16.08.10 Bullet point blitz
Yeah yeah I know, it has been over two weeks without a blog, but life got crazy busy! I actually think I may even have to resort to bullet points people…yes bullet points. Here goes…
• Work was going very well. I had the lovely Monica assisting me in learning everything. Then on the 2nd August she told me she needed an important operation and she would be admitted the next day! I was worried for her, and glad she was having the operation so quickly, but deep inside I was panicking! How was I ever going to be able to learn everything whilst dealing with the day to day work! Luckily the operation went well for my friend, and she is now recovering at home. Also the work is crazy busy, but the whole lab, and other hospital staff are helping me. I am managing to order blood, stock, and communicate with other hospitals. Yet I have so many questions, and I am wonder when their patience with the clueless one will run out.. and also when I will actually start doing something of help and worth here! Patience Zoe ! Learning protocol is tricky but I am enjoying it so far. In at the deep end as they say.
• I experienced my first earthquake here in Africa. I was lying in my bed and it began to vibrate. Stop tittering you lot! I thought it was a convoy of trucks on the main road a quarter of a mile away, but I was rectified in the morning by Dr. Yanke the Polish surgeon ( ironically I can’t spell his name) who discussed it at morning meeting. According to his reports, as he has a radio that can miraculously pick up English speaking stations! Lucky bugger. It was apparently 5.5 on the Richter scale, but a large number of miles below Lindi. It’s the only experience I’ll have of the earth moving for some time! Sorry mum and dad!
• I went on a beach weekend to Mtwara. The Diocese owns a lovely beach house which has a garden directly onto the unspoilt white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean. Oh how the church live eh! I could have laid there for two whole days straight, but the itinerary was too full! Day one included shopping for things not available at home (I bought myself some Heinz baked beans for about £1.70…not to barginous!), we visited the fish market too. This was a crazy and somewhat overwhelming experience, full of colours, smells and a great deal of bargaining by Tasneem, an English doctor who works in the hospital in Ndanda. I successfully returned with tuna, blue fish, and a fish that will rename nameless until I know it, but was big and red!
Brigite ( the German doctor I met in Masasi), Tasneem and I were also in charge on babysitting the children of Switz couple we were also staying with, whilst they went diving. Apparently the diving here is exceptional and one of the best places in the world. The instructor Jonny a guy from North Yorkshire (I think he was lying, he had no strange accent!) said that he had seen two Humpback whales in the bay the day before. If I was not so bloody scared of diving, I would definitely want take advantage of where I live. However, I also heard snorkelling was great, and so I planned to do that instead. Maybe a Humpback would pass by anyway!
So it was decided that we would take these two small children on a traditional but somewhat dilapidated Dhow boat with no life jackets across the rough water of the bay. I was nervous to say the least, and even though the boat leant heavily to one side we arrived to an idyllic private beach safely, and the children loved every minute (me not so much). Once on the beach we all swam in the crystal clear water and watched as the light changed the colours to a thousand types of blue and green. We hunted for shells, and built a sand castle car! Nice! We then returned in the Dhow, and I enjoyed it more on the return trip! It was a great weekend, and I met some amazing people, but it was a very expensive two days to say the least, on my volunteer budget anyway!
• Oh yes, I also sprained my ankle on way to the highly anticipated but now doomed snorkelling trip. Had a very swollen foot for a week. Still tender now, but doing ok!
• My surrogate mum and dad, Barbara and Tony had to leave for England unexpectedly for two weeks which was sad, but I met my new housemate Faith. She is a fellow VSO volunteer and the HIV and AIDS doctor here at Nyangao. I have a good history befriending Canadians, so I was happy to meet here.We get on great, and spend most of the time chatting away, and playing word games…. another rerun of the epic Scrabz marathon of Ecuador 2009 is on the cards. We also cooked the fish that shall remain nameless until I know it. This was bought at the Mtwara fish market (see above), and it was accompanied by coconut rice, from the coconuts in out garden and washed down with wine made by the nuns at Ndanda. Yummy!
I think that may be all for now?! Oh no wait… I found out that I work with five Manchester United fans, two Chelsea, one Liverpool, and only two other Arsenal supporters. They go to the doctor who lives next door to watch matches. I am working on getting invited to watch the games. Although a woman in the gang…I’m not so sure how successful I will be. They do like to tell me though that Arsenal drew with Liverpool, and by how many Man U won by i.e. they still revel in mocking me!
