just posting directly from an email...

So today was awesome! We asked to check out the OR and got to scrub in to see a fallopian sterilization surgery and hysterectomy! That would definitely not have been that easy in the States haha. We've also given back two ultrasonic pocket dopplers and a centrifuge that now work. Suh-weet! And then after work, Shannon, my hospital partner, and I ran halfway to the next town and back and then joined the gym and got our butts kicked by the owner, this bizarrely buff old woman. I always have the best feelings after seeing lots of blood and sweat. xP

We went to Granada this weekend and got to see plenty of beautiful old churches and crazy street acts. There were these amazingly talented break-dancers and fire handlers, clowns and people on stilts. Even though there was a cool European vibe, adding the abundance of gringos (n. 1. foreigner. 2. gibberish.) and Spanish architecture made the whole place seem so.. fake, almost like Epcot in Disneyworld, if you’ve ever been. I felt like I got to get back in touch with the real Nicaragua kayaking (fun!) on Lake Granada, navigating through the narrow channels and thick water forestry of some of the 265(!) islands. The King of Spain is apparently selling one of them.. wouldn’t it be cool to sign a contract with the KING? :o

I gotta say that the place that we stayed at only enhanced the whole experience haha - we ended up staying in a random room in the back of a bar! It had 5 bunk beds, perfect for the 9 of us. And it was $3 each. score! One of the hostels we talked to was completely booked, so they just phoned this place and they magically opened up the back for us. With Jared's lock, everything was safe for the night woot!

I’m still so miffed by my experience at the big market we went to before Granada though. The salesman said “treinta” for this colorful headband I wanted, but when I gave him 40 expecting change, he said 20 more, “tres dolares.” Flustered and without thinking much, I asked if 50 was ok, and he turned to look at his wife, who nodded. I gave him ten more and walked away with an uneasy feeling. I then realized I’d gotten played with the confused tourist language card – darnit!! I’ve decided that I can’t stand salespeople. You can’t trust anyone, like someone who says that a rival hotel is not in business anymore. And I’ve even heard of vendors throwing candy and trinkets at my friends while they’re at traffic stops, expecting them to pay for the stuff!?

Basically, dishonesty peeves me, and so does overbearing persistence. Adding the countless beggars that I must turn down, the guys that yell things because of my race and gender, and of course the daily challenges at the hospital results in a hardened, toughened Rita. Begging is a hard topic. My first reaction is to ignore, I don’t know why. It’s easier to turn down the people that look competent enough to work, but in terms of kids, it’s a shame to perpetuate the cycle of dependency. I feel pity yet am humiliated for the kid who asks for a piece of my hamburger. I don’t know, maybe it’s best to give with discretion, and be sure to ask for their names so we can give more through prayer.