Monday, January 24, 2011

Guyana Graem's Red Table Wine

Hello Everyone,

Our Neighbor
How are you all doing?  We are doing good.  Time just keeps on flying by.  Next week we already have to go back to Suriname.  This trip we are going all the way to the capital.  We are really excited.  From what we have heard, Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, is a beautiful, fun city.  The population of Suriname is very diverse.  That means a variety of delicious food from different countries.  Yay!  A break from curry.  I even hear they have a Tapas restaurant.  And a McDonalds!  I usually don't eat the old Mickey'D's, but I am going to crush a big mac.  In addition to eating our way through Paramaribo, we are going to go to the Sign Language meetings there.  It will be in Surinamese Sign Language, but no doubt will be fun.  We are going to stay with a couple we meet at the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses here in Guyana.

Jamun wine on the left, Pineapple wine on right.
I have channeled my hill billy roots and started making liquor at home.  To be exact, wine.  My first batch is some pineapple wine which will be ready for drinking in one week.  My second experiment was Jamun wine.  Jamun is a small fruit that resembles a grape but grows in clusters on a tree.  We have a tree.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get enough fruit to make more than a glass of wine.  We all tasted the jamun wine and the verdict was, a little tart.  I want to do it again, but try a different recipe.  I will let you know what happens.  But, don't be surprised if you see a bottle of Guyana Graems Red table wine in your local purveyor of fine foods & libations.  Here is a link to an article about Jamuns:  http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/the-scene/10/17/it%E2%80%99s-purple-it%E2%80%99s-grape-like-it%E2%80%99s-jamun/

Renny
The Bible studies continue to be good.  We want to go and try to meet more deaf in some other villages, but we just don't have the time.  We need some help.  Come on down.  Teaching here is a mixture of frustration and joy.  Frustration in that at times we struggle to explain ideas or concepts.  It took 2 weeks to explain the concept that God made everything.  Really, it was the concept of 'make' that Renny didn't get.  He would tell me he understands, but it was obvious he didn't.  You can tell on a person's face and by their body language when they really understand.  So after explaining 'make' in as many ways as I could, with as many different pictures I could draw, it finally clicked.  Before, he would sign it right.  "All around God made."  But this time you could see ii in his eyes, face and body. He got it!  The light bulb flicked on.  And in true Renny fashion, after he gets a point or answers right, he shakes your hand.  Not sure why, but that hand shake brought me the joy and satisfaction in knowing he got the point. 

Guyanese word of the day:  Pickni.  Translation: Children.  For those who got our emails 3 years ago you will recognize this word.   Recently I had a auntie tell me that I was "a bad pickni", meaning I was a bad child.  That was Renny's mother.

Love,
G&J