Friday, February 10, 2012

There are new kids here today from the International University. Every one of them is helpful and kind. One in particular, I’ve come to know is Ale (pronounced “alley”). We hope to stay in touch with one another. She comes to the States and has relatives on the east and west coasts.

I realized today that what I have been doing all week is living fully in the moment and accepting each person and event that comes my way. I guess I don’t always do that at home and work, always pushing for more time or working like a mad-woman trying to accomplish just one more project or email at work and doing exactly the same at home on weekends. No down time in my life – just a crazy pursuit. It is different here because I am here – simply put. I am in each moment with few forward anticipations.

The crowds are starting to thin somewhat, but Ojas 1 (visual acuity) has a full house. I saw (and photographed) an older woman with a huge goiter on her neck. It was the size of a mango, hanging off the right side of her chin/neck and looked painful, or at least limiting. I’m not sure what we might do with her, perhaps a referral to a San Salvador hospital? I do not know if it is operable. Saw another campesino with a machete. I thought the machetes might be for agriculture, but earlier this week, I learned that one of the campesinos says he has it for protection. He told an interpreter that he lives in a “bad area.”
All the clinics are busy.

Deb, the CNM and my roommate sees a woman who is term and is having cramping. Deb doesn’t think she is in labor but is going to check. Every once in a while, I peer carefully around the blue-tarp room divider in Mujeres (Women’s Clinic) and get some shots of CNM Deb and her interpreter Pam, at work.

Some More Observations:
· All the children can attend public school. And they all wear matching uniforms. Navy blue uniforms for boys and girls, modest closed toes shoes and white socks (“knee high” socks for the girls).
· The public transportation are all “school bus” style, but painted very bright, what I might call “Hispanic colors” as always they are brilliant bright colors. The destination or route is painted on the front of the bus. These I see, run between San Jose Villanueva, Santa Clara and Santa Tecla villages. The buses all have symbols of Jesus or Guadalupe, as well as cartoony figures.
· Music in the church’s play center-stage. There are band sets and microphones in the San Jose Villanueva Sanctuary her at Clinic as well and it was used on Sunday!
· One of the popular hydrations for the people of the village, sold by the vendors, is something (sugary it appears by its color) frozen in a light-weight plastic baggie, tubular in nature and wrapped at the top. Held in the hand, as it melts, the person sucks off the juice from the top of the baggie.
· Today, I see more of the Paz Salud volunteers out taking photos from their personal cameras or smart-phones. They show each other the photos and delight in their catches.
· I’ve never seen a more photographable population. They are perfect subjects in part, because they are willing!