Monday, January 30, 2012

Mouhamed Ndoye – They’ll never know













Mouhamed is a sophomore at Xavier, majoring in Management Information Systems and minoring in Spanish.
It’s been 3 weeks since I've been in the lovely land of Guatemala. I was going to write this (blog) on the ninth floor of Schott Hall, but realized that I wouldn't be able to reenact the high altitudes of Guatemala. Unfortunately, the great city of Cincinnati is a mere 600 feet above sea level while the Solola region of Guatemala is a whopping 5,200 feet above sea level. Putting my altitude frustrations to rest, I reminisce about the memories that I share with Team Guatemala and the Guatemalan people. I reminisce about the time the students of Team Guatemala and I sat on the roof of our hotel to take in the majestic view of Antigua. I remember times I spoke Spanish with the vendors of Antigua and one of them convinced me to buy a decorated flute with Mayan patterns. A few minutes after I bought the flute, it became a decorated stick for me because I learned that I couldn't play it. I remember the time we (Team Guatemala) spent New Year's Eve on the main street of Antigua with thousands of people from around the world. I never completed and began a year the way I did in 2011 / 2012. The countdown to 2012 was epic! Words cannot describe. I remember our journey to Panajachel where we would stay. It was interesting to see the farms on the hill en route to our hotel site. I remember the time that we set up the clinic in Patanatic. There was so much medicine and I became anxious to meet, greet, and treat the patients the next day. I remember the way I felt when I interacted with the youngsters that visited the clinic. I remember the time that a patient was fitted for eyeglasses and they instantly changed her life. I remember the time when we had our Shabbat dinner and I felt no different than going to the mosque on a Friday afternoon. I've written an infinitesimal amount on what I experienced during my eight days in Guatemala. Sadly enough, I realize that those who didn't come along to Guatemala will never know. No matter how many pictures, videos, or souvenirs I present, they'll never know. Dr. Richard said this, but I was too confident that I'd be able to express my feelings regarding Guatemala. I can explain, but they'll never know. They'll never know.