The Routine - the 5th installment

Installment 5 – The routine.

After the safari I settle into a nice routine Mai and I are getting along great she is very dedicated to the work and tries really hard to learn Swahili (I could do better) and the local tribal language. She is well liked in the hospital and the community. But I’m sure when her 6 months is up she’ll be ready to go home. Not that this is a bad experience but as many of us know it’s hard being the only one or just one of a few people of you kind in an area. Even though most people are nice. Language and cultural differences can make you feel very lonely. But she is doing well. And appears to be well liked. She has been very helpful to me some I’m glad she’s here. So we have a nice harmonious living situation. Anyway here we go.

5:45 – Mai gets up to turn on the water heater. Then goes back to bed
6:45 – She has her morning bathroom routine.
7:15 – I get up – Sometimes- LOL
7:30 – My turn in bath.
7:55- Mai heads to chapel. I meet up later. God knows I’m there is spirit.
9:00 am – Tea/Breakfast in canteen – Although sometimes I cook Breakfast
9:30 – 12:30 – Rounds with the doctors.- Although sometimes there are training sessions after chapel. We also had a visit by some German donors that ate up a morning. Usually it me Carla and Michelle with whichever doc is doing rounds. I showed then to take vitals –BP and Pulse.
1:00 pm – 6pm - After lunch I’m in the pharmacy. My big project is to organize the supplies in the pharmacy. I go thru the boxes, Sort and throw out the donations. Also categorize the inventory. I also plan to deliver material to it’s proper place in the hospital. Lab gear to the labs, Maternity related items to the maternity wards…etc. I also help out with dressings and working with the pharmacy. My next project is to properly stock the crash carts and stock and clean the minor theaters(exam room).

6pm – on – Free time. So I’ve been getting ready for Killi by climbing a 100 meter steep hill behind the campus. I started with 4 up and down climbs and add 1 per day. This entertains the folks that have to use this path to go home. Why would anyone just walk up and down this hill? Glad to provide cheap thrills. But it did help my Swahili as one day I encountered an older lady and did not greet her properly. So she is yelling at me in Swahili and I’m just saying asante asante (thank you thank you)cause that is all I can thank of. Sounding like an idiot. Meanwhile someone in the wood is trying to tell me what to say. But I don’t get it. He’s saying to me “say nisamele” (forgive me) “Say samahani” (excuse me). He is repeating this over and over. Finally I hear it so I say “SAY NISAMELE’ The elder looks at me like I’m the village idiot and walks off. Finally I realize what happened and just laughed. So I learned a few more phases and proper greetings. Learned to say “I’m taking in my exercise” in english which everyone seems to understand. My good Samaritan turned out to be one of the hospital drivers. He and I laughed about it the next day. Since this exercise gets later and later into the evening sometimes I help some people up the hill after dark as most people are in by then. It’s dark here by 7:15 pm. Then home for dinner or to the canteen for rice and beans. I think I’m spoiling Mai cause I’m cooking But you all know I like to so it’s all good. Washing dishes is an exercise. As you have to practice good water disciple. Heating water and such. Also you have to cook with the bottled water. We go thru 5 litters of bottled water a day. So that keeps us going back to the store. Mai is usually in bed by 9:30 – 10 pm. Except I kept her up for movie night once. “ Harold and Kumar go to White Castle”. I usually stay up until 1 -2 am. Reading, writing, listening to music Blah Blah Blah.

Extra things that have happened

I do spend a bit of time with Dr Kwesa the chief doctor here so have been on several trips with him and his family.


Ok no one told me about the earthquakes. Very minor but we had one that was like 5.1. Also it rained all week although it’s supposed to be the non rainy season. So it’s cool and dump. But I guess that means no malarial mosquitoes until the sun comes out
Also take it from me properly peel all fruit. I did not follow that warning. 6-8 hrs of throwing up doesn’t need to be repeated by anyone. Also maintain good water discipline. While I’ve been good several people have suffered. Just do it.
I went with the hospital team to do an AIDS Awareness presentation in a school about 35 km away on the side of Mt Meru. 2 hrs of driving and the school changed the date without telling us. Oh well this is Africa. So we visited one of the hospital dispensaries nearby. More on this in it’s own update.
Dr Kwesa invited Mai and I to attend his sister-in-laws engagement ceremony. That was followed by another couple wedding. This was all in Moshi. 60 km away. Very cool. Although I eat some seafood and have to take benadyl which did not mix well with the beer and konyagi. But I slept well. I also met Villa’s(the Dr’s wife) sister Sarah and her husband Julian. They have a company Tusker Safari co. So I slept all the way home. And most of the next day Sunday. But I was up in time to go shopping at the USA ( pronounced OH-SA) river market. Then on for drinks and back to the house. More on this in another update. Pics were taken
We attended a 1st birthday party for the mama Kay’s 1 year old daughter Iris. It was also close to her son Kay’s birthday. So it was a double party To be detailed in another update.
I observed and monitored vitals for Dr Julius during surgery for the hospital clerk. It was a C-Section – Healthy boy. Partial Hysterectomy both due to fibroid tumors with an apendectomy added for good measure. Pics and commentary will follow.
Spent a day in Arusha with Dr Kwesa running errands for the hospital and I needed to take care of travel arrangements. More later
One night I went with Doctor to his parents’ home above Tengeru to help fix his dad’s car. Then dinner with his family and long discussion with Gail. She has been staying with the Doc and his family (Villa his wife and Jesse his son) She has been here are 6 months. – More on that to come.
Lastly I went to Moshi by bus to meet Julian and Sarah. They were nice enough to outfit me with some gear for my Kill climb. – More to come

Ok so you are now up to date with my stuff here. Please leave me a comment if you have read my blog. Drop me an email with the latest haps at home. I’ll fill in the gaps when I get back from my attempt to climb Kilimanjaro. For more info on what it means go to www.climbmountkillimanjaro.com. Wish me luck.

On Killi from Aug 27th until Sept 2nd.
Back at hospital Sept 2nd until Sept 7th.

Peace Sean