weight loss and chicken

Thank you everyone for following me to the new location!

Today I was eating lunch with some of my coworkers who do data collection (I think) and one of them asked me about the U.S.'s obesity problem. I confirmed that, yes, we have an obesity problem. My coworker was perplexed because all the Americans he sees are the volunteers or medical students that come down, and so far all of them have been thin. It was challenging to explain my perspective of how socioeconomic factors cause people to have to work multiple jobs not leaving time to prepare healthy meals, so then they have to buy premade food that is high in fat and calories, leading to obesity problems.

I am actually getting used to the food here and craving certain dishes. I can even name about 5 of their regular plates. Here there isn't the same kind of variety of food I am used to at home. At home I might prepare one type of food for dinner one night, and never prepare it that way again. My parents prepare food differently from each other, and I prepare food differently from them. Here there is a repertoire of maybe 15 dishes that everyone knows how to make. One time I brought my tupperware dinner that the house makes for us over to someone's house. We realized that her family had cooked the exact same meal. It's called "arroz con pollo," one of my favorites. It has the vaguest name though. Almost every dish is some variety of chicken and rice, but this one plate is specifically called "chicken and rice." (Emphasis on the rice part...it's unbelievable how much white rice we are served.)

On the topic of food, and more specifically weight loss, last week I had an unexpected experience at what I thought was a Spa. We know someone who has a friend that works at a spa and got us some free trials. I was really excited and tried to save up all my knots and neck aches, so I could really enjoy a massage. We got there and learned that they don't give relaxing massages, they give weight loss body massages with electric currents and weird wands. Anyway, it was not the relaxing evening at the spa I was hoping for. But maybe it helped me lose a few pounds that I have gained from eating all the white rice.

Here are some non work pictures that are kind of funny. One with me looking really out of place and perplexed and the other one was taken at 4am. Collin and Carlos (2 of the other volunteers) are to the right of me. Carlos is asleep. I think he woke up briefly to pose for the picture, then fell back asleep.