Project Day 1 (and more military experiences)


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Published: June 22nd 2011
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Today was the first day at the Mayan Medicine Museum where me and a handful of others (and a few volunteers from Nataté) are going to spend a few days working. We had to meet at the big Mayan Cross by the Cathedral (this time I mean the Cathedral and not Santo Domingo. Heh.. had it wrong in the earlier posts) by 9 the latest.

As my home location was a mile away, I left by myself a quarter after 8 after speed showering and chowing down my breakfast (my housemate had come down for breakfast later than I did and was taking his time with it. He has longer legs so it wouldn't take him as long to get to the Cross than I would). I arrived about 15 mins before 9 so I was a bit ticked that my housemate made me think I'd need 40 mins to get to the cross. Than again, 15 mins isn't THAT early...

Coincidentally, there was a military patriotic march going on this morning and by the time I had arrived, the main group (I mean the military, not my class group) had moved to the park area
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First time they attached the flags and took it off again shortly after... not sure why... and my coordinator pointed out the irony that at that point in time the song "New York, New York" was playing. Second time they put it up and raised the flags with the national anthem playing.
across the road. A few remained by the flag poles, a few carrying folded Mexican flags. I was low on battery life (could hardly tell because the screen's still pretty dark) so I just managed to get a few pictures and a short footage in of the flag raising. I must say, while most of the others weren't keen about the presence of the military, I was thrilled, once again. It sounds bad when I hear all sorts of stories about the many attrocities they have committed.

Now at this point in time my coordinator told me to keep my passport on my person because apparently one of my classmates had her bag stolen*. I mentioned to one of my project group members about being told to keep my passport on my person (as in, in my pocket. I hardly felt safer with it there than in my purse) because 'somebody got their bag stolen'. Then she told me it was her. Err... heh... awkward. Even more awkward, I forgot several times about the incident so I'd ask something really stupid and she'd remind me she had her bag stolen.

After everyone arrived, we were split into the designated groups (everyone was told back at the Natate HQ to make a list in order of preference and hand it in at the end of the visit. I think there was only one too many for one choice but other than that somehow everyone else got first choice. What are the chances? Also with every group there were a few Nataté volunteers who were already working at these locations). Then, the groups headed off to their final destination, mine being the Mayan Medicine Museum.

We first got a tour of the place, having to hang around in a room occasionally as there was another group also touring, and hey... they have a Mayan medicine pharmacy (natural medicine anyhow)! I wondered how effective they are and I wondered if maybe just in case I should get some of the stuff (for like if I get the runs). It was pretty cool that they had a few big charts hanging listing the different medicines and what they treat... both in Spanish and English 😊 I at least remember the English translation of what each thing treated.

After the tour we were lingering around in the central
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Perfect shot with the position of the head guy's arm :P
area outside when lo and behold! K and G were heading our way from the front entrance of the area. Apparently everyone was supposed to meet at our location, as we were going to meet... -drum roll- a Canadian Embassy rep. Ok, I'm sorry that I made it sound like we were going to personally meet the president or something.

First however, there was going to be some meeting between the organization we're working with and the CE rep. After that, we got to have a short chat with the rep, though it was mostly my coordinator doing most of the talking and us having to tell her what we plan to do for internships. Sadly, I didn't have an idea (and still don't) of what I was going to do for internship. Random sidenote: The CE rep had a Mexican tagging along with her to discover more about his country.

After the short meeting (as the CE rep was a busy woman), we all headed home for lunch break and reconvened at the HQ later on to debrief on the meeting with Frayba. Some of us thought it was going to be a drag until unexpectedly we were being drowned out by loud music coming from a private home. Well things sure got a bit more interesting... but after a while it was getting a bit ridiculous. I won't deny that some of us were hoping that means we can split up sooner but it didn't. G went out to talk to the woman in charge of the HQ, asking if she could ask whoever it was to turn it down. Apparently her and the offending group* know each other and have a good relationship so it wasn't long before it got quiet.

After debrief, it was back home again for the night.

~Kedi~

*1: Yes, a traveller's worst fears happened to my classmate, but I can tell you what to do to avoid this. Don't go to a touristy place (one mistake of hers) and always keep your stuff in view (she had her bag behind her without it being looped around her arm or anything like that). You know all those incidents of foreigners getting killed by explosions or local people? If you take notice, they all occurred in touristy places and at bars. My teachers said that just going into a bar without drinking an alcohlic drink there WILL make you a target (minimum of robbery), even if you come out sober without a drop of alcohol in your blood. Not that you can't/shouldn't go into one... it's just there's a big risk if you do.

*2: Heard that the offending group was the kids of a powerful judge who owns the place they stay in. Also heard that they blare music to terrorize the neighbourhood. They like the person in charge of our HQ, reasons unknown. Probably because she's pretty cool :P


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