As many of you avid HHIBlog readers know, Angi and Laura have done an excellent job conveying both the fascinating and important work they do here as well as providing for us, the loyal readers, a snapshot into the day-to-day lives of these awesome individuals. But now, as Dana and I (or Jon and I, as we are writing this together) transition from HHI fans to HHI staff, I think there is one necessary aspect that we need to convey-

Everything here is so small! One thing I will say about Laura and Angi, despite the fantastically huge achievements of theirs, physically they are not quite as imposing. So we were in for a little bit of a surprise when we stuffed ourselves onto gua-guas with legroom for our 14 year old selves, or packed onto motoconchos with butts hanging off the back and knees jutting out into the sugarcane. Not a lot of comfortable travel options for the giant gringos that we are! In fact, after over 250 heights collected in various communities around Monte Llano (as well as blood pressures, blood sugars, weights and circumferences!) not a SINGLE man has been taller than Jon nor a SINGLE female taller than Dana!

That’s ok though – because there is a serious benefit to being the giant gringos wandering door to door in these communities. We are very recognizable! Being both extremely recognizable and working in the communities day after day has really ingratiated us to the people that we are collecting data from. We have been offered coffee, limoncillos, and coconuts freshly retrieved from the 30 foot tall tree (we have accepted). We have been hunted down and asked to go screen a person’s aunt or friend across town. We have had throngs of children excited to wander with the giant gringos, or perhaps more morbidly, excited to watch us poke people with (a very tiny) needle and create 1 drop of blood for a glucose reading.

The most gratifying thing for us, though, has been watching people in the community get on board with our project. As we first approach a group of houses people are generally wary of us. What do these tall people who appear to be siblings want from us? To test my blood pressure? A BLOOD TEST?! Why would I do such a thing!? But after we conduct all 6 minutes of the survey and measurements and they realize how quickly they can learn substantial things about their health, they are quickly gathering their grown children, their neighbors, their parents, everyone nearby so that these people too can learn about their health and contribute to the picture of cardiovascular health in their community. Nobody helps us more to convince those unwilling to submit to a blood test than the person that we have just tested immediately prior. It’s amazing to watch again and again. After awhile, even the ever-present children are running to us begging to have us take their blood sugars so that they can contribute too (we don’t oblige them, although sometimes a joking reach for the needle will make them think twice).

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