Treadmill Police

Wednesday November 17, 2010

Day 75

Today we planned to go to visit the other clinic in Monte Plata in the morning but we ended up going to the office first.  There was a lot of stuff going on so we didn’t end up leaving the office until around 12:00pm.  We stopped at the mall and had lunch and I had another Quizno’s salad and soup and it wasn’t too bad.  We drove to Monte Plata and got there some time after 2:00pm.  The drive to Monte Plata is always nice because it is so green and there are beautiful mountains in the background.

I love the Monte Plata clinic! The people there are so nice and everything is a lot less hectic there than it is in Herrera.  The whole staff is like a happy little family and the coolest part is that they all help clean up at the end of the day.  While I was at the clinic I had another lesson in the lab.  This time it was a lot more hands on and the girl who was explaining things to me did an awesome job.  It is easier to learn in that lab because they have less work than they do in Herrera.  During my lesson I got to see a parasite in a stool sample under the microscope.  Most people probably wouldn’t think that is interesting, but it really is!

Thursday November 18, 2010

Day 76

Continuing with my theme of thinking I am going to the clinic but really staying in the office…I did that again today.  I am not sure why I didn’t go today but it was fine because I had some work to do at the office.  I am helping Teresa translate her presentation for the conference in to English and that took up most of my time.  I actually like working on projects like that so it is fun for me. 

Since the cholera outbreak in Haiti in October, I have been constantly checking the news for updates.  Lately I have been reading about the increased violence throughout the country.  At first the violence was directed at the UN since many people think the UN peacekeepers from Nepal brought the disease to Haiti and contaminated their water.  The violence has now escalated to the point where aid organizations are unable to deliver supplies and treat patients.  People are setting fires to buildings, throwing rocks, building barricades of fire and other things in the streets, hindering the entire aid process.  They will never be able to get a handle on the cholera situation if they can’t help the people who need it.

On a lighter note, I finally had time to go to the gym.  Teresa and I met the kids at the Dominican Fiesta and Juan Carlos was there playing basketball with his friends.  I did my usual routine which always proves to be stressful.  They have a 30 minute time limit on the treadmills and there are people who literally stand or sit on the bikes behind the treadmills and wait until a person reaches 30 minutes and then they walk over to the treadmill for their turn.  30 minutes is not enough time for a proper cardio work out.  If there are other people in the gym waiting for a treadmill I am forced to do a quick sprint work out to get the most out of my time.  It is a bit inconvenient but sometimes there aren’t people waiting so I can stay on longer.

Fun Facts:

1.       I love when I can make jokes in Spanish.  Teresa is starting to understand my jokes and it is so much fun.

2.       There are people in the streets that come up to your car and start washing your windshield and it is annoying because they don’t even ask first.  It is also annoying because they use dirty water and by the time you say no to them your windshield is dirty.

3.       Before we went to the hotel, Nanita made us a typical Dominican dish that had some sort of salami that was in a sauce with peppers and onions served with a side of mangu (mashed boiled plantains). I am not usually a fan of salami but I had a little bit of it and it was very good.

4.       It is hard to practice good gym etiquette in another language.  I always get nervous to ask people things in Spanish so I usually just end up waiting twice as long to make sure they are done.  Sometimes all I need to ask is “Are you using this?” but I get nervous that they won’t understand me and they’ll think I am dumb. 

Peace,

Jaclyn