Our group, less the 4 summer interns and Tamara and Ben, who will stay an additional two weeks, returned to the U.S. on May 30. Being back home is a wonderful thing, but for me at least, almost as disorienting as the arrival in the villages. To have running water, a car, electricity and the many other comforts we usually take for granted is like jumping forward 150 years in time.
While we stayed busy with our work during our stay in the villages, I will say with certainty that each member of the team had a great deal of fun. We thought it worthwhile to report back on some of the funnier things that we saw or experienced.
- The health team saw people grind an amoxicillin tablet and start putting it in their child's ear to heal an ear infection. This noncompliance with medication was promptly corrected.
- One member of the group saw a monkey coming out of a cemetery and was told that this particular primate was in the habit of digging up grades to steal body parts, but that it always filled the dirt back in after completing the job. There was some question as to the veracity of this story.
- In one village, a resident was seen with a Walkman and headphones grooving to some tunes. When asked what he was listening to he said that he had no batteries for the player, but he thought he looked cool. I'm thinking we all know someone like this.
- One village resident asked how he could learn to speak english with "american intonation" (accent). Independence from Great Britain is now complete.
- One group member learned that swimming a channel at the beach with one hand holding a digital camera in the air and the other a bottle of water is very difficult. Jeff Hall, our group leader, can now add "lifeguard" to his resume'.
- People really seemed to enjoy it when we danced with them. I'm still not sure if they were laughing with us or at us.
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