We are definitely in the rainy season! I would say that it rained some nearly everyday this week. I actually enjoy it, as it is significantly cooler when there is a cloud cover and rain. But Belize has very wet rain! Often it is raining enough to get you wet, but not hard enough to warrant an umbrella! We were planning on going to the Cayes with Yvette and her family today to snorkel, etc. Too stormy! We get a lot of thunder and lightening, too.
My week was busy encouraging the use of the token economy system of rewards (known as the ICU program) at the Centre. I spent too much of Friday tabulating the number of ICU's given. The good news is that many of the staff and over half of the children received ICU's! I presented the ICU rewards on Friday evening to the cheers of the children! I learned that ice cream is the preferred reward above all else!
My other interesting work event was taking a little girl to the clinic for a recheck for her psych. meds. We were given incorrect information when we were told that my favorite nurse was working on Thursday. At Kings Park clinic, I was told that I could take the child to the Port Loyola clinic instead. For that, I called our driver to pick us up and take us, as it is quite a ways south in the city. And I would never have found it on my own! We had an interesting experience. I asked for the nurse, and was directed to the back through a door--to the kitchen! I swear! The cubicles for the psych, clinic were in the kitchen! So we were told to sit (no one asked us who we were), which we did. At this point, I am completely at a loss as to what is going to happen. Meanwhile, my child is sitting beside a woman, beautifully groomed, who is schizophrenic and talking to someone. At times, she would get agitated, yelling at said person to sit down! My poor child is clearly wondering what is going on! The nurse is dealing with another issue in one of the cubicles with someone not happy to be there (a man said that it was his sister). When she came out and looked at us, she gruffly said to an assistant, "What are they doing here?"--which is when someone asked! I explained that we had been sent here from the other clinic, and then we were ushered through the door to the "real" clinic (i.e. out of the kitchen) to an office where we met the nurse, who turned out to be very nice! And she quickly looked at the electronic chart (you have no idea how grateful I am to Belize for having electronic medical records), and off we went with our medication. Then I explained to the child what was going on with the woman who was talking to seemingly no one. Soon, a woman approached asking me something (I couldn't understand the Kriol), and so I asked my child, who said that the woman needed help reading the bottle of medicine. I explained to the couple how to measure the liquid and how many hours to give it and for how many days! I was happy to help once I understood!
The other big news this week is our Belize Jaguars being in Portland, OR to play football (soccer) against the U.S. We watched until the first half was nearly over, turned the T.V. off, then heard our whole neighborhood yelling! So we quickly turned the T.V. back on to see the replay of the goal! So, okay, the U.S. won. But I was so proud of the way the team conducted themselves and played, particularly that two of the guys were offered a bribe to throw the game, and instead of taking it, they reported it! I have to say that I was super impressed. These guys work hard jobs and then find time to practice. They are not a professional team. And they do not have money. But they are honest! Loved it! I am totally hooked now and had to watch yesterday's game against Costa Rica, which was a little disappointing given that a Belize player made the only score for Costa Rica. Oops!
Dave and I have made it to the gym 3 times this week! And now we have a friend there...a man who works for Tropic Air, who Dave occasionally sees and talks to when he is at Municipal Airport.
Friday night we went out to dinner (see above picture) at Samathi Indian Restaurant. Absolutely wonderful food!! And it is just around the corner from us!
Now I am blogging and listening to my Sunday morning "concert" of gospel music. My neighbor across the street has gospel music going full blast every Sunday morning. I love gospel music (with a little bluegrass and modern Christian music mixed in)! So this is fine with me. I just wish I knew if it were coming from a radio station (not that I have a radio) or a TV station! I'd turn it on, too!
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