6 days to go (Update)
I haven't written a blog post in a pretty long time, so with 6 days to go, I thought I'd give an update with what's been happening. So brace yourselves ...
Vaccinations
I've had all my vaccinations now. Rabies, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Yellow Fever and BCG (Tuberculosis). I haven't been ill from any of them, but my BCG has eventually kicked in (after about 3 weeks after getting it) and now there's a nice wee hole in my arm. I won't go into details, but it's grimly interesting.
Training
I should really dedicate a whole blog post to this, and I should have done it as soon as I got back, but life disagreed with this. Anyway, training was from the 10th - 14th, and has to have been the most intensive few days I have experienced in life so far. Also on our course were the Namibian volunteers, two South African volunteers and the Ghanan's. I'm convinced that Project Trust must have put the two countries together on purpose. I don't know how many times Guyana and Ghana get muddled! My partner - Rosie - and I spent the course living in a tent, which wasn't too bad, despite the infestations of earwigs, the 'front porch' launching itself into the air one night due to the wind, and my soggy socks (I'd left them outside by accident). We learned about all aspects of Guyanese life, how to teach, how to stay healthy, and what the conditions were like in our project. It's amazing how much information they manage to cram into a few days with a wild bunch of hyperactive but at the same time exhausted volunteers.
Other Shenanigans
The past couple fo months have been pretty hectic. I turned 18 a couple of weeks ago, held my first leaving party (and drunk a little more rum than was wise), travelled to York for my 2nd leaving party, was introduced to the joys/terrors of clubbing, came home, and held my 3rd leaving party.
Before all that, I also attended my 7th ecoweek. Ecoweeks are childrens holiday camps for kids interested in all things eco. Basically it always turns into a Lord of the Rings and Les Misrables convention, with a bit of tree hugging thrown in. I went to 3 as a child, then returned as a volunteer when I grew too old. The ecoweek I attended this year was at the Centre for Alternative Technology in mid-Wales, a place I have not been on an ecoweek in since I was about 14. It was nice to return, although I had forgotten how inconvenient the kitchens are when cooking for nearly 40 hungry volunteers and children. Ecoweeks have always been a pretty big part of my life, so I'm going to make every effort to do one next year when I return, even if it does mean going there straight from the airport, with no belongings other than a hammock, a machete and a few bottles of rum.
Also, I recieved my exam results a few days ago. I was slightly dissapointed for some subjects. I recieved a B in Advanced Higher History, a D in Advanced Higher Geography, a D in Higher Art, and an A in Intermediate 2 Travel & Tourism. Although I did not get the B I needed to get into the university course of my choice, for some reason they accepted me anyway. Never underestimate the power of a Personal Statement! So when I return from Guyana, I will be heading off to Glasgow University's Dumfries Campus to study Environmental Stewardship.