Campana Medica

so for 2 days last week, i got to translate for a team of US drs. who were here in cajamarca to facilitate a medical clinic in two small communities. it was really nerve wrecking to translate only after a year of being here, but it turned out to be an amazing learning experience. between 4 drs., we saw about 550 patients each day. so that means i probably translated for 200 some people in 2 days time.

the funny thing was that i also found out how much i have learned about peru. i was able to show some of the americans around on the last day, bargaining and explaning the peruvian customs. the group also let me stay with them at their facility. in the span of two nights i got to eat french toast, breakfast burritos with real salsa, corn flakes with milk, take my coffee with creamer, eat beef with A1 steak sauce, have a normal sized lunch of a sandwich and chips, use a hair dryer and someone even washed my pants for me in a washing machine. america! it was amazing. i had seconds at every meal (duh!).

unsurprisingly, by the end of their stay, i think the americans also saw me as a charity case and donated some lotion (bath and body works...score!), scabies cream (something else i picked up in site...oye), and all their uneaten american snacks to me (score! score! score!). i would love to say that i was too proud to be a charity case since they were here to help the peruvians, but you should see all the beef jerky that i got! (score again!)

anyways, with another "poor person" disease and my constant insatiable appetite for food, i've come to realize that...wait for it...i'm poor. :( and not just any poor, but poor on a poverty level. but i've also come to realize that i've not suffered horribly for it. besides food, my life in the peace corps have been above and beyond expectations. what i've learned and the changes that i've made have surpassed all the negativities that come with living in a developing country. after hosting foreigners around for even just a few hours, i've come to realize that i've become more worldly, more adjusted to different types of conditions, and...more peruvian.