Even though today was meant as a work day, we really did
very little. The posters that we created from yesterday were made into
presentations, which we used to present to each other and Deanna in the
morning. I thought it was interesting to see how different perspectives can
take the same information and form completely different projects; while my
group focused on existing issues, target audiences, methods of education, and
resources to help us with the education. The group that had the poster that was
most different from ours was organized the information with a roadmap based on
the dissemination of knowledge, and all the details fit under one of those
categories (like existing knowledge, gaps in knowledge, etc.)
When it was lunch time, I think we were all disappointed to
see plantains and beans/chili (without meat) being served. I’m usually not one
to complain about food because I understand how privileged I am to always know
that I will have access to it, but our diet here largely consists of rice,
beans, tomatoes (in the form of sauce, usually), fries, and fruit (the white
pineapple, mango, watermelon, and non-GMO bananas are quite delicious). It’s
not much different from what is eaten in the communities that we are trying to
serve, which is cool. Getting used to the limited choices and eating the same
things multiple times in a week is less cool, and plantains and beans are our
least favorite meal, collectively. It’s not terrible, but definitely not my
meal of choice.
We were supposed to spend the afternoon entering the
information that we gathered from our medical brigade into the data informatics
system, but the guy that was supposed to teach us how to do it was mysterious
MIA. Because we understood the cultural norm of a lax schedule (things that are
scheduled to start at a certain time means that’s not actually going to happen
until at least 20 minutes after), we waited for him for a couple hours. When it
seemed as if he wasn’t going to show, we went “to the beach” instead.
I put that in quotations because we actually ended up going
to the beach resort and sitting on lounge chairs that overlook the beach, with
a beautiful view but not an obligation to get near the water. Some of the
interns ordered food and drink and we spent several hours just admiring the
view.
When we got back, we started to clean the sand off our
clothes and feet for a while until we saw the members of the medical brigade
that is living in the compound with us lining up for dinner. At least the rice
and fries and fruit were worth it! The main reason that we now have to line up
for dinner is because everyone wants to eat but there is a limited amount of
food, especially those dishes that are most desired – like fries – and those
tend to run out if you get there late.
We had no further agenda, so after it got dark and the power
went out once again, all the interns gathered up on the roof to look at the
stars. It was a very clear night and the moon was nowhere to be seen, so the
view was absolutely breathtaking. I
know that there are a lot of stars to be seen in suburban Austin where I grew
up, but that view is nothing compared
to what I could see on the roof. There were so many tiny lights against the
midnight blue backdrop of the sky, and I could see the faint lights of what
looks to be a galaxy of stars in the background of the individual stars. I’ve
never imagined just how beautiful it really is or how low in the horizon these
stars can go before they all disappear, and I’m disappointed that I couldn’t
take any pictures. It was so easy to understand why we can't see that kind of view in the United States, because as soon as the power came on and the grounds were lit up, more than half of the stars were no longer visible. Combine that with the low levels of electricity and automobile usage, the clear skies make a lot of sense.
The kind of peace that comes with a view like that is
unparalleled.
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