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Thursday, October 28, 2010

1000Smiles2010 Day 13

Days 12 & 13

The week is quickly coming to a close. Yesterday was fairly uneventful, woke up, long drive to work, helped as many in the community as possible, long drive home, dinner and hanging at home. In the clinic Nurse Winsome is really warming to all of us. She brings us treats, shares in jokes and smiles, and today arranged curried goat lunch from the store down the hill. We are really lucky to have her and the other Ministry ladies as part of our fantastic team.

I feel blessed to be able to do such amazing work in such an amazing community with such amazing co-volunteers. I have to admit I was fearful of having the Temple and OSU D4s arrive this week. I was enjoying the chill vibe and wasnt into the thought of our shared resort home turning into a frat house. I couldnt have been more wrong. The guys that are on my team have enhanced my second week here. They truly are really sweet, caring, nice guys who are open and receptive to the world and the needs around them. Something that happened yesterday that I though was really cool: We were on our way to work and stuck in the usual Downtown Mo' Bay traffic. Just as we were approaching the Shell station to fill up for the generator we passed a man pushing his truck along the side of the road. Brad looked at Ben and said, "dude, should we get out and help him push?"

I'd like to say that I'm always able to see more than 10 inches from my own face, but seeing a man push a truck down the road early in the morning, in the heat just doesnt really come across my radar. Brad was being serious, and it was just the natural response to what the right thing is to do in that situation. Luckily the man got the truck started and the guys didnt have to help intervene. But it was a great thought and intention. You go Ohio farm boys!

After work yesterday a group of about 25 of us went to Scotchies for dinner. I do love that place. Good vibe, good food, lots of fun and lots of Wray and Nephew Overproof. We were splitting flasks and Cokes, Papa Joe sent me over a rum and redbull and the owner was buying us drinks as well. This led to an evening of debaucherous drinking, off tune karaoke, random long hallway conversations that involve pulling up chairs they last so long, topped off by shooting darts with Montego Bay police in full gear in the Pub. Hellooo hangover!

This morning I was annoyed with myself for not feeling good. I *did* have a great time last night, but I was feeling it today! I wasn't able to eat much at breakfast, and luckily was able to sleep a lot on the drive up to Maroon Town. When we got to the clinic I realized I was walking through the waiting room and down the hall without looking up or saying good morning to anyone. I was so annoyed with myself and vowed from that moment on that I was not going to let my own frun the night before short change anyone else from experiencing my piece of the love bubble.

Unfortunately during the day our power went out in the clinic. Most of the work could still be done running off of the generator, but it did slow us down. The chairs were stuck in the positions they were in when the power went down, the over head lights were not working, the fans went off (!!!) and it was SO hot, and we were down to one autoclave that could run off of the generator. I have to admit that there were some people working in the clinic today that chose to do less work instead of working a little bit harder to overcome the power down limitations. It made me sad and frustrated. Our patients come from so far away, wait so long so patiently. It it my own mission to help serve as many as possible.

After work a big group of us went to Glistening Waters in Falmouth. The sky was so clear tonight. There were so many stars. It just about took my breath away, and almost immediately gave me a feeling of peace and calm. The universe is so vast and so random. We have such a short time here. We are such significant and insignifiant beings at the same time. I felt relaxed and happy, and it made me miss the heck out of Peter. I've been missing him a lot today, and this is something that I would have loved to share the experience with. After a short boat ride out into the brackish waster we jumped in the with bioluminescent fish. They were themselves little twinkeling stars in the water. It was a cool experience. In the boat on the way back to the pier I met a man who was from Maroon Town. He had family visiting from England and took them out to the lagoon tonight. He was really supportive of all of the work we were doing, he knew Preacher - I swear, this man knows everyone! - His name was Perry and he told me about growing up in Maroon Town, and that his family owning the largest banana farm in the community. I told him I was familiar with the farm, and that I really enjoyed being up in the community for the past two weeks.

I can't believe that tomorrow is Friday already! We have a short clinic day tomorrow, and then have lots of packing up of gear so that it can get transferred over to Negril next week. Just one more day, I can't believe it! So very very bittersweet!

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