December 1, 2010
click 4 blog that can't change to default...rawrawrrawr etc etc. <3
•
January 19, 2009
NicaTeam!!!! L&#8212;&gt;R: Jeff, Elias, Eric, Sebas., Grace, me, Eunice! Through Global Medical Training (GMT) we traveled the west coast of Nicaragua for 12 days setting up health clinics and sight-seeing.

NicaTeam!!!! L—>R: Jeff, Elias, Eric, Sebas., Grace, me, Eunice!

Through Global Medical Training (GMT) we traveled the west coast of Nicaragua for 12 days setting up health clinics and sight-seeing.

•
January 18, 2009
(This is a picture of the beautiful foliage outside of our room in Managua) January 1st and its preceding days was me being a HOT MESS in bed with a fever. At midnight on New Year&#8217;s Eve, my mom came into my room to have a 3 second celebration whispering &#8220;Woohoo Happy New Years, Ronnie!&#8221; until I passed out again. I was in no shape to go to Nicaragua. The next day, New Year&#8217;s Day, I rested as much as possible and tried to complete my study abroad application. That failed because I couldn&#8217;t make up my mind on where I wanted to study abroad. Toggling between Hong Kong and Spain. Anyways, at 10pm on Jan. 1, my dad dropped me off at SFO. NicaTeam began their journey to Nicaragua at 12:35AM Jan2 flight to Houston Texas. Arrival: 6:08AM. Three hour lay over. We pushed the benches together in the airport and slept. Depart: 9:15AM Arrival: 12:32 PM in Managua, Nicaragua

(This is a picture of the beautiful foliage outside of our room in Managua)

January 1st and its preceding days was me being a HOT MESS in bed with a fever. At midnight on New Year’s Eve, my mom came into my room to have a 3 second celebration whispering “Woohoo Happy New Years, Ronnie!” until I passed out again. I was in no shape to go to Nicaragua. The next day, New Year’s Day, I rested as much as possible and tried to complete my study abroad application. That failed because I couldn’t make up my mind on where I wanted to study abroad. Toggling between Hong Kong and Spain.

Anyways, at 10pm on Jan. 1, my dad dropped me off at SFO. NicaTeam began their journey to Nicaragua at 12:35AM Jan2 flight to Houston Texas.

Arrival: 6:08AM. Three hour lay over. We pushed the benches together in the airport and slept.

Depart: 9:15AM

Arrival: 12:32 PM in Managua, Nicaragua

•

From the Managua Airport, we ran into other students part of GMT. Together we boarded a shuttle that drove us ACROSS THE STREET to Best Western.

We unloaded our stuff and then took a taxi down to a mall to get food. This is a video of the taxi ride. The driving in Nicaragua reminds me of the dirving in China. Completely safe chaos. People speed and cut around people and pedestrians walking through the middle of the road but nobody gets hit. It’s a very efficient way of getting somewhere. Once in the bus, Andrew told me his theory on driving without a lot of regulation: that not a lot of people get hurt because everyone is very alert, whereas in the states people expect things to happen a certain way and pay less attention.

•
Afterwards, I slept most the day being exhausted from red-eye flights and sickness. Most of NicaTeam slept too and thus we were labeled &#8220;exclusive&#8221; and &#8220;those Berkeley kids&#8221; for not going out to party with the other schools :(   &#8230;..Will this hinder the NicaTeam from making friends? How will the story unfold?&#8230;.dun dun dun&#8230;.

Afterwards, I slept most the day being exhausted from red-eye flights and sickness. Most of NicaTeam slept too and thus we were labeled “exclusive” and “those Berkeley kids” for not going out to party with the other schools :(   …..Will this hinder the NicaTeam from making friends? How will the story unfold?….dun dun dun….

•
January 17, 2009
Day2: Orientation&#160;: We woke up in the morning to have breakfast by the pool :D

Day2: Orientation : We woke up in the morning to have breakfast by the pool :D

•
January 16, 2009
ORIENTATION Dr. Margina gave a power point presentation of the most common diseases affecting the communities we would be visiting. - parasites -fungus - gastritis - tonsilistis - urinary tract infections - sexually transmitted infections -pterygium/cataracts Before coming on the trip, we were sent a packet with the diseases, symptoms, and medicine/treatments to prescribe for each. The slide show provided vivid pictures of real cases. YEeeEeee macro pictures of worms and STIs. Afterwards, we got to practice taking blood pressure and using our stethoscopes The room was very cold because the AC was on high. Everyone was wrapped up in the table cloths trying to hold onto any last reserves of body heat.

