Spent the last couple days in Guatemala working with a gringo group of physicians and nurses with varying Spanish-speaking abilities. Adjusting to their working style took a little effort. Ignoring Vicente (the head promoter), they went about setting up an intake, discharge, and patient stations. They (of course) assumed I was an indigenous Mayan Guatemalan (because apparently dark-skinned individuals don’t exist in Minnesota, and my adidas-heavy outfit is pretty typical of indigenous attire) and complimented me on my English. haha. They assigned Shom (first year resident, med school at Northwestern, been working here for several years and is fluent in Kaqchikel, the indigenous language) to translate for one of the physicians. When we brought up the point that it would be a waste of skills to have a physician translate for a physician, the jefe replied, “Well we have a protocol. Just follow the protocol. We need you to translate.” Whatevs. Estos gringos. Never consider the fact that they might have something to learn from the cultures they visit.

When I had hit my threshold of gringoness, I stepped out to scope the view. La tormenta Agatha (back in June-ish) carved out an entire canyon next to San Juan, where we had set up our clinic. Standing over this landscape, I couldn’t help but notice how stunning it was—all the green, the new river, the waterfalls—carved out by water. Pretty impressive.

There are a lot of things I love about Guatemala, including traditions, foods, the lake, etc. These are my top five in no particular order:

1. The alfombras of Semana Santa: making them, seeing them, everything.
2. “Salud, Dinero, Amor”: When someone sneezes, instead of saying, “Bless you,” or some equivalent, you say “salud” for the first sneeze, followed by dinero and amor for the next sneezes.
3. Being greeted with a kiss: All the men greet the women with a kiss on the cheek. Old-fashioned, maybe, but super sweet.
4. El Mercado: Despite the craziness and the raw meat, the colors, fruits, veggies, people are always varied and interesting. The fruits and veggies available depend on the season. Delicious
5. Chiltepe--these tiny green chilis that pack a decent punch