More on the working world

Well, it seems a job is a job. Some weeks are good, some aren't so good. The weather and food seem to be the driving factors. =) Last week was COLD, and the electric heater in the office just wasn't up for the job when combined with the constant comings and goings of clinicians, admins, and patients. I was bundled up in layers and a winter coat all week (40 degrees and 95% humidity). This week was warmer (50-55 and 90% humidity), so sitting at the computer wasn't quite as torturous.

My typical day looks something like this...

• 7:30-Wake up, get ready for work.

• 8:10-Walk to bus stop.

• 9:00-Arrive at work, greet everyone.

• 9:20-First Encounter: I join the clients and a member of the treatment team to address any important issues/feelings being experienced by the clients. A recovery topic is also introduced, such as aligning yourself with successful people who are leading lives you want to lead. In the afternoon, they'll return to this meeting and discuss the topic in more detail.

• 9:40-Buscar fondos. At this time, the patients begin a variety of activities, depending on the day of the week (cleaning the facility, a cooking class, First Aid and CPR skills, etc.) and I begin hunting foundations on the computer, looking for grants, subsidies, or other funds that may sustain the agency a little bit longer. Sometimes I'll take part in the workshops, helping out with First Aid/CPR, Wednesday we made pizza dough and pizzas! (The pizzas toppings were Ham and Hard-Boiled Egg; Roquefort Cheese; and garlic and parsley.)

• 12:00-Lunchtime! The clients and a staff member make lunch for everyone everyday. For the clients, it's part of learning about health and how to take care of themselves. We almost always have bread and a carrot salad (grated carrots with oil and vinegar, sometimes garnished with apples, fennel, raisins, onions, etc.). Entrees include a variety of pasta dishes with tomato sauce or cheese sauce (usually vegetarian, occasionally with a meat sauce), butternut squash gnocchi (made from scratch), stuffed squash (theirs' with meat, mine with an egg-vegetable mixture), vegetable/meat pies (again, all made from scratch), risottos, and, being in Argentina, hunks of meat. Frequently milanesa (breaded meat/chicken/fish) with rice, occasionally "hamburguesas" (not to be confused with American hamburgers, which are much larger, and tastier according to the Americans) or other deep-fried meaty lumps. (Sorry, I can't be too much more specific!)

• 1:00-3:00-Back to work! Sometimes I'll sit through another group therapy session, talking about the clients' weekend events or current goals, on Tuesdays I teach them English, and many other days I return to the computer to continue my search for funding. In theory, I'll be doing more work with the clients and their families once we get some additional funding. Or, without the additional funding, I'll be doing something completely different!!! (Right now, the agency is experiencing huge cutbacks in government funding. They are currently paying 1/3 the cost of treatment for qualifying clients, leaving agencies to cover the difference. Most "employees" at El Bohio are working for little or nothing, hoping that the agency will soon be able to support itself, and their continued work.

• 4:00-Return home. Get coffee (we're usually out of coffee at work, this tends to be a priority), hit the gym, run errands, attend workshops/cultural events....live.