Aluminium....

So, today has been extremely busy!!! We started first thing at the People's National Bank with the lovely Brian.  We learnt all about the drive through banking system which seems popular here in the US - we hope it comes to the UK soon!!!!

We then met Stephanie at the Salem township hospital and took a tour of the facilities on offer.  We were interested to learn that 40% of the population of Southern Illinois are obese and a staggering 30% had diabetes!!!!  We were pleasantly surprised however by the cleanliness of the hospital and the welcoming atmosphere!!  It was also eerily quiet - we suspect this aids rehabilitation.

This followed with our presentation at the Salem Rotary Club, which we must admit, is getting very good!!! We have even started ad-libbing!!!!  It is important to note here that we all had grilled chicken salads, apart from Ellen who still feels the need to have everything fried!!!

After lunch, we explored our sporty sides by dressing up in the full American football protective gear at Schutts and posed for photos looking mean, which we are sure will appear in a local paper near you soon!!!

After learning about how all this equipment is made, we went to the Extension Centre for UI to learn about their 4-H programme for young people.  Tom, who was our driver yesterday, gave us a really informative presentation on his experience being a Master Naturalist.

We ended our local tours by attending the local radio station where we had pictures sitting in the DJ's spot and had interviews that will be going live on air tomorrow morning at 6.30, 7.30 & 8.30am local time on WJBD radio. Yay!!!!

This evening some team members went to church,  some hung out with their host family and some went for a Mexican courtesy of Brian from the People's National Bank.  We discussed, amongst other things, the fact that the British say things properly.......the most hilarious difference in pronunciation being Aluminum!!! A fab night and brilliant company all round.  Many thanks.

The weather today has been kind of dreadful, with constant rain and storms.  Let's hope that we have seen the last of them for today and hope for better weather tomorrow!!!

Goodnight to all!!!