I wake up to see The Hunchback of Cajolá, or Franken-pig for short. Franken-pig is always hanging around the house. We've become very good friends.
I have had pieces of luggage fall on my head in the busses.
I was recently attacked by dogs and had to fight them off with the cooler of vaccines I was holding.
I was sitting on a bus a couple weeks ago (for 3 hours) with a bag of raw meat on the shelf above my head - dripping on me.
It is normal to be on a microbus that isn't 'full' until at least 5 people are hanging out the door holding on for their lives.
It is normal to be okay with being one of the people hanging on the outside of the bus and not thinking twice about it.
I always have black boogers.
Because of the culture differences of the Mayans, Ladinos, and Americans, several times a day I have the challenge of figuring out if I should do the awkward handshake (limp fish), the cheek kiss, or the weird shoulder touch.
I always have people pray over me on the busses. Recently, A priest got on my bus with a megaphone. After saying what he needed to in Spanish, he made sure to point out the only foreigner on the bus to say the Our Father in English. I wasn't sure what to do with everyone looking at me, so I made the sign of the cross - it was weird.
Yesterday a bird pooped on my head right before a big presentation to the equivalent of the state health department.
On house visits, EVERY child bursts out in tears when they see me since they think I'm giving vaccines (I'm not). They all scream bloody murder.
People tell me daily how fat I am, and ask how much I weigh. It never gets old. Wait, yes... yes it does!
I stepped on a scale for a group of very persistent nurses, who were very surprised. They said that I only weighed that much because I am so tall - what?!
I was recently weighing kids and this lady gave me her son while he was still sucking on her breast, and BOOM.... breast milk squirted all over me. Thankfully none went in my mouth.
I'll write a real blog post soon - happy early St. Pat's day!
Wow! Very interesting experiences!
ReplyDeleteI just LOLed at all of these. Though I know they are challenges and difficult ones, I hope you haven't lost your sense of humor. Because some of this shit is really funny. I feel inspired now to write one about my 'new normal' here in Spain. Though yours are way more interesting!
ReplyDeleteLove you very, very much. Hang in there. You'll be in PdC in no time for the wedding. And maybe, one day, hopefully soon we will see each other again. I can't believe it's almost been 3 years!