Monday, April 16, 2007

Week in Limbo

OK, I am bored. I have hit one of those weeks when I ... am ... waiting ... waiting ... for ... all ... sorts ... of ... things ... to ... happen ...
I can't stand weeks like this. There is a lot of clock watching, email checking, phone holding...Ugh.

However, the fact that it is spring and beautiful, and not winter and not hibernation-inducing is a great help. I don't want to curl up under the duvet, I want to walk in the park.

So this afternoon I put on a skirt, no tights, and went out. I watched the little blossom petals sliding over each other on the pavement beneath the trees on my street. I noted how the trees in the gardens and the trees on the verge were old enough to arch over the pavement the way they usually do over the road. I took a big sniff as I passed the hedge being trimmed outside the portered mansions. I listened to the blackbirds singing at all hours, not just in the evening.

I spoke to my mother in New York last weekend and she said it was freezing. At that moment, I was about to break into a sweat because it was 24C (75F). That day in London was even warmer than Houston, which was only 20C (68F).

Now, however, she is in Guyana for the first time since she left in 1971, and she will be there for 5, yes five, weeks (!). Some of you may remember the cousin I mentioned who moved back there because of her husband's business. This was my mum's very cute email to me today:

Hey Ba, I am so happy here with Andrea and the children and Ray. The
wind is so fresh and cool most times and the rain comes and wash away the dust and we get so sleepy after an hour sitting on the balcony. So we eat, sit out, sleep and go bathe. The fruits are so fresh and so is all the food. I am taking some pics of the pomegranate, pineapple, mango, psydium and everything else. I will send them in Picasa when I get back.

I am going to the market now and I want to see if I can do some fruit shopping. Andrea's maid is so sweet and so are her watchmen, they are like family. I wish you could see here for a week or so. When I go to the UK we can come to NY then come here for a while, it takes 6 1/2 hrs to fly from NY. I love you and think of you all the time I'm eating or enjoying something.


Ah bless her. I know I told her to take photos of everything but I didn't mean the things I already know, although I have never heard of psydium before...


Mum is in Skeldon, near Corriverton on the eastern coast - they grew up here on a sugar estate, but are originally from Port Mourant, near New Amsterdam further west.

Skeldon is a 4-hour drive from the capital Georgetown, the Garden City of the Caribbean.


Georgetown city hall, in front of St George's cathedral, the tallest wooden structure in the world

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Thank you for this post about Guyana and your mum! I'm so glad she is close to her hometown! I'm looking forward to more pics!

Memoria

L B said...

Must be great to be back home after such a long time. I bet your mum is loving it! And you made spring sound so lovely in London as well..

Prerona said...

hey - werent you one of those who wanted the beatles top 5 list? ist up - 2nd last post :)

The Moody Minstrel said...

How tall is the St. George's cathedral? I've heard many times that the largest wooden structure in the world is the gigantic WWII-era blimp hangar in Tillamook, Oregon.

Of course, the Japanese would argue that Todaiji Temple in Nara is the biggest wooden structure in the world, but having seen both of them first hand...

Anonymous said...

very interstening story about Guyana.visit my blog

Anonymous said...

Nice building.
It won't be long before Houston is hotter than London.
GOOOO skirt!!!! I think I'll wear a skirt today too.
bisous
vanessa

Olivia said...

Memoria - glad you enjoyed. I look forward to her next email, and hope she is taking lots of photos, not only of fruits :)

***

LB - perhaps it is better than she had hoped, although being away so long she will always be a foreigner.

***

Ricercar - aha, I forgot to check. Will be back soon.

***

Minstrel - I got it a bit wrong. It is now one of the tallest wooden structures in the world.

It was the tallest wooden church in the world, but is now the second tallest at 43.5 metres (132 ft) since one in Romania was completed in 2003.

Isn't Tillamook where that delicious cheese comes from???

***

Thank you Ram Prasad, but I don't know where your blog is.

***

Vanessa - you just reminded me I had a dream about my scrunchy skirt last night. I claimed that I made it myself, but the people "interviewing" me didn't believe me because they found the textile in a magazine, so I said I'd bought the material at a store (duh), then I admitted "OK, my mother made it. But as I did some of the sewing can't I claim some of the credit?"

Weird. I never dreamt about making clothes before or lying about it...!

Hey, Jason emailed me the other day, said he misses talking to me, how sweet is that?

Beenzzz said...

Wow! I'm a little envious of your Mom. I have actually been looking at airfare to Guyana. I want to go back soon. The photo of the Cathedral is remarkable.

ML said...

How great that your Mom is in Guyana after all these years! I do hope she does take pictures of everything.

