February 2015
February
is CARNIVAL! But unlike the magnificent parades and dancing you’d associate
with Brazil and New Orleans the Ecuadorian version of this holiday is just a
giant food fight in the streets. The
holiday officially lasts the whole month, but there is only one weekend of the
real ‘playing of carnival’. The first Friday of vacation, once the last school
bell rings, all students head to the center of the city. Armed to the teeth
with water balloons, paint, flour, eggs and shaving cream they lay in wait. Any
unsuspecting passerby could become a victim, but this messy warfare is mostly
directed at students, (recognized by their uniforms) such as myself. Despite
egg in my hair (I am told that it makes it shinier) and the paint splotches on
my uniform, I had a really wonderful time playing carnival with my classmates.
In all honesty I haven’t made an abundance of
friends here, or at least in comparison with the other exchange students that I
know living in my city. I think that this is due to the fact that my first
family was quite strict so I never took part in the night life, which is so
‘key’ to the social life here. However, I think that in the end this was a
benefit to me. Now that I am starting to go out more I’ve met ‘friends’, who
are really just people who know my name and want to hang out with the new
‘gringa’. I’d have to say that other than family members I’ve only made one
true friend who I will remain in contact with, my classmate Daniela. At first I
was disappointed that she was the only one, but then I realized that even just
making one quality friend in a foreign country is something I should consider a
success.
Another thing I did
during the nearly three-week vacation was shadow in the hospital of Otavalo. I
had tried doing this several times back home, but due to very strict
patient-doctor confidentiality standards in the US, it was always a very long
and difficult process. However,
fortunately enough for me, Ecuador has no such qualms about patient privacy. I
was given scrubs showed nonchalantly into the operating room.
Otavalo has the largest
indigenous population in the country, and there are always incredible efforts
made to preserve the traditional culture of the region. This was especially
evident in the maternity ward where I was stationed the majority of the time.
Before giving birth the woman was given the choice between a ‘horizontal’ birth
(that which we would consider standard), and an ‘Indigenous’ birth. If she
choose the latter option she would be escorted to a musky carpeted room and
accompanied by an indigenous midwife.
I was able to help with
the birth because, as I said, very relaxed standards of care. There was a large
cord hanging from the center of the room and the patient would hold unto it and
begin to swing a little, as though she intended to climb it. In this vertical
method gravity does a lot of the work so her labor last at most twenty minutes.
It incredibly fascinating! I feel so lucky that I was able to witness this
custom first hand.
In the birthing I was
fine, but when I entered a more serious surgery I fainted. I’m not sure that
med school is actually my calling. Possibly I’ll pursue something along the
lines of public health. To check it out next week I plan on shadowing a Peace
Corps worker in one of the local high schools, fingers crossed I can stay on my
feet!
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