Randomness
Door: Marieke
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Marieke
12 Januari 2011 | Guyana, Woweta Village
Since I got many complaints about me not writing in a long time I’ll give you some extra bits and pieces to read during a hot cup of coffee/tea behind your desk while taking a break from work…
Cooking
Now that I am living in my own house with my own kitchen and that I do not have the luxury anymore of people cooking for me I actually have to cook. I mean I’ve been cooking for about 10 years now. But then there is cooking and cooking. To give you an illustration of my cooking in Holland. It can be two things either: opening the fridge, get a pack out, get a fork, smash some holes in the top, time the microwave and press start; Or read the steps on the back of the package, add exactly the amount of ingredients as described, mingle it, bake, cook or fry and finished!
Well none of that is possible here, every single package comes without a description on how to use it or what to do with it. Or it is in Portuguese which doesn’t really work for me either. Challenge! Next to that I’m still trying to be creative with the products that are available here, not very much. Rice, noodles, peas, ketchup, tomato paste, canned sardines, hotdog sausages, onions, garlic, tuna, mixed veg in a can, flour, sugar, salt and a set of spices. That’s basically it. Of course there is a possibility to buy half a cow or a whole chicken. But would you know what to do with it? Bones and intestines and stuff? I always buy my fillets at home. And even if I knew what to do, would you eat a whole chicken in one day (remember no fridge…)?
The last couple of weeks I have been quite creative, stir frying things with some spices here and there and rice. Trying to make a sauce with Maizena, something my mom always used and that I never understood the purpose of (now I do). Some sort of pasta. Remarkably often though the meals are vegetarian or with tuna, the whole chicken and cow thing, no not integrated enough yet I would assume.
Bats
What kind of roof would you like? That was a question I was asked when they were building my house. My options were thatch or zink. Well I didn’t really know since both materials aren’t too familiar to me. I could imagine that all kinds of creatures would like to nestle between the leaves so I was less positive about thatch. Zink it is.
After all maybe not a very good choice. Of all the little creatures that could live with you bats are of the most annoying kind. They make so much noise, beeping and banging against the roof, and cover the place with droppings. Sometimes they fall, get disoriented and then start flying around your room banging into everything that they can bang into.
Next to that they still have that scary vampire image. That thought is not completely misplaced. Guyana has a vampire bat, which feeds on horses, cows and people. A mosquito net doesn’t seem to stop them. Those are the last ones I want in my house.
The bats are clearly not acceptable so I started an investigation: How to get rid of bats? There are several theories. 1: You will never get rid of bats (obviously I didn’t hear this one); 2: Use pine tree oil, soak some cloths in it and stuff them into the holes were they like to sit; 3: Get razor grass (as sharp as it sounds – gloves recommended) and stuff it into the holes. Today we have first tried option 2. I will follow up on the results.
Guyanese wisdom
Wandering around my yard. Looking down, not because I’m feeling sad or anything but I am still afraid of stepping on things that I shouldn’t be stepping on. Snakes for example. My eye catches a cement plaque under a couple of leaves. Cleaning it with my feet a shock goes through my body. What if this is the Rupununi version of a grave stone? That would actually mean that some dead body is buried in my yard. Oh my god no! Sleepless nights! After cleaning it though I calmed down and caught myself smiling. The plaque provided me with a fine piece of Guyanese wisdom: We run thing, thing nu run we… Whoever put it there and for what reason remains a mystery. At least I know what my motto for 2011 will be.
Remarkable questions
A change of setting also implicates a change of thoughts that are running through ones mind. Thoughts you would never think of in a different setting. Questions that you do not know the answer to but do seem important enough to ask out loud. No, you don’t quite understand what I am talking about? Ok:
- How do cockroaches reproduce and how fast?
- Do frogs poop?
- Why is there a dead frog in my kettle?
- Is garlic related to onions?
- Do caiman eat people during the day?
- Would caiman like white meat more?
- Why are snakes attracted by used sanitary napkins?
- Why does my motorbike always stop working whenever I go through puddles?
- Could anyone please help me get my freaking motorbike out of the mud?
- How long will the light bulb keep burning now that it’s raining so much and the solar panels aren’t catching any sun?
- Why does the bleach doesn’t seem to get my clothes any whiter?
- Why did I bring any white clothes at all with all the orange dust around?
- Why are there cockroaches living in my wardrobe? Since when do they like to sit around clean clothes?
- How did those ants get through the seal of this container right into the sugar?
- What is an inverter?
Anybody answers? Please let me know!
Cooking
Now that I am living in my own house with my own kitchen and that I do not have the luxury anymore of people cooking for me I actually have to cook. I mean I’ve been cooking for about 10 years now. But then there is cooking and cooking. To give you an illustration of my cooking in Holland. It can be two things either: opening the fridge, get a pack out, get a fork, smash some holes in the top, time the microwave and press start; Or read the steps on the back of the package, add exactly the amount of ingredients as described, mingle it, bake, cook or fry and finished!
