Maroons will marry Hindustani's and Chinese will marry Creole's and there seems to be no

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-45433151828342041282006-09-26T15:54:00.000-05:002006-09-26T16:44:02.449-05:00

Finally, a chance to update my blog. WARNING: This post will be a long one!Already so much has happened since I left Canada. First let me start with Trinidad. Julie (the other Crossroader) and I spent our day at the beach and seeing Port of Spain. We hired a driver, Ricky, who took us wherever we wanted to go for the whole day and it only cost us $65 US plus whatever we wanted to give for a

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-405130431499643402006-09-21T06:39:00.000-05:002006-09-21T06:46:07.638-05:00

I leave in just a few hours. I tried but in reality I didn't sleep a wink last night. Too much running through my brain. Did I remember to do that? Oh, don't forget to do that! Ah well, what's done is done now!I feel like I've packed too much and not enough. I have my backpack and an extra carry-on. My backpack weighs a ton (but not more than the 44 pounds I'm allowed!). If I actually had

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-5342145886647651742006-09-18T21:43:00.000-05:002006-09-18T21:59:00.079-05:00

As promised, here are more pictures from the Suriname or Bust! BBQ & Fundraiser. Here I am with the two cooks (aka my neighbour & my dad) before the carving. I told you it was a man-sized pig.My mom & neighbour begin to set out the food...perogies, salads, cabbage rolls, meatballs (which were a HUGE hit), buns, veggie burgers, and of course, pork and lots of it!The food was a huge hitThanks to

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-30289177211231640322006-09-13T21:01:00.000-05:002006-09-13T21:31:27.673-05:00

Many, many, many thanks to everyone who came to my Suriname or Bust! BBQ & Fundraiser. Thanks to all of you I not only reached my goal, but passed it. I'm speechless about that. I feel really good going forward knowing that I've already accomplished so much just having raised funds for Canadian Crossroads International and the work they do. As for the BBQ, I'm not even sure where to begin.

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-27441969015752661002006-08-31T23:43:00.000-05:002006-08-31T23:57:12.184-05:00

I just got back from my final pre-departure training in Vancouver. I met people from across Canada who are headed to places around the world. Some for three months, some for up to two years! And many of them have been on placements in other places before this. It was incredible just to sit in a room with all these people and hear their stories. During my training I had the opportunity to meet

Tricianoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-31787310826924045552006-08-20T23:32:00.000-05:002006-08-21T00:00:04.720-05:00

Please mark September 9th, 2006 in your calendars. As many of you know, I will be participating in an international development program in Suriname where I will be working as a PR/Marketing Advisor. My role will be to help raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. The program is run by Canadian Crossroads International. As a participant I'm hoping to raise $2000 for Canadian Crossroads and the programs

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2031751687785812811.post-58436494164762721782006-08-18T23:23:00.001-05:002006-08-18T23:23:48.616-05:00

OK, it's official, I have a blog. When I told people I was off to Suriname for several months lots of you asked to be added to my email list. Well, blogs seem to be all the rage these days so I thought I'd give it a spin. So far, it's all good. But I will admit, it took FOREVER to decide on a name and a colour scheme. I would like to thank Lori D for the inspiration for the name of the blog.

Tricianoreply@blogger.com0