Mashramani

This week is a time of festivities building up to Mashramani, the annual event that celebrates Guyana as a newly formed Republic since 1970. Monday, Feb. 23 is the actual date and that day will be crazy with parades, costumes, dancing, and of course drinking and eating. There is no school on that day and Tuesday will probably be a slow day for all.

Part of the festivities include a cultural day at CI Primary where each grade adopts a culture that has contributed to the flavor of Guyana. The US is not the only melting pot, here in Guyana there is a blending of Amerindians, Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese, Europeans, Chinese, and Portuguese. I joined with the Afro-Guyanese 6^th graders and tried to find something in my wardrobe that resembled their dress. I asked my neighbor Didi to tie the wrap around my head with a fabric I had cut from one of my long dresses, but she could only do so much as I cut it too narrow. That's when I remembered the outfit that Mahim from Mali had made for me, but I could only pack so much and that was not one of the items I chose to bring. The wrap on my head only lasted til after lunch anyway because I was sweating even more profusely than I usually do.

European Display

Portuguese

Amerindian Hut

Indo-Guyanese

Very African looking!