I think I've already told you that "Prieb" means "dove" which is quite appropriate considering that the area was a military base not that long ago
This morning I had my breakfast on my own at home and then joined the group for 7.30am at the hotel. The traffic was awful and it took us 2 hours to get to the centre. We stopped for some fruit on the way and the group bought fruit they've never eaten before - mangosteen, dragoon fruit, lychee and a banana that's mouth size.
If we thought yesterday was a challenge, with all the physically handicapped people, today was even more challenging. Today was mostly ladies and they were all mentally challenged. At the centre they are called "special needs". Some were slow, some had Down's syndrome; there were some with epilepsy and others with problems we couldn't define. One young lady shook when anything was suggested to her. The man who said he was a VIP yesterday decided to have treatment. One man wandered around all the time and didn't come to see us until the last minute - he constantly dribbled. They were such a happy bunch and constantly laughing. We were definitely not in control - they were. They kept disappearing or moving from one section to another. When we asked what was wrong with their teeth they kept changing their minds. With them being so happy, it makes it easier as we often want to treat them with kid gloves as we feel sorry for them. It's sad when we can't give them the treatment they need because their teeth have reached a critical stage and needs more care than we can provide. One supervisor told us to only remove one tooth, even though the girl needed many extractions. As she rightly said, "You are only here for one day and so you don't see the trauma that might happen tomorrow."
Lunch is always a challenge. Yesterday we had the fish heads and today it was a long slim fish, about the size of a pencil and not as long. I told people to imagine it was our sardine, which didn't help as most of them didn't like sardines - they said it was a British thing. These fish are deep fried and I eat everything - bones, head and tail. Looking in the bag I don't think many tried them.
After our work the group made a tour of the centre to see what the young adults are being taught. The men learn how to fix mobile phones and computers, make wheelchairs that are suitable for bumpy country roads, fixing engines, farming, gardening etc. The ladies learn how to run a beauty salon, sewing clothes etc. They stay for one year at the centre and then they return to their community. The Catholic church supervises their return and makes sure they are able to set up a little business. I think the gift shop was happy for our visit as I saw a number of the group buying things.
It took another two hours to get back to the hotel but time went quickly as we were in a singing mood. Someone hung a portable speaker from a luggage rack and we placed requests for songs. It was a happy time and the time past quickly. I'm supposed to meet the group at 9pm to take them out for a drink but they are having problems getting their meals. Normally, we go in a group and I order everything to make it faster and easier. This evening they are all ordering individual meals which really complicates things. It's always a problem when 20 people enter a restaurant. They take time ordering and then it takes time to cook. I prefer ordering some specific dishes and asking everyone to enjoy them. So now I've got a few minutes spare before I leave home to find the group. Wish me luck.