Sorry again for the layout! I had to do it this way to remember it all. It can be very difficult to find time, but it is strange how I always have time to watch my tv shows on my laptop. Hmmm???
Wednesday 18 August 2010
Tuesday 10 August 2010
27/07/2010 Nyangao watch out, I’m a coming!
Last week my Kiswahili teacher Benji had told us of a tragic story of his journey to Lindi (my placement area) 20 years before. He had travelled on a bus, and due to rain and the state of the roads, the buses became stranded in the middle of nowhere. For twenty five days these passengers and bus crew had to survive on practically no food and water from muddy puddles. Tragically many of the children on the bus did not survive. When finally help reached them, Benji had to go straight to hospital to be treated for severe dehydration and sores in his throat. He was one of the lucky ones. This really puts in to perspective how times have changed in some respects here, and made me feel ashamed about worrying about such superficial and silly things in regards to me flying down to Mtwara, but despite my best efforts I still did. Silly Mzungu.
I awoke very early (alfajiri) to the call to prayer echoing around the hotel room. My heart leapt at the reminder that this was the beginning of my new life for the next 18 month, no more lazy days of unemployment, no more iphone, no more journeys on the 101 bus to meet friends in Drakes for drinkies, and no more sausages and cheese (the latter pained me the most!)
At 6 am or saa kumi na mbili kamilli asubuhi in Tanzanian time (the day starts 6 am here not midnight!) my taxi driver arrived on time (gasp) and I was off to my flight. I had a hundred worries… would I be searched, would I have to pay excess, and would the plane fall out the sky and crash to ground in a glorious fireball. I should have worried more about the first bit. Security here is surprisingly high for an internal flight, and I had to unpack my incredibly tightly packed bag. It always happens to me, I was even waiting for the infamous question I was once asked by an American jobs worth, “ Madam are you carrying viral culture or biological warfare in your bag?”…”Why yes sir I am, they were on sale in the Ecuadorian rainforest, I could not resist”, I obviously quipped in my head. The Tanzanian guy was a much nicer man, and kept repeating “pole sana” which is basically, I am very sorry!
After this I found my bags to be 14 kilos over the limit, which I expected. The lady behind the desk initially suspicious of this dishevelled, red faced Mzungu , asked for TSH 70,000. I was ready to pay all my wages at this point, as all I wanted to do was stop worrying about my baggage (I had left one and a half big bags back in Dar already). I used my excessive charm… or more likely pathetic pleading to secure an excess of only TSH 25,000. RESULT. Through another security area and then freedom! I was pleasantly surprised to find my flight left on time; the plane was modern and landed in Mtwara only an hour later. For about 5 minutes I cried inside as I could not find my bag, and thought the girl had dished out a different kind of penalty for putting such a heavy bag on her small plane. I was even more scared when the plane starting firing up engines to return with new passenger only 10 minutes after we landed. Yet, I was relieved to discover it was the first one out and under everyone else’s. STOP FRETTING YOU IDIOT, I screamed at myself (internally).
But then I saw them…two of my guardian angels in their chariot. Tony another VSO volunteer is a wonderful English gent, with a great sense of humour and a heart of gold. He was joined by his work colleague Deo, a lovely smiley Tanzanian guy. They whisked me away in the chariot, and through the beautiful and hot surroundings of Mtwara. I was led to places to buy essentials such as peanut butter, and corned beef. Tony bought sausages. I nearly died when I realised that they existed here in Mtwara.
I then had the pleasure in meeting another volunteer’s wife who had just come down from Uganda to live. Jackie is bright, bubbly and a delight to chat with. As a Ugandan she too is learning Kiswahili pole pole (slowly), but I feel she will be fluent before the month is out. All together we journeyed home, to the dulcet tones of African bongo music! The scenery is beautiful, with palms and other trees sweeping as far as the eye can see, with small mud hut villages spotted all along the tarmac road. In comparison to the north, the roads are fairly quiet and not so terrifyingly dangerous. Maybe it was more to do with the skills of my driver! Although he did admit to running over a flock of Hornbills (big turkey like birds) earlier that morning!
Before I knew it the vast convent and hospital sprung up out of the village of Nyangao. I was home.
