Adios Oaxaca!

Today is my very last day in Oaxaca. What a wonderful time it has been, and what memories I will take with me!
Just now as I walked here to the school, where I am returning my cell phone, I walked through the mercado near my house while peeling una naranja that the Hernandezs gave to me from their own tree. A little girl stopped me and asked if she could have the orange. I was surprised that she was so bold, but I gave it to her and went on my way.
I have just returned from my last visit to Mitla! It was great to be there for one last time. I know it is my home, when shortly after I arrived I asked for a glass of water and Claudia exclaimed `yes! go ahead, this is your home!` I was there for a bible study last night, and two Mexican workers were visiting as well. I wish I could stay another month because I think that every week I find that I am understanding even more of what is being said! After the bible study I began to make pizza, something I had promised to do (and there were many eager questions about when it would be ready). It took quite a while and turned out a little different than I anticipated because the oven had no temperature gauge. It was finally done at almost 10 pm (haha yes, what happened to the time?), and meanwhile I played another game of Monopoly and chatted with the family. Just a few asides... first, getting the ingredients was a bit of an ordeal. I rode a bus to the Soriana supermarket, though realized that my directions were a bit incomplete. Fortunately I asked the bus helper (in addition to a driver there is a man that yells out the door for people to get on the bus and helps the driver with things like his choice of blasting music) and he and a lady on the bus told me when to get off and where to go. Once I bought my ingredients which were quite heavy, I took a taxi home. I then packed them all into my backpack and walked about 30 minutes to the bus stop for Mitla. The bus to Mitla on a Thursday afternoon is quite busy, so I stood in a packed bus for the first 30 minutes before a elderly man getting off in Tlacolula offered me his seat.
Yesterday
Yesterday one of my classmates and I went for a last day at the hospital. When we arrived, we were told (from what we understood) that there wouldnt be much going on in Pediatrics because there was a pediatric conference going on in town. We decided we would like to go to the conference. We asked the onco-ped nurse who I have been working with how we can get there, and seeing how she said she would be giving a presentation there today she should have been a reliable source. So she told us where the hotel was and off we went, taking the bus. We arrived, went in to see many pharmaceutical company demonstrations set up (including 2 Botox drugs and 1 for Ritalin), but were confused to find that none of the presentations listed on the Agenda included pediatrics, nor was the Drs name listed on todays schedule. We soon realized we had been sent to the wrong conference! All of our efforts had been for wrong directions! So we called our director, Dr. Tenorio for a tip. He made a few calls and was able to call us back with the correct information so off we went again. However, we again got lost (because there are two streets with very similar names), and when we asked two people for directions, (we had been warned of this) they led us astray. Finally after miles of walking, 2 weak coffees, an exhausted classmate and I made it to the conference. We were happy to find they were serving instant coffee that was actually good, and we stayed for about 30 minutes of a presentation about Pediatric Comas and emergencies before getting bored and leaving.

Today I am making a few final stops, including the Botanical Gardens near my house and possibly a 2nd visit to the awesome ruins at Monte Alban. I plan to go for coffee at an awesome hotel Camino Real that used to be a convent, finish packing, and later tonight meet my classmates for a final dinner together at the Zocalo. My flight leaves tomorrow morning at a muy temprano 6:50 am.
Adios!

La Semana Ultima

This is the last week for me here! Im sad and happy, and feel as though it was flown by. I cant believe how little time I have had to study espanol outside of my every day classes and conversations. I wish that there was a way to easily express all of the things I have experienced lately on paper here, but that is not possible.
This week I have opted to return to the hospital, so tomorrow I will hopefully begin a rotation in Pediatrics. Last week I was in the hospital for a lowly two days of observation, but they were certainly eventful days. On day 2, I saw 2 more caesarians, one involving a problematic placentia which left the baby with a little more difficulty, though the doctor said it was not serious. Also saw a natural birth, though I left the room for a moment thinking I would have more time and while I was away the baby was actually born. Bummer! Day 2 was the finish because Friday I stayed home with a fever which began Thursday and finally left on Saturday.
Sunday I went Mitla and it was another marvelous time with the family there. It is a different experience to go to meeting by bus and motor taxi, requiring about 1 hour. After the morning meeting I walked to the middle of town with the lady of the house to buy tortillas! We went into an unmarked hall, up some stairs, around a corner, to voila! A group of people making tortillas on an open stove. They were delicious and hot! Then they showed me the river where the town´s water comes. It was a beautiful walk farther up into the hillside, with an awesome view of Mitla and the surrounding area. I bought Monopoly for the kids (which I was disappointed to find they already owned) and we played all evening! There was a fair amount of cheating and laughing involved, and I have to admit I tried to turn a blind eye to the cheating and make myself go broke so that I could finally go to bed, but this didn´t work for quite a while. :) Haha in any case it was enjoyable, and I understood a fair bit more of what was being said than in the past, though I continue to have many moments of staring blankly.
One very nice thing is to be so far form home and have people that treat you like family. And that look out for your safety. For that I am grateful! :)
Today, in short, when I returned to Oaxaca I explored some places I had never seen near my house. Saw a man weaving rugs, part of a Catholic service in a large church, explored a nice hotel that used to be a convent, and listened to Oaxacan music. Now Im headed home.
Buenas noches!

