Saturday, June 27, 2009

Stebbins City Hall



This is City Hall! I walked what seemed forever to reach my final destination..City Hall.... where I was supposed to do a presentation on H1N1 (swine flu) and hand washing. (History: any time we go to a village we are supposed to do a 'presentation' on something to educate the villagers) Now....they were called before I left Nome...and I sent flyer's stating when and where my presentation was to be. I arrived Wed. night at 7:30pm to find locked doors....so I waited in the cold for 15 minutes and just happened to see someone walking by and someone driving a four wheeler...so I asked if they knew who was in charge of City Hall...they told me they would be right back and would go find someone. So here I wait another 15 mins in the cold...(while I was waiting I found a very friendly baby puppy all alone so I started petting it while standing by myself in the middle of no where!). Someone finally comes..the director of city hall.....I introduced myself and told her I was to give a presentation. (Second History: my presentation consists of me talking and some 'glow germ' to demonstrate') She was shocked and told me WHAT?? if you are going to come you should have phoned me from the Stebbins clinic to remind me!!! So a little frustrated I had walked so far and no one came....I asked her if I could wash my hands since I was petting that little puppy. She said we don't have a sink....so I thought maybe she did not understand.....so I asked to use the restroom (thinking there will be a sink in there). She directed me to the rest room....oh my ..... I could smell it from way outside the door....NO SINK!!! NO NOTHING!!! JUST A HONEY BUCKET!! She told me there was no running water......most of the entire town had no running water......even the 'new houses' had no running water. That is when I knew only the clinic and school had running water. I told her politely never mind and that I would just wait till I got back to the clinic....she then offered me some Clorox wipes....she stated that since she had been in charge that she was really making changes and that she always had Clorox wipes around and she used them for personal hygiene. I very politely stated that Clorox wipes were supposed to be used with gloves and never skin to skin contact and NEVER for personal hygiene. OH MY!!!
Then I some people started coming in (NOT DUE TO MY PRESENTATION...AND ALL THE FLYER'S I SENT) because the front doors to city hall were open. So I did get to talk to a few people about hand washing....but it was hard being that there is no running water......I had to IMPROVISE!!

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