I was shown to my house. I had seen it in pictures before, but I was still surprised by the size! It’s bigger than my house in England, and also has a lovely garden with a plethora of fruit trees and birdies to check out. I set up home in my room, which has a double bed (I have only had single beds for the past year). Small things eh! Yet no rest for the wicked, I was quickly whisked to meet all my colleagues in the hospital which is only a five minute walk away. The next hour was a blur of “Habari za leo”, “Nzuri”, “Karibu Nyangao”, and lots of “Asante sana”. I will let you translate those! I met my new lab colleagues, and feel very lucky! They are all lovely, and patient with my current lack of Kiswahili! Monica my compatriot is even more delightful and I am really looking forward to working with her for the next 18 months. Hopefully I can be as helpful to her as she has been to me!
After all this I was then collected by Tony in Helga his other chariot, a 20 year old green polo and whisked to his house. I was reunited with his lovely wife Barbara, a pharmacist at the hospital, whom I had the pleasure of meeting before in Dar. We chatted, drank beer, and guess what we had sausages and mash! Maybe one day I shall cheese again! I hope that I get a few more days like this one during my time here in Nyangao.
28.07.2010 First day nerves.
At 5.30am, my ascari (night guard), awakens in what I think he considers is a quiet fashion, but in reality is a symphony of coughs and moans. He sits outside the kitchen, not far from my bedroom, but it sometimes feels like he is in the room! So do the other people living across the football pitch outside my house. These are relatives of the patients in the hospital, whom stay in the family compound. Yet the sound of children happily playing is a great sound. Another sensory change here is the smell of burning. In England, if we smell that we either run around the house checking all appliances, or chastising a neighbour who dares to light a bonfire without telling us to close our windows. However, here people cook with charcoal stoves outside, and when done they leave them on the sand to smoulder. The acrid smell is now becoming normal, it reminds me of Reading festival and the fire queen that is Lucy Breeze, so good memories!
At 7.30am-7.45-8.00 am the morning meeting starts. All doctors, clinicians, Barbara, Monica, and I attend everyday to discuss the cases from yesterday and from overnight. It is very interesting, but although it is English, everyone speaks so softly and I think I may be a little deaf! After the meeting I join Monica in the lab. The lab is rather well equipped thanks to the hard work of Monica and Johanna the VSO volunteer I am replacing. There is organisation, and fragments of quality assurance, standard of operations, and maintenance of equipment, and I again realise how much I am going to learn from this experience. It frightens me a little, but it is exhilarating too.
I go through all the notes left by Johanna, and Monica explains how certain things work. I sit at the computer, slightly fretting about how I will be ever be able to get used to being in a position of seniority! I hope I don’t let anyone down! But Monica seems happy and confident in me so that’s reassuring! I then watched Thomas and Monica testing CD4s and practice my basically pathetic Kiswahili with them.
At 3.30pm it’s home time. I think about braving the market today, which again is only 5 minutes away, but I am exhausted. I go home, cook what is a rather pathetic stir-fry, and do some ironing. Yes I know, me doing ironing… but I’m senior now don’t you know!
29.07.2010 Pricking fingers and negative results.
I left the compound today! My day started with greetings a plenty, panic about where do I even begin, and an offer from Tony and Salvina that I could not refuse! They were going on HIV testing outreach to one of the surrounding villages. Tony had helped to start this up, and now it was possible that two trips occur per week. We arrived with John from the lab, Mary a nurse (Deo’s wife), and the formidable Salvina. We journeyed over crazy sand roads to this village, and set up in an empty building in the village. Announcers had been employed to inform people of our presence the day before, but no-one arrived for testing. I had never tested in this way before and I was slightly nervous about causing pain to people, even if it was just a pin prick! However, Tony was worse than me at it, so I felt better.
In the end we tested 76 people, half male and half female, with ages ranging from 14-63. All were negative, which was great to see, although Tony explained that often those with the riskiest lifestyles are too ashamed to go for testing, and the positive results often originate from the villages closer to the tarmac road. This is because the lorry drivers and travellers bring loose morals and infection on their way through. The road brings so much here, not all good.
I braved the market after work. It is actually rather small, and rather a friendly place for a tall blond haired Mzungu to wander. I met some nice stall holders, whom I’m sure were charging me way too much, but I was not going to argue over 20p today! I brought my wares home, and cooked a sumptuous feast of tomato pasta. I can cook I think, just not that well, but I was happy! I washed my clothes, and reconsidered again the opportunity to have my washing done every week for Tsh 17,000 a month. I am lazy, but at least I can admit it!
