First Day of Volunteering!

If it hasn't been made clear enough in my blog thus far, I am definitely learning that things usually do not go as planned. In fact, I think it's better to eliminate the word "plan" completely from my Spanish vocabulary and change it to "possibility." I started volunteering today, not my possible start date of yesterday.  This was actually was a huge relief because I was so exhausted from traveling. Instead of the possibility to volunteer at the hospital in labor and delivery, I will be working in many clinics throughout Trujillo.  So... no baby catching for me!  There is a slight possibility that I am going to work tomorrow night 7PM-8AM in the delivery room which would be amazing!  But... I am not going to get my hold my breath! :)

This morning I ventured into a poorer neighborhood of Trujillo, where I'll be helping in multiple specialties. Today, I worked in family medicine and in just 3.5 hours we saw 25 patients and three pharmaceutical reps! Whew! Literally no sooner had the patient walked out of the door and the next patient was being called into the room. Charts are no more than a stack of papers stapled together, examinations are sporadic, and some sort of medication was given to every patient. Antibiotics were prescribed for most symptoms: from stomachaches to sore throats to coughs.

Also advised by the doctor was drinking lots of LUKEWARM beverages. Never, ever, are the patients to drink cold beverages. If they do happen to drink something cold, the doctor told the patients that it will aggrevate their symptoms and they will only get more sick. One patient had a fever and a slightly redder-than-normal throat and the doctor said that it was caused by the ice cream she had eaten the previous day. It is no joke that Peruvians truly believe cold drinks, foods, showers, etc. can cause sore throats and flu-like symptoms. Definitely a difference from what I am used to. I get many stares at the gym when I drink my refrigerated water. Although it is probably becuase I am a gringa and not as much the water. :) All in all, it was a fabulous first day and a true learning experience! The majority of the patients were children and infants which was exactly what I wanted to see!

One of the funniest parts of the day was meeting with the pharmaceutical reps. For all my fellow OPA'ers, it was quite the change from what we're used to! The rep handed a drug sample to the doctor and gives a 15 second speech on how it will help the patients (most saying, "it will solve all of the patients' problems, it is the most effective on the market, and you will be very pleased!"). Out of the bag comes another box if medicine, and the same speech is given. This goes on for approximately 3 minutes and they shake hands and in comes the next patient without skipping a beat. I was given approximately 20 samples today from arthritis drugs to iron-fortified pain medications. Very interesting!

Tomorrow I get to work in obstetrics and help with pregnancy exams. The doctor informed me today that the average first-time mother they see in their clinic is around 17 years old. By the time they are 30, most mothers have 4 children. I asked about contraceptives and she said that many do not take it for one of two reasons: either they are not well educated and don't know how to take the prescriptions correctly, or that their significant other believes taking the pills will increase the likelihood of her infidelity, so they do not allow it. Most of the mothers are just children themselves and it is not uncommon to see 12-year-old mothers in the clinic. My experiences are definitely humbling and put my superficial complaints into perspective. It makes me ask myself what is truly important and how incredibly much I have to be thankful for. I challenge you to live vicariously through me and remember how blessed we are to be Americans!

Peruvian Time

Fact: Things just move slower in Peru.

When walking down the street, people tend to move at a very leisurely pace, even when they are running late. If you happen to say, "tengo prisa!" (I'm in a hurry), they give you either a glare or a deer-in-the-headlights blank stare. Unlike a certain someone who is used to mapping every second of the day (e.g. wake up at 4:45AM, gym at 5:30AM, work from 7:30AM-4:30PM, run at 5:00PM, 6:00-11:00PM to include: grocery store, clean the floors, study/work on applications, cook, eat, spend time with friends/family, get stuff ready for tomorrow, fall asleep while reading and... repeat! Who could this be?!), their days are less rushed.  Time is spent doing what is absolutely necessary with the ones they love: Relaxed breakfast, leisurely walk to work, walk home to have a gigantic lunch, 2-hour siesta, walk back to work, walk home and enjoy a light dinner with family and friends.  That is not to say that life is not hard here.  I cannot even begin to fathom the stressors that they face on a daily basis!  As I said above, things just move slower, not easier. 

