Here's a nice little cultural event for y'all. One of the biggest celebrations at the orphanage is for quinceaneras which is a girl's 15th birthday. In theory it's the same as our "Sweet 16"; it celebrates a girl's passing into womanhood. Since we can't have a party for every girl's 15th birthday, they have a huge annual party to celebrate all the girl's who turned 15 that year (there were about 16 of them this time around). It's taken very seriously here and we prepped for weeks for it. All the girls needed to learn how to dance the waltz (the European volunteers were put in charge of that since it's part of their normal school education. I offered to teach them to square dance but they didn't think it would fully capture the moment ;) They had gowns donated and NPH paid for a special dinner and decorations. All their families were invited to celebrate with us and lots of old volunteers from past years returned for the weekend.
Sadly, I had to work my shift in the clinic that day so I missed almost all of the party. I had a kid with a really high fever who I couldn't leave alone for very long, so aside from running in and grabbing a plate of food to go, I didn't really get to see anything, but for the sake of cultural awareness I'll fill you in on what I was told about it! The girls came in with an escort after everyone was seated (I DID get to see how crowded the place was. There were easily over 600 people there).
Some decorations. I have to give props to the folks in charge of decorating. For working with a minimal budget, they really made some nice stuff! High five for creative use of aluminum foil and drinking straws!
They immediately started their waltz which was a huge hit despite some of the difficulties the kids were running into during their practice sessions. After that there was some kind of ceremony where the priest talked about them growing into women. Apparently his speech was a little controversial since he talked about the importance of them having mother's in their lives and I guess was kind of a downer. I don't really know the whole story, I just know that a couple of volunteers were pretty pissed about it afterwards. After the priest spoke, he blessed gold rings that were given to the girls as a reminder of their bond to Christ (they'll wear these until they're replaced by engagement rings later in life [hopefully MUCH later in life]). The girl's sat at a special table and received wine and a fancy dinner (stuffed pork chops! Delicioso!).
Lots of drinks
Volunteers hard at work prepping food for everyone!
Once they were served everyone else ate and had cake (which was donated from some Germans volunteering at a local health clinic). Then it was like a regular party, lots of dancing and hanging out until the wee hours of the morning.
Since the parties traditionally don't end until after midnight, it was too late for the families to travel back to their homes so they slept in the clinic. It made for a hectic night trying to get folks settled in and then I was too nervous to go to sleep in case someone might need something through the night. They were all very nice and appreciative for the beds though, so it was nice!
Donation time! NPH couldn't survive without donations from other countries. We get food, clothes, medical supplies and money from all over the place. It's actually really funny to see kids here running around in T shirts that folks in the States donated. A lot of them are for school field days, 10Ks and old concerts. The kids will occasionally ask me to translate what they say, but for the most part they run around having absolutely no clue what their shirts say (this holds the same for lots of agencies in Guatemala. The other day I saw an old man walking around in a Tori Amos shirt and while I can't know for certain, I doubt he was a Tori fan). Anyway, a big group of visitors just came from the US. They had been staying in the clinic since we were short on beds at the organization and then yesterday they came in to let me know that they had a huge donation for the clinic. I was really happy since the donations really help us a lot.
Here's what 25 suitcases of donated goods look like!
Dr Nicole admires a bag full of toothpaste
Here's something else to add to my list of new things learned: how to give someone an enema when you don't have any Fleet enemas on hand. Not too challenging, just take a bottle of normal saline, add 10cc of surgical soap and a catheter and run on full. Worked like a charm
The other day we had chicharron for lunch which I'm thinking is the same as pork rinds. I've never had nor seen pork rinds before, but I think it's the same idea; basically chunks of pig skin that have been deep fried. The nurses were in a tizzy when they heard and they sent me to the cafeteria to ask for double the number of servings we actually needed (something they've NEVER done before). They made a mad dash for the bowl when I got back but were nice enough to hold themselves at bay while I snapped a photo. I tried a few but thought they were totally disgusting.
But here IS a lunch that I liked! It's just cabbage in a red sauce over rice. Nothing fancy but it tasted really good and was super filling!
Have I mentioned how freakishly large carrots are here?
Have I also mentioned how totally normal it is for 17 year old boys to snuggle during movies?
This week I went to La Familia (the local bar) with Holger, Dani, Myriam and two of the Tios. We had a really awesome time, talked a lot, listened to some music and then ended the evening with some dancing (of which I was only a bystander)
I had a bit of luck with the timing of my trip home to the States. When I got back here, it was just in time for the kids to leave for their vacations! Woohoo for double time off! Not that I really have time off, but with almost 75% of the kids gone for ten days, it's really quiet here. I spend most of my clinic shifts relaxing and reading, it's been super nice! Having less kids here has made it a lot easier to enjoy the physical beauty of this place, too. I've found myself taking walks around the grounds just to take in the scenery; its been a nice change.
Bright blue morning!