Last week my Kiswahili teacher Benji had told us of a tragic story of his journey to Lindi (my placement area) 20 years before. He had travelled on a bus, and due to rain and the state of the roads, the buses became stranded in the middle of nowhere. For twenty five days these passengers and bus crew had to survive on practically no food and water from muddy puddles. Tragically many of the children on the bus did not survive. When finally help reached them, Benji had to go straight to hospital to be treated for severe dehydration and sores in his throat. He was one of the lucky ones. This really puts in to perspective how times have changed in some respects here, and made me feel ashamed about worrying about such superficial and silly things in regards to me flying down to Mtwara, but despite my best efforts I still did. Silly Mzungu.
I awoke very early (alfajiri) to the call to prayer echoing around the hotel room. My heart leapt at the reminder that this was the beginning of my new life for the next 18 month, no more lazy days of unemployment, no more iphone, no more journeys on the 101 bus to meet friends in Drakes for drinkies, and no more sausages and cheese (the latter pained me the most!)
At 6 am or saa kumi na mbili kamilli asubuhi in Tanzanian time (the day starts 6 am here not midnight!) my taxi driver arrived on time (gasp) and I was off to my flight. I had a hundred worries… would I be searched, would I have to pay excess, and would the plane fall out the sky and crash to ground in a glorious fireball. I should have worried more about the first bit. Security here is surprisingly high for an internal flight, and I had to unpack my incredibly tightly packed bag. It always happens to me, I was even waiting for the infamous question I was once asked by an American jobs worth, “ Madam are you carrying viral culture or biological warfare in your bag?”…”Why yes sir I am, they were on sale in the Ecuadorian rainforest, I could not resist”, I obviously quipped in my head. The Tanzanian guy was a much nicer man, and kept repeating “pole sana” which is basically, I am very sorry!
After this I found my bags to be 14 kilos over the limit, which I expected. The lady behind the desk initially suspicious of this dishevelled, red faced Mzungu , asked for TSH 70,000. I was ready to pay all my wages at this point, as all I wanted to do was stop worrying about my baggage (I had left one and a half big bags back in Dar already). I used my excessive charm… or more likely pathetic pleading to secure an excess of only TSH 25,000. RESULT. Through another security area and then freedom! I was pleasantly surprised to find my flight left on time; the plane was modern and landed in Mtwara only an hour later. For about 5 minutes I cried inside as I could not find my bag, and thought the girl had dished out a different kind of penalty for putting such a heavy bag on her small plane. I was even more scared when the plane starting firing up engines to return with new passenger only 10 minutes after we landed. Yet, I was relieved to discover it was the first one out and under everyone else’s. STOP FRETTING YOU IDIOT, I screamed at myself (internally).
But then I saw them…two of my guardian angels in their chariot. Tony another VSO volunteer is a wonderful English gent, with a great sense of humour and a heart of gold. He was joined by his work colleague Deo, a lovely smiley Tanzanian guy. They whisked me away in the chariot, and through the beautiful and hot surroundings of Mtwara. I was led to places to buy essentials such as peanut butter, and corned beef. Tony bought sausages. I nearly died when I realised that they existed here in Mtwara.
I then had the pleasure in meeting another volunteer’s wife who had just come down from Uganda to live. Jackie is bright, bubbly and a delight to chat with. As a Ugandan she too is learning Kiswahili pole pole (slowly), but I feel she will be fluent before the month is out. All together we journeyed home, to the dulcet tones of African bongo music! The scenery is beautiful, with palms and other trees sweeping as far as the eye can see, with small mud hut villages spotted all along the tarmac road. In comparison to the north, the roads are fairly quiet and not so terrifyingly dangerous. Maybe it was more to do with the skills of my driver! Although he did admit to running over a flock of Hornbills (big turkey like birds) earlier that morning!
Before I knew it the vast convent and hospital sprung up out of the village of Nyangao. I was home.
