On Saturday morning, Yuen burst into my room at an early hour to wake me up for our kayaking adventure. Even though for the first few minutes I had to suppress an urge to physically harm her, Yuen’s excitement and energy soon got me up and ready to go. We went out to the marina area and met with George, who gave us a brief lo-down on kayaking and let us get in the water. Initially, Andy was sitting shotgun in our kayak, so all I had to do was match strokes with him. I was thankful that I didn’t have to do any thinking yet because it was still before noon, and anticipating his strokes was a task that I could lose myself in. Unfortunately for him, Andy is um poco taller than the average Portuguese person, so he was losing sensation from the waist down, which I can imagine was not the most tickling of sensations. We turned around and went back to the dock to try and switch spots, which ended up working out for the best because Andy didn’t die out in open water and I got to wear the pants for a change. Although initially I didn’t really understand how the steering went and how to change directions, after a few tutorials from George and Andy, I was a pro. The weather was gorgeous, and at one point when we were out on the water I got so caught up in the panorama that I forgot to keep paddling. It worked out well because Andy toned his muscles while I made us look pretty. George almost had a heart attack on multiple occasions I’m sure, but we all survived the open waters. It was a phenomenal way to start the day.
About 900 babies are born in the hospital in Terceira every year, and although this would calculate out to a couple of births each day, what actually happens is some days there are multiple births, while other days no babies are born. This week in Obstetrics & Gynecology, I had my heart set on seeing a birth. Unfortunately, the first few days, I missed the actual deliveries. On Thursday, however, I was determined to stay and see everything. A couple came in around 9 am, and the poor new mother was in labor until 7pm. However, at 7:04 pm, after a complicated labor, I witnessed the birth of Mathilde, weighing in at three and a half kilograms! It was incredible to watch. It almost sounds cliché because people gush about babies, but when you see that baby’s head emerging from its mother and entering the world for the first time, it absolutely takes your breath away.
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