Authorized Personnel

It's fun...being authorized personnel and I feel crunchy walking through doors that say it! :) We became "authorized personnel" last week, on Wednesday, after two more days of class...

On Monday morning, it was time to get back in gear. We had classes Monday and Tuesday, and Monday afternoon went to the markets in Masaya. They had good prices there, so Rebecca bought a dress and I purchased a shirt/trouser outfit. On Tuesday the rest of the class spent the day at the “Laguna de Apoyo,” which is a large crater filled with water. We opted out of that because we really wanted to take advantage of our class time. Since Tuesday was our final class period, we felt it was important to have the entire 4 hours. So we graduated, received our certificates, then did some shopping in Granada. Rebecca bought a shirt and we picked up some more sunblock and ibuprofen (both very necessary)! On our way back to the room, we bought a bag of cut mangos for 25 cents, quite a lot cheaper than the $5 I spent on a comparable bag in Hawaii.

Wednesday morning we just hung out, then participated in the afternoon activity with our class (since we hadn’t gone to the Laguna on Monday). Angelica taught us how to make churritos, and they were delicious, if I say so myself (which I do). A quick stop by the clinic to arrange our volunteer hours was the only other errand of the day.

Thursday morning at 8:00am we arrived at Clinica Alabama and became "authorized personnel." Cecilia, who is our contact there, set us to work in the pharmacy, helping to arrange, organize, and label their medications. Rebecca managed to get herself sick with a headache that afternoon, which meant lots of time over the toilet bowl. Interesting side note...when it’s really hot and muggy and someone has just thrown up in a toilet in a bathroom with no door, it’s not tremendously fun to find you are out of water and unable to flush the toilet. Ah, well, at least she made it to the toilet, right? She didn’t eat most of the day and on Friday, stayed back in the room. I worked in the pharmacy on my own, but my day was broken up a little when Cecilia insisted I go get Rebecca to see the doctor. She is so sweet. (Cecilia, not Rebecca :) ) Becca spent most of the day in the room, recovering, but was able to make it out for dinner.

Saturday was shopping day and we explored the “mercados” a little more. I also bought a shirt and we picked up more mosquito repellent...something is biting me and I want it to STOP!!! Sunday was great fun. Uncle Gerard picked us up around 12:30 and we drove out to Laguna de Apollo, where a friend of his has a house. The house is gorgeous...it’s made of stone (or is a good imitation) and has a “nook and cranny” feel to it. We met a few new people and visited with some we had met previously. Swimming in the lake and the pool was interspersed with eating, drinking, and re-visiting our ethics debate with Fruto (the man we’d met the first day on the island). All in all, a really fun and successful day, and the perfect start to a new week!