Birth Day!!!!

• Brenda_moore's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Paramaribo

  Paramaribo, Suriname
Tuesday, September 20, 2005

So it is September 20th - and I am celebrating my 45th birthday in Suriname! So sorry for not sending a message sooner but life as been hectic settling in to say the least. I arrived Saturday morning at 1:10 a.m. but did not arrive at my host family until 5:00 a.m. With the heat and no sleep for two days becasue of night flights, I did feel ill for a couple of days, but I am feeling great now. It was 37 degrees on Sunday and humid - extremely hot but I spent the day with my host family at a river and private beach. I really lucked out with a host family. Donavan and Henna are my hosts and I live in the countryside outside of Paramaribo in the district of Wanica. About ten minute drive outside the City or about 30 minutes by bus. The house is beautiful and I have a very nice room of my own. Everything in Suriname is different than Canada! Am getting used to the tiny little frogs that come out in the shower at night (and I usually get up in the night to shower to cool down and shower about three times a day) and there are harmless insects everywhere. The food takes some adjusting (Jaime - you would not be able to eat!)as it is a melting pot of cultures here including Indian food, Indonesian food, Maroon traditional food, and of course an arrange of fruits I have never heard of. I am finding things that work for my stomach though and slowly trying some new things.

My host family is young - Donavon is 19 and Henna is 28 and so they have been taking such extra special care of me. They drive me wherever I need to go, and buy whatever food that suits me the best. They are planning a birthday party for me on Friday - a Voodoo Voodoo party - which is Maroon music and celebration. They will include me in all their activities, so I will be going to parties with them at their relative houses and an Indian wedding early in October. Donavan is marron and Henna is hindustani.

So I will probably be able to email more regularly now and will include some pictures tomorrow if I can. It feels like a lifetime since I have seen you all as I have had so many experiences already! Take care...