The grass went to seed this week. The soccer field looks like a meadow now. It's really soothing to watch the wind blow through it
I love looking at the farmlands up on the mountain
Check out this sunset with the volcano in the clouds
A particularly pretty sky over the clinic
Cool clouds rolling in before the nightly thunderstorm
I've only been off T for three weeks and I already feel awful. I used to be pretty horrible about doing my injections on time, so I pretty much knew what to expect as my hormone levels dropped, but it's still crappy. My sex drive is always the first thing to bottom out (which is a welcomed development here) but then that's followed by pretty hardcore depression which is what I'm settling into now. It's hard to determine what exactly is causing what. Is me feeling lonely just caused by being away from home? Am I feeling lost because I just finished that really awesome book that I had been reading for two weeks, and now I don't have anything to do? (I always go through a period of mourning after reading a good book) Regardless of the reasons, I know the T is amplifying everything. I've been pouty for days and all I want to do is come home and get married and have babies, hahaha. It's true though.
BUT! The rainbow to all this dreary news is I got my lab results back and everything is a-ok with my blood. I don't know if the pause in medication would have affected things that quickly or if I have my sudden passion for staying well hydrated to thank, but either way everything is fine so now I can start on a low dose again and get my head right. I'm glad for it and I know in another week or two I'll start to feel normal again. Until then I need to find happier books. I wanted a quick read to distract myself today and I had downloaded a free copy of The Giver a while ago, so I figured I could rip through that in a few hours. Dear Lord! What a horribly depressing book. I must have daydreamed through the last half of it in grade school because I had zero memory of it beyond the first few chapters. Anyway, I'm off to watch Mothra vs Godzilla because nothing makes me smile like the little island Priestesses singing the Mothra song (and watching small-scale models being destroyed).
My best week of my Guatemalan experience so far: going home to the US for a visit!! Awww, that's totally not true, though being away from home has given me a much deeper appreciation for being back in the States. Last week I went back home for ten glorious days and I made sure to take full advantage of everything that I had been missing: family, friends, community, food. But mostly food.
I stayed with Jamie for the bulk of my trip. She and Rob have been super supportive of this trip from the early stages, so it was great to share the bulk of my time with them. It's also super easy to relax at Jamie's house, so within an hour of getting there I was in deep veg mode. Add a comfy couch and endless B horror movies and you have the basic structure for the majority of my trip :) And look! PIZZA!!
Notice I couldn't even get the picture snapped before the pizza jammed itself into my mouth; such is our bond.
Jamie also cooked us this amazing meal while I was staying with her. OMG creamed spinach!! Keilbasa!!
I was finally able to hand out all my souvenirs too! I've had them under my bed since December. Originally when I came down I had plans to do a cross stitch for everyone as a Christmas gift, but since I'm obviously way too busy hanging out in my hammock and watching movies all the time, the only person who got one was Rob. He liked it a lot
After a relaxing day with Jamie and Lauren, I headed over to my best friend Stacy Dale's house. We had big plans for a beach day and then an all day hike, but we used the minor threat of rain to quickly cancel, and I proceeded to continue my couch sitting/movie watching. It was really nice just to chill with her since she's usually working around the clock. We made a delightfully American dinner for ourselves! Chicken and mashed potatoes with Coors Light!
Here's Stacy and Pepsi (who couldn't have possibly come to great me without dragging at least five toys with him)
I had dinner with my good friend Tracey who PROMISED she was going to come down and visit me before I head back to the States!!!!! I really hope that pans out because I'm dying to play tour guide to someone down here and share this experience with someone from back home. Tracey's pretty adventurous and loves to travel, so I know she'll get a huge kick out it here.
I also got to see Damien, my "little" brother. I've been mentoring Damien through Big Brothers Big Sisters for almost 6 years now. Even though he's monstrously huge, he's still an awesome little brother and is always there to lend support and advice when I need it (and quick to provide an awesome mixed CD or two to keep me hip on what the kids are into ;) Also, I take no responsibility for the arm.
Then it was off to NY, one of the most anticipated parts of this trip. I truly did feel like I was coming home as I stepped off the train from Jersey. Everything fell immediately back into place; feeling overwhelmed by the number of people and noises, being annoyed by all the tourists in the theater district, melting with happiness every time I saw some queer folks walking by holding hands. I was happy about everything. I started my 24 hour fly-by visit by heading to the doctor's and getting my scripts renewed. After that I started a fully booked escapade through all my friend groups. I met Pete and David P for lunch in Chelsea Market, Tania for tea in Bryant Park, David T at his job in midtown and after some momentary veg time at his apartment, we headed to Fort Greene for drinks and dinner with the group. About 15 people came to celebrate and keep me liquored up, which was naturally amazing. Several times throughout the night I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude for where my life has taken me, being surrounded by people who love and support so much.
Here's everybody!
Four of the greatest people I know
After the restaurant and more partying at Alana's house, we stumbled back to Davids and passed out (on the most comfortable air mattress I've ever slept on, I should add). The next morning after a painfully brief visit with Dan Durkin, David, Stuart, Dan K and I went for brunch in Manhattan. The waiter recommended a dish to us, and since I'm a sucker for anything with Hollandaise sauce, I jumped on it.