The General Hospital Day 1

Typewriter used to document los operacions

The Anesthetics Cabinet
(Below) Me and Kelly Scrubbed Up

Today was Day 1 at the hospital! Yesterday we came and received our gafetas (badges). Today we returned for our first day. In short, it was QUITE an experience. For the first time ever I almost blacked out during a surgery! (This was approximately my 8th surgery). I fought it off for about 30 minutes while my vision went gray and I got really hot. Finally I had my classmate take me to sit down and I ate a quesadilla that my host mom had packed for me. The rest of the day was fine. In Ob/Gyn I got to see: C Section, Histerectomy & Colnoplasty, Ectopic Pregnancy surgery. It was unbelievable. The operating rooms do not have doors, and I counted at one time 10 staff members in the room in addition to myself and one other classmate. Some of them were just watching. They follow similar techniques in regard to instrument handling and use of a scrub tech and anesthesiologist. However, sterility is extremely questionable in my book considering the open doors, people coming and going, dirty things placed on the floor,...

Room in the hospital is a great problem. We were in Ob/Gyn where the hall was lined with women on beds. In a open room to the side there were about 8 women. The birthing room also holds the babies so many people are coming and going there as well.

Thats all for now. My time is up in this cafe. :)

C.R.I.T.

Heres just a highlight post about our visit to CRIT last week, a center for disabled children. It was probably the most amazing facitily of its kind that I have ever seen...and I made many little friends and got a few wet kisses and hugs out of it too. :) The center has physical therapy, occupation therapy, water therapy, several specialists offices (orthopodology, neurology, urology, orthodontology, genetic counseling), art center, and so much more, all in a very nice builiding with very nice staff and happy kids.

Mitla para La Reunion

This past weekend was the highlight of my trip so far! Saturday at around 1 pm, 6 classmates and I found our way to the taxi center in Oaxaca, and caught a taxi to Mitla for the day. I had told them earlier in the week that I wanted to visit Mitla because that is where I have friends from church that I want to meet. They all decided that they wished to join me, and so off we went in our diesel maroon and white taxis! The trip cost 50 pesos each if I remember correctly, which roughly comes to less than $5 (40 minute trip). I had received a text message saying that the location I wanted to ask for was La Puesta Numero 50 al mercado, which I found out was the spot within the large market where I would find my friends. I met two kids there, the son and daughter of the friends I was looking for, who spoke no English. Our communication required a lot of hand signals, dictionary use, and headaches on my part. I finally grabbed a schoolmate for translation and found that they wanted to show me their house! So I went to their house, where I met their grandparents and darling shaggy little dog. This led to more headaches and miscommunication with my inability to speak Spanish, but learned that they invited me to stay the night! So long story short, I stayed the night in Mitla at their home, and my classmates went back to Oaxaca, slightly concerned that I was spending the night with some people I had never met. It was so special! Claudia and Carlos have meetings, special meetings, and conventions at their home. Being at their house and being in meeting (even though I hardly understood what was being said), was like going home for a moment. :)
La Clinica
Today was our last day at Centro de Saludad Numero 2 and by far the best for me. This is because I attempted more communication than I have other days, possibly because I have learned a few more words and conjugations. I got to be a bit more involved in office visits and exams with Doctora Liliana, and this was awesome. I havent had the chance to be as involved in the clinic as I would have expected, but not in a bad way because this means there are many well-trained Mexican medical staff doing their jobs. I would say that the health center we have been visiting is more organized and up to par than some of our clinics in the U.S. The nurses are very knowledgable and organized and nice. If you would like a comparison to American medicine, it seems to be about the same, but somewhat outdated (ie moving back about 8 years in time) but this is only because of the lack of funding as far as I can tell. This Fridays lecture with our director Dr. Tenorio is about the Mexican Health System and at that time I will be able to tell you more.
TOMORROW
Tomorrow will be a new opportunity in CRIT, Centro de Rehabilitacion Infantil, for one week. This is a Rehabilitation Center for Children with Orthopaedic problems. From what I hear, it is awesome, and Doctoro Tenorio says we will be amazed and find that we dont have something like it in the U.S. From what he said, the center has changed local societys perspective of families with disabled children so that the children and their families are accepted and able to go out in society and lead happy and good lives. Im excited to see it!
This is all...but I have posted all of my pictures at picasaweb.google.com/christianne.cobb so you are welcome to sift through those if you would like. Sorry theres so many but I dont have time to sift through them.
Buenas Tardes!

House Calls in the Mountains

I hope to post pictures about this shortly, but I just wanted to write very quickly about the exciting experience one other classmate, Priyanka, and I got to have yesterday. We were sent with a nurse/secretary of Centro de Saludad up to the rural parts of Oaxaca City to give vaccinations to small children and babies that are due for treatment. Vaccinations are given to children for free in Oaxaca, and I have not yet been able to ask who pays for it...whether it is the government or ? Each child has a health card indicating what vaccinations they have had. So we had a list of about 12 houses to visit and a map. We went hiking and walking about on dirt and mud roads on steep hills amongst houses made of sheet metal and cardboard, with dirt floors and sheets for dividing walls. We got to go into a few houses to give the vaccinations, and other patients were not home so we left notes at their doors saying that they need to come visit El Centro de Saludad No´ 2 where we are working this week. I did not give any of the vaccinations because I don´t yet speak enough spanish to communicate well with the nurse and give her confidence that I am able to do that, but hopefully in future weeks when my Spanish improves I will be able to get more involved! :) PS: The view was beautiful...we could see all over the valley where Oaxaca City is situated.
Also, we found out today that we get to go on another housecall on Monday before we leave this clinic! Hopefully we will be a bit more prepared for such an awesome adventure :) Woo hoo! Tonight we find out where we will be studying medicine next week.

Photos of Oaxaca

Santo Domingo Cathedral

With Andrea (Switz) y Jessica (oax)

Peppers at one of the Mercados! Maybe the Tisdales should start growing this size of peppers too? :)

Mi casa! On the left side

A Quaint Door Handle! (This picture is for Christine)

Im gathering a collection of quaint door photos because there are so many!

This is all for now. :)