I just lost a whole post entitled this.
Short story, my sister has been induced and we’re waiting.
We’re waiting at home!
I mean my sister and her husband are in the nursing home and mom, dad, niece/big girl and I are at home.
It’s weird because for big girl we were there until and after she was born.
For niece 2, we drove up to be there in time for the birth.
But because of big girl (who is thankfully sleeping), we are waiting at home…and getting sleep…some of us anywayz.
Eagerly awaiting arrival of niece number three/nephew number one.
Of course mom is calling it a boy…only wants a boy.
Poor granddaughters…might feel inadequate and unloved.
But…might be time today.
Or early tomorrow?
I’m an aunty for the second time!
My brother’s daughter was born yesterday at 10:55 am.
She weighs 6 lbs 8 oz and is 51 cm long.
And she looks surprisingly like my other niece (and her father!) and less like her other cousin (who was born 8 weeks ago and herself looks like her father!).
Either my mother (we blame mom) has very dominant genes or my brother’s in-laws have very recessive genes :-)
But yay.
But my brother isn’t here.
Oh.
And she’s very pink! and red!
I returned home from a two week trip to Guyana yesterday at 11 am.
We reached home at 1:30 pm.
On the way we stopped to see my sister-in-law and I opened one of my suitcases and took out some of the stuff that Big Sis sent for her.
It wasn’t until the next day (today!) 5 am, after we ate Suhur (meal before the start of the fast in Ramadhan) that my mom asked me if I had any dirty clothes.
Yesterday when I dragged myself upstairs I was so excited to tell my sisters that I wasn’t interrogated and no clothes were forcibly wrested from me. I slept. So I am announcing it to the WORLD!
By the way…Ramadhan (muslim month of fast) has started. We did our first fast on Thursday so RAMADHAN MUBARAK!
I just had a weird conversation with a Guyanese child and I better put it down before I forget it all, especially as some of it will be strongly paraphrased since I don’t totally understand the Guyanese phrases.
So, I’m spending the night by Chennette’s and somehow got conned into hanging out her last load of laundry on the line outside (never mind she delivered my dirty clothes back to Big Sis’ house). There’s a guard (more like watch lady) on the compound at night and it seems her granddaughter (according to Sister, the Elder) is sleeping on a table on the back, right outside Chennette’s back door.
I went outside, careful not to disturb her but she greeted me after I hung the second piece of clothes. Please note that this conversation is occurring as I walk in and out of the apartment with clothes to hang and she takes a bathroom break at some point.
Girl: You wear pants and skirts?
Me: Yeah! (I did think about this because I rarely wear skirts)
Girl: Oh, but I never see you wearing pants!
Me: (Realization dawns. Remember I am sleepy and this just happened 15minutes ago so it’s LATE! She’s looking at the laundry and thinking I’m Chennette!) Oh, you mean my sister. I’m not her. But yes she does wear pants and skirts, just skirts more often.
Girl: Can I get something to eat?
Me: (Thankfully we have something to eat. With Chennette’s travels this is not always a certainty but Chennette made me some cheese biscuits because I was starving as usual so I put three on a napkin and gave it to her).
Girl: Can I get some drink?
Me: Is water okay?
Girl: Drink?
Me: (*click* Drink in Guyana usually refers to soft drink or soda or pop or sweet drink…) Is water okay? We don’t have drink?
Girl: ok!
Me: (I fill her a glass of cold water and give it to her).
Girl: The biscuits come from a chicken place?
Me: What? Why?
Girl: They smell like they come from a chicken place.
Me: No, she just made them for me. They’re a bit salty.
Girl: She made them? oh!
Me: (Up to here I’m thinking I’m having a regular normal conversation with a little girl…not too strange).
Girl: Why you so big? Why you don’t drop some size?
Me: (I was a bit lost at first because I couldn’t understand what she was actually asking. Was she saying I was too big or I needed to be bigger) Well, if it was that easy to drop weight, I would have already.
Girl: You won’t be able to find anywhere to sit!
Me: (I must admit I wasn’t sure if she was saying I’d be too big to sit anywhere, or too big to find someone to hook up with so I told her I don’t understand. I am really trying to paraphrase what she was saying and on discussion with Chennette we decided it was I’d be too big for seats. So far I comfortably fit into airline chairs and other tight fits. In fact, I lost THREE whole pounds in the 6 weeks since I’d seen one doctor). I don’t understand.
Girl: You don’t speak/understand English?
Me: Yes! It’s Guyanese I don’t understand. (It’s true! Sometimes I don’t understand Big Sis’ niece and nephew and the phrases are different. Well I did get a look for that!)
Girl: You could buy me a phone?
Me: No…
Girl: You don’t have a phone?
Me: No…(okay I was stunned and Chennette says I should’ve asked her why I should buy her a phone).
Girl: Why you doing your washing so late?
Me: Because that’s when she has time to do it. Our mother bring us up so.
Girl: Why you bringing one piece of clothes? Why you don’t bring it all in a basket?
Me: Because I don’t know where the basket is and I don’t want to disturb her.
…
Girl: Oh, you have a washing machine.
Me: Yes.
Girl: When I grow up I want to work like you.
Me: What you mean?
Girl: I want to do what you do.
Me: What do I do?
Girl: You deal with papers.
Me: Um, that’s my sister. I’m a teacher.
Girl: Where do you teach?
Me: Trinidad.
Girl: English, Spanish…?
Me: Maths
Girl: No, you teach in English?
Me: Yes. Trinidad speaks English.
Girl: My mother says (only?) America does/doesn’t speak English. (I was confused!!)
Me: No, Guyana speaks English. Trinidad speaks English.
Girl: Is it America?
Me: It’s the Caribbean.
Girl: (a look)
Girl: I want to go to Trinidad. Will you take me to Trinidad?
Me: No.
Girl: I want to go Trinidad.
Me: Why?
Girl: To study.
Me: Well you can go Trinidad when you grow up.
Girl: No. My mommy says only children can go Trinidad.
Me: That’s not true. Adults can go Trinidad. (Hmmm considering she hasn’t heard of Trinidad and now she wants to go? Does somebody want Chennette to “adopt” her??).
Girl: *disbelief*
Me: (Anywayz, now I’m a bit *worried* to say the least. Can’t wait to finish hang out the clothes…success!) Well I’m done. Good night! Just leave the glass and we’ll pick it up in the morning.
There may have been more conversation but it must be blanked from my mind. I relayed most of it to Chennette so she might remember if there is anymore.
But…yikes!
I’m not sure what to say.
Chennette says I didn’t respond to her questions properly but I’ve not been properly prepared for this. I haven’t heard “stories”!
Isn’t being an aunty fun? :-)
Been sick the last month…very horrible…slept non-stop and it wasn’t restful.
Still enjoying this unemployed feeling tho. Got last paycheque. Hope to post *something* of substance one day. I posted pictures on flickr the other day….I will try to put links…feeling tired….must sleep….plane in 8 hours
IS NOW IN THE HOUSE!
So is cousin.
:-)
What shall I do with it until Chennette gets here TONIGHT!
:-)
