... a rush

Note: I'm in a rush to finish this because the internet is shutting down soon, and I also had two nice Guatemalan boys chatting with me while I was writing this (polite social cues are lost on them). So sorry in advance for any errors!!!

Ah, I can´t believe this trip is almost over already! It has met or exceeded my expectations in almost every way, and now that it´s time for me to start disconnecting from things... it´s hard!

Mish-mash. That would describe my last two days here. On Wednesday I split time between the clinic and observing English classes. The big project in the clinic was de-lousing a bunch of long-haired girls. What a hilarious, reeeeediculous production this was. I also treated some warts, and did bits of translating here and there. My time in the English classes was less eventful, but it was really great to see the different teaching styles of all the volunteers and how the kids responded to each. The best part of my day was at the very beginning. In the morning I crossed paths with a boy named Hugo who had been in clinic yesterday afternoon. He has a big gash on his foot that the nurses had dressed and redressed several times, but it wasn´t healing well because he would then walk around the muddy grounds in flimsy sandals, caking the dressing with dirt. The sandals were his only pair of shoes, and if he continued this way the wound would undoubtedly get infected. So on Tuesday night I went into town to buy him shoes that would cover him up, and settled on a pair of knock off Crocs. I can´t tell you how good it felt to see him walking around in them on Wednesday, his wound protected, with a big smile. While some of the kids there can be unappreciative, you could tell he really felt special that I´d made a special trip to town to buy some shoes just for him. Every time I see him now, I still feel incredibly warm and fuzzy inside. It makes me wonder of the idea of altruism is BS... helping people just makes you feel damn good and you want more of that feeling.

Wednesday night was great as well, as all the volunteers went out for dinner, drinks and dancing. We went to a place called La Bendicion, reputed to be some of the best local food in Fronteras. I asked for the menu after my roomies and I arrived, and was directed to look at the plates of the voluntters that had arrived before us. There I saw I had two options: eggs with maduros, cheese, beans, and tortilla; or steak with cabbage, sauce and tortilla. I love that it was only either/or! Then we went back over the bridge to our hostel, Hotel Backpackers to hit the bar. One of the volunteers had his moped, and after much prompting, I joined him and another volunteer on the ride back. I regretted the decision almost immediately as each bump we hit inched my butt closer and closer to popping right off the back... oy!

We had a great time at Backpackers though... drinking Gallos (beer), dancing (not me), dancing on the bar (not me), and finishing the night with a swim in the river (again, not me). The volunteers are truly awesome. People from Spain, France, Brazil, Germany, Israel, the US, Australia, England... all very kind and total characters.

Today I was kinda tired and dragging for the morning... some clinic, some English, some third grade, some phys ed. There wasn´t a whole lot to do because a lot of classes are in exams. I´m learning the art of being firm and administering tough love. Had a lot of fun shooting hoops during gym with some of the girls. Getting pretty sad about leaving :( Today was the last day of one of the long term volunteers, and it was reeeeally tough to watch her saying goodbye to her kinder class.

Some things I´ve enjoyed or found amusing over the last week...
Hearing Spanish spoken all around me and speaking it myself :) The 12 million things that happen here that would NEVER EVER happen in the states (ie, kids working with machetes in their agricultural class). The terrible service in the restaurant at the hotel (ask for things and either you never receive them, or receive something else entirely). The fabulously quirky German volunteer who teaches English and for a week wore a mustache like Hitler`s. The way the kids prounce ice cream: ee-say-krem.