One more week!
So what has happend since last time? Just the normal, I guess. Some bad things, some good things. A lot of children passed through our E.R. I have some statistics! =) Not from me, but from the hospital.. In december m2010, we had 715 admissions (that means only children). And of them, only 15 deaths! That is only 2 %, and everyone says that is extraordinary, and an impossibly low death rate! And a big reason to this is our project... =) It feels really strange, and off course good, but strange as well.. That you actually CAN make a difference, just the way you are. I never thought I would be a part of something like this... =)
Yesterday I assisted on a skin graft (or more observed). A skin graft is when they move skin from one part of the body to another to cover a wounded area. It was very interesting! They took like a giant epilator (and ladies, you know how pleasent they are...! (not!!)...) and just shaved the skin off.. Ick! I'm glad the patient was asleep.
Hehe but before he wasa given the anasteashia, he asked me to marry him! =) hehe! He told the clinician thay I was beautiful and could be his wife. I thank him so much for the offer, and told him that unfortunately I was allready married.... ;)
Well, what else can I say... I feel better, the grass is green... decapiteted some more snakes...the bugs keep on coming.. oh yeah.. One morning i woke up, looking up at a scorpio. Inside my bed net. Must have been there all night, cause I tuck the net in under the matress when I sleep...(might have forgotten though..) Luckliy, they are not deadly. Just poisonous. Anyway. I looked at it for awhile, deciding if it fall down on my head if I tried to move... Then I took the chance, and Link came in and we could get it out... I drowned it in soap... (Maybe I can write two books after this! Not just future best seller "100 ways of opening a bottle of Fanta", but also future pulitzer prize winner "100 ways to kill a bug"....?)
Anyway, I can hear work is coming.... Better go to the ER.
Christmas Foam!
Today I feel much better... Not sad at all! Think i was veeeery tired and dehydrated yesterday after giving blood in the middle of the night. Today I had som fanta (BEST rehydration drink EVER!!! It has like all the shit you need when you are dehydrated... It's awesome! =)) and I had a lot to do at work. It was a good day. enough to do, but not stressful..
Well, yesterday when I was home crying over disney movies, Link had an interesting case.. a gut who had had a bicycle accident, and the steering wheel (is that the name for it...? The thing you hold on to with your hans when yo ride i bike...??) ((No wait, Handle bars is it, right..?)) Aa anyway, the handle bar (?) on the left stabbed his chest, and left an open woung, three centimeters in diameter, right into his lung. Link said you could see the inside of his lung through the hole. They stabilized him and sent him to KCH in lilongwe.
Today, we had a lot of kids, as usual. Nothing special. Just tons of Malaria... And one thing bothering us is that the government has decided (or something, i don't know the politics concerning it) to not handle out more LA (the malaria medicine)... So we only have what is in stock, and then we only have Quinine... that is very strong and has very bad side effekts... aaa well. That is at least not my problem to solver, even though is botters me..
'
I am now sitting in our living room, faceing our lovely garden.. but unfortunately, I have to keep the curtains down =( Know why...? Cause people are all the time coming in to our garden, knocking our door to ask for money. So I pretend I am not home. Just let them knock.. it sounds really "cowardly", but imagine! every 20 minutes someone comes and knock your door.... gaaaaa!
I am now gonna lay down a little bit and rest.... Tiiiiireeedd!!! zzzzzz.....
Mentally exhausted
And now it is lunchbreak, we are watching Disneys "Tarzan" and I'm crying like a baby...
Yeah, one fun thing... Yesterday I made an LP, Lumbal punction. =) Doctor Ewa from Poland has been teaching me, and when I've done 10 sucessful LP:s she will write me a "delegation" or something that i can put in my CV =)
And yeah haha, I was woken up tonight by the Ngari from the lab at midnight. Ít was an emergency, a woman had had twins and her uterus had ruputred so she was bleeding out of control. She was O neg, and can only recieve from other O negs. They had no O neg blood at all, not even in Lilongwe. So they had to take mine, or she would die. So they did =) I hope she is ok, I will go check on her later today.
Now, i'll eat something i think. And cry some more over Tarzan.. ;)
Sorry about all the complaining....
M
Crazyness!!
