Hoy, estabamos estudiantes muy ocupadas ( = today were were very busy students). We enjoyed an action-packed morning while working/observing in the hectic community clinic. The duration of the late morning and afternoon was spent in the barrio (=neighborhood) doing two long visits with our individual families. It was a long day trying to think, talk, write, read and nurse in all-spanish.
Due to mental & physical exhaustion the authors of NicarBlogua are simply going to bullet point a collection of random thoughts.
Pensamientos de Alicia:
-"Guilty pleasure" was translated into spanish as "Pizza Hut." As in: "We ordered Pizza Hut for dinner on our second night in Nicaragua." Gleeful Gluttony is an synonym.
-Even while 1,200 miles away from North Carolina, I am fondly reminded of the lovely summer nights we are missing...What brings on this sharp pain of nostalgia?...The Q5 minutes terrible intense itching which flares up in the 17 bug bites on my feet and shins (garnered on my last night in Durham).
-While being held captive by a brief afternoon torrential downpour, I marvelled at how beautiful the barrio can be. The "tip-tap" of fat raindrops on our familia's tin roof sounded like a Dvojak symphony to me (google/youtube that if the link doesn't work). The smiles and waves of ninos chiquitos from their barred windows and yards warmed my heart like concentrated sunshine. Even the causeway full of basura (trash) that bordered the backyard of our families' habitaciones lookes like a colorful confetti spray on the rich dirt ravine. Forget expensive landscaping, the prettiest plant I saw today was a baby palm plant growing out of the side of an old Coca Cola bottle.
-As I sat and listened to the mother of my interviewing family talk about the gangs in her neighborhood, and fears of her house's dirt foundation being washed away in the next rainstorm my eyes were opened. Community health care is about more than building a free clinic in the middle of the barrio or keeping track of statistics of illness and death by region. It is about getting to know the stories and struggles of the people. A community health care worker must understand the difficulty of needing to walk 20 minutes to a busy community center to get a preventative or maintenance medicine when one is struggling to have their basic nutrition needs met daily.
--One of my classmates shared her observation "There is no quick fix or band aid that we can offer for the two weeks we are here."
--Despite living life without our home "necessities" of hot & running water in the house, a flushing toilet in an indoor bathroom, a linoleum floor with a concrete foundation--our hosts are still worried about us. Are the Duke nursing students comfortable? Do they have a local guide? Are they thirsty or tired? As much as we hoped to visit Nicaragua to help the population here, they are providing for us. Generosity and kindheartedness embodied.
--A thought with less importance: pineapple tastes better in Nicaragua.
--The more we learn about C.I. Jane, the more we discover a nursing and traveling superhero.
--Folks here really like gatorade! We are provided with this electrolyte-amping fluid at least twice a day, everday since we arrived.
--Why even bother to try eating a vegetarian diet here? Chicken and carne asada are the names of the game.
--Doing schoolwork and having lectures are more fun in the community Centro Academico than in the traditional classroom.
--We have so much more to learn in the next 9 days.
Buenas noches for now. More posts to come!
--Alicia
P.S. Thanks to my roomate, Jessie, for the photos!
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