I only ended up spending Monday and Tuesday with the psychologist. On Monday I just listened in on patients and then again on Tuesday for a bit. On Tuesday, there was a woman who came in with her two girls 10 and 5. The mother was having issues with the older daughter acting rebellious and not helping out in the house, etc. After a bit of discussion it came to light that the older girl had been molested by her cousin when she was 5 and raped by her step-father a year ago. He currently was not in the house but wanted to move back in. I don't know how Rosario felt, but to me it seemed so clear that this girl acting out was the least of her problems and her behavior was quite a mild response to the situation. Rosario didn't have time to talk to the girl because we had an appointment back at the school. Again, the prioritizing of things are startling to me. At the school, we ended up waiting over 45 minutes for the principal to bother showing us to a room and it felt so much more pertinent to talk to the girl. She knew what her mother was there for, I can't imagine having to wait through that discussion in the lobby without having a chance to speak for oneself. At the school, we measured and weighed the students and then screened them for depression.
Tuesday afternoon I went to the school in Barranco for kids with disabilities. I met the psychologist there, but it seems she can't have me observe much as they are more stringent with their privacy. She introduced me to a therapist, Paula, and I sit with her and watch her do some motor-skills therapy with some of the kids. After, I met Oscar, the gym teacher/physical therapist, and watched a session with him. I really liked seeing the kids and hopefully I'll be able to do a bit more when I go back!
Wednesday and Thursday, Rosario told me not to come in because she had some things to do. As it turned out there was a Paro (strike) on Wednesday anyway so everyone had the day off. I met Danielle in Miraflores for some more waffles (it's becoming a bad and delicious habit of ours) and a game of Rummikub. There was actually some sun out and it was quite warm so I got the slightest hint of color by the end of the day. When it's sunny here, it is absolutely gorgeous and everyone heads out to paraglide (another thing to do with Mom and Debbie).
Thursday I was able to sleep in a bit in the morning and then I headed back to the school in the afternoon. I sat with Paula again and met three adorable students, two with cerebral palsy and a boy with autism. She mostly works on keeping their attention focused. She has a lot of simple toys, like a jar filled with beads, and she is able to test so many developmental steps with just that one thing (not to say that she doesn't have a room full of toys and other tools, she does). She can shake it to try and maintain focused attention, she also works on their motor skills by having the students fill the jar, or she uses different beads to practice colors. It's been super interesting watching her work. I don't think it's anything I would want to make a career out of, but I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to observe her.
Friday I went into work and surprisingly, Rosario was not there. She had a mix-up about the date of her meeting and had told me not to come in on Thursday when she was in fact, gone Friday. I hung out with Susan, one of the nurses, who had me roll cotton balls for three hours. I'm quite good now. In the evening, I went to services and then back to the Rabbi's house for dinner. There, I met a very nice lady who also happens to be a psychologist in Miraflores, and she gave me her card and told me that if I need anything I can contact her. I don't suppose I will, but it feels very nice to have that extra resource. Also, I ate the best dessert in the world. I forgot the name, but it was made of egg whites and sugar and tasted like a créme brûlée marshmallow of love with a splash of pure happiness on the side. I would like more.
Saturday was loooooong. It was Annie's last weekend, so she made an itinerary of all the sights she wanted to see in Lima Centro. Danielle, Annie, Misael, the new guys Sam, Amanda, and Victoria, and I all hopped a bus to downtown. There, we saw three or four churches. We were only able to go into one, but the others had gorgeous exteriors and I took lots of photos (will be posted soon!). We also went to the Museum of the Inquisition (aka the Torture Museum). The guide was in Spanish and none of us cared to listen so intently, so we made our own way around and saw lots of wicked machines used on Peruvians in the 1500s who weren't Catholic enough. We also found the shopping street that Danielle, Annie, and I had missed during our previous, fruitless, 9.5 hour shopping excursion to Lima Centro. Now we know.
In the evening, Danielle, Annie, and I met up with my friends Rodrigo and Fernando at our favorite Sofa Cafe (the place with waffles!) to drink some delicious Daiquiris and play 5 games of Jenga (I lost four). We then had a bit of an adventure traipsing from Miraflores to San Isidro back to Miraflores and then eventually to Barranco in search of places to drink and dance. I think Rodrigo was into Danielle and therefore trying to impress her with his knowledge of trendy places to go. They were all busy
, so we ended up at a little Cuban restaurant where we had Mojitos and fried Yuca (mmm!) and then on our merry way to dance with the other 20-somethings in Barranco.