Wow! There have been so many patients this year... Since the first of january, we have admitted 560 children in peadiatric ward!! And it has not even been two weeks! The malaria season is really here.. I'm really just waiting for the fever to hit me, as I am on no prophylaxis. But it is ok, i have medication at home if that would happen so no one has to worry. En eeee why i am on ny prophylaxis..? Cause there are three diffrent ones... ONE is way to expensive, ONE am I not allowed to try due to psychological side-effects (if you have like problems with night mares, sleepingdissordes, depression or any thing similar,you are not allowed to take it) and tha last one, the one I tried to begin with, made me vomit like a pig.. All the time being crazy nauceaus, so I gave it up. But Im fine =)
Anyway, the amount of children (im not even caring about counting the adults!!!) is overwhelming!! The line outside is sooo long.. And tthey ahv enot yet managed to build the roof that was supposed to be finshed in october (hrm hrm) so everyone is just standing in the rain... And it is pouring! Waterfalls from the sky! So every patient is also suffering from hypethermia.. os we have to warm them up. I think last week, they had 180 children in peadiatric ward... And that is a ward with 24 beds.......(!!!) And on top of that, there is usually only one nurse at work. Aii aii... BUT obviously, our emergency system has made a big diffenrence. People are more aware, and the fact that the traige has been done and the room has been used had minimized the deaths. Those who has been working here for many years says that this year is one of the WORST, looking at how many patients are coming. The hospital is crowded! But the deathrate is the BEST ever! =D Not many children die anymore and that is mainly thansk to the triaging! =D So I am actually proud! I know, im swedish.. it is not allowed to say that yourproud over something you have done... But fuck it! I am! =D
Yesterday, at 7 pm, I still had not showerd or eaten since I got off the planne the day before.. We hade not power, and no water. Then I heard the the guest house had at least cold water. so I went there, took a cruciating cold shower, brrrrr! An the MOMENT i stepped out of the shower, shivering, barely alive, hehe... The power came back! POFF! And the hot water came back! POFF! Grrrr.... Good to ahve it back! But WHY oh WHY did it have to wait until after i tormented myself in the ice cold brown guest house water...??? hehe. Anyway. It was refreshing.
Then I went home, we ate chicken soup and watched "the last king of scotland". Then I had night mares all night. I dreamt Idi Amin was going to execute me while I was on the phone with my mother... He held a gun against my forehead. Iiii... it was horrible!!
Now I'm at lunch, soon going back to work.
Oh, and by the way, Oliva has come back to work after having her baby, and she brings the baby everyday =) she puts her in the couch where she sleeps while Oliva is working =) I gave Oliva the phone and clothes from my parents, and I gave the clothes from Karen to her little daughter (Named Fainesi). she was very happy, and told me to thank you so much, and god bless you! =)
Ok, back to work.. Ndikupita nchito..
=)
Back in the saddle!
"Pick yourself up, dust yourself off annd back in the saddle... People are raising, their expectation.. Go on and beat them, this is your moment, no hesitation!!"
Shakira, "waka waka"
Yep, thats true.. Now im back. Back in Africa, back in Malawi, back in Nkhoma! It was not very easy to leave home for the second time.. Saying good bye to everyone again.. I miss my family, friends and christian so crazy much.... sometimes it makes me wonder why am I doing this.. But I know why, and I know I would never forgive myself if I gave up now. So close to the end! Only three months left now...s Then im home!!!! =D
I promise, my new years eve fucking promise is to give everything the last months down here, no power saving! So I have to rise up again, for myself, for malawi, for the children.. I will finish this!! We will finish this!!! Me and Link!!! Ja!
It is also sad, that this adventure soon is over... But also im SOO looking forward to coming home again...For good! This journey had been amazing, it is still amazing... I am so glad i did it, and I will never regret this. This is the ebst thing I've ever done! =)
But would I do it again....? No, Not for such a long period. At least not without Christian. If I could have him here for another year mabe I could consider doing this again... =)
Anyway, It's been amazing to be home!!!! Meet everyone, do normal things in a normal environment.... But it was so strange to be home.. It is like... I saw everyone from an other perspective. Everyone was walking,stressed out, eyes fixed in the ground, not talking to anybody.. I-phones, I-pods, laptops, Mp3-players... Everything to avoid other people, to create a cage or a bubble around themselves.. And it's like i see them from outside.. As if I don't have a bubble anymore... Before maybe I was also a bubble-person... But now.. I dont know. Something is different. At home everyone does everything to avoid one antoher. Here in malawi, people do everything in their power to let other people in. they include strangers in their family. Everyone is interesting. Why listen to a song you heard 200 times, when you can talk to a new person standing beside you? Imagine what you can learn from this new person! It is so different.. By accident I said Hi! How are you?" to a girl in town at home. She stared at me as if a was a serial killer with bad breath... And I realised, shit, Im home now... We don't greet people we don't know here. Then they might put you in jail or something.
But it is nice as well.. To be able to have your own space. here it is impossible. There are people with you all the time, 24/7. Sometimes it is quit annoying and tiredsome... I miss my home. Or my homes. It's like I hahve my heart in Norway, my soul in sweden and my body in Malawi... Where will I end up in the end?? ;) It feels like im living in trains and airplanes....