I was shown to my house. I had seen it in pictures before, but I was still surprised by the size! It’s bigger than my house in England, and also has a lovely garden with a plethora of fruit trees and birdies to check out. I set up home in my room, which has a double bed (I have only had single beds for the past year). Small things eh! Yet no rest for the wicked, I was quickly whisked to meet all my colleagues in the hospital which is only a five minute walk away. The next hour was a blur of “Habari za leo”, “Nzuri”, “Karibu Nyangao”, and lots of “Asante sana”. I will let you translate those! I met my new lab colleagues, and feel very lucky! They are all lovely, and patient with my current lack of Kiswahili! Monica my compatriot is even more delightful and I am really looking forward to working with her for the next 18 months. Hopefully I can be as helpful to her as she has been to me!
After all this I was then collected by Tony in Helga his other chariot, a 20 year old green polo and whisked to his house. I was reunited with his lovely wife Barbara, a pharmacist at the hospital, whom I had the pleasure of meeting before in Dar. We chatted, drank beer, and guess what we had sausages and mash! Maybe one day I shall cheese again! I hope that I get a few more days like this one during my time here in Nyangao.
28.07.2010 First day nerves.
At 5.30am, my ascari (night guard), awakens in what I think he considers is a quiet fashion, but in reality is a symphony of coughs and moans. He sits outside the kitchen, not far from my bedroom, but it sometimes feels like he is in the room! So do the other people living across the football pitch outside my house. These are relatives of the patients in the hospital, whom stay in the family compound. Yet the sound of children happily playing is a great sound. Another sensory change here is the smell of burning. In England, if we smell that we either run around the house checking all appliances, or chastising a neighbour who dares to light a bonfire without telling us to close our windows. However, here people cook with charcoal stoves outside, and when done they leave them on the sand to smoulder. The acrid smell is now becoming normal, it reminds me of Reading festival and the fire queen that is Lucy Breeze, so good memories!
At 7.30am-7.45-8.00 am the morning meeting starts. All doctors, clinicians, Barbara, Monica, and I attend everyday to discuss the cases from yesterday and from overnight. It is very interesting, but although it is English, everyone speaks so softly and I think I may be a little deaf! After the meeting I join Monica in the lab. The lab is rather well equipped thanks to the hard work of Monica and Johanna the VSO volunteer I am replacing. There is organisation, and fragments of quality assurance, standard of operations, and maintenance of equipment, and I again realise how much I am going to learn from this experience. It frightens me a little, but it is exhilarating too.
I go through all the notes left by Johanna, and Monica explains how certain things work. I sit at the computer, slightly fretting about how I will be ever be able to get used to being in a position of seniority! I hope I don’t let anyone down! But Monica seems happy and confident in me so that’s reassuring! I then watched Thomas and Monica testing CD4s and practice my basically pathetic Kiswahili with them.
At 3.30pm it’s home time. I think about braving the market today, which again is only 5 minutes away, but I am exhausted. I go home, cook what is a rather pathetic stir-fry, and do some ironing. Yes I know, me doing ironing… but I’m senior now don’t you know!
29.07.2010 Pricking fingers and negative results.
I left the compound today! My day started with greetings a plenty, panic about where do I even begin, and an offer from Tony and Salvina that I could not refuse! They were going on HIV testing outreach to one of the surrounding villages. Tony had helped to start this up, and now it was possible that two trips occur per week. We arrived with John from the lab, Mary a nurse (Deo’s wife), and the formidable Salvina. We journeyed over crazy sand roads to this village, and set up in an empty building in the village. Announcers had been employed to inform people of our presence the day before, but no-one arrived for testing. I had never tested in this way before and I was slightly nervous about causing pain to people, even if it was just a pin prick! However, Tony was worse than me at it, so I felt better.
In the end we tested 76 people, half male and half female, with ages ranging from 14-63. All were negative, which was great to see, although Tony explained that often those with the riskiest lifestyles are too ashamed to go for testing, and the positive results often originate from the villages closer to the tarmac road. This is because the lorry drivers and travellers bring loose morals and infection on their way through. The road brings so much here, not all good.
I braved the market after work. It is actually rather small, and rather a friendly place for a tall blond haired Mzungu to wander. I met some nice stall holders, whom I’m sure were charging me way too much, but I was not going to argue over 20p today! I brought my wares home, and cooked a sumptuous feast of tomato pasta. I can cook I think, just not that well, but I was happy! I washed my clothes, and reconsidered again the opportunity to have my washing done every week for Tsh 17,000 a month. I am lazy, but at least I can admit it!
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