This is perhaps the weirdest combination ever. From bottom up: thick slice of french toast, apple slices, maple syrup (great so far), sausage, poached egg, hollandaise sauce. These are all the ingredients necessary for a delightful breakfast, but next time I hope they avoid the urge to pile them all together. After a few bites I ended up separating it into a sweet pile and a savory pile, which proved to be very successful afterwards.
After my NY visit, I took the train to Dad's house and had dinner with him and Gail. It was really nice to see him and catch them up on everything that's been going on. Gail made delightful cupcakes and her famous mac and cheese while Dad made amazing, thick American cheeseburgers.
I went to Mom's house Sunday to have dinner and discovered that she had prepared absolutely EVERYTHING that I had put on my wish list for a buffet-style dinner. There was pudding, pulled pork, chicken pot pies, hamburgers; everything I could ever want. It was amazing.
Kayla made chocolate cupcakes that I'm STILL dreaming about. AND she also made me my favorite brownies on the first day I was home so that I could slowly eat them throughout the week <3 She can be sweet when she wants to be
Mom's flower garden and rock garden looked amazing as always
Here's Rob, Jamie and Lauren doing their thing.
It was great to spend time all together with the family. Everyone was there, Mom, Jeff, all the kids, Flo and Rob's mom Carol. I told them some of the stories from the orphanage, but since they've been following along with the blogs, it was actually pretty easy to talk with them about what was going on without having to introduce a lot of new stuff.
The next two days were totally dedicated to Mom. We decided that the best way to enjoy one another's company was to run away. here we are getting ready to leave for our journey
And check out the awesome necklace Mom made for me! It's supposed to symbolize knowledge (as per the pre-fabricated inscription on the back of the medallion) but I'm saying its for growth since personal growth is something I place significant value on.
We headed down to Cape Way since neither of us had ever been there before. It was tons of fun. Mom's one of the few people I can never run out of things to talk about with. We were feeling spontaneous so when we passed a sign for a zoo, we ducked right in and walked around. I was totally psyched because they had a sign saying that baby snow leopards had just been born! Thus our quest to see the babies began.
The Cape May Zoo is hands down the nicest small-zoo I've ever been to. The habitats were super spacious and immaculately maintained, plus they had a pretty impressive assortment to see, not just a few deer and bison like some of the other small zoos around. There were staff all over the place working which made us wonder just how they're funded. There's no admission fee nor are you beat over the head for donations the whole way, so I can only guess it's somehow paid for through the town. Great place to check out!
Some bird
Some other bird (that I can semi-confidently say is a Toucan)
Only the slightest flutter of patriotism in my heart
Look at his cute face!!
A red panda, one of the cutest animals in the world!
We saw this duck walking her NINE newly hatched ducklings through puddles in front of this very attentive leopard.
Tortoises getting a bath
Tortoises getting it on
Lion
One of my Mom's special talents is finding frogs (Tracey, avert your eyes!) As we were walking over a bridge mom found a HUGE bullfrog just hanging out in the shade
Some turtles chillin with some ducks
Mom told me a story earlier in the day about these weird long-necked turtles that looked like snakes when seen from out of the water. Lo and behold, said turtles were awaiting us in the reptile house
Hanging with the zebras
Omg, what kind of hideous malformed creature is this?! (That was a reenactment of my initial reaction to seeing this thing. Hope you enjoyed it)
Finally we made it to the snow leopard cage! Guess, what! They were no where to be seen :( After waiting for ten minutes or so, one of the babies finally popped his head out just long enough for me to feel satisfied.
After the zoo we headed to town and went down to the ocean. Here's the Jersey shore! Totally devoid of meatheads, I might add. It's really quiet down in Cape May, guess people don't feel like driving that far so they stop at some of the closer beaches. We saw dolphins :D
And (dead) horseshoe crabs!
Random beach shots
My mom is so pretty
Almost as pretty as me :)
The town of Cape May is really cute too. It's all bed and breakfasts set in old victorians. There's a ton if little shops and art galleries around. It was very nice. Here's our bed and breakfast.
Mom had a thing for all the iron gates around town while I admired the stairs at this house (and the gorgeous color scheme)
Here's a shot of all the little stores
For dinner in Cape May, Mom found the last item on my wish list: Chicken Parm! It was a pretty nice restaurant that we ate in, super quiet with decent beer. We were able to have a nice chat together :)
Sadly our little trip marked the end of my time in the States. I felt proud of all I accomplished in my little time though. I spent tons of time with my family and friends, tackled some boring administrative stuff like renewing my nuring license and replacing my driver's license, and still managed to stock up on chocolate and girl scout cookies for all of us back at NPH. Originally I had been worried that I wouldn't want to go back to Guatemala after being reintroduced to everything I was missing in the states, but actually it was just enough to reassure me that everything is still there waiting for me. I can focus on making the most of the rest of my time here and know that when I go home I'll be able to pick up where I left off, with the same great people in my life.
