Hospice and Herbs

Hospice Care

This morning, Michael and I volunteered at a hospice, and I worked with patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Even though several of the patients were deaf or blind, we decided to sing to them and we eventually got a few of them to laugh. I learned so much about hospice care from the experience, and my interactions with the patients helped inspire me to follow through with my aspirations in the medical field.

Herbal Medicine

As part of our comparative health study, we have been interviewing families and individuals to evaluate local perceptions on traditional and Western medicine. In this picture, Michael and I are interviewing a man who sells herbal medicine to the people of Piura. He spent several minutes explaining each of the herbs, and we learned a lot about why he considers herbal medicine to be more effective than Western medicine.

Catacaos

Michael and I spent the afternoon in Catacaos, a market district located a short drive from Piura. We enjoyed interacting with the vendors in the street, and with Michael's help, I successfully bargained down the price of a Peruvian hat to 7 soles. In addition to walking in and out of the beautiful shops, we managed to follow the USA-Brazil soccer game at the same time. The above picture offers a view of a street in Catacaos, and the picture below shows a boy polishing shoes to help support his family.

Food and Culture

Downtown Piura

We decided to wait until next weekend to visit Mancora because Jessica was feeling sick and it was raining on Friday morning. Instead, we spent the weekend exploring the food and culture of Piura and interacting with people in the streets. As Jessica spent time recovering from her illness, Michael and I ran around taking pictures of the beautiful city. In this picture, people are enjoying the weather on a perfect afternoon in downtown Piura.

Mototaxis are a popular form of transportation in Piura. These vehicles are motorcycles that have been modified to seat three people. A mototaxi ride to anywhere in the city usually costs 1 sol, which is approximately 30 cents. The people can also choose to take taxis or motorcycles through the city.

We visited a family in Piura to celebrate a mother's birthday. I was touched by their willingness to let us join them in the celebration, and the peach cake was delicious!

We have been staying at Santisimo Sacramento, a Catholic church located in downtown Piura. Jessica and I do not share the Catholic faith, but we have been attending Mass each night to show our gratitude to Father Joe for letting us stay at the church and to share the experience with the people of Piura. Even though I have trouble understanding the Spanish, attending Mass has been very interesting, and even Michael is fascinated by the differences between Mass in Peru and in the United States.

A group of nursing students from Marquette University lived with us at Santisimo Sacramento during our first week in Piura. The students hosted a dinner for the church staff, and we were invited to join the celebration. The "authentic" meal included spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and chocolate chip cookies. We were also treated to an incredible performance involving more than thirty professional dancers!

Jessica, Michael and I ordered ice cappuccinos at a local cafe. As you can see by the look on Michael's face, we enjoyed each and every sip of the delicious drink and we plan on returning to the cafe before we leave Peru.

On Friday night, we joined a few families at a Chinese restuarant in Piura. The food was incredible, and the conversations were very entertaining.

Day of Construction

Last night, Michael and I were discussing plans for the next day when an American family asked if we could help them build a house in the morning. They told us that a mother and two children in Piura needed a home and that a house could be built in a day. We had interviews scheduled in the morning, but Michael and I were so excited about the idea that we convinced Jessica to let us join the construction team.

I have built houses before with Habitat for Humanity, but the house we built today was unlike anything I have seen in my life. When Michael and I were dropped off at the village, we expected to find a construction site. Instead, we found a pile of sand with bamboo poles, metal scraps and wires. With the help of a few neighbors, we constructed the house in less than five hours. Michael and I spoke with the single mother who would live in the house, and I couldn't stop playing with her two adorable children.

Today was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I still can't believe that a family is sleeping under a roof tonight because we decided to help out in the morning. I was amazed by the feelings of hope and community shared by these families despite their hardships and difficult living conditions, and I was touched by the willingness of neighbors to help each other construct a better life. I have been in Peru for only three days, but my experiences have already taught me so much about the people and the culture. Jessica, Michael and I are exhausted from interviewing families and helping in the community, and we plan on leaving in the morning for a beach in Mancora. We will return in three days, and I can't wait to reach out to the many other wonderful families in Piura!

