other experiences

so, i have been able to have some other experiences outside the hospital recently...last weekend i went to this other town, called Pinin, with my friend Acner. It is his hometown. We rode on his motorcycle, about 1 1/2 hours each way, on a dirt road with huge trenches, had to traverse a shallow river a couple of times...quite an experience. it was relly beautiful to see the countryside, to see a different place...it just got greener and greener. really fun. people have this plant here that makes a natural fence, like a kind of hedgge, but it's a kid of cactus...really cool...saw alot of places with walkways made out of this plant...walkways and fences. at the town, we went to the market---soo loud and dusty---wow--and the hospital--bigger and nicer than the one here. very interesting.
then the next day, it was this endlessly long day, where i just laid around in my room and didn't do anything, i felt like i had nothing to do except lay down in bed or sit in a chair and read old obstetrics books...so i did that all day, oh yeah and think about my family...so that was the whole day on sunday, until...i went to go practice salsa with my friend Blada, and we had a good time dancing...at the end we danced salsa to a few old school rap songs--which i always want to do with people but people always say you can only dance salsa to salsa music--not true--this was so much fun. Then, it started raining really hard. i just stood in the rain, letting it pour onto me. there were 2 rainbows. it felt like, oh yeah, i do have things to do here, i do have a life here. doing things like this makes me feel this way.
blada and I also went down to the river the other day...and sat on the riverbank...there is green grass now from the rains...not like when i first came, and the riverbanks were just brown and dusty...being there, just right outside of town, it was so peaceful. sooo relaxing. i want to go there more. it's right there, a 10-15 minute walk.
today i helped in 2 births; there were 4 births all together this morning--i have the afternoon off and then am going to work tonight with 3 students. helped one student suture...she did pretty well, for her 2nd or 3rd time...
so...the time seems to be passing faster, which is nice. and, i am enjoying things here more. really enjoying working with marthonie. and the students. and the american MW's who come and volunteer. things are going allright overall. i think there are things that i will never be able to impart to the students and that's ok. but it is frusturating and perplexing too.
it's nice to do other stuff outside of the hospital, to have friends to hang out with, especially to go into the countryside and experience a slightly different vibe.
in a few weeks, one of my best friends, sergio, is coming to visit me. i am so excited!!!! can't wait for that.
i love all of you...
reina