clickety clack- don't look back

There's a new group in town and it's gonna be oh-so-fun, just like my weekend.

Despite the fact that our blasted invertor was a total fail, I had an awesome weekend with Diego the dog and fun pals.   I haven't slept much but that's okay.  Friday started at 4:45, up and waving goodbye to our first group taking off.   Then the second half of the group left at 8:00 and then I drove Ramon our construction guru to pick up some more razor fence at the hardware store (I'm PSYCHED that we have razor wire atop our concrete wall fence- it's soooooo awesome!).  

Late morning I geared myself up and headed off to the track to plod around.   It would seem that while I was plodding, two helicopters landed in the middle of the track and a bunch of military and policia sprinted out to waiting black SUVs with guns and sunglasses.   I asked some other shlub at the track what was going on and he shrugged and said "it's one of the bosses".   Then I asked one of the military guys but he kept sprinting and just shook his head at me.   It could have been my jogging outfit  but I'm not sure.    Either way, I was wildly entertained as I plodded and contemplated when it was Sammy Sosa or a big drug deal or a political honcho or a military takeover or whatever.     No one seemed to care that I continued plodding around the track during the potential drug deal or military takeover so I kept on keeping on.  

Spent much of the rest of the day cleaning my room, changing curtains, scrubbing out the tub, doing mock fantasy baseball drafts, and visiting with friends.  Friday night I went out to eat with the remaining member of our last team at at Restaurant Espia after we watched Sugar.   I have now viewed this movie 64 times and it never gets old.   The interesting thing about going out to eat was that we tried to take a moto taxi and literally it ran out of gas half way to the restaurant.   We just got off, laughed, and walked the rest of the way.   Classic since we were going less than a mile to begin with.

Saturday morning I dropped off Larry at Caribe Tours at 6:30 am to catch a ride to the capital and then Diego and I chilled out for a while.   I headed out to the clinic to do some organizing in the morning trying to prep for this week's team (gyn surgery).    Of course it was IN THE DARK since the invertor doesn't work but nonetheless I worked for a while and then went to town to pick up my ticket for Tercer Cielo (AWESOME!) from Nef and then visited with Angie and the girls for a bit.   Finished my laundry as soon as the power kicked on at noon and then headed out to the pool at Bonnoccinos.  Ahhh- it was a spoiled american moment.   I read a People magazine that some wonderfully kind folks left me from last week and snacked on M&Ms and drank a coke.    I had the entire place to myself.  Craziness.

Headed home to meet up with my friend Verona to prep for the Tercer Cielo concert.   I seriously know NOTHING about the music scene here but Verona knows it all and that was phenom.  For example, she knew that even tho the ticket said 7:05 start time, we shouldn't even leave the house until 8.   And even then we sat through sound check til at least 9 and then viewed some strange mime dancing.   Next up were the opening acts...and then Tercer Cielo took the stage about 10pm.   And they were ABSOLUTELY worth the wait.   Tercer Cielo is a Christian Dominican group that sings a Christian version of Creere', the "I believe" song that played during Obama's campaign.    Check it out with the link below..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAPT0UnbSnM


It was SSWWEEEETTT and I can't even describe how it felt to shout out "Creere'" in a high school auditorium crowded full of youth and kids and fellow young-at-heart folks, waving our arms and swaying together.    Verona and I had a blast!

And all day today I've been humming the songs and dancing around and thinking that I should have bought one of the CDs.  

Late night last night but of course me and Diego were still awake early this morning, slurping coffee and chasing lizards in the garden.   I set sail for Bastida around 9:15-9:30 and arrived close to town for the reso of Julian's grandmother.   She died on Tuesday and his mother called last week to let me know, which really was significant for me.    So off I went, a bit nervous.  But I clarified a few things with some buds regarding reso culture and expectations.   I was thankful for the clothing heads up as I was wearing pretty much exactly what all the other women were wearing,  black pants/skirt with white shirt.   I sat in the living room with all the women, listening to the chanting and singing in the other room by the "wailers" in front of the flower and candle covered altar.   It was kinda strange.  At one point they rang cow bells and waved a long rope over the altar and started playing a drum.    I saw Julian peering in the window at me so I swung outside and chatted with him for a while.  It was so good to see him again but it was made even better because I knew that my presence meant so much to him.    His mother had some people bring me coffee and I sat inside again for a few minutes but I got up and left when some dancing started and more wailing commenced and a bus full of people showed up and pressed into the house.

After visiting a few more minutes with Julian, I checked in with another patient from the campo clinic there who had some questions about his treatment.   And then I stopped in to visit Baby Nicole.  Her mother had seen me driving in and waved wildly with a huge grin calling "doctora doctora!".   I reassured her (?) that I wasn't actually a doctor but that I had come to check on the baby.  She brought her right out to me, still so teeny tiny, still so precious.  Can't believe I get to DO THIS.   She asked lots of questions about the clinic this week and I hope she comes to visit.   Wish I had my camera again.

Back to lunch- hanging out a bit more with Verona- chilling out, putting some finishing touches on group prep, opening windows, turning on fans, finishing my work, folding and putting away about 100 pairs of scrubs.  Sigh.    The new week begins and I'm excited about this team.    I listened to them introducing themselves to each other tonight and talk about why they were here.    I remember the first time I flew into the capital and how I was in love with this place before I even got out of the van.

And I was reminded that it's one of the things that I love about being here, seeing folks experience LIFE here for the first time.    They are in awe of the brave and sweet patients,  endlessly entertained by the cutest kiddies ever, struck silent by the poverty, overwhelmed at the kindness,  and humbled by the graciousness of the wonderful gente here.   We will do surgery together and eat meals together and I will listen to them laugh about the rooster waking everyone up in the middle of the night and the mosquitos and the occasional difficulties in getting things done here and how rewarding it is to take care of these people and how thankful they are.    I'll see some of them get teary when they prepare to leave, knowing that they too fell a little bit in love with life here.   It's cool- I get to see it both- the americans and the dominicans.   And me- I'm a little bit inbetween those worlds and loving every minute.

Oh- and the icing on the cake tonight.  Just in case I was wondering AGAIN how much God loves me today- the text from Gary.   He's alive and well and MAYBE coming to San Juan for a few days before I leave.   Joy.   Another of the lost is found.   And I'll sleep really well tonight, knowing I wanted to see him so much before I leave for the States.....and now I'm just a little bit closer.  Gracias Dios....gracias....