This past weekend was another busy weekend full of events. We got up at 6am and left for a 2-3 hour drive into the Oaxacan mountains. 
After stopping for a quick bite of breakfast, we stopped at house that specializes in making Molinillos. Molinillos are very traditional and cultural tools that have been used for years. Look at all the detail and skill put into these oversized rattles. What is funny is you would think these intricate pieces must have a complex purpose, but they are actually just extravagant wisks  used for mixing things haha. Regardless of their simple purpose, they are very interesting and appealing to the eye, so I bought one. I feel like it is something that can remind me of the trip and also make me look more cultured when company comes to visit.
Here is one of the many cabins in the mountains, were  we stayed over the weekend. The views were amazing from every angle. Whatever direction you looked there were rolling green mountains and thick white clouds. 
This is a picture of the center area of the cabins. This is where we learned about traditional medicine in Mexico and how it applies to the medicine they provide today. This is also where we had a bonfire at night. We sat around the fire and roasted marshmallows while listening to a 12 acoustic guitar live band. It was really fun and after the band finished playing, they let me play four song on one of their guitars. It soon turned into karaoke as I played the music of popular songs and everyone else sang. I was told one of my friends video taped it so if I get ahold of that footage I'll make sure to post it.
After our lecture on traditional medicine we went to an actual place where these practices were offered. They asked someone to participate in the traditional medicine technique called limpia; and, thinking it would be harmless, I volunteered. I spent the next five minutes getting beat by some weeds and tickled with and egg. If that wasn't enough, the person then took a mouthful of Mezcal and spit it into my shirt, on my chest and back. It was kind of ironic that they called it a Limpia seeing as, at the end, I had grass stains everywhere and smelt like hard alcohol haha.
After torturing me, they crack the egg into a glass of water and depending on the amount of bubbles that rise up, tells you what evil you have released from your body. Apparently I released my guilt and a grudge that I was holding against a friend.
Here is one of the many beautiful views that surrounded us. There were so many that I struggled to choose which one to include in this post.
Once I was rid of all my evil spirits, we went on a hike into some dark and scary caves, probably so I could get some new evil spirits, like distrust and panic haha. 
Don't let the flash full you. These caves were pitch dark and soundless. Also, this was one of the more spacious walkways we walked/climbed through. At one point we had to climb up a slippery wet ladder to continue on. 
While in the caves, we often stopped and the guide would show us cool shadows and rock formations that resemble things. This is a picture of a rock that looks like a clown. We stopped and did this every five minutes. It makes you wonder how much time that tour guide has spent in those caves.
Here is a picture where we ate dinner. It was a nice outdoor restaurant that sat next to a stream. You can also see the platform in the upper left corner where we zip-lined across the river. It was a nice desert after we ate.
The next day we woke up, had a big breakfast, and got ready for another full day of adventure. Here is another old church of which the town of Capulalpam was built around. And below the picture of the church is the view from the entrance door of the church. Almost makes you feel like your in heaven looking over the earth.
After visiting the church, we went on a very interesting and Mexico-unique ride in the back of a truck to the top of the highest peak in the surrounding area. We fit 28 people in the back of that truck and held on tightly as we drove for an hour in rough terrain.
The ride turned into a game as we ducked under oncoming branches and tried not to fall off when going through the frequent pothole. Here is a short clip of our roller coaster ride.
When we arrived at our destination, these were the types of tries that surrounded us. Up there, it was very moist and everything was covered in moss. 
At the peak, we were 3150 meters above sea level and could see the clouds below us move through the lower mountains. After a very busy weekend, we returned home in the late evening on sunday and recovered for what I am sure will be another exciting week in Mexico. Thanks for following.
 
