Hello.

So this is the end of week three! Week one was new, overwhelming and exciting. Week two was a challenge. Now in week three things are starting to feel normal. This is my home now and living in the conditions I do feel very normal. And some of the things I found challenging about working at PCC I am starting to see in a different light. I didn't intend to compare this community with my beloved community of L'Arche Cape Breton, but it is hard not to have expectations about what it would be like to again live with people having mental handicaps. And I guess that is what I mean about seeing things differently. I came to experience a different culture and that new culture colours every aspect of my life here. But at the same time we have the same universal needs, joys, sorrows and desires. And so I am still reconciling the differences and the similarities.

The caregivers here have an incredible job. They care for multiple children and rarely get any time off. Not only do they live with the children, but also work with them through the day. They run the community. If there were no volunteers, the community would carry on as always. So they are very busy! As volunteers we have much more freedom outside of PCC. The evenings are ours to do with as we like and we have every Saturday and Sunday off.

The directors of the community are a couple from the Netherlands, Albert and Janet. Janet was a teacher for many years and now is involved in administration. Albert is a tropical doctor and has more recently been CEO of hospitals in Holland. They split their time between PCC and the Netherlands via alternating months. This week they arrived at PCC and we finally got to meet face to face. It was Albert that I had been communicating with about volunteering at PCC.

And now that the good doctor has arrived, we know that the rashes that were keeping the pool closed and the children itchy is really scabies. So to get rid of it, we all had to undergo treatment and wash everything in hot water. Treatment involved applying a lotion to every part of your body from head to toe. But avoid the eyes because it stings! It was awful after the first application. Children were running around screaming and were hard to console. It is hard to keep the stuff from running into your eyes and it even stings your face. The children didn't understand what was happening. After applying the lotion we could not bathe for 2 days. This was a very difficult pill for everyone to swallow. It is part of their culture that they bathe every day, and a regular part of the children's routine. I'm sure you all understand how important routine is to people with autism especially! And so we all stank together as a community for 2 days!

There doesn't seem to be any rationing of water here. Before I came I wasn't sure if I would be able to shower every day but that is not a problem. Also we have power all day and all night. Unless of course it goes out for unforseen reasons, which happens rather frequently, but not for long.

And so once again I've closed out the internet cafe. 'Til next time!

Love, Debbie