Getting Hands Dirty and Feet Moving… literally.

Hours: 6

Woke up earlier than my alarm... it happens sometimes. The Fondo Cordoba van came around a little before 8 and we continued on to pick up several other of my cohorts and progress to the school we were working at. I must say I am impressed with the traffic flow. Chaos, uncertainty, insanity, little regard for traffic laws, the ability to move a car through the tightest streets …unparalleled parallel parking, it *almost* reminds me of how I drive but on a much grander and far more organized scale. Everyone knows what they are doing and can account for their own vehicle and that seems to be more than enough.

The school we worked with today is in some respects a hub. It contains the workshop for all other schools with labs in the city. When one breaks, it is sent there for diagnostics and repair. Ironically, the school itself does not have a lab. Yet anyway. That’s part of the reason we are there. We weeded through a stack of older, semi-functional machines finding which needed the fewest components and which even turned on. Playing Frankenstein, we managed to produce 20 shiny, fully working machines. We scrubbed and cleaned the mountain of monitors, cases and keyboards getting residue, dust and assorted once living things out with our arsenal of toothbrushes, magic foam and car polishing rags. (What’s the point of a new computer lab if they all look a mess?) In lieu of canned air we had a pair of small shop vacuums set to blow. They worked surprisingly well, vanquishing the hordes of dust bunnies laying siege to the fans. By the end of the work day, everyone’s hands were differing shades of black. Several more machines lay waiting to be finished first thing tomorrow. Of course between each class and during their free periods, groups of students gathered at the door, poking in out of curiosity. Occasionally, we’d pause, take a picture or two at their request, then return to work after Neito or Durnin shooed them away. We were in two local papers this morning; Neito brought in copies after his meeting with the internet provider. In addition, a reporter from El Mundo was there, asking questions and taking snapshots. Between her and the students, I can’t say I’ve ever been watched that much while at working before.

Tomorrow we are going to return to the same school, stitch up the last few computers that need finishing and then set them all up in the room across the hall under the direction of head tech guy Israel and with help from one of the biological sons of the couple that runs the orphanage we will be working in later this week, Juan. In other words, lab setup day! If it’s anything like the labs I helped set up within Baton Rouge, it should be quite fun. Once the lab is set up, I think there is a formal dedication on Friday. I’m hoping between now and then to get a little bit of time to talk with the students.

Lunch was again with my host family and again wonderful. Avocado… fresh and amazing with rice… stuffed zucchini, green beans… and of course, mango. I think part of the reason everything I’ve tasted as been so good is because it is all very fresh and in season, two very lovely qualities that are hard to find in supermarkets within the States. That and I’ve decided to try just about anything put in front of me. After lunch, the kids went to prepare for their sports practices and I got to talk a bit with my host parents. We started talking about family, the different regions of the United States (my host father lived in Pennsylvania briefly), if I ever planned on getting married, what my sister was like, what my school was like, the dogs… all sorts of topics came up in mixed Spanish and English. Then, they brought out the first communion albums for each of their children and I was taught several very rudimentary Spanish phrases… greetings, basic questions… how to say “It’s delicious”. The same set of afore mentioned rules did apply somewhat, it felt much more relaxed.

My father said something interesting at lunch. He said that many people here do not fully understand why we want to help so much. They think it’s a wonderful drive to want to help people but it doesn’t seem to be the cultural construct it is for many of the girls who have come here working. I’m not sure why this is, I’m going to have to keep an ear out for the rest of my time here… see if there are any other sentiments of this sort.

Then the van returned and it was off to meet the group again.

Since part of this excursion is cultural experience and exchange, the afternoons are planned to promote such. It was time from something a little more physical than our earlier work. Taylor’s host mother has two jobs. In the morning she works in a cemetery, in the afternoon she teaches traditional dance in a studio that doubles as a Taekwando dojo. Though I love to dance, I have two left feet. And they’re very large left feet. So large they didn’t have any shoes in spares that could even begin to fit. We began dancing, following her feet as they rapidly moved, taping and pounding out the rhythm. We all tried, some doing better than others. Then Taylor, one of the people who wore one of the few pairs of extra shoes snapped a heel. Was quite funny. Once we finished, we regrouped, discussed the plan for the next day and went over basic linguistic information.

I’ve gotten to the point where I can understand more of what’s being said to me and around me. Speaking back is the next jump. I think I found enough meanings to form a sentence or two. I’ll have to keep pushing in and find out just how far I can go.

In the early evening, we returned home and I decided to give the internet a quick shot just to update this and keep everything current. It worked for two seconds until the storm sent a lightening bolt a little too close and the power went all flickery for a bit. No biggie, it came back and I was able to dial up again. I had forgotten molasses-like dial up. O the memories. For some reason google.mx does not like me. It’s given me error messages every time I’ve tried to send and email or post a blog. I guess it’s the connection being finicky. Once that was out of the way, I watched a little bit of Spanish television with my host brother and sister. Dragonball Z is even better in Spanish as are the Nick made for teen after-school specials. No matter, I understood some of what was happening which is the reason I joined them.

Later in the evening, Maru’s mother and visiting sister (Marta) came over to visit for a little and share pictures of Marta’s middle daughter’s wedding in Acapulco last month. It sounds like it was quite a party with the ceremony starting at 5.30 and the party stretching until 7.30 the next morning.

Speaking of 7.30 the next morning… it wouldn’t be a bad idea if I was ready for it.


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