Monday morning, I was more than ready to go back to work. They love just about anyone who comes in so I just pretend that their squeals of laughter as they come walking towards us is geniunely for us. :) V seemed like she had to be retaught everything and had reverted back to her aggressiveness (full time rather than part time). Even the kids in wheelchairs who don't speak to us didn't seem to respond to us as more than strangers. You may ask how that could be possible, but honestly, you sit with these kids and develop an unexplicable/nonverbal bond with them. I felt like "I" had really started to recognize my touch each time I greeted him and he'd rest his head against me as I stroked his head and held his hands. Perhaps it was only me, I'm not sure. I'd also like to add that V headbutted me in the mouth. I have a lovely cut on the inside of my mouth and a small bruise on my lip that isn't swollen, just looks like I haven't washed my face. Will it be like this after every weekend?!
The hospital was better. There were two babies (507) Jena and I went to see. The nurse told us "Nu poate in bratele" (no holding) so we just had to stand there and play with the babies. I hate it when babies cry and we're not allowed to hold them. 9/10 times, that's all they want. There was really no reason why these kids couldn't be held other than the nurses just want the diapers (which some end up stealing anyways to resell), and don't want the kids to get used to being held. I understand IV's, and casts, but just congested kids being treated as fragile or untouchable? Sometimes they need to be sitting up.
The hospital was better. There were two babies (507) Jena and I went to see. The nurse told us "Nu poate in bratele" (no holding) so we just had to stand there and play with the babies. I hate it when babies cry and we're not allowed to hold them. 9/10 times, that's all they want. There was really no reason why these kids couldn't be held other than the nurses just want the diapers (which some end up stealing anyways to resell), and don't want the kids to get used to being held. I understand IV's, and casts, but just congested kids being treated as fragile or untouchable? Sometimes they need to be sitting up.
Today was another challenging day at the orphanage. V was a little better and she did ta-da upon request. I got her to say "ta-da" to a worker who was trying to get her to babble with her. The worker didn't even blink and went back to her"ta ta ta"....Arg! No recognition of a new word at all. She only wanted her to say what she wanted. I thought ta-da was somewhat universal and she'd be proud... apparently not. The workers also seem to think that the minute we start playing with these kids, they're our responsibility. So when they take off their sun hats, and run to places they shouldn't we "fetele" get in trouble. These kids are really good at getting into trouble too. They also decided to give me the hardest kid to feed lunch today. The result? Purreed mashed potatoes spat into my face and on my scrubs while a four year old terror is laughing. To say the least, this was NOT one of the momentous moments of the internship. Usually when this happens to us interns, the workers either look at us like we're stupid and don't know how to feed them (every kid is different- how would we?!), or they just laugh.
The hospital today wasn't too bad I guess other than there's never enough kids for 8 girls. I brought my IPOD for a little girl who's in a leg cast. When we showed up today, her mom was with her and when I told her I'd visit her tomorrow her mom told me she was going home tomorrow :( So Bree and I went to the 8th floor and they showed us to a baby boy. He was cute and just sat and held him for a while. I guess some other girls had already changed him. So when the other mom "told on us" that we had changed his diaper to the nurse, she was annoyed and just glared at us. The poor kid was wet! Some of these kids sit in dirty diapers for a long time, so we certainly weren't going to leave him like that. Another girl Alyssa also keeps getting harassed on another floor for more diapers. Today she found out that the hospital has diapers for him they weren't even using them. Sometimes it drives me nuts. We are using our money/donations from others, and some of these diapers are being stolen from these kids. We were told this would happen, but it still makes me angry. Some of the nurses are really blunt and rude. They show us the kids and ask "Aveti pampers?" Some nurses are honestly grateful but others....give a bad name to Romanians to say the least, very similar to the gypsies.
On the flip side, I got to webcam with Mom, Dad, Ella, Jenae (and Brock) last night. Knowing my family was home bbq-ing made me somewhat homesick amidst the struggles and problems of this week. I've never been so excited to see my family before!
I also got a chance to see what it's like to be a missionary. I went block knocking/street contacting with one of the sisters last night. We had every door closed in our face (some ruder than others), and the only person that really stopped to talk to us, just debated. It was a let-down to not have success like other girls. But it gave me a chance to see the rough side of missionary work. Which yes, not only made me more proud of my own missionary, and missionaries in general, but especially foreign speaking missionaries. We only knocked at about 10 doors, but at every door that answered, I shook nervously as I testified of God's plan for us, a living Savior, and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. It's nerve racking to do it in English, but let alone, in a language that is not your own. How grateful I am for this gospel, for the missionaries who taught my mother, and for a loving Heavenly Father in whom I can turn to in prayer to help me get through rough weeks days like this.
The sign at the entrance to the Villa where we have church. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
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