I have this theory that the number of births at the clinic correlates with the amount of rain we're having in Cebu... and we're in a bit of a dry spell on both accounts at the moment. For this reason I am hoping for a downpour, and assuming that with it, more laboring mothers-to-be will arrive at the clinic. the other reason I'm wishing for rain is because i truly love it when it rains here, and this is why... the rain here comes in two varieties: the sprinkle-and-hardly-wet-the-ground variety, and the tropical-downpour-that-turns-the-streets-into-rivers variety. I prefer the latter. the last time it really rained an old woman took refuge in the doorway of the clinic - she had a basket of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves that she was selling, and I'm guessing her product is less appealing when soggy from tropical rain. in contrast, the neighborhood boys are unfazed by the rain. In fact, I'm almost certain it is their version of a water park... they run through the streets, shirts off, kites in tow, hair slicked to their faces - really, when you're always sticky with sweat, it is pretty refreshing to be drenched with cold rain drops instead. Lo would agree... she steps into the street from the shelter of the clinic and stretches out both arms, taking in the momentary relief from the heat. the old woman in the doorway is amused and smiles a toothless grin as she mumbles something we don't understand in Cebuano (we've been trying to learn the language, but so far have only mastered "my name is", "thank you", and "pee and poop" <-- we have to ask the patients during vitals... of all the words to learn!), my guess would be that old lady is telling Lo she is crazy :)
During those really big downpours we usually sit and read in the clinic because the noise of the rain hitting the tin roofs of the neighborhood drowns out your words and conversation is near impossible... but then the power flickers off, our electric fans slow to a stop, and we're left sitting in the dark stagnant air of the clinic - not a good reading environment. Before the humidity becomes too stifling (or maybe we're just getting acclimated and can tolerate it), the power buzzes back on... the downpour continues, they often last an hour or so. Another old lady walks down the street, indifferent to the rain, she balances a basket of fruit atop her head, it serves as her umbrella, how creative! the thunder starts to pick up and it's loud enough that I'm convinced the storm is directly overhead, though i have no lightning to gauge distance with. the rain usually comes through in the middle of the afternoon, or early morning, and though there are thick clouds overhead, it is still bright, and the flashes of lightening are only audible, not visible. Just as everyone starts dishing up lunch - coconut veggie curry and rice... always rice, every meal, mcdonalds even serves rice - the rain begins to slow, and within minutes all that is left of the storm is the residual flow of water down the street, and the waterlogged bodies of the kids outside still dripping...
that is why i like the rain here... and because it smells like home when it rains... and usually because it brings the laboring mothers! seriously! but i think this weekend, even if it down poured, the clinic wouldn't see a single mother-to-be. the reason? it is holy week. and apparently during holy week it is bad luck to have your baby - particularly on good Friday or black Saturday (though it is fine to have a Christmas day baby, and if that happens the baby is usually named Jejomar - for Jesus, Joseph and Mary.... wow). thus, the full term moms who came in for prenatal checkups this week are at home, fighting the urge to push... we'll see if will can trump nature. so far it has, our clinic has been empty for two days. during holy week in the Philippines, it is not just the births that get put on hold, everything stops, closes, gets postponed. Parades of people take the street during the day and night, and there are even reenactments of the crucifixion of Christ (tryouts to play the part of Christ Jesus and everything, and yes, they use real nails).
Lo and i decided to spend good friday relaxing by the pool - which was empty because it is also bad luck to swim at this time - didn't stop us. Then we headed to Hilary and David's to make cupcakes for the party Saturday... 3 boxes of mix and few hours later we had two cakes and 50 cupcakes that we had decorated with frosting made from scratch and sprinkles and displayed in 4 cupcake towers for the party!! We were also feeling a little sick from so much sampling while we baked... so we took Penny for a walk and brought along two of the kittens to try to give away to Hilary and David's neighbors. Princess bunny (this is probably what we call her most frequently because he name has been changed so many times :) was successfully adopted out to a teenage boy and his family who are from Bohol. He promptly renamed her sugar and assured us she would be his girlfriend after we made him promise to let her sleep in his bed and to feed her daily... i also told him we'd be back in a few years to visit her, so hopefully he'll hang onto her for that long. mostly i think he agreed to take her because he wanted pictures with us. we grudgingly agreed to pose for the camera phone first with him then with his friend... and later again when they asked for more pictures. being famous would seriously be terribly annoying.... when we were first explaining to the group that we had kittens to give away people were just pulling out their cellphones and getting in your face to take a picture while you're talking - it's weird. anyway, one cat down, three to go... we're going to try to find them homes at the Easter party tomorrow. more on that later!
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