Anyways,
for lunch we had this like boiled pork or chicken (I think chicken), B&R,
warmed plantains, and vegetables (much like a stew without the broth). Decide
for yourself below:
All
of the lunch was actually good. We then had a lecture on EKG/ECGs
(electrocardiograph machines) and how to fix some minor issues with them such
as the paper not showing the QRS waveform from the heart correctly, the paper
not moving at the right speed, the stylus pegging on the sides of the paper
(due to incorrect contacts or placement of electrodes), the calibration wave
not being a square wave (due to incorrect pot settings in the machine) and the
paper making exaggerated tracings (too much pressure on the paper -> change
a pot setting). We also spent some time learning about how the electrodes must
be placed around the heart (vectors I to VI) and how the electrodes must be
placed on the right leg, left leg, right arm and left arm (if the machine is a
12 lead machine (only 10 wires); the difference in naming conventions is due to
doctors and engineers not playing nice in preschool (no only joking on that
last statement about the doctors and engineers). Besides this, we also had a
mini-quiz on IV pumps, O2 concentrators, ventilators and
respirators. After the lecture and quiz, we got to SOLDER! As in taking rosin
core melt-able wire and heating a joint until that wire flows like a silver
river of connections. We practiced soldering and desoldering (with particular
attention to solder braid and the solder sucker). I also tried my hand at
surface mount (SM) resistors and actually got decent at doing it. I also showed
people how to desolder components using just a soldering iron and pulling on
the component gently. I was able to get soldering down (along with tinning the
tip) since I have done quite a bit of soldering before (with all my projects).
Some people were having a bit of trouble with soldering, but they were making
huge advances in their skills. We were practicing on these small PCB (printed
circuit boards) that were from past years and some of the ESU testing boards
from the states. Most of the boards were that badly soldered in the first place
except for this one half of an ESU board. Literally this board had like BB
sized globs of solder on each joint. These weren’t even really soldered to the
PCB holes, but rather just above them. I started to fix each joint and then Dan
and I decided to leave for the day. Seriously that board was whack.
I
left the school and headed for my hangout: the Euro Café. Today was actually a
good day there. I bought a Coke for 20 cordobas (about 80 cents) and sat down.
Initially I was able to get on the ‘Net. Not too soon after I got onto FB,
Outlook and Blogger the internet failed and the staff had to reset the router.
A little while later the same error happened again and Mark “reset” the router
by unplugging it. After that I finished uploading all the photos to FB and
blogger (to make all my fanatic (joking here folks just chill) readers happy).
Meanwhile the sky looked incredibly menacing with dark shades of grey and
thunder. I wasn’t done blogging so I stayed at the café (mistake? Not really).
Anyways when I was just about done with my blogging it started to rain. Not too
bad at first, considering I was sitting with my back to the open garden inside
and I started feeling mists hitting my computer and I. I shifted around to put
my back against the wall shortly thereafter. The sky literally opened up and
forces unknown above started pouring dump trucks worth of rain down. It was
torrential. The rain was so bad that it flooded the 8 inch deep motes around
the garden area in about 25 seconds. I got up on a chair and everyone started
freaking out. It was like the entire place was sinking because the water was
rising around the chairs. I said it was like the Titanic all over again, but
with less danger. Anyways, we cleared off toward the bathroom area of the café
only to realize that the water was coming in from that direction as well! I
said “futz that crud” and made a break for the stairs on the other side of the
room (around the ping pong table and past the blind massage area (the room is
like a picture frame border around the central garden)). That was my saving
grace. I was the first one on the stairs and the first one to start avoiding
the water. I kept hoping that the water would not rise to the level of the
electric outlets on the walls because then it would literally have been tragic
most likely. We were not prepared to handle large currents in that situation
(and luckily we didn’t have to). Anyways, not long after I got on the stairs the
rest of the group and some other students joined me up there. Luckily the
staircase was huge and lead up to an enclosed balcony where one can look down
upon the garden. Meanwhile despite this chaos the internet kept on running
(just like the band on the Titanic). To those people whom I was talking to
during this time, y’all must think that I was freaking out, but in reality I
was having a blast. It was epic! Shout out to Liz2 (Liz and
Elizabeth) who got a chance to glimpse second hand (through Skype) the water.
Anyways there was probably about an inch of water on the floor in the café in
addition to the garden being flooded. We waited until the rain subsided a bit
and then made a break for our homestays. Dinner was uneventful after that
(B&R, cheese, bread and that stew stuff). I have to still do some homework
(for Spanish) so take care y’all! And as always don’t die!
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