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Imagine a bubble………..
Now imagine that bubble has had all the air sucked out of it, and been set on fire!!!
That's what I feel I'm living in right now!!
I sat at the computer trying to think which one of my stories I'm going to share with you, and I have to say I struggling to think of anything else other than that I'm so hot! My fingers are also disgustingly clammy so they keep on sticking to this key pad! So this whole experience is proving to be quite difficult! But I will try….. I guess until i melt into the key pad.... i wonder how that would read???
Okay yes its true I'm finally starting to completely loose the plot!!!
And the more time I spend on my own the closer I am to going totally mad!
I can't remember when I last saw a white person, had a normal conversation with anyone, had a shower (other than bucket washes), ate a meal that wasn't rice, washed my hair with shampoo!! I say I'm quite happy living the simple life, which I am, but actually right now I'm going crazy with the amount of bites I have. Its torturous, I want to scratch my whole skin off! I don't think they are mozzie bites, well I hope not as if they are I'm probably going to get malaria! I think they are bed bugs! The people here say they don't have bed bugs as they don't survive the climate, but i think that's rubbish, it also typical, if there is one god dam bed bug in the whole country it always finds me! I can remember so many occasions when I have been eaten alive by the little sods! And to top it...... I now have ring worm! Pretty attractive yes!!! I also feel the need to share with you that I haven't seen my reflection for over a month now, as I don't have a mirror!! I tell you it's a pretty liberating feeling! Well for me anyhow, I'm sure it's pretty terrifying for others!
I have been loving the trekking, I'm so lucky as it really has given me such a wonderful opportunity to visit places I would never have had the chance to otherwise! And everyday we visit a different tribe, so again my experience is unbelievable! My team is fantastic and I can see such an improvement in their work since i have been here. I think and hope that we are all growing from my being here!
The whole region ran out of fuel last week, thus the reason for being out of the loop (sorry), I mean we don't have electricity in the village, but at the hospital we have a generator that is set to come on for a few hours in the evening, but with no fuel, the whole place was plunged in to darkness as soon as the sun went down! Pretty crazy for a hospital right? So my evening ward round was conducted by candle light, and I can't even explain how hot it was! No fans, and a ward full of burning flames!!! Unbearable!!!
And its not only ward rounds by candle light….. delivering babies to! In Fact I delivered twins last night! Both with a happy outcome! Some times I think that I'm this character in a book, and someone is just reading the story! Even for me it's hard to believe that this is real life!
I have to say I feel I have defiantly turned a corner, its not that I'm numb to seeing what I see but I'm defiantly dealing with the situation better. Instead of dwelling on how unjust the world is, and how crazy it is that a general hospital doesn't have electricity! And that we have limited drugs and general resources! I'm just getting on with it and doing the best I can in the situation I find myself, and reminding myself daily that it is better than not helping at all! Although I still find it extremely painful when I loose a baby, or fail to treat an illness, I feel able to focus on the positives, with all the patients I do help!
I'm writing this blog now, but won't actually be able to send it for a few days, so my environment may be different when you get to read it, as I'm planning to head back to the coast for a bit! I'm in need of some green food, and a rest bite from the heat! I had hoped I would have acclimatized, but just when I think I have, it gets hotter! I'm also pretty exhausted, I work every day and I'm on call 24/7 so feel the need to take a few days of to rest and reflect!
Oh I had a terrible day on Saturday, the truck I was traveling in collided with a donkey and cart, it was horrific! Amazingly the truck remained on its wheels, but terrified all the passengers on board,it was pretty scary as everyone panicked and all tried to bail out at the same time! No one was hurt thankfully, although the poor donkey was, which was extremely sad. Since then i have been a little reluctant to travel, well at least by truck but its pretty much impossible to avoid it, unless I was up for walking, which is pretty much out of the question, unless I was a camel.
There was also a terrible bush fire not far away, four young boys got caught in it and lost their lives! Its really horrible and such a problem out here, especially now in the hot season. People are busy making fire breaks all the time, but when you have the winds coming of the Sahara the flames can jump so far and fire breaks seem to do little!
Oh dear I'm not painting such a rosy picture hey! And also probably freaking my mum out! ' Mum I'm fine, please don't worry!' I hope to put some more pictures on when I go back to the coast, which will defiantly paint a rosier picture! I guess it's hard for you to imagine where I am and the life I'm living, especially with my very poor writing skills! It is frustrating as I do wish I had a better ability to describe my environment and work in a way that would do it justice!
I'm almost melted now…… oh that reminds me has all the snow melted at home ?........
Arr….. snow, cold snow!
Thinking of you all as always,
Big love kate x
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