More Nicaragua

I would apologize for not posting in such a long time, but a few other members that will remain nameless are guilty of this sin several times more than I. In easily’s bumpy past, it seems we all take a collective sabbatical during the summer, and into the fall. Our spring stuff is pretty good quality though. We’re like lettuce (that's a gardening joke for anyone out there).

Anyway I went to Nicaragua. Its been a week since I got back, but its taken that long for the screams to die down from inside my head. Why screams you ask? I helped in the “la dentista”. In this dentist office nestled in the mountains, we do only one thing-pull teeth. If In-n-Out were a dentist office, this would be us. You can get anywhere from a single all the way to “everything”. So I guess our max would technically be around 32.

The first hour I was kinda queasy about holding the flashlight and starring at blood pooling as three molars were removed. After that though, I started to get over it. I started to get over everything. However rotten someone’s teeth were began to be a contest. Children screaming and fighting to escape? The last song I heard on the plane was Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend, and most kids quit with a small amount of pressure on their hands and the seemingly magical word “tranquilo/a”. I was creating a new music video in my head for that spunky pop princess, one born in hell, but new none the less.

There was only one girl that successfully fought (three) of us off. She was 14, but at least somewhat retarded. Just trying to put the q-tip in her mouth sent her into full battle mode-which included bicycle kicking. Finally the translator asked her sister if he could just sit on her (mind you were trying to pull baby teeth that are still in and are going to further screw up the adult teeth). The sister says its fine, because she knows the small amount of pain and discomfort is going to in the end be worth it. The girl attempted to be worked on however, disagreed and totally FLIPPED when he tried to completely hold her down.

Unfortunately the people in the dentist office trade in blood and fear, but trade it for more happy and healthy mouths. Most people aren’t thinking of this when they’re around us. As a result we’re the least popular volunteers with the villagers.