That being said, it has been a challenge to adapt to their slow pace.  I love the lifestyle: A built in naptime for adults?  Sign me up!  Required lunch breaks?! Yes, please! Walking everywhere? Sounds amazing! But when it comes business, (specifically the LAN airlines lost luggage department) it is a whole different story.  Two days have passed since my luggage disappeared, and the airlines doesn't seem to think it's an issue.  I have called probably 15 times, spoken to different people (in Spanish, which is frustrating in itself!), to find out, "Lo siento señorita, no sabemos nada.  Pero estamos buscando." (Sorry Miss, we don't know anything.  But we are looking.)  I suppose it is a blessing that they are speaking in Spanish because my vocabulary isn't good enough to tell them what I really want to say.  I am trying to change my frame of mind today, because I know everything happens for a reason.  Either this is a really mean lesson in surviving as a smelly person, or it's a lesson in handling things outside my control.  I suppose it's the latter, but I definitely do not smell very good!  I am very grateful that I have my sister here to lend me clothes and shoes, and I am learning that things can be easily replaced.  Well, everything except for the 5 lb block of Cheddar Cheese that I was bringing down for Amber.  Mmm... can you imagine how good my clothes are going to smell if they do find my luggage?!  Maybe I should be thankful for the way I smell now... :)

"Sexy Woman" and Downhill Adventures!

The past two days we have spent enjoying the beautiful city of Cusco. The city is so full of history and culture, it is a challenge to drag yourself away at night to sleep. Yesterday we explored the Incan ruins called Saqsaywaman. At breakfast, with me not yet knowing our day's agenda, my dad said, "I'm really excited to go see 'sexy woman' (Saqsaywaman) today!" It gave us all a good laugh!

The Saqsaywaman ruins are on the mountains above Cusco and feature three-tiered defense walls made of limestone and volcanic rock. The structure was considered by some a fortress and to others, a place of worship. The stones used in the construction of the three terraces are said to be among the largest used in any building in prehispanic America. I was in awe of the precise placement of each stone! The stones are so closely spaced that not even a single piece of paper could fit between them. The largest stone is estimated to weigh between 128 to 200 TONS! It is truly a work of art!



Locals enjoying the Festival

One of the things I am learning very quickly about Peru is that every day is an adventure. After a wonderful tour of Saqsaywaman, we crammed into our small, beat-up, barely held together taxi and decided it was time for a delicious lunch in Cusco. The driver turns the key in the ignition and... nada. Let me just paint this picture: A mountain, a one-lane road leading down (with no guard rails, of course) buses, other cars, stray dogs, small children, and four gringos packed into a MUCH too small taxi that won't start. Quite the dilemma... but do not fear, Miguel, our driver is here! He quickly jumped out of the car and does a seven-point turn, in neutral, to move the car without hitting any other objects. Perfect, we are now facing down the mountain, in neutral, in a car that may or may not start. My dad jumps out to help push the car downward and once we strted rolling, he and the driver try to cram back in, nearly missing and/or losing a leg! Once rolling, the driver turned the key and voila! The car started! The best part was watching all of the locals' faces as we almost rolled off the mountain. Pure delight on their eyes, haha! We proceeded to head down to Cusco and enjoy an afternoon filled with more sightseeing!



Anniversary Festival

My favorite part of traveling is the spontaneity; the ability to change your schedule whenever you desire.  Our last day in Cusco we planned to see the museums, churches, and historical buildings.  As we walked down the steep hill from our hotel to the Plaza de Armas, we heard loud music, laughing, and cheering.  It turns out it was an anniversary festival!  (We couldn't figure out what anniversary was for, but as my sister says, Peruvians love to celebrate, so it didn't matter!)  There was a parade of dancers performing dances specific to their region of Cusco.  They were dressed in their beautiful native clothing with not a cloud in the sky (at 10,912 feet = very intense sun!).  It was such an amazing sight.  Vendors sold hats, umbrellas, ice cream, watermelon, and a frozen treat called Marcianos, which are flavored frozen cream sold in plastic baggies.  Children ran around, dancing to the music, their chins dripping with ice cream.  Meanwhile, my family stood in awe of all the photo opportunities (if you know my Dad, he was in heaven!).  I probably took 200 pictures alone.  It was a photographer's paradise and an amazing cultural experience. We did make it to a couple museums, but nothing compared to the festival!