Coming to Malawi today was so fun! =) Everything is exactely the way it was. Justice was one hour late to pick me up at the airport... Phone didn't work.. Internet hardly works. Justice got stuck in a police block for overspeeding on our way bacj to Nkhoma...Everything is moist and dirty... we have no electricity, and no water. The rain is pouring down, and it is a thunderstorm. Someone has shaved spot (?????)....! He looks like a sheep! Almost no fur left.... =( Whhhaaaaat!!!??
Well, Im back, im recharged. Tomorrow I'll go back to work. Today I'll sleep. No shower. Surprise..... Good thiing my sister bought me "dry shampoo" for christmas present... ;)
I'll give you an update on the hospital job tomorrow. I've heard it's now overcrowded due to the rain... well thats good, a looooot to do! =D
Good night! =) Enjoy you fucking electricity and water. I can't believe I had clean water and electricity and good internet/phone connection just two days ago... Crazy..... Contrasts, contrasts... Contrasts are like defibrillators for the soul...
Hoping, hoping!
Summary of the incident: Fucking annoying that that they did'nt let me on the flight on sunday..My connection was not even cancelled, and yes, it left as scheduled on monday morning to Gothenburg. So if KLM had let me on the plane, I WOULD HAVE BEEN HOME long time ago!!! Grrrrr! Anyway, they did put us on a great hotel, the finest in Kenya. Extremely luxurious. The bed was amazing, and the food to. So thanks for that, but youu can't relax, no matter how nice it is, if you don't know when you're going home...aaa Please please please let everything work out nicely today.....
x x x Maria
Flightmare before Christmas... =(
Now more and more planes are being cancelled. Everything is lookinng as if it is becoming worse. Maybe this plane was the last chance... =( And hoe the HELL are they going to fit all these people in to other planes anyway?? It will take many days to find seats for everyone!!
SO I am stuck in fucking Nairobi for an unknown period of time. I had longed so much to go home... =( Now I don't know if I even will come home before christmas. =(
I am not angry with the snow are anything. I am angry with the fucking decission toi kick me off my flight, even though it was going, and even though my connection was not cancelled!! My flight was perfect, no problems with it! But yet, they kicked me off, because therre were to many people at the airport in amsterdam. I CAN BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!
Anyway, all glory to the hotell. We were sent to a hotel, and it is great, beautiful. Supposed to be the bestt hotel in kenya. So that's good. But honestly, I would so much preferred sitting on that plane that I know an moving somewhere above my head now.... On the way home, with my seat EMPTY.
aaaa fuck it.
Still on malawian number if anyone wants to call..
Thank to my mum and chrstian for all support... =)
Flying home for Christmas! =D
Yes!! It is true! I am going home over christmas to visit my family, friends and my Christian! =D It will be wonderful to get a little break from bugs, brown tap water and everything... I love malawi so much, dont get me wrong. I am incredibly happy to be here. BUT it is not always nice, and to start up emergency care from scratch is a very hard job, especially in a place like this... But to sum up the past six months, the project has been very sucessfull. We have introduced Triage, which was ectremely challenging to begin with. The over worked staff did not really appreciate changes and even more work. But when result started showing, people got poositive. And now, everyone is doing the triage and takes it serious. We have alsoi manage to put together en emergency room, started using it 27 of november. It is now one of the most busy rooms in the hospital, which is a very good thing. Many children that passed through would not have survived without it. So,as of now, patients are no longer dying in the OPD! Whoch is amazing!!! =D
To go home over christmas was for a week ago noot 100 % certain...! Doctor Rhona faced problems when leaving the country last week, the immigration guys at the airport wanted to put her in jail!!! Reason: She only had the papers of her permit, not a stamp in the passport. Just like me! And why is that? Cause immigration said, when giving out the permit papers, that no more stamp was needed, it was enough with the paper (???). Which was, obviously, pure bullshit.
