Adventures in the City

So, hello there!

I'm writing this from the Peace Corps office in Paramaribo after a week in said city. A lovely week, really. Food, fun, and foot infections! Last part not so lovely, but thoroughly deal-with-able.

Anyway, it's been a good time in the city and I'll break this up into 3 bits.

1. Friends

It's really really cool to see the rest of the Volunteers. We don't all love each other, but it's cool as we start to figure out who we actively like and who we are just ok with - everybody is basically fine with each other, even if they don't seek out a specific person's company - and that makes it a pretty solid group. Plus everyone is generally pretty positive, supportive, and sensitive with a good mix of wild and creative that makes for fun get togethers.

Also, it's really cool staying with Jose - my best friend's father's friend who happens to own a business (and have a really nice house) here in Suriname. He reminds me of a mixture of Andy's dad, Dan, and a solid shot of European - in other words, he's pretty cool. Very well informed, well traveled, and generally just interesting to talk to - we don't agree on every point but I learn something interesting regardless of what we are talking about.

He has a very nice house - king size bed! with AC! - and is a very good cook and just a very good host. Sort of all the best parts of a total dude and a helpful, nice guy. Doesn't sleep much so it makes for some late nights, but generally worth staying up for.

2. 21 Kilometers

I ran a half marathon! My first ever, but I would definitely do it again! I don't feel the need to go for a full, but still I had a great time! I did not push myself too hard and it went really well. The whole build up to it was a lot of fun - something to train for is always good to keep you motivated in exercise so that was nice. And then it was a big to-do in the city and all that, and the race itself was awesome!

I started off with my running buddy from training - she's a more experienced but solidly slower runner than I am but that's helped since she and I have run all my record-breaking long distances together. We hung together for the first 15ish kilometers with several other people - including a random spanish guy - popping in for anywere from 2-13 of those ks.

I trained pretty hard and so I was feeling great the whole race - I had breath and energy to cheer and joke as we passed check points, cops, and the occasional crowd of spectators. So I decided that I wanted to try to catch the guy in 3rd place for Peace Corps (my friend and I were 4th and 5th at that point). Around when I was thinking about this, a little kid conveniently started acting like he wanted to race (a bored 5-year old spectator) and so I waved goodbye to my buddy and raced the kid for a hundred meters and then kept on going at a good clip.

We were about 5k out at that point and I managed to catch my man with about 2 kilometers to go. I was starting to feel it at that point, but still having fun and so I was wavering if I should finish with him or keep pushing on. Fortunately, at that moment an older lady that I had passed a bit ago caught up to me and passed me! She was clearly experienced and had her goal in mind or whatever so I made it mine to beat her!

We were step for step for the next kilometer and with 1 to go, I clipped it up again and was able to lose her. By this point, I was really feeling it - especially because the sun was long down and I was drenched with sweat so I was actually getting slightly chilled. I just tried to talk myself into the idea that the chill was just runners' high and kept on going. Plus, by that point there was starting to be a crowd and everybody likes to finish strong and that goes double if there are spectators!

I always try to sprint the last bit of a run, but this was one pretty long run! Still, gotta have some style so I started to get psyched up and then I got perfectly lucky. Just as I came into view of the finish line - a little over 100 meters out - I saw a guy halfway between me and the line. I didn't have to even think, I just took off sprinting to try and cross before he did. I made across about 20 feet in front of him, fists in the air, and 1:59:58 on the clock!

So it was a lot of fun!

3. Work

I'll include in this medical and developmental stuff - since it's all kind of part of my job here.

My health in the lead up to the city was solid, except that I got a really bad blister on my heel while training for the marathon. I was planning to do 2-3 big jungle runs before heading into the city - each one a jungle half marathon - but after I did the first one I was so drained, and so blistered, that I only did it once. Fortunately, it turns out that a jungle half marathon is way harder than a city half marathon and so I was in good shape for the race, but I was also fairly worried about my feel. I had that blister, several smaller ones one various toes, and I randomly managed to get 2 infected ant bites during normal life in the week leading up to the race.

I was most worried about the blister, but surprisingly all that stuff was fine during and after the race - but the weird toe nail infection I've been fighting (despite the fact that it seemed to be gone just now) decided to come back after the race and I also got an ear infection. Nothing major, but very annoying!

Anyway, my goal in the city was to finish my funding proposal for the Adult Education Program and get started on the next thing - landings for the village. I didn't get much of a start on that, but I did finish that first funding proposal! Very exciting! I haven't heard back anything as of the moment that I am publishing this, but still! Ground broken! I'm officially all Peace Corpsing and whatnot!

And that, my friends, is that!