Today began at 7:30 am, an hour that Reid, John, Gary, and I had not seen on a clock since high school. Breakfast was a far more efficient affair than it had been yesterday morning, as the staff at our hotel continue to get the hang of cooking for such a large number of people at once. Most of the people in our party ordered the Spanish Omelet after hearing Taylor's stellar review, but a few of us stuck with a simple order of fried eggs and toast. By 9:15, we were on our way to Ferry to begin construction on our soccer field.
Looking out the window of our bus as we pull into Ferry is what I imagine it is like for professional sports teams when they pull into the stadium on game day. Enthusiastic fans mob the vehicle, bang on the windows, and always provide a smile and a big thumbs-up to the passengers inside. Today's arrival had a bit of a different feel to it, however, because it felt like we were visiting old friends. Though we have only known them a day, the inhabitants of Ferry have an uncanny knack for making visitors feel like natives within minutes of meeting them. They are about the warmest, most welcoming group of people I have personally ever had the pleasure of knowing. The minute we stepped off the bus, we got to work clearing brush for the field, while simultaneously tossing the pigskin around with the kids.
When the bulldozer arrived and began leveling the land upon which our soccer field will be constructed, many of us decided to go visit the younger children at the school in Ferry. The kids were all between the ages of two and four (from what I could gather), and were sporting homemade uniforms of burgundy and gold. Let me be the first to admit that this was not just a play-date; it was a workout. If there's one kid in your arms, there are ten at your feet hoping to get lifted up next, and trust me when I say that everyone at school got carried today. I did not see one person on our trip with empty arms for one second of the two hours we spent at the school. From helping them across the monkey bars to simply spinning them in circles, neither the kids nor any of us could get enough.
At one point, a little girl who had learned my name called me over to another area of the playground because she wanted to show me "what John was doing." As I turned the corner onto a covered patio, I saw John Hostek on all fours giving donkey rides to several of the kids, and within seconds I became his donkey companion. After several laps around the patio, I got up to give my knees a rest. Then, without warning, I was attacked. A pair of tiny hands had gotten a hold of the waistband of my shorts, and yanked them about halfway down my backside. In my life, I have pantsed and been pantsed more times than I care to remember, but never has a pantsing gotten a reaction of this magnitude. The sound of fifty children laughing hysterically at what I'm sure is the whitest butt they have ever seen had me laughing so hard I was in tears.
When playtime was over, our group went back to the main area of the town to begin building benches for the soccer field. Everyone was involved in putting the wood in place, hammering the nails, and making sure the kids were involved in the process, too. Everyone was having a great time working together, and you could tell how much our efforts were appreciated. Once the benches were complete, our bus arrived and we began our commute back to The Liguanea Club, where many of us took a refreshing dip in the pool and caught up on our personal reading.
Judging from the first two days of our trip, I think it it safe to say that every day in Ferry is going to be an adventure, a learning experience, and a lesson in life. Today, I learned that no matter where you are, who you're with, or how foreign you may feel, there is very little that separates us from the people of Ferry. Of course, there are minor cultural differences and social expectations that we must adapt to, but when it comes down to it, butts (especially white ones) are funny no matter where you are, and we all want the same things out of life. That is to be happy, to be in good company, and to feel that we are appreciated. I think that all of us, inhabitants of Ferry included, felt that way today.
Time to go eat some jerk chicken.
Until next time,
Jon
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