Meet the Family

Family in Piura

This morning, Jessica, Michael and I took a mototaxi to a village in Piura to interview families for our health study. We left Santisimo Sacramento with the goal of interviewing three families at the village. By the end of the day, we had spoken with more than twenty families about their recent experiences with illness and disease and their perceptions on health care and mental health. I was fascinated by their views on these subjects, and I can't wait to interview more families tomorrow. I took a lot of pictures today, and I posted a few of them below. I hope you enjoy them!

A view of the village from the road.

The family members join us for a group picture.

The three of us are conducting our first interview.

Matt is explaining to Michael an interesting aspect of health care in Peru. Even though Jessica and Michael are fluent in Spanish and I try my best, Matt was very helpful in translating our questions so that they could be understood by the family members.

Jessica and I are interviewing a family member while Michael is talking with Matt in the background.

A dog is running through a street in the village as a girl plays with a ball in the background.

A group of children from the village are playing with tires.

Jessica is interviewing a family member on social networks as Michael and I are conducting an interview on mental illness and health care.

Jessica is thanking family members after a long day of interviews.

Michael and a nurse are leaving the village.

Michael and I are building a house tomorrow morning! I will share the pictures with you tomorrow night.

Meet the Team

The Team

Jessica arrived in Piura this afternoon and the research team is now complete! Jessica is a second-year doctoral student at Harvard who is helping us conduct our study this summer. The three of us spent our first day in Piura exploring the city, meeting people, and running across rooftops! The city is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the rooftops...

Rooftops in Peru

We will be going to a village tomorrow morning to meet with families. Jessica, Michael and I spent the day translating interview questions into Spanish, and we will be recording our conversations to collect data for our study. I can't wait to practice my Spanish tomorrow and learn about health care and social networks in Peru. I will update my journal with these experiences and share them with you soon!

Night at the Airport

Lima International Airport

Michael and I arrived in Piura this morning! After 17 hours of travel, the two of us were exhausted as we stumbled off the plane. The two pictures above were taken at the Lima International Airport at some time between 12 and 4 AM. As you can see, Michael and I found different means of staying productive during the 5-hour layover. For the next two weeks, we will be staying at Santisimo Sacramento, a Catholic church situated in the center of Piura. The International Review Board recently approved our comparative health study, and we will be spending the next two weeks interviewing families in Peru to learn about social networks and their experiences with illness and disease. We will be picking up Jessica from the airport in a few minutes, and we can't wait to begin exploring the sights and sounds of South America!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

O'Hare International Airport

Michael joined me in Chicago last night, and we are flying down to Peru today! We are leaving for the airport in a few minutes and we are so excited! The first flight on our trip around the world is from Chicago to Atlanta, followed by a flight from Atlanta to Lima. We will be spending the night at the Lima International Airport, and then taking a 4 AM flight to Piura the next morning. Jessica Perkins, a graduate student at Harvard, will be joining us in Piura to conduct a comparative health study between Peru and China. We will be meeting her in Piura, and she will be joining us on our adventures through northern Peru. I need to finish packing and run to the airport, but I will post again when I am in Peru!

First Time for Everything

Kentucky Lake

Michael Henderson and I were walking back from class on a typical day in the Harvard life. We were discussing an organic chemistry problem set due the next day when I noticed that Michael had stopped walking. I found him standing in front of a travel agency, staring intently at a sign displayed in the window: Round the World. He turned to me, "Hey Tom, what do you think about Fiji?" "Fiji?" He laughed. We walked in and never looked back.

5 continents. 9 countries. 18 flights. 52 days. In less than a week, Michael and I will be leaving for Peru, the first destination on our journey around the world. South America is not the only new destination for me. I will be going to Africa and several countries in Europe for the first time, and this is the first time I will be traveling with someone as spontaneous as Michael Henderson. I can't wait to share my pictures and experiences with you as I write my first travel journal, and I look forward to reading your comments!

The picture above was taken at Kentucky Lake on a road trip this summer. Michael and I flew to Chicago once we finished our final exams, and we spent a week driving and boating through Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. This picture was taken seconds before my first time tubing on a lake, and it captures my excitement and anticipation for a new and different experience. I selected this picture for my first journal entry because it reminds me that there is a first time for everything in life. This summer, I will be traveling the world for the first time, and just like my tubing adventure, I will be hanging on for the ride of my life!