I thought i would start this blog off with a shout-out to my beautiful girlfriend, Hilary. Thank you for all your love and support. Long distance is never easy on a relationship, but with a little creativity (like shown above) and understanding, it has the potential to bring us closer together. Hilary and I will be celebrating our first year anniversary this month, and although I'm in another country, we will have many more anniversaries to celebrate together in the future. I miss you.
Enough of the cheesy stuff...
Last week my roommate, Duke, and I asked if we could follow our medical director, Doctora Magaly, around her hospital at night. She invited us to shadow her once a week at her hospital, Hospital Carmen. Here is a picture of us three.
Surprisingly, within a half hour of arriving, she had us suited in scrubs and ready for surgery. 
The first surgery we saw was a prostate biopsy. Interestingly, I have seen one of these procedures done in the US, but the two were procedures were very different. In the US, the procedure was quick, easy, and painless. The patient usually was awake and the surgery was complete in fifteen minutes with practically no recovery time needed. In Mexico, the procedure was completely different. The difference, in my opinion, was most likely due to Mexico's lack of resources and more primative technology. Anyway, the procedure took about two hours and lets just say the patient will probably wish he was a woman for a couple of weeks haha. Of course, these pictures were pretty graphic so I'll let your minds paint the picture instead.
The second surgery we saw was a C-section of a 31 year old women. This was the first picture I took and after, the doctor looked at me and told me to come closer to get a better shot. It caught me off guard because cameras aren't even allowed in the surgery room in the US. In Mexico, the doctors would pause to have us take a picture while they gave a thumbs up haha. 
You can't help but be a new person after seeing a new baby enter this world. In Mexico they call it, dar la luz, which means to give light. I can only imagine the majestic experience of seeing your own child enter into this world. As cheesy as it sounds, it makes you feel more alive and appreciative of the life cycle. It makes you think of the many wonders of the world really how amazing the gift of life is. Corny, I know. I told our director the same thing and she said I needed to say that at next years orientation to recruit more students haha.
Here is a picture of the head surgeon, Duke, and I. It must be a pretty powerful feeling to help bring more babies into this world. 
Here is a picture of the clinic I spent the last two weeks at. From left to right there is: Julio, the nurse; Daniel, my clinic partner; Doctora Coral, the doctor; and myself. Doctora Coral was very clear and helpful at explaining each case and I learned so much because of her. Because of the Mexican diet, lots of tortillas and carbohydrates, diabetes is a serious issue in Mexico, and that was probably 80% of the stuff we dealt with. Next week, I will start at a new clinic where I will hopefully learn much more. Also, I'll add another blog post of my adventurous weekend in the mountains later this week. Stay tuned.
 
Unfortunately, my first day of clinical rotation didn't go exactly as planned. My partner, Daniel, and I arrived at our clinic at 8 am sharp and were greeted by all the nurses and staff. They told us the doctor should be in at 9 so we had to wait for an hour to get started. This wouldn't have been a big issue except we ended up waiting 3 hours and the doctor never came. Apparently this is a common occurrence in Oaxaca. Anyways, we called our medical director and she was so upset that she decided to have us go to a different primary care facility the next day.
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It all ended up working out for the best because our new clinic (picture above) was much nicer and in a better area then the first one. Also, the staff was much more welcoming and excited to have us there. Just so you are aware, I do not plan on boring you (my viewers) with all the details of my clinical rotations. From now on I will only include interesting cases from my clinical experience in my blog.
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My first day at this new clinic, Centro De Salud Pueblo Nuevo, was very busy. That day they were doing a big promotion on parental planing, meaning the focus of the day was on medicine that would prevent an overabundance of births. We started the day with simple birth control methods, but finished the day with 8 Vasectomies and 12 women who got their tubes tied. We assisted in streamlining the process and prepping all the patients for surgery (took blood pressures, installed IV's, etc.). Don't I look like a doctor all dressed up in my lab coat :) ???
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On Saturday our entire group met and went on an 8 hour tour to 5 popular tourist sites. The first place we went was Arbol de Tule, which is the widest tree in the world. 
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The tree is 58 meters in diameter and over 2000 years old. I didn't get any pictures of them, but we were told that the tree had bumps and branches that resemble animals. Also, this tree was part of the inspiration for the tree at Disney World that contains sculptures of animals in its bark.
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Here is a picture of my two roommates and I. 
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Next we went to a famous carpet house calle La Casa De Tarjetas. Here they showed us the process of making wool and how they dye it different colors.
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Here is a picture of the wooden machinery that they now use to make these intricate and masterful carpets. Before the creation of this machinery, the indigenous people would spend years making their rugs. Now, it only takes about 4 weeks to finish a masterpiece. 
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Here is an example of the detail and skill that is put into each carpet. They said it takes a person 3 years to become a master carpet maker.
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Second, we went to my favorite place of the day, Hierva el Agua. This is a hot spring on top of a mountain that, over millions of years, has created a fossilized waterfall of calcium and other ground minerals. If you look to the far right of the picture you can see the waterfall, and right behind me are some of the hot springs.
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Here is a closer look of the waterfall with Paul and I. We had a lot of fun showing off in the pools of the hot springs. It felt nice to be back in the water. Remember the days when I was as tan as Paul??? haha We took a million more pictures that I will have to share with all of you when I return.
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Next we went to some more Zapotec ruins in Mitla. Although these ruins weren't as cool as Monte Alban, they were better preserved and we were able to go inside of the tombs.
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The city was destroyed and abandoned early because the Spanish were taking over and wanted to change the religion of the Zapotec people. A huge battle began and, in the end, there was no winner and more destruction than resolution.
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Here Paul and I are going into the dark tombs. It was hard to see and there wasn't much more than tunnels, but we did happen to find an ancient bathroom, or at least something that looked like a bathroom.
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The last stop in the trip was at a famous Mezcal house. Mezcal is a hard alcohol that specific to Oaxaca. It turns out that Tequila is actually a type of Mezcal. The only reason they are different is because Mezcal is still traditionally made the same way with a process that involves this stone wheel. Tequila became so popular that they changed its processing in order to release faster to the masses around the world. In the end, both are made from the same elements, the agave plant.
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After hearing about the processing, they gave us necklaces with bamboo shot glasses and then proceeded to give us a million small samples. Personally, I am not a big fan of hard alcohol but you know what they say, "When in Rome". Haha It probably would have been a better trip if we went to this place first, but I have no complaints. It was a great day.
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Earlier this week we met some people who work at Stanford. After getting to know each other, they asked us if we would be interested in visiting an orphanage to play with some of the kids, so today (Sunday) we went to a local catholic orphanage. I couldn't believe how excited the kids were as soon as we walked in the door. Immediately when I got there I had two kids hug my legs and ask me if I could play with them.
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The facility had kids from ages 4-21 with the bulk of them being around 9. We played soccer with them and taught them how to do cartwheels. It was a lot of fun.
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Here is a picture of my friends John and Paul with two of the little girls. It tuns out, a lot of the kids actually have parents, but they are from such poor families that their parents couldn't provide for them.
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Here is a picture of me and one of the girls I spent most of the evening with. We played tag and she showed me her favorite ball. It was another great week and weekend. I hope you enjoyed. I'll probably do another post around this time next week. :)
 
