Tuesday, May 17, 2011

My Honduras

I keep putting "my " before each of these posts because I was inspired by a TV show. It's not because I believe I own Honduras. So don't worry about a gringo take-over.

Anyway as to life in the 'most dangerous country in the world': it's good. I love being down here and helping. Spanish is starting to click (starting would be the key word there; I still have a monton more to learn than I know). The people are amazing, both here at Escalon and on each of the Vida en Accions I've been on. I mentioned to Guy that it's hard to grasp the extent of the poverty down here. Each time I'm in a mountain village I'm exhausted, my brain is fried, and I just don't have enough mental energy to fully understand what these people's life is like. Yet each time I find myself in these situations I understand just a bit more. And only with understanding comes empathy. Compassion can be there, and sympathy...but what these people need is empathy and a desire to see them out of their situation. So that's what I'm working on.

As to Escalon. The clinic here is busy as ever. We are in the middle of a flu outbreak here so I've been handing out Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen like its candy. Unfortunately for the students down here the gringo (me) doesn't want to give half the school an excuse to sit around and do nothing all day, so I'm still making them attend classes. They all sleep together each night anyway, so it's not as if the flu won't spread if I try and quarantine those who have it. No place to do so. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I'm currently running the clinic by myself without a translator. Makes for a very interesting day full of what seems like a continuous game of charades. Good stuff.

Well for those of you who are following this thank you. The more interesting of the previous posts is the one directly below this one, I promise.

Hope yall are having a wonderful time in the states. I'm gonna go ahead and give you an excuse to go out and eat a steak: it's for me. I've been craving one for about a week now...

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