Well none of that is possible here, every single package comes without a description on how to use it or what to do with it. Or it is in Portuguese which doesn’t really work for me either. Challenge! Next to that I’m still trying to be creative with the products that are available here, not very much. Rice, noodles, peas, ketchup, tomato paste, canned sardines, hotdog sausages, onions, garlic, tuna, mixed veg in a can, flour, sugar, salt and a set of spices. That’s basically it. Of course there is a possibility to buy half a cow or a whole chicken. But would you know what to do with it? Bones and intestines and stuff? I always buy my fillets at home. And even if I knew what to do, would you eat a whole chicken in one day (remember no fridge…)?
The last couple of weeks I have been quite creative, stir frying things with some spices here and there and rice. Trying to make a sauce with Maizena, something my mom always used and that I never understood the purpose of (now I do). Some sort of pasta. Remarkably often though the meals are vegetarian or with tuna, the whole chicken and cow thing, no not integrated enough yet I would assume.
Bats
What kind of roof would you like? That was a question I was asked when they were building my house. My options were thatch or zink. Well I didn’t really know since both materials aren’t too familiar to me. I could imagine that all kinds of creatures would like to nestle between the leaves so I was less positive about thatch. Zink it is.
After all maybe not a very good choice. Of all the little creatures that could live with you bats are of the most annoying kind. They make so much noise, beeping and banging against the roof, and cover the place with droppings. Sometimes they fall, get disoriented and then start flying around your room banging into everything that they can bang into.
Next to that they still have that scary vampire image. That thought is not completely misplaced. Guyana has a vampire bat, which feeds on horses, cows and people. A mosquito net doesn’t seem to stop them. Those are the last ones I want in my house.
The bats are clearly not acceptable so I started an investigation: How to get rid of bats? There are several theories. 1: You will never get rid of bats (obviously I didn’t hear this one); 2: Use pine tree oil, soak some cloths in it and stuff them into the holes were they like to sit; 3: Get razor grass (as sharp as it sounds – gloves recommended) and stuff it into the holes. Today we have first tried option 2. I will follow up on the results.
Guyanese wisdom
Wandering around my yard. Looking down, not because I’m feeling sad or anything but I am still afraid of stepping on things that I shouldn’t be stepping on. Snakes for example. My eye catches a cement plaque under a couple of leaves. Cleaning it with my feet a shock goes through my body. What if this is the Rupununi version of a grave stone? That would actually mean that some dead body is buried in my yard. Oh my god no! Sleepless nights! After cleaning it though I calmed down and caught myself smiling. The plaque provided me with a fine piece of Guyanese wisdom: We run thing, thing nu run we… Whoever put it there and for what reason remains a mystery. At least I know what my motto for 2011 will be.
Remarkable questions
A change of setting also implicates a change of thoughts that are running through ones mind. Thoughts you would never think of in a different setting. Questions that you do not know the answer to but do seem important enough to ask out loud. No, you don’t quite understand what I am talking about? Ok:
- How do cockroaches reproduce and how fast?
- Do frogs poop?
- Why is there a dead frog in my kettle?
- Is garlic related to onions?
- Do caiman eat people during the day?
- Would caiman like white meat more?
- Why are snakes attracted by used sanitary napkins?
- Why does my motorbike always stop working whenever I go through puddles?
- Could anyone please help me get my freaking motorbike out of the mud?
- How long will the light bulb keep burning now that it’s raining so much and the solar panels aren’t catching any sun?
- Why does the bleach doesn’t seem to get my clothes any whiter?
- Why did I bring any white clothes at all with all the orange dust around?
- Why are there cockroaches living in my wardrobe? Since when do they like to sit around clean clothes?
- How did those ants get through the seal of this container right into the sugar?
- What is an inverter?
Anybody answers? Please let me know!
-
12 Januari 2011 - 14:10
Barbie:
Ik weet alleen een antwoord op de vraag waarom je witte kleren mee zou nemen naar een land met oranje stof overal.
DAT DOE JE NIET!!!!!!!!!! haha.
