Today marked the beginning of my CFHI program entitled, "Intensive Beginner Spanish and Healthcare in Oaxaca, Mexico." I awoke at 7:15 am to the beep of my watch alarm and the high-pitched buzzing of a seemingly overexcited mosquito hovering around my ear. I was told that mosquitoes would not be a problem in Oaxaca, but that advice is proving to be incorrect...I have probably killed about 5 of those blood-sucking bastards while praying they don't carry the parasite for malaria! So far so good, but we'll have to wait and see. It seems like I am sort sort of mosquito magnet, but I'll just say mi sangre es demasiado dulce (my blood is too sweet).
Breakfast was again good, with té con límon, tortillas filled with cheese, and fresh papaya and banana. A friend of my host family, Juan, joined us (Avi, Maddy, and myself) for breakfast. He is originally from Massachusetts, but has spent the last 8 years working in Oaxaca as a teacher and president of the Lion's Club. I think this is pretty cool because, as he explained, the Lion's Club donates numerous pairs of used glasses from the US to areas that desperately need cheap or even free glasses such as Oaxaca (which happens to be one of the poorest states of Mexico). In fact, in my dad's office back in Fairfield has a Lion's Club donation box. If you have any old glasses you do not use, you just drop them off into the Lion's Club mailbox and then they can be sent off to people who really, really need them! It was very cool to hear Juan explain the work he did. He takes the glasses to schools and gives them to the kids who otherwise would not be able to afford them, for free mind you. Actually hearing about philanthropic organizations and witnessing firsthand the positive effects they are responsible for is truly inspiring. It just goes to show how there is so much potential for humanity, and that it doesn't take much to make a difference in the world. Making a difference can be as simple as dropping an old pair of glasses you have no use for into a mailbox so that some kid thousands of miles away can be able to see his chalkboard at school. Incredible in my mind.
Juan's story also gives me hope and new aspirations for the future. Yes, I do want to be a doctor, and yes, I do want to specialize as an ophthalmologist, but just getting to that point is not enough for me. There are always opportunities to go above and beyond in everything you do, and he has set an example for me to reach beyond my current professional goals and aspire to do more. With that being said, I hope to one day be in a position similar to Juan's. I would like to shut down my operations in the US and travel to some needy foreign land (Oaxaca in particular, but I'm open to any place needing assistance) for a month or two and take with me glasses and contact lenses to give to those in dire need of them. I would also like to perform routine exams and procedures on the individuals who need them most, all for free. Going through with a project like this would be so rewarding; I don't think words could describe how invaluable an experience like that would be. I realize that I might not end up as an ophthalmologist, but I feel this idea could be applied and adapted to a variety of other specialties, and I hope that one day these dreams of mine do come true.
My classes at the Becari Language School started at 9 en la mañana. I took a quick placement test and then met the others in my group. Lauren, Shan-Shan, and Sarah were my new classmates and peers. We received rockin' cell phones and then went on a tour of Oaxaca to see the various clinical sites we will be working in. Once again, the traffic was insane. One of the main highways through town actually has an intersection where the lanes switch sides! So you go from driving on the right side of the road to driving on the left...never in my life have I seen, or heard of anything like this! So weird, but apparently it works just fine for the oaxaqueños. This tour also exposed us to the poorer areas of Oaxaca. The area where the CFHI participants live (el centro) is relatively wealthy, and is well maintained, likely due to the fact that it is very touristy. However, one of the clinics, El Centro de Salud Lomas de San Jacinto, was located in a very poor neighborhood. The roads were dirt. Houses made of poorly held together strips of corrugated tin dotted the mountainside. Dogs roamed the streets, and the people who were fortunate enough to have cars by no means had the latest models. It was an eye opening experience for me, and again reinforced the idea that there are a lot of people out there who need help, not only at home but in foreign countries as well.
The trip wrapped up and I returned home for la comida, or the main meal of the day. This usually takes place around 2-3 in the afternoon, and is comparable in portion size to our dinners back in the states. As always, it was very good. I then headed back to Becari to take my first Spanish classes. They went well, and were divided into two sections with two different profesores. Manuel taught us prepositions and auxiliary verbs, while Andrea helped us participate in a conversation about ourselves and healthcare in general. It was a great session, and really helped to get my mind working in Spanish mode (imagine that!). And during these classes we received some tarea, or homework! After the classes finished, our group (Lauren, Sarah, Shan-Shan, and myself) decided to walk around a bit and get some food. We met up with Lauren's friend, Genevieve, and ended up at a restaurant called Zandunga. We ordered a tlayuda (basically a quesadilla, but this one was filled with cheese and vegetables) and some moletes de plataños (fried plantains served with fresh cheese and a cream sauce). They were very good, and to wash them down we all shared a sampler of three different types of mezcal. Mezcal is a type of tequila, and is very sweet because it is made from agave. The three were pretty good, and offered a great taste for a local specialty.
We left Zandunga and walked around a bit before ending up at a rooftap bar called XX (good thing there wasn't one more X!). After a round of cervezas, we walked back towards our houses and found another bar to relax in. This one also had a two for one special going on, so it was quite the bargain! After another round of cervezas, we called it a night and headed back to our respective houses.
With the passing of each day comes a little more knowledge and a little more confidence in my Spanish speaking abilities. I am beginning to understand more of what I hear, and talking is beginning to come more naturally, even after only one day of classes. I can't wait to see where I stand at the end of the program, and look forward to continuing to put my best foot forward each day. ¡Te veo más tarde!
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