Last week Mark and I were away in Marienthal for in country training part 2. It’s away down in the south of the country. We drove Edith, Siew Wee, Vikas and Paulina down to Windhoek where we spent the night at Pratap’s, Joon’s and Xavier’s house. (as I write this, I realise, you get used to the international community. We spent the week with Kenyans, Ugandans, Indians, Philipinas, Singaporeans, Namibians, Brits, Candians, Australian and an UnitedStatesian. All VSO volunteers, here for different projects. I think we are an odd sight walking down the street, tho’) I suppose we learnt more about development and lots more about Namibia, but the best part was getting to spend that time with this network of people. We now know people all over the country (free lodging, heh, heh).
On the way back up, we spent another night in Windhoek, in Anne and Andy’s apartment. We had met these Canadians in Ottawa, and are ecstatic they are in Namibia too. Oh, my, though, was I loving their apartment! Unfortunately they were mugged a few weeks ago, in broad daylight in an ordinary part of town. They are absolutely fine, but it does show that there are some benefits to living in the sticks. Khorixas does have minor violence (stab wounds with broken bottles, usually) but very little targeted at white/tourists. Mostly because there are so few!
Back to work on Monday was very difficult. But this week was a 4 day week (Thursday off) as is next week. Some people are enjoying a 5 day weekend, but we’re on call…. Still had Thursday off (went to a low key campground, v. cheap) and will have Monday too, so can’t complain!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Blog seems to be acting up... Can't post.
Hullo! I got a couple of comments that I haven’t posted anything, and it’s true! Just noticed: May 1st was when I put on the pictures.
But then, of course, you’ve not commented on my blog!
Well, you have, some of you, in emails.
But there is something weird about just putting this stuff out there…
I’d love to share more of the medical stuff: but hopefully won’t put the non-medics off their lunch…
Assisted a C-section today, and we’re hoping to transfer skills: that is, our PMO knows surgery, and I and another Nigerian are interested in learning how to do a CS (not 100% sure I want to be able to do them, but it might turn out to be usefull). So I just closed the last few layers today (there are about 6 layers to close after a CS).
M. who had Tb and has HIV went home last week. She is one of our miracles, from just lying there like a stick insect to walking up and down the halls and smiling!! She gained 6 kg (up from 20 to 26… age 18). She actually spoke to me in English 2 weeks ago: I didn’t even know she could speak it. On ward rounds for the first 2 months she would just stare at us. The nurses would speak Damara, and she would nod, sometimes. It barely seemed she was awake. But I guess as she got better, her brain started functioning better. (She had meningitis during this admission, too). Anyway, she was moved into a ward with some other women, and I needed to ask a patient something, and she translated for us! It was really neat.
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