AL die antwoorden op beestjesvragen geven mij al kriebels hier in NL haha. Gek genoeg ben ik nog steeds gemotiveerd om jouw kant op te komen. .. Zou echt te gek zijn om samen te gaan zoeken naar antwoorden! Succes ermee en leuk dat je snel weer schrijft! -
12 Januari 2011 - 15:09
Ome Hans En Margreet:
Hoi Tante Marieke
Van Harte Gefeliciteerd met je nichtje he
Dat is nog snel gegaan maar gelukkig is alles goed gegaan
Nou heel veel geluk en hou je goed snap dat het nu een beetje moeilijk zal zijn
Kus Ome Hans en Tante Margreet -
12 Januari 2011 - 19:26
Loes:
Antwoord op vraag 1:
VoortplantingEieren worden gelegd in pakketten; de uit het ei kruipende nimfen zijn na een zestal vervellingen volwassen. De ontwikkelingssnelheid is sterk afhankelijk van de temperatuur. De sissende kakkerlak is schijnlevendbarend: het vrouwtje bewaart de eierpakketten namelijk in haar lichaam. Als de eieren uitkomen 'baart' ze na een 'zwangerschap' van 60-70 dagen gedurende 1-2 dagen ongeveer 40 jongen. -
12 Januari 2011 - 19:31
Loes:
Antwoord op vraag 2: Ja, kikkers poepen :P Check www.poepboek.nl, haha! -
12 Januari 2011 - 19:58
Ida En Mannen:
dat heb je weer leuk omschreven!!! -
13 Januari 2011 - 07:28
Laura:
Aan tante marieke:
Van harte gefeliciteerd met je nichtje! Hoop dat je snel de kans krijgt om haar te zien.
Voor wat betreft je blog; ik heb weer in een scheur gelegen achter mijn bureautje. Beloof me dat je een boek uitbrengt over je avonturen in de jungle.
Dikke kus! -
13 Januari 2011 - 13:49
Jellina:
'We run thing, thing nu run we…'had ook op een T-shirt van een Chinees meisje kunnen staan ; )
Succes schat!
Dikke kus,
Jellientje. -
14 Januari 2011 - 20:59
Mark:
Dat zijn idd nogal wat vragen, die zeg maar nog meer vragen opwerpen dan antwoorden, maar goed ik zal mijn berekening even doen op de lamp.
Kijk, als de zon schijnt is het lichter dan wanneer het regent, op zich laadt een zonnepaneel zich op aan licht, niet zozeer aan "zonwarmte", dus... bij 30graden en 3u zon gedeeld door 8u donker en 3cm3 regen per uur en een 25watt lamp, dan doet ie ut nog... tot de energie op is... :).
groetjes uit een zwaar regenachtig Tilburg x -
15 Januari 2011 - 14:20
Tineke:
Dag kind,
Deze Oma had het te druk om het stukkie te lezen, daarom een late reactie.
Leuk om alweer een berichtje te ontvangen, hoop dat je vandaag mooie foto's gemaakt hebt van mooie vogels.
Kus uit Leeuwarden van de drie dames.
Mam. -
17 Januari 2011 - 20:03
Rien:
Inderdaad je moet zien dat je de nieuwe Baantjes, Vondel of……. wordt.
Zal ik je link doorsturen naar het reisprogramma van Floortje?
Kom graag in november antwoorden zoeken.
Kus van opa Rien -
19 Januari 2011 - 20:55
Gt In Holland:
Marieke,
Its really funny and enlightening reading your story of living in the rupununi. As a guyanese who's traded in the warmth for the polders of holland ....... i have to laugh hard at your questions. About the roaches you get used to them in time ...and yes sorry to inform you but a caiman will find white meat more attractive. However i think they wont be such a big problem during daylight hours.
and about yuh battery,...wen it run out u jus gatta gaff a truk driver for a bit while he run d motor and charge your battery...oh yeah an a inverter....thats to convert yuh 12 volt rite...ahhhh living out of guyana , i get forgetful.
Anyway hope you are havin a wonderful time in the rupununi!!!!
stanford -
20 Januari 2011 - 15:19
Marieke Timmer:
Hi Stanford,
Thanks for ur message! Didn't know that there's a GT-crowd in the Dutch polders, or r u the only one? Thanks for the advise, although the gaffin with truck drivers is a hard one. Once u start gaffin they never beat out! Anyways good luck in rainy and cold Holland (I know u need it). -
21 Januari 2011 - 23:07
Stanford:
Marieke,
too bad but here aint no guyanese crowd...after 7 yrs i have caught up with the brother of my grandmother...yes dat is family too even here in holland and there is one other guyanese woman i came across. For the rest i have to tell dutch ppl about my guyanese roots....its a funny story of ...where is dat ...luckily i can tell and sometimes convince ppl to try out eldorado...hahahah yes its here for a price .
About the rainy polders i have gotten used to it although i still think skating is way out there and aint learn as yet.
before i forget i have a question seeing that you live in the rupununi...does the bus to lethem still works and is the tail still navigable.....will be droppin in home at easter and i am exploring the opportunity of drooping in on ppl i know in the surama area. -
25 Februari 2011 - 17:12
Anna:
CD's aan een touwtje aan het plafond hangen moet ook helpen tegen vleermuizen... De lichtweerkaatsing moet ze afschrikken. Mijn probleem is nu "hoe krijg ik die CD's aan mijn plafond zonder ladder???" Doodeng die vleermuizen!!! Succes ermee!
X
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