So in panic, I had to try to get this stamp. I went to immigration for the 7:th time, showed my work permit and all the stamp on IT that I had paid the fees and bla bla bla. I met the same guys that gave it to me and signed it in november. BUT to get the stamp in my passport, they needed confirmation from BLANTYRE (a city in souther malawi) that I had paid. Even though these two guys were to ones signing that I had paid! Anywat, I had allready faxed tha papers to balatyre a month ago, so there shoulld be no problem. I thought. But when the guys called the office in blantyre, they had all my papers, but they could not see that I had paid the fee, ehich is extremely wierd, because it says on every paper that I had paid! Anywa, I had to go to an internet cafe and fax the papers AGAIN. And then I had to wait at immigration office for several hours. Took a walk in town aswell while waiting. Reason for waitíng: the guy in blantyr who was responsible for the FAX-ROOM had not shown up for work, so they could not get the papers from the fax! Off course! Anyway, after a lot of wating the guys in Blantyre could finally call back to the lilongwe office and tell them that yes, I had paid. Is it not incredibly stupid?? The guys in Blantyre had to tell the guys in lilongwe, whom I paid to and whom had signed all the papers, that I had paid. The blantyre guys looked at the lilongwe guys signature, and called the same guy that had signed, and told him that he had signed! It is just... Stupid. Anyway. I did not freak out. I pulled off the greatest charm show I had ever made. I was SO nice to them, talking, smiling, using all my chichewa... It ended well, they loved me and they bought me fanta. They even, finally, gave me the stamp. So it all went incredibly smooth, even though the system was incredibly stupid. So now, accordning to my passport, I am allowed to travel as I wish in and out of Malawi ffor 2 years. Jippi!!! =DDD
Seriously, what kind of country is this... A doctor who has worked here for a year, saving so many lives, and the thank her by in her last minutes threatening her with prison???? It really makes me start reconsider why we are here... This country does not make it easy for us. We had to go to immigration 7 times, everytime a big struggle. Why is everything so difficult in this country???? A well, I guess I learned a lot about corrupted byrocracy....
***
Clock is now... 01:12 am. I am very tired. I had to leave my room cause it was invaded by mosquitoes (and in fancy, luxury hotels like this, it is obviously not classy enough to put up mosquito nets) so I had to go to reception so they could DOOM the room. And I am a bit allergic to DOOM, so now I'm wating for the smell to disappear. It is strange. I have slept in so many diffrent, low standard places here. But never got more than one or two bites. But now, this night, I am allready haft eaten. Shit. Jaja, good thing i bruoght LA (malaria medication) with me. I doubt the doctors at home know how to treat malaria. They would probobly lock me up in an isolation room and take a lot of scary tests, when I just could lay home in my bed taking LA.
Well, hopefully DOOM has done the job, and went away... I will go check. Til then, Good night!! Write again tomorrow maybe, while being bored at Nairobi airport for 6 hours..........
Kiss kiss good night!
Good bye to R and J (...Good day to insect invasion...??)
Yesterday Rhona and Jessi had their goodbye party. It was a great party, we ate real meat that Isabelle magically found, and the best home made burgers (also Isabelles) I've ever had. We stayed until 1.30 pm I think, and the last hours we played "Cranium". Really fun game, a mix between pictionary, "trivial pursuit" and "sketches" =)
I tell you, Rhona and Jessi will be so missed here in Nkhoma. Rhona is without competition the best doctor with the warmest heart I've ever met (and I have met a lot of doctors!). The hospital really suffers a great loss, losing her to England. But she must continue with her own life, just like the rest of us... She has been a wonderful freind, and she always supported me and helped me out when everything at the hospital was a shit...And I have learned so much from her!
Jessi has been a teacher at the ebenesser school. She is a wonderful person, and as Rhona will be missed in the hospital, I bet Jessi will be missed at the school!
Yeah, Nkhoma is for sure losing two great persons.. But where ever they go, they will make the world a little bit better at that place, where ever it is.. =)
* * *
I am extremely tired of the bug/insect/snake invasion the rainy season has brought!! BAM! Black mamba in the bed room, BAM! GIANT centipede in your shoe. BAM! Scorpion in the bathroom. Turn around, and BAM! 1000 GIANT Flying f*cking termites attacking you! BOOOM! Something falling down from the roof, hitting your head and digging into your hair. Shaking your hair in panic, and SCWHOSS! TREMENDOUS bug of unknown family, disgusting and freaky enough to get a staring role in Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or something.. I actually think the one I just saw was in a harry potter movie! You know that scary bug that gets tormented with the three forbidden curses by mad eye moody? Looked just like it. I google it, It is called "Tailless Whip spider" or "Tailless whip scorpion". Eats their own children. Yummie...
Want this one in your hair.....?
Tailless whip scorpion (pics from google. I don't stay around long enough to take photos.... ;))
So we are going berserk with the DOOM spray. DOOMing DOOMing all day long! I am seriously going to DOOM my brain out soon! If the bug invasion doesn't stop soon, I might even do it on purpose!!! Grrrr.....
One extra disgusting thing happend last week. I had "Shelob" herself in my room (I mean, a giant spider REALLY big and disgusting). I went to get the DOOM, and the moment I doomed it, it realeased a waterfall of thousands babyspiders. They must have been hiding under it's belly, and now they just spread everywhere. It was horrific!!!