Yesterday was a day filled of Oaxacan tradition. We travelled to three traditional craft buildings, each of which contained masters of their craft (pottery, wood, weaving).
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First we learned about the black pottery of which Oaxaca is known for. Here they call it Barro Negro. The detail and skill put into these amazing sculptures is astonishing. It takes 16 hours in the oven to make them water proof and to give them their characteristic black color.
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We got to watch as one of the masters showed us the process for making Barro Negro. This is the start of the pot before he transforms it. It was unbelievable how fast he worked and perfect the pot still came out.
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Here is the products of the pots he made and it only took him about 20 minutes!!! Look at the detail in the flower. He said that he could do any flower in the world and if we wanted to bring him a photo of someone he would make us a sculpture for a good price. I can't imagine doing this as a profession. It sounds fun. I guess I should have played with playdoh more as a child haha.
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Next we saw the mastery is would carving and painting. They had a wood carving of every animal and all they use are machetes, files, and small knives. In Oaxaca they call these Alebrijes.
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One of the coolest parts of the presentation of how the ancient people created all the colors that we use today. It was amazing how he simply combined limestone and pomegranates to make the color green. And then from there, he just added lemon juice, tree bark, and other things to make every other color. And they combined honey and tree sap to make a resin to seal everything.
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Look at the detail they out into each sculpture. They said that on average it takes 3-4 weeks to finish one sculpture. Also, each little design has a meaning. For example the body of the sculpture is full of several fish witch is a sign of peace.
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Here is one of the amazing final products. All of these sculptures are very colorful and very creative.
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Finally, we ended the day with a quick trip to a place where they weave fabrics. These masters made blankets, bags, belts, panchos, and much more without using a needle. Unfortunately, it started to rain really hard so we cut our visit short and this was the only picture I got.
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Here are all the guys in our program. We got dressed up and went to a big feast and presentation of a Oaxacan cultural fiesta called The Guelaguetza. This is an indigenous festival held every year in July but we were luck enough to get a small preview from a local hotel.
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Here are two dances that have been practiced for hundreds of years. The event was a lot of fun and they dancers even pulled some of the crowd on stage. I, fortunately, wasn't picked but I very much enjoyed looking at the uncomfortable faces of the other people in the program who were selected.
That concludes our first week in Mexico. Next week we start our classes and clinical rotations. I hope you enjoy and are looking forward to seeing many more of my experiences here in Oaxaca. I am definitely excited for the weeks to come.
 
