This is a blurry, sneaky picture of the rooster who lives right outside my bedroom window - and who is my sworn enemy. The first night I was here, he crowed twice at dawn. I thought: He's acting appropriately for a rooster! Perhaps he has changed his ways since two years ago! But alas, it was not to be. Since then he has returned to his unfortunate habit of crowing every twenty minutes, starting at 1:30am and lasting til about 6:30am. Even with earplugs every night, I've only just gotten used to sleeping through it all again. 'Til we meet again, Rooster, 'til we meet again....
All you can do in the afternoon heat....
This little girl, "Luisa," is one of our youngest HIV patients at the clinic. On the day this picture was taken, she was in for her five-month check-up, and I was chosen to be the model for her monthly photograph. At only six pounds, Luisa feels like a newborn in your arms. She was born several months premature to a mother who did not realize she was pregnant - and also did not realize her own HIV-positive status. Abandoned at birth, Luisa found her way into the care of a neighbor woman with three grown children. She has been our patient since then, and with the help of HIV medication, donated formula, and lots and lots of loving attention she has been growing and doing well. It's wonderful to see the staff interact with her - each visit lasts a few hours because at least 9 different people have to hold and cuddle Luisa. She is passed from lap to lap and smiles for everyone! Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she continues to grow and develop.
We have recently returned to the poultry farm outside Los Conucos (where we were working a year and a half ago) to re-assess the area's health status and water usage. At this home, young women came out of the woodwork during the survey, curious about what we were doing. Everybody was excited to have her picture taken!
Here, a girl walks away from the local Gallera - a big, caged stadium where rooster fights are held. This neighborhood doesn't have a school or a health clinic, but rest assured you can catch a lively rooster match nearby!
My mini-goodbye party - these are great people.
I was sitting in the jeep with the car door open to catch more breeze when I turned around and there was suddenly a small boy essentially in the car next to me (the one with the toothy grin.) I shook his hand and asked him how he was doing, but he didn't respond. I thought he was shy until my co-worker said he couldn't speak at all. His friend on the right came over and the three of us chatted in a mixture of Spanish and sign language. I never found out the little boy's name because everyone calls him "Mudo," the Spanish word for "Mute." As we went about our neighborhood business, Mudo tagged along and made himself clear with a variety of specialized gestures. Once, he disappeared for a few minutes and later returned to show me a mouth full of chewed-up food, shaking a chicken wing in his hand and beckoning me to follow him and get one myself. I decided not to, and he scampered off for a bit. When I asked my co-worker, she said it was unlikely he could attend school, since specialized schools for mute and/or deaf children are expensive and not located in San Pedro. A terrible thing for any child, including one so bright and full of questions. I really enjoyed my time with this kid, answering questions and trying to decode Dominican gestures (which are different than US ones). I'm hoping access to a quality education becomes available to him soon, and to all the kids in his area and the DR.Well, that's it for now! I'll be back in the States soon, but am hoping to put another couple posts together with things to share from my stay here. Thanks for reading - Have a good weekend!