YEAH and the flying termites...!! One day our gardener came in, asking "Please, I need a bucket of water. A lot of meat out here".. Meat?? What is her talking about? We went out to take a look, and the verande was covered of flying termites! Big, everywhere! In the air, on the wall, on the ground... He collected them in a bucket, I think he got at least 5 litres! They call the Mgumbi, and the malawians eat them! They are considered a delicacy here.
Mgumbi.Honestly, I am so glad I came here in june!!! If this bug invasion had been while we came here, I would seriously not stayed five minutes in this country. now I am used.. It started slowly with crab spiders in june, then cochroaches in augsut, and then centipedes/millipedes in october/november, and now the whip spiders and termites.... And now we have it all at once! ICK! But Had all these creatures been here when we came... I would have turned in the door.
Now, time to sleep. Have had diarreha for four days, with abdominal cramps... Link had some metronadazole at home, so I am now taking that... Hoping to be cured before I go home for christmas! ONLY 6 days left til I fly home for christmas!!! AAAA!!!! =D=D=D=D Away, away from the bugs, the dirty tap water (it is completely dark brown and somewhat thick.. ICK!!!).... aaa. TO BE CLEAN!!! Wow. I think I forgot how it feels!!
Kiss kiss goodnight!!
//m.
Uninvited guest... =(
Came back late from Rhonas och Jessie good bye party (tell you more about it tomorrow, it was great!! But sad...) and found a black mamba in my bedroom!!! =(
I caught it with a knife and cut it's head of.. I am not afraid of snakes, but this is really scary. They are known to be the most deadly snakes in the world. The venom is very powerful, one bite produces enough venom to kill up to 40 people. If you get bitten, you will most likely die within 20 minutes from suffication.. The mortality is 100 % if you don't get antivenom quick, and we do not have antivenom in Nkhoma. There is a stock in Lilongwe, but the hospital management has decided that it is to expensive to buy... (????) On monday I will ask them to reconsider.... I will do it in the morning report, so that they have to answer before everyone.... ;)
The one in my bedroom was a baby, it was not more than 20 cm long. It is dead now, but Wikipedia claims that they mostly travels in pairs or small groups... Uff, I don't want to go to sleep tonight. I cleaned out my entire room, and sprayed it full with DOOM... I hope it helps.
Good (???) night....
//Maria
Emergency transport! =)
This "trolly" we built (or we arrenged some people to build it) for our emergency room! =) We are using it to transport babies from the ER to the ward. this wagon is actually a great improvement, and the mothers love it! =) Always laughing when we pass by with it.
This baby suffered from malaria + hypothermia. She has been laying in her home in cold and wet clothes, cause nothing is dry here in the rainy season. Her body temperature was very low, and she was almost dead when we got her in. But we managed to get her warm, and as you can see, while entering the ward she is awake =)
Mobile photos; Beatrice and Chikondi.
Me and little Beatrice I told you about in the last blog entry =) She has swallowed a coin that got stuck in her eosophagus, and when the clinician were examining her she got very scared. She fell in love with the elephant I bought for the ER. When she was finished, I let her take it home with her.. She was so cute!! I wished I could take HER home! =)
Little Chikondi. The boy who recieved the blood I gave yesterday. Here just started the transfusion. He suffers from severe malaria, we are treating him with quinine. Malaria causes anemia 'cause the malaria parasited feeds on red bloodcells.
Chinkondi again, his mother standing beside him. Peadiatric ward.I am Bambi!
Heavy raining all day. And to work in a hospital that is 50% outside.... Baaaaaad. Especially if you are wearing worn out crocs. Like me. I've been sliding around like bambi on ice today! And I fell 3 times on slippery and wet floors. I have big bruises on my bum... hehe. And there were so many malawians watching me! But they didn't help me to get up. Instead they just pointed at me and laughed.... hmmm.. Remind me, what am I doing here
again...?? ;)
hehe. But it is ok, I laughed as well.
The whole hospital is located on a hill, like the offices on top, and then you go down down down to the wards... OPD is almost in the bottom. So all the water gathers around our facilities. I transported a patient from OPD to medical ward on a trolly. Had to go through corridores with no roof. Both the patient and me got soaked... Not nice. But yeah, what can we do.. Just laugh, I guess.
