Day 19

It was very "easy" in the first few days to post here. Everything was new, I didn't know many people and had more free time. It's now day 19: we have made friends, we go out and spend time with people after work. We do long shifts and at the end of the day we are exhausted. We know our way around the camp and we know what to do. That means we do more now than in the beginning. It also means we are seeing more of what is happening, but I don't think we are understanding it better. Maybe we are more confused. I don't know.

But still... I try to take many photos so I can at least show a bit of what my days look like. Here's some from today:

A massive storm came over Mytilini today and I really worried about what we would find at the camp. When we arrived the rain at calmed down but it was impossible to walk without getting wet. This makes big problems for us because it meant everyone would get wet feet and would need dry shoes. I focused on drying the cement floor where everyone had to walk past. I brushed the water out of the way for over half an hour but it worked! Yay!

The sun eventually came out and dried a bit of the floor, but it was still damp and today everyone had to stand in the queue and didn't sit on the floor. At least there was no dust in the air!

This is a photo from inside the medical office. Today we met an Afhgan refugee that spoke great English and offered to help with the translations. There is a translator that works from 9 to 5pm but from 5pm to 9pm we have to rely on hand signals and the few words the doctors know in afghan and Arabic languages. This guy was a HUGE help in making sure the doctors knew exactly what was wrong but also that the patients understood how to take the medicines the doctors prescribed. He promised to go back again tomorrow as is boat only departs at 8pm! Thank you my friend!

The last patient of the day was this tiny baby. I noticed how her shoes were tied to her feet so she didn't lose them. Her father brought her in because she was weak. She was given some electrolytes to get some energy and of they went. 

As we walked out of the camp and returned home I managed to take some more photos. The mood at night is very different. Many parts of the camp don't have lights and become these weird scary places. 

We also walk past the area where Syrians queue for their papers. It seemed controlled but tense. There were a lot of police all dressed in heavy gear. 

I wonder how my attitude has changed since the first few days. Do I have less things to talk about because I got used to the chaos and the stories or because my days have been quieter?

I get a lot of messages from people that tell me "the things you see must be horrible." Or "I bet you don't sleep well at night". 

I never know how to answer to these. How do I tell them that actually... I do sleep well. I am happy here. 

It's a weird kind of happy. I wish I didn't need to be here. I wish none of this was happening. But how happy I am for being here. 

I feel like writing at 4am after a crazy day is not doing much for the quality of this post and as so I will stop. 

Today I really felt at home here. Let's leave it at that.