SWINE!

Swine flu is amongst us, ya'll! Yesterday we found out that the (new) health minister of Buenos Aires has called a state of emergency. The old health minister resigned because she suggested holding off elections until after the flu went away, and disagreed with the amount of action the government was implementing. Well, now it's bad. Public schools are shut down, borders are tightening up, hospitals are collapsing, and we're just trying to stay away from the masked people! The city is in a panic right now, and rightfully so. Nowhere to run, either. 110 infected countries. Jamie was right about that pandemic she told me were about to get back around Christmas time.

Two days ago my housemate, Vicky, came down with a fever. We thought she would be ok, but this morning she came to me crying and told me to call an ambulance to get her because she felt so awful. Of course, Tati, Laura, and I freaked out because we thought she had swine. And of course, the ambulances were not going to come because the entire city is sick (10,000 infected). So we took a cab to the good ol' Hospital Aleman and the good news is that she just has strept throat! Thank god because I really don't want to die or be stuck here any longer because I caught the swine! Hand washing, gel alcohol, the works from now on until I leave...as long as they don't shut down the borders completely! I have heard they shut off the Chilean, Paraguayan, and Uruguayan borders. However, for humanitarian reasons, strikers at the border of Uruguay up in Gualeguaychu have been letting Argentines in to buy Tamiflu and masks.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has changed things around LIFE. The soup kitchens have closed, so we are no longer allowed to hold events there. From now on, we are doing outside activites, which is ok, but it's going to be a bit of an adjustment. Also, I'm a bit nervous to be going into the villas because that's where swine tends to hang out and spread rapidly. I saw a masked woman there yesterday. A lot of the children are sick. I don't know what the city will be like in the next couple weeks. Word on the street is that many bars and clubs are closing their doors to keep large groups of people from congregating.

The saddest thing happened at LIFE yesterday and I broke down in tears and had to leave the room. A little girl ran into the comedor, crying, and I asked her what was wrong. At first she wouldn't answer, then she finally told me she was crying because her mother wasn't coming. I said, "no, your mom is just late, that's all. Where are your brothers and sisters?" She cried and shook her head and said that she wasn't coming and that they were with her. Some boy came up and told me her mother had abandoned her. The lady running the comedor knew this and said she had responsibility over her now. I couldn't believe it. And it was time for us to go, so I had to just leave this 5 year old girl crying because her mother abandoned her and took her other children but not her. I love LIFE, but it's things like this that depress me deeply.

Tonight is 4th of July. To those of you back home, happy holidays! To those of us here, COME ON, ARGENTINA! Celebrate with us! Hahaha. Actually, I will be celebrating with my British mate tonight. How ironic and funny is that?

Still healthy and happy...be home soon! Hopefully sans SWINE!

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