We also had a funny case today! =) A little girl named Beatrice. She had eaten a Tambala (a big coin. Money!!) Adn the x-ray was so funny. The tambalas are really big, and it was stuck right under her eosophagus. But she was completely fine, and so cute!! Smiling and talking. But she got scared before the procedure and started crying, so I intriduced her to Mr. Elephant (A teddy bear i bought on shop rite to keep in the ER). She totally fell in love with him. Hugged him, petted him, and it really helped her througout her fear. When she was going to leave, I couldn't bring myself to take it from her. So was so attached to it. So I tied it to her back, like the mothers carry their babies, and I told her to keep it. I've never seen such a smile in my life!! =) She was so happy. I have to buy a new elephant, though. But that is no big deal really. I guess that elephant will be very much loved! =)
On friday is Rhonas last day on work.. I don't want her to leave. It will be so strange to come back in january, and Rhona not being here... I will miss her so much. She was here when we came, and took care of me on medical ward my first days... And then I've worked together a lot with her, and she is such a talented doctor and such a great friend... We always ahve dinners together at her place... Uff... =(
Back on the blood bed... =)
So I went, they drained me, and I went back to work. The funny thing is that I did not eat anything before, not since 6 am this morning (donated at 4 pm). Wich is not really good. But I feel fine, I just feel... high. Or a little bit drunk. Light-headed. Anyway, I am now relaxing with a coca cola in the ER. I work til 7 pm today, so need to get my brain back on track. It has been a very busy day, I think around 10 patients came to our room only before i went to lunch at 1 pm (it is actually on of those kids that are now getting my blood). The best thing is that this time, it didn't hurt! First time, It hurt so bad, the second time a little bit better, and this time I hardly felt it. They are using the same vein every time, so maybe I t hav gooten numb... But that is juuust fine with me! =)
So come on every one out there, be just as cool as me and donate some blood! =) I bet it is a lot nicer to do it at home, in Sweden or Norway, then it is here... ;)
(( would it even be allowed to donate 3 times over 6 months at home...?))
(((And SIX MONTHS!!! Imagine!!! WOHOOO!!! That means ONLY FOUR MONTHS TO GO! THEN I AM HOOOOOOME FOR GOOD!!!)))
Short reflection of prostitution and HIV...
Not a nice place at all. I stayed just a few hours, I don't drink beer and that was the only thing they sold. So I went home and went to bed. Link stayed longer with some other nurses.
There were a lot of prostitutes... scary. We were told that the price for sex is 200 kwatcha ( about 8 norweigian crowns, or 1 dollar).. Horrible. a little more expensive with condom, around 500 Kwatcha (20 norweigan crowns, or 3 dollars). But most people didn't wanna use a condom. They meant that because the ARV:s (HIV-medication) is for free, it doesn't matter if they get HIV.... (????) It is such a horrible way of thinking. If they started charging the ARV:s , people would not afford them and they would die. But when it is for free as of now, people do not take it seriously.... It is so horrible. They don't realise the severity of the illness...
We saw the same lady coming back several times, bringing different men to the back of the house... If she is HIV positive... How many men will be infected by HIV every night?? And the girl her self.. if she miraculously is not HIV positive... How long until she is? It is so horrible to think about it... Let's say she has 10 costumers on one night... And assume that 5 of them gets infected.. Lets say she works 5 days a week.. That is 25 infected every week, by one person. That is 1300 persons per year. from one person. Imagine! How many prostitutes are there in Malawi? Numerous!! Impossible to count. How can we ever stop a disease spreading as rapid as that...? And look at all the orphans running around... Their parents , young men and woman in my age, are dying every day due to this disease. there are so many orphans here! Almost all of them are orphans becasue of HIV. And the children gets born with the disease... Aaa.. If not the people of Malawi realises the severity of HIV, it is unstoppable... No matter what donoring countries are doing. I spoke to to my friend and gardener Wilfred about this issue.. He is a church elder/deacon and he says that the only thing to do is to educate the chiefs in the villages. Cause the people listen to the chiefs more than anyone...
aa now I got sad again... =(
Congratulations to stella, karen, casper and christian! =D
The church ceremoni was nice, a lot of people dancing and a reaggae/gospel band playing. Stella and her husband to be danced up the aisle. So beautiful! =)
Then it was the reception...I personally don't like the malawian weddnings reception. They do something called "Perikani Perikani", wich means "give give". The bride and the groom stands with a big basket in front of them, and every ine else is audience. Then for about 4 hours, there is music playing, and everyone gopes upp to throw money in the basket and at the bride and groom. A man calls upp different groups, and when "your" gruop is called up, you go and give money. And you can end up gicing money sooo many times. They call for exampl "every one who is a nurse!"and then "Every nurse at peadiatric ward" and "every staff member of the hospital". So you better keep a lot of "small" money, or you will quickly get ruined. Anyway, it is a a bit boring, and it feels strange that suddenly everything is about money, and who gives the most money.
Anyway, Stella was beautiful and they looked really happy! =) But during the wedding ceremoni me and Rhona had a hard time keeping serious, the priest held a firery speech about the womans submission to her husband, and that the wife had to know her place...... hmmmm........ (How's that for gender equality....?)
