2 short term (like 4 days) volunteers from Australia are here. Liz and Laura are a nurse and a teacher, respectively, and I’m loving having some company. They are staying with me at my place, and tutoring the girls and doing outreach. We got a lot of attention yesterday walking around town: 3 white women sort of constitutes a parade around here.
had an amazing session with one of my girls yesterday. 6 weeks until I finish my internship, which has gone by incredibly fast at this point. she told me how thankful she is for me, and how sad she will be when I leave. she said I am the one who has helped her, and she had me in tears by the end of it. sometimes I wonder if I’m doing much, if it’s too hard because therapy isn’t cultural and because I can’t understand the language. but when one of the girls asks me if I’ll remember her when I’m gone, and tells me she will not forget me because of my presence here, that makes everything worthwhile.
even stepping on a dangerously poisonous snake. yep. somehow I stepped on a small black snake as I walked out of my front door last night without getting bit. it frightened me, but I’ve learned to just deal with all the cockroaches and spiders and stuff, so I figured I should just toughen up and get out the door. I waited until it wasn’t poised, and then walked as far away from it as I could. went to run my errand, came back with an incredibly kind trike driver, and there was the snake, trying to get in to my house. when the trike driver was afraid, and said “that’s a dangerous snake” I lost all my tough facade. He grabbed a metal dustpan and pinned the snake underneath, but it was still wriggling around and trying to get out. so then he had to smash it’s head with another dustpan…he is my hero. he saved my life, and Liz and Laura too. I’m going to find him today and take a picture of him, my brave snake killing trike driver who always offers me a ride, “trike, Lacie?”…
so now, it’s off to lunch, and then to buy mothballs, because apparently they keep snakes out… :)
