Much like home, but not quite.

Since arriving last Saturday, September 11th, I've realized that Suriname will be difficult to define in less than a million words.   Well, maybe less than a million.

 

If you didn't know already, I'm taking part in an internship with the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Suriname Trade and Industry Association for 6 months, finishing in March 2011.  The goals and objectives of the program is to build planning capacity in Suriname and enhance cultural awareness between Suriname and Canada.  After only 5 days here, I'm starting to get a feel for what life in this country will bring: namely a relatively difficult culture to define as there are many, including Dutch, Chinese, Indian, Amerindian, Caribbean, African, Brazilian and multiple religions and customs.  Just to give you an example of how multicultural Suriname is, there is a large mosque and synagogue sitting right next to each other; one of a very few examples of this in the world.  (I'll be posting some pictures of this as soon as I buy a new camera, then you'll be flabbergasted and just how great my photography is!)

A large portion of the colonial Dutch downtown has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site and has fantastic examples of 18th and 19th century architecture.   I'll be posting some more pictures soon so you can get an idea of just how beautiful the city of Paramaribo is.

There are not many beaches here, but apparently there is a great spot about 40 minutes from town called "White Beach" which has cabins you can rent overnight and is laced with palm trees and beautiful white sand.  Suriname is not a huge beach country with the culture focused much more around the Surinama River and the fishing industry, although I've heard there are some good beaches along the coast, you just have to travel to them.  This aint Miami Beach!

Altogether, I have to say it's been a good experience thus far.  The residence we're staying in is definitely clean and has all the amenities a spoiled Canadian like myself requires, with one major exception, pounding music from the strip club behind our residence!   Sunday nights are apparently their big night and all I could hear last Sunday was some guy announcing in Dutch: "the next dancer on stage, please," or something to that effect :)  Either way, the food has been delicious, albeit fattening and sugary with Roti, fried fish/chicken and a hybrid of indonesian, javanese, indian, dutch and creole foods being available anywhere, especially the morning market on the Waterkant; a bustling place with a diversity of food choices for cheap prices are available, but if you miss the market, you have to settle for the more expensive grocery stores, where prices are similar to Canada, ie: expensive!!

I'm settling in well and start work on Monday at an engineering firm, where I'll be helping out on a regional planning model focusing on environmental issues (at least that's what I think I'll be doing).  

Will keep y'all posted and until then and let me know if you'd like to come for a visit. Until then, Danke Shoen!     Here's a little picture to keep you amused :)  (this was taken in Trinidad and Tobago the day before we arrived in Suriname).