And yeah, cool. Link just came in through the door, a bit scared. it seems like we have a couple of hyenas right outside our house. So cool! I went out to look, but couldn't see them (they probobly ran off in horror when they saw my terrifying person..... ;))
* * *
Ooo and CONGRATUALATIONS to Christian who became an uncle for the third time yesterday!! =) And off course, to Karen, his sister who now have a little new born baby girl! =)))
I can't wait to meet them!! =D
And congratulations to Casper, my godson, who turned 2 yesterday... Crazy!! Two years????!? Can't believe it.
And congratualtions to me for having the most thoughtful and loving boyfriend on the planet.. =D Can you imagine that his guy actually waits for me for a year, even though we hardly knew each other before i went to Malawi... Love you <3 Soon i am back home with you.
Nighty night!
Maria
Cute boyband and bad receptionists.....
This week end we all went to Cape Maclear. It was supposed to be extremely beautiful. And yes, it was- but still, I love senga bay much more. Cape Maclear was not as relaxed. The curio sellers on the beach where disturbing, they wher to much ”in your face” for my taste. They folloowed you along the beach, tried to convince you to buy some shit.. There where also a lot of party places.. It was for sure very nice, fun bars and everytthing, but for me, it took away a little bit of the magic i combine wiht lake malawi. This place more resembled beach resorts in greece oer spain... A lot of party, a lot of things happening... What I found most beautiful with Lake Malawi is that it is so untuched by man, so... genuine. But at cape maclear... Off course, still breath taking beautiful, but to... What is it called? Tourist-like? Fake...?
But I had one great experience! Me and a american guy, Samuel, rented a doubble kayak, and we took a long tour. We paddled around a big island, away from the cape.. And it was amazing! We found a little beach hidden in a lagoon, to narrow for big boats to find. And it was... Enchanting! Black and golden sand mixed together, giant rocks and mango trees surrounding it all... I could have stayed at that beach forever (But preferably with Chrsitian).
When we came back, we saw our friends out in the water. Isabelle (Luxemburgish optician) thought it was an excellent idea to play hippo, and what do hippos do? Yes, correct, they tip boats over. So we got tipped over.... Twice.... ;) hehe. But it was actually very nice, I was very sweaty and warm after all paddling. And luckily, I had borrowed Jessies camera, which was waterproof (took some really cool under water pictures!).
At the beach, we met a little band! ”The Happy Band!” Four little boys, between 6 and 10 years old, hade made their own instruments of thing they had found on the beach. Drums of old and rusty frying pans and tin cans, a guitarr of and old water container and fish net.... And one of the boys danced! He was the smallest one, so extremmely cute! Adn he danced really good, he did some real Michael Jackson moves! =D I must say, those little boys where talented! They made their instrument sound good, and they had some different songs... So cute!!!! =D I filmed them with my videocamera, I'll bring it home so you can see =)
On saturday evening, we went to a little bay. The sign outside said ”THE SHUT UP PARTY. DARRENS PASSING OUT PARADE”. Darren was a man in his late 60's, adn the owner of the bar. The main purpose: To get him to pass out. He was complketely drunk whhen we came there around 10. And he was still completely drunk when we left at 3. And he was STILL completely srunk at 10 am the next day, when he came wandering in to our lodge, cause he had run out of booze in his own bar.. Haha... He was so funny. And we had some friends in common! =D He was best friends with GJ:s father Jan! The guy who took me and Jenny to Liwonde.
And i also met a lot of rasta guys at the bar, that I met earlier at Mabuya camp in Lilongwe! =D
You know you have been a while in a country when people starts knowing your name everywhere you go! =D
Yep, the world is a small place and so Is malawi! =D
Today, I went to Lilongwe to go to the hospital. My IUD have been causing some problems, so I wanted it removed. It went very well, not painfull at all. But after asking ofr the doctor, I had to wait outside in reception for about 4 hours, because the guy in reception did not understand that I was a patient. After three hours of waiting, and starting to recognize people walking in and out.. I aksed the guy in reception If I was really in the correct line. Then he said ”You have to wait until he goes for a break, when he is finished seeing patients”. ”BUT I AM A PATIENT!!!! for God's sake....”
Well, he apologised, and put me in the right line. Gaaaa..... Anyway, he was very service minded and friendly, so some comfort points for that!
