despite all the stres of exam restuls, i have finally arrived in colombo for the beginning of my medical elective! its only day 3, but already we have settled and have got the hang of the 'tuk tuks', or 3-wheeled taxis! roads safety is totally non- existant over here, and i reckon no one would even notice my appauling driving skills if i got beind the wheel- i would just blend in with the rest of the population who bribed the driving association for their licences!! aside from that, its nice here. the people are nice and the majority arent intimidating and look like they want to steal all our bags! the weather has apparently taken a 'turn for the worse'. this basically means the monsoon has ended early and every day has a clear blue sky! i'd say its taken a turn for the better myslef! food is amazing- if you like eating half a chilli plantation with each mouthful! theres a lot of indian/thai influence on the food, but it is very spicy- not sure if i sweat more after eating a plateful of chicken or from standing out in the sun for an hour! start at the hospital tomorrow- surgery and peads placements. should be interesting....if only i can get across the language barrier!