Lj Idol Week 7: "Bupkis"
Note to readers: Because of the quick deadline, I was not able to check all these facts. Please consider all questionable numbers subjective. Thank you. -Debbie
22: Number of Americans in the University of Cincinnati Amazon medical brigade
3: Months Peter and I knew each other before he left for his seventh trip
10: Minutes after he returned before he asked me to marry him
10: Months before I agreed
9: Number of vaccinations I received before my first trip
2,1: Trips I made with and without Peter, respectively
50: Percent of luggage space required for medicines and supplies
67: Number of medicines distributed among travelers
0: Number legally allowed into Brazil
3:20: Time of morning Brazil Air flight 307 lands in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
0: Number of white passengers besides the brigade
1957: Publication year of map of Río Purus region
65: Percent of blank space on the map
2: Number of river boats required for 23 Americans, 7 Brazilian translators, and crew
4: Distance in feet between hammocks hung by Americans on sleeping deck
2: Distance in feet between hammocks hung by Brazilians
0: Ounces of milk considered potable by American visitors to Amazonas for morning coffee
2000: Number of stored gallons of purified water for 40 people for two weeks
12: Number of watermelons
2: Branches of banana trees
18: Average number of villages the brigade visits each year
8: Average number of children per family seen in clinic
96: Percent who attend school
1: Percent whose families own a book other than a Bible
30: Annual rise and fall, in feet, of the river in their towns
14: Hours, by canoe, to nearest major hospital from least remote village
5: Percent of population who live in houses with a street number
5: Percent counted in census
.01: Percent of census-based federal health care monies allotted to the region
55: Number of primary care physicians trained annually in Amazonas, Brazil
0: Number willing to work in remote areas longer than 6 months
100: Percent in remote areas who see patients by fixed lottery
0: Percent of population able to afford a ticket, let alone a bribe
1: Rank, in importance, to the brigade of establishing a permanent Brazilian-run clinic in the region
2: Rank of studying tropical medicine by rotating in American staff and students
3: Rank of visiting dear friends
150: Average number of patients seen in brigade clinic per day
4: Average number of medications prescribed for each patient
0: Percent of patients who own both a teaspoon and a clock for dosing and timing medications
2: Number of pharmacists working any given clinic
2: Liters of Gatorade-spiked water I needed to stay on my feet in pharmacy
3/1: Ratio of medical people to translators
100: Percent of translators who trusted me to work unaided by my third year
3: Years a translator waited for me to come alone
3: Average number of love songs he woke me with on his guitar every morning
2: Average number of times he reached into my hammock every night
18: Number of months I'd been married
1: Rank, in attractiveness, of this translator over all people who'd ever wooed me, including Peter
4: Hours of sleep I averaged per night
1: Number of times I allowed him to kiss me
0: Likelihood of hiring another translator mid-trip, should we fire one
1, 2: Rank of Peter's concerns, when I returned, for my suffering and for this translator's career
Bupkis: Amount it bothered him about the future of our marriage
Bupkis: Amount of anything I would trade him for
22: Number of Americans in the University of Cincinnati Amazon medical brigade
3: Months Peter and I knew each other before he left for his seventh trip
10: Minutes after he returned before he asked me to marry him
10: Months before I agreed
9: Number of vaccinations I received before my first trip
2,1: Trips I made with and without Peter, respectively
50: Percent of luggage space required for medicines and supplies
67: Number of medicines distributed among travelers
0: Number legally allowed into Brazil
3:20: Time of morning Brazil Air flight 307 lands in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
0: Number of white passengers besides the brigade
1957: Publication year of map of Río Purus region
65: Percent of blank space on the map
2: Number of river boats required for 23 Americans, 7 Brazilian translators, and crew
4: Distance in feet between hammocks hung by Americans on sleeping deck
2: Distance in feet between hammocks hung by Brazilians
0: Ounces of milk considered potable by American visitors to Amazonas for morning coffee
2000: Number of stored gallons of purified water for 40 people for two weeks
12: Number of watermelons
2: Branches of banana trees
18: Average number of villages the brigade visits each year
8: Average number of children per family seen in clinic
96: Percent who attend school
1: Percent whose families own a book other than a Bible
30: Annual rise and fall, in feet, of the river in their towns
14: Hours, by canoe, to nearest major hospital from least remote village
5: Percent of population who live in houses with a street number
5: Percent counted in census
.01: Percent of census-based federal health care monies allotted to the region
55: Number of primary care physicians trained annually in Amazonas, Brazil
0: Number willing to work in remote areas longer than 6 months
100: Percent in remote areas who see patients by fixed lottery
0: Percent of population able to afford a ticket, let alone a bribe
1: Rank, in importance, to the brigade of establishing a permanent Brazilian-run clinic in the region
2: Rank of studying tropical medicine by rotating in American staff and students
3: Rank of visiting dear friends
150: Average number of patients seen in brigade clinic per day
4: Average number of medications prescribed for each patient
0: Percent of patients who own both a teaspoon and a clock for dosing and timing medications
2: Number of pharmacists working any given clinic
2: Liters of Gatorade-spiked water I needed to stay on my feet in pharmacy
3/1: Ratio of medical people to translators
100: Percent of translators who trusted me to work unaided by my third year
3: Years a translator waited for me to come alone
3: Average number of love songs he woke me with on his guitar every morning
2: Average number of times he reached into my hammock every night
18: Number of months I'd been married
1: Rank, in attractiveness, of this translator over all people who'd ever wooed me, including Peter
4: Hours of sleep I averaged per night
1: Number of times I allowed him to kiss me
0: Likelihood of hiring another translator mid-trip, should we fire one
1, 2: Rank of Peter's concerns, when I returned, for my suffering and for this translator's career
Bupkis: Amount it bothered him about the future of our marriage
Bupkis: Amount of anything I would trade him for