crazy overwhelminglyness

so it's slow, but i am able to sporatically use the internet. it's my second day here yesterday was quite possibly one of the most exhausting day of my life! by the time we got to the base, after not getting picked up at the airport, after hearing nothing but haitian creole, after seeing trash and sewage on the worst kept streets in the world, after seeing people washing clothes in bowls on the side of the road, i had nothing. i couldn't pay attention during the mini orientation, and i felt delirious. it was probably hilarious, watching me attempt to hang a mosquito net in my bunk in a sleepy haze! i did wake with most of it around me...hahaha

haiti is one of the most beautiful places! huge mountains, surrounded by piercing blue ocean. beautiful, kind, smiley people. ADORABLE kids and babies. we went to an orphange yesterday, in between picking people up at the airport (3 teams flew in yesterday), and it was the most heartbreaking, wonderful place ever. there are so many people here, and they are so poor, but they're also so loving and sweet. i just love them. plus, the food is AWESOME...

today we went to st. nicholas hospital and did 5 surgeries. all days or weeks old traumas, and it was culture shock. when we got there, a lady had just come in with a ruptured placenta, and the dead baby was laying on a stand, outside the operating room, unattended, uncovered except for a small blue OR towel. it looked like it was sweetly sleeping. that was my introduction to a haitian hospital. it was quite traumatizing actually. thinking about it makes me want to cry! there were flies on my table, it was about 90 degrees, and i had a random bunch of rusty instruments. the girls opened nothing sterilely, and there were hardly any drapes. however, the 2 surgeons were super nice, and all in all i had a great day. the ER had a huge influx of traumas as we were leaving, so we'll be busy again on monday.

it's hard to process anything here, but the business slows down at night as everyone lays in bed, listening to their iPods or reading. except for the voodoo services. except for the rooster (UGH!). except for the dogs.

welcome to haiti!