Days 23 & 24

A couple frustrating days – I had worked to get ahead on C’world ‘toons this week, getting sketches in early yesterday, but Boston had been hit by a snowstorm, and people were working from home, and feedback was delayed. To add to that, the west coast editor was doing the editorial, and he didn’t chime in until late in the day, with a different subject altogether. I worked on a finish this morning, with children entertaining themselves, and rushed over to the verizon store where, for the first time since I’ve been here, someone was on the one working computer ALL MORNING. It was frustrating – I had to get the cartoon out, and committed to waiting there until it was sent out, but this had never happened before, where someone stayed on for almost 2 hours. Lane, Benjamin and I hung out at the Plaza Lusitania the entire time, sitting around, running around, just walking in and out of the verizon place. We had a conversation with Cindy, an American ex-pat who we met at Villa Serena, where she works, and who has very few good things to say about this place, even though she has a Dominican husband and I would think she would be a bit more enthused about the country, its people, and the various communities she has experienced.

The man finally got off the computer, I got on quickly and got my cartoons shipped out, and we came back and ate lunch. I was trying to get everyone motivated for the beach, but no one was, and we hung around long enough for me to realize that the kids were nearing rottweiler mode and I needed to get them out. This is mainly because the school has two days off, for teachers’ meetings and a field trip, and there is open time for Lane and Ben.

We ended up going to Galeras, in a big open sandy spot that stays shallow for quite a ways out.

Amy returned tonight.

Book currently read – “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” Tracy Kidder’s reporting of the life and works of Paul Farmer, a doctor who has made it his life’s work to deal with medical issues in poor populations. He was created a hospital in Central Haiti, and created tuberculosis treatment plans around the world. Notable pieces of the book – when he criticizes Mother Theresa for complimenting the Duvaliers in Haiti and, when he is questioned for spending 25,000 dollars to fly a dying boy out of Haiti to Boston hospitals and asked what the money could have been spent on, he asks why no one questions the first year doctor who makes $100,000 why he isn’t contributing part of his salary to help the poor.