Anonymous said...

think u will ever go to Guyana?

Jia

Olivia said...

Beenzzz - I am not sure what it is, as she paid in Canadian. But it is worth going, she sounded enthusiastic on the phone just now.

***

ML - apparently she is. I called and my cousin said I should be there. It is hard to make people understand that even though I am not working, and although I can afford a ticket, it is best I don't keep spending money and stay here to find a job. Y'know?

***

Jia Li - I think yes, but not sure when...

michelle said...

okok u will hate or love me, I wil o back to blogger. I should, because sometimes life is too hetic and I always forget to email you...it won't be alot, only a few posts a few times a month. But it will be updates on my life.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Would you believe it, I almost envy your mum! And here I am, in Guyana! But Skeldon is lovely, it is wide open land for miles, breeze. And she's in great company too.

Olivia said...

Michelle - not Jia Li anymore? I got so used to calling you that on here!

Why didn't you keep the old page?

***

Guyana-Gyal - you have been busy with with the comments today, I see.

Have you ever been to Skeldon?

MattJ said...

Liv! I'm back now I promise lol! Looks like your dinner was fun?! There is a Japanese place just opened in Cobham so I am definitely goign to give it a try, I'll probably start with sushi as I am pretty sure I will like that - I'll come to you for advice for future sojourns!

So jealous of your mum, I sounds awesome over there!

There are so many posts I didn';t comment on, I have put some of them here so you can reply to all my comments at once! :p

AIIEEEE! So muchto catch up on, I have been reading just been not writing of late! Anyway, good to be back and good to see you are havin a good time even if this week is a little slow!

Christopher said...

Alright Livvie...just pretend we're cheerleaders doing the Olivia cheer

"READY..OK!"

She's..sexy she's cute! She's popular to boot, she's "bitchin'", great hair! The boys all love to stare! Who is she? Just guess! Boy's wanna touch her chest!

You encourage from your heart...for being someone I have never met, the fact you come by and read me and encourage means the world...xoxoxo

Olivia said...

Matt - Welcome back!
What makes you so sure you will like sushi? Do try, and let me know.

Ooh, everyone is so jealous of my Mum, I think I ought to join in too.

***

Kissyfur! - welcome back to you too! spring seems to bring everyone back to life, doesn't it?

Thanks for the cheer, I had a proper old giggle over it!

Hey, have a hug xoxox

Dan said...

I don't want to curl up under the duvet, I want to walk in the park

Yes Olivia! Go out and walk. And take photos so people like me and your mom (who live in the same area) can see what spring looks like! :)

AmitL said...

Hi,Olivia...ah.what a grt feeling it must be(I've forgotten it,frankly..haha)..to be nice and plain bored,wondering what to do next.I envy you.:)*grin*at 'clock watching,email checking,phone holding'...yes,spring is surely the best season- neither too hot nor too cold.Out here,summer's just beginning-with 35 deg C already...but,mornings are still pretty pleasant.:)

Lotus Reads said...

Hi, Olivia!

Yes! Someone that goes to my gym returned from London two days ago and she said it was hotter than Spain this time of year...enjoy the heat! We're still freezing here (Toronto), I went out last evening and it was so cold I returned for my winter jacket. It's supposed to warm up this weekend, let's hope so!

Your mom sounds like she's having a lovely time in Georgetown...we saw a little of it during the Cricket worldcup, I'd love to go there some day!

Pete J said...

St Georges does look entirely magnificent! :) Sounds like Guyana is a really interesting place, we so should have clung onto it ;)
xx

Anonymous said...

Why don't you design/make clothes?
I haven't talked to jason in a long while......last time was at Cassie's wedding--February.
vanessa

Olivia said...

Wow, did I really get 22 comments in one day? Cool.

***

Dan - I think you live a long way from my mom, actually - though in the same continent...

***

Amit - 35C! That is an absolute heatwave in Europe. I can't even remember what that feels like.

***

Lotus - hehe, yes, it was snowing in the Northeast a few days ago, wasn't it? Now that's plain wrong.

***

Pete - couldn't have kept it. It was back in the 60s when Britain was making a fashion out of relinquishing colonies. Ah well. At least I get to hear her memories of the good old days.
xx

***

Vanessa - you have been telling me this for years.

If it's any comfort, I just applied to a job where I might teach people how to make chocolate?

Anonymous said...

oh...they got deleted...sometime back. Sometimes I feel like blogging, others not.

Had a interview today at a Flower shop...

jia/michelle/whatever

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Yes, I've been to Skeldon, once or twice. Not the villages, only drove through. But that part of the world seems so untouched by time. At least, that's the way I remember.