In depth

Somewhere amidst morning runs and hikes in San Pedro and San Jose, mid-day adventures at the orphanage and nightly meetings with friends, time has taken the superhighway into the middle of our second week. At the end of this week, my trip will be halfway through.

Life at home:
It is getting easier to communicate with Carmen, though it is mostly through adjustment to the way she talks and the way we each talk with our hands. I’m getting used to wearing my shoes constantly around the house, not throwing toilet paper in the toilet and letting her get the dishes (so as to not insult Carmen).

Life on the town:
San Pedro is filled with cafes, shops, clubs and bars. It’s very similar to any other city you would imagine. However, on each side of every road lies a trench. At first glance it looks very, very strange and unnecessary. But when the monsoon-like rains come, it makes much more sense.


Life at the orphanage:
Meet the Kids:
--Girls--

Allehandra: the oldest girl. She takes care of everyone and is very, very sweet.

Elena: very carefree. She’s always running around smiling and having fun, even if someone else is feeling blue.

Gennesis: she is partially paralyzed from the waist down. I’m not sure exactly what the cause/disease is, but she handles it very well. She, also, always has a smile on her face and EVERYONE at the orphanage is very sweet to her and helps her walk (we put a blanket around her front and under her armpits to help support her.)

Luz Maria: the second oldest. She is very bold and very wise for her age. She is definitely the mother figure at the orphanage. She is still in contact with her mother.

Naomi: the sassy cutie-pie. She can be the biggest sweetheart and yet make you feel terrible in a split second. Her smile is worth a billion dollars and her tantrums are worth a billion more. She’s absolutely adorable. **UPDATE: TODAY, JULY 7, NAOMI FOUND A FAMILY. SHE WILL NO LONGER BE WITH THE ORPHANAGE**

Rebecca: I don’t see her around much, but she likes to dance and have fun.

Rut: the “noob.” Rut just arrived at the orphanage Friday, June 25. She was removed from her home for unknown reasons. She’s very moody and can be a brat--- all of this is expected though because she is still adjusting to her new conditions. Her father is allowed to visit her sometimes during the week, he seems very stable and very nice- the second he leaves, she’s in tears. One day when I left she was crying, the Tia (one of the orphanage care-takers) said she thinks of me as her mom.

Stephanie: people pleaser. She hates to see anyone at the orphanage sad and will hop to attention the second she sees tears. She is too adorable.

--Boys--
Esteban: the ladies man. He can put a smile on anyone’s face. He doesn’t let anyone at the orphanage feel left out, sad or lonely (including me!!). For example, though Rut can be a brat—he’ll offer to play/share with her anyway.

Jose: the oldest boy, he’s 11. At first I thought of him as the class clown with tons of hidden emotions and frustration because he thrived off of attention from bad behavior. Though that’s still true, he definitely has some issues with sexual frustration. For the first week he started calling me “conejo” (rabbit/bunny). I didn’t understand why for a while. Then he started calling me, and Kelly as well, his “playboy bunnies” insinuating that we “play with boys.” He has become much nicer though---we just need to eliminate the “boo conejo playboy bunny” talk.

Dakell: another one of the oldest. He is very friendly, mature and intelligent! He can speak Spanish, English and French! Sadly, he often serves as our translator.

Arenai: little boy. Adorable. Very, very playful. Always has a smile on his face and is always a klutz!!

Diedrick: the youngest baby. He is blind and constantly cries unless he is being held. I don’t know much else about his story.

Havier: he is the noobie of the boys. He just got here Monday, July 5. At first he was moody and temperamental, but he seems to have adjusted in only one day’s time.

Natan: another baby. I think he is the happiest child at the orphanage. Today was the first time I saw him cry and it was only a minute before his dimpled giggles appeared again.