Now I am back home in Nkhoma. Link had to work alone today in OPD, cause the nurse she was supposed to work with, didn't feel for working and never showed up. I actually met her this moring before I went to lilongwe. She was not dressed in uniform, and also on her way in to town. I told her that she couldn't do like that when she was supposed to work.. But your friend is working” ”Yeah, Link is working today, but she can't be all alone, she is supposed to go home at 4 today, and what about lunch??” ”aa no.. I don't want to work. Not enough money”. Linn ended up working til 7 pm, cause that little ***** never showed up... I MEAN COME OOON!!!! These guys.... If that would happen at home, that kind of behavior....It would get serious consequences. Very serious. Anyway, Linn spoke to the matronn about it, so I hope she takes care of it.
Now time for posting this on internet...
zikomo! =D
Nkhoma in November
School boys playing with bicycle wheels
Lady at the market, selling sugar canesRainy!
The rains have as I mentioned earlier started... The malaria is increasing, more and more mosquitos are coming... I am on no prophylaxis, have not been since beginning of July. I got so sick from the medication. But I heard a doctor who said that people without antigenes on their red bloodcells very rarely get Malaria.. And I am 0 neg,, so I am absolutely antigen free... So I go for that, adn one tonic water per day! =) Have you ever heard the "myth" that a gin & tonic a day prevents you from getting malaria? I believe that, cause in the tonic water there is quinine, wich is the strongest drug we have against malaria! =) So 0 neg & tonic it is" =)
Yesterday, I fell in the mud... Mud mud mud everywhere, i mean, Why not take a swim? ;) Had to walk back from the market, in the rain, covered with mud (wearing my white uniform!!). Mud in my hair and face... Looked like a drownded rabbit... Everyone laughed at me, and when passing the school, the kids had just quit for the day... So about 100 kids gathered around me and laughed... hehe... Well, I gave back. Started hugging them so they got all dirty, so they ran away! =) hehe.
Have you ever heard the term "Norweigian scabies"?? (Norsk skabb) We now have two kids with it! It is horrible, imagine having herpes sores covering all your body.... Face, arms, abdomen, legs... Horrible!! These Norweigins I tell you... ;) Must be Link who brought it here.... ;)
What else? Did I tell you we got in a guy who got bitten by a crocodile in a river close by last week? Cool! The croc had bitten his leg and his arm. But he survived, the luccky guy!! These crocs here are seriously BIG!!!
More.. Yeah, off course! The ER is working very well! =) It is very intresting, the emrgency care feels much more for real now. And the staff is taking it more serious. That is great!! I will soon post before and after pictures, you will not believe your eyes! =D And we also have a little trolly for children, made by a wheel chair and a wooden box! =D
I belong to you <3
This one is for us, Christian
""See the pyramids around the Nile
Watch the sun rise
From the tropic isle
Just remember darling
All the while
You belong to me
See the market place
In old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember
When a dream appears
You belong to me
And I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
Fly the ocean
In a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till
You're home again
You belong to me
Oh I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too
Fly the ocean
In a silver plane
See the jungle
When it's wet with rain
Just remember till
You're home again
You belong to me""
Jason Wade, "Shrek"
Ndi li bwino! =)
I am getting good in Chichewa! =) I can understand a lot, and speak a little. I don't really write it, but at least these things I (almost) know how to spell:
Muli bwanji?
A, Ndi li bwino, kaya ino?
A Ndilibwino!
Zikomo!
Zikomo! =)
Wu ku pita kuti?
Ndi li kupita ku nyumba! =)
zikomo!
A, ku nyumba, a li bwanji?
A a li bwino. Zikomo!
Dszina lanu Nndani?
Dine maria, ndi li Nambwino ndi chipatala Nkhoma! =)
*** How are you? I am fine, and you? I am fine,! Thank you! Thank you. Where are you going? To my house, thank you (for asking)! A, how is you home? It is fine, thank you. what is you'r name? I am maria, and I am a nurse at Nkhoma Hospital! =)
***
Mwana, a li bwanji? = How is the baby doing? a li bwino Pangono = He/she is fine a little bit (means: he is not fine) A li be malongo? = Does he/she have malaria? A li be kuthenta thupi? = Is he/she having fever? Sequla mimba = Diarrhea? Muko sansa? = vomitting? Wawa? = Pain *** Amai, lowani! = Mother*, come in! Amai, tie! = Mother, let's go! Abambo, kalani apa = Father** sit down here Agogo, dikilani umo = Grandmother**, wait over there Pepani, amai, a li amourira = I am sorry mother, he/she is dead. Mogono bwino! = Good night! Pepani= I am sorry.
*Amai. means mother, but you call every adult women amai. **Abambo. Same thing, means father, but you call every man abambo. ***Agogo. A lady that is really, really old, who is wrinkled, you call agogo. It meand old lady, or grandmother. But you can also call really old men this.
OSSADANDAULA, PALIBE MAVUTO! =) = NO WORRIES, THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS. =)