ORIENTATION

Dr. Margina gave a power point presentation of the most common diseases affecting the communities we would be visiting.

- parasites

-fungus

- gastritis

- tonsilistis

- urinary tract infections

- sexually transmitted infections

-pterygium/cataracts

Before coming on the trip, we were sent a packet with the diseases, symptoms, and medicine/treatments to prescribe for each. The slide show provided vivid pictures of real cases. YEeeEeee macro pictures of worms and STIs. Afterwards, we got to practice taking blood pressure and using our stethoscopes

The room was very cold because the AC was on high. Everyone was wrapped up in the table cloths trying to hold onto any last reserves of body heat.

•
January 15, 2009
After lunch, we still had no friends to help us take a group photo. So this is us trying to set up timer-mode to take a group shot.

After lunch, we still had no friends to help us take a group photo. So this is us trying to set up timer-mode to take a group shot.

•
January 14, 2009
Elijah seeing if the cacao tree smells sweet&#8230;followed by a later attempt to bite it

Elijah seeing if the cacao tree smells sweet…followed by a later attempt to bite it

•
January 13, 2009
We then packed up our luggage and boarded a bus to Chinandega, a few hours northwest of Managua.

We then packed up our luggage and boarded a bus to Chinandega, a few hours northwest of Managua.

•
January 12, 2009
Hooray! Arrival in Chinandega. Eunice and I sat in the the front of the bus soaking in the sun for a good 3 hours :)

Hooray! Arrival in Chinandega. Eunice and I sat in the the front of the bus soaking in the sun for a good 3 hours :)

•
January 11, 2009
All the Christmas lights were still up. We wanted to explore our surroundings, but the lethal mosquitoes came out, and we were advised not to walk on the road alone. Instead, Eunice, Grace, and I rearranged the beds in our room to clear a space for&#8230;. a DANCE PARTAYYYY&#8230;.aka a recreation of RSF hip hop class.

All the Christmas lights were still up. We wanted to explore our surroundings, but the lethal mosquitoes came out, and we were advised not to walk on the road alone. Instead, Eunice, Grace, and I rearranged the beds in our room to clear a space for…. a DANCE PARTAYYYY….aka a recreation of RSF hip hop class.

•
That night, NicaTeam was still too tired to go out. We stayed in and entertained ourselves with a game that is so much fun called&#8230;&#8221;This is so much FUN!&#8221;

That night, NicaTeam was still too tired to go out. We stayed in and entertained ourselves with a game that is so much fun called…”This is so much FUN!”

•
January 10, 2009
Day 3: First Clinic Day The next morning was the first day of clinic. On the bus ride there, we drove by a volcano. Nicaragua is known for its many lakes and volcanoes. I was pretty nervous the first half of the bus ride. I sat silent in my thoughts, wishing all the information in the health packet would absorb into my skin and get stuck in my mind. In this one day I would jump from my experience with plastic livers, to REAL people anatomy. The soft gooey ALIVE livers that sat inside people, that might hurt if I poked it . Are you sure I&#8217;m supposed to be diagnosing people?? Ok, there is no use worrying, I decided. If I learned anything this passed semester from reading the Sermon on the Mount, it was&#8230; DO NOT WORRY. So, I turned to Elijah who wasn&#8217;t talking either. Was he nervous too? He already went on a medical trip before. Maybe he is getting in the zone/ praying. &#8220;What are you thinking about?&#8221; I asked. &#8220;Nothing, I&#8217;m tired.&#8221; ahahhahah ok I shouldn&#8217;t be nervous. Thanks elias :D

Day 3: First Clinic Day

The next morning was the first day of clinic. On the bus ride there, we drove by a volcano. Nicaragua is known for its many lakes and volcanoes.

I was pretty nervous the first half of the bus ride. I sat silent in my thoughts, wishing all the information in the health packet would absorb into my skin and get stuck in my mind. In this one day I would jump from my experience with plastic livers, to REAL people anatomy. The soft gooey ALIVE livers that sat inside people, that might hurt if I poked it . Are you sure I’m supposed to be diagnosing people?? Ok, there is no use worrying, I decided. If I learned anything this passed semester from reading the Sermon on the Mount, it was… DO NOT WORRY. So, I turned to Elijah who wasn’t talking either. Was he nervous too? He already went on a medical trip before. Maybe he is getting in the zone/ praying. “What are you thinking about?” I asked. “Nothing, I’m tired.” ahahhahah ok I shouldn’t be nervous. Thanks elias :D

•
January 9, 2009
We arrived at the clinic and got down to business.

We arrived at the clinic and got down to business.

•