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For our first week in Oaxaca we are acting more like tourists and really getting comfortable with the city and the culture. We spent most of our time in this classroom listening to presentations and getting to know each other more. When not in class we would wonder around the city and and check out the local tourist sites.
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This is the Catholic temple, Santo Domingo. I love going to foreign countries and seeing the amazing architecture in there churches. Its hard to find a church this pretty in the United States. I Couldn't believe the detail and work that was put into each wall of the church. 
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On Tuesday we had a presentation on the cultural foods from Mexico and Oaxaca specifically. One of the local favorites are actually flavored grasshoppers called chapulines, which we of course ate. They were crunchy and sour and I could only handle eating one haha. Beyond that they also had moldy corn and cooked larva. Don't worry, it wasn't all terrible. They also had some local cactus fruit, papayas, and local cocoa beans for chocolate, all of which were pretty good. 
The next portion consists of solely Monte Alban (picture at the top of the blog page), one of the coolest places in Mexico. Monte Alban is full of Zapotec pyramids and the ruins from their city. This place is so amazing and the culture is very interesting. I made sure to take a million pictures, but I could only select a few to post here because of the room limitations.
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This is an ancient civilization where they worshiped there gods and the Guide even told us that they would make heart offerings to the gods by breaking the last rib of the dead and then reaching up their chest and taking out their hearts.
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The trees down below were said to be sacred and have medical healing powers. It is said that if you had a life-threatening illness or problem, then all you had to do was hug one of the trees and express your issue. Then, after 8 days, if the tree was dead it meant that you were healed.
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The center pyramid was the temple and they did most of their worshiping their. Out of respect, they told us that the people were never allowed to turn their backs to the temple as they walked up the pyramid stairs. Therefore, the people, and us as well, would zig-zag up the stairs so only our sides faced the temple and not our backs.
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Here is one of the Zapotec sports arenas. The Guide told us that when the community was debating going to war they would play a sport similar to soccer. One team would be war and the other team would be peace. Then, whoever won the game was the decision the elder would choose.
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Here is a picture of the birthing stones and Paul and I imitating them. These stones were supposed to help the women in labor with the birthing process. Don't worry, they weren't graphic, they just presented women in awkward positions. I guess birth wasn't easy back then either haha. 
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Here is my two roommates at the top of the the tallest pyramid. The view was amazing and I have many more pictures to show everyone when I get back.
 
Bienvenidos, which means welcome in Spanish. My name is Jason Andrade and this is my blog for my 11-week trip to Mexico. The program I am with will allow us, not only to see the nearby sights; but also, to take global health classes, cultural classes (like salsa and pottery making), Spanish classes, and we even get to work in a hospital for six hours each day. I know, it sounds very busy, and it will be, but I will do my best to take as much pictures as possible.

I look forward to sharing my trip with all of you.
Adios, and look for more to come!!!!

-Jason
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It’s never easy saying goodbye to your loved ones at the airport. Especially, when your flight is at 12:40 in the morning and everyone just wants to go home and go to sleep. But I honestly couldn’t have mustard up the courage to even go on this trip without the love and support from my family and friends.

My entire family came to the airport to see me off. Justin came from Davis with my girlfriend, Hilary. Ryan came from San Jose even though Kristina was unable to come with him because of obligations to a wedding. And my parents and Nicole drove with me from Hollister despite Nikki having a soccer game at 8 am the next morning. Thank you all so much.

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Here we are at the terminal waiting for our flight. It turns out one of the people in our group turned 21 at midnight. So being welcoming college students, a few of the other members got a small bottle of wine for everyone to share. Unfortunately, alcohol was not permitted at the terminal and we all had to get talked to by one of the airport marshals. HAHA OOPS!! Good way to start the trip right?
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Here is my good friend, Paul, and I on the plane at 1:30 in the morning trying to calm our excitement so we can get some sleep.
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Here are some of the amazing views from my window as we fly over Mexico on our way to Oaxaca.
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Here is my house (the purple one) and my room where I will be spending the next few months in Mexico. It is huge!!! The room and house are very nice.
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This is our view from our balcony. Behind the house is a walkway into town, which they call the escalator stairs and many locals use them for running. I got up and ran them early yesterday and my calves are super sore. lol   
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The night we arrived they took us to the town square where they were having a festival. The town square surrounds the catholic cathedral and one of the coolest parts of the night was when they did a light show that was projected onto the side of the cathedral. I was so amazing and it looked like the cathedral actually had real people moving on it.
 
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