while I was in Honduras...
How sacred clean water is over there. Most of them have poor source of water, or even have a hard time getting water. Their piping is pretty bad, that we can't flush our toilet papers down the toilet. Not to forget drinking water. I'm pretty sure bottled water there is expensive for the common Honduran. Meanwhile here in America, I often brush my teeth with the water running, take extensive hot showers, open multiple bottled water at a time. Shame on me. This trip reminded me to conserve clean water.
How bumpy the roads are. Like I said in TiLM, we spent most of our days there on the road and rant on how uncomfortable it is to sit in a van/bus for a long period of time while trying to catch some sleep. For those who sleep by the windows, I don't know how many times I grin and giggle seeing my fellow UCSDers banged their heads against the window. Or for those who are in the middle seat, with no headrest, seeing their head bobble back and forth, or doing some extreme leaning against their seat-mate (Hi, Katie!). Meanwhile here, we have smooth asphalt roads, great traffic laws and speed limits. In Honduras, the drivers are fierce and they don't care. And you see lots of cattle or dogs wandering around the streets, and I believe those drivers don't care about them, which makes me really sad. I saw a dead deer or mule on the road on the way to El Canton, and for a moment I was traumatized. Those moments made me realized how thankful I am for having great traffic laws here in America, and also great Animal Rights.
How nice it is to be phone/internet free for one week. One word:
LIBERATING. The only time I used any means of technology aka my iPhone/iPod was to take hipstagram photos and read on my Kindle App. Other than that, I completely had no service whatsoever, besides when I was at the airport & pizza hut. It was so nice to cut off completely for awhile. It gave me time to think about other things, living behind all the problems and dramas that I currently have going on while I'm in "my world". It helped me focus more on the real purpose of why I joined the brigades, which is to help the people with the skills I have. Yes, there was the sense of escapism in this trip for me, but mostly I just wanted to be there to help others. Of course there were times that I wanted to just screw it and turn off Airplane mode and risk the fees of international roaming and minutes, but thank goodness I didn't. Being tech-free, it allowed me to converse more, in person, with another human being, and also interact with nature and enjoy what God has created. I appreciate the cleaner air and the cool breeze, whenever that comes along. I enjoyed the views of cows, donkeys/mules, horses, and stray dogs that roamed around the country. I enjoyed the blue skies contrasting the white, fluffy clouds. I enjoyed watching how obnoxious the girls from West Virginia are. I was able to party like a college girl. I was able to wake up without worrying about the posts on facebook or replying emails. It was awesome.
How grateful the people are getting free medical care because, well, they can't afford it nor have any great resources. Working in the medical field in California, especially having a background in Emergency Medicine, I've witnessed multiple times how people here abuse the system (don't get me started). While there, people will bring everyone in their family to take advantage with our services, which I personally don't care. I'm actually glad that they did. If I was in their situation, I would do the same exact thing. I've seen that kind of thing too, here, but for a reason, this one is different. Why? They
appreciate what we do/did. They shook our hands. I saw tears. We received hugs. Little kids wave at us and say "Gracias!"And all in
sincerity. That's what made me do what I do. I receive great self-satisfaction knowing that my labor and skills made a difference in a person's life. And, a simple thank you and smile pays the price of the hard work that I/we did.
I really hope that one day I will be able to serve/do this kind of thing again. In a way, it is a great way to do some soul searching in a foreign country, touring around and helping deserving people at the same time.
If you have the opportunity, then do it. Trust me, you will not regret it.
moonbeams and bunny kisses,
Rima
