Pole!

25.2.09

One week since my arrival in Mwanza,and it has been hard in many respects. Adjusting to life here has been challenging, from the change in temperature, to the change in living quarters ;) (I still promise to post pictures of my quarters here at the BUgando Guest House). ADjusting to the food, the water, the showers, the traffic, the sounds of animals I've never heard before outside my window. Missing Steph and not being on a similar schedule with her, only getting a few minutes at most a day to talk to her... All of these things have taken some serious adjusting to.

But as I listen to the din of those living in the small tin shacks jsut yards from our facility, cheering in unison watching what must be a football match, I am reminded also of the people I have met here so far. As I've already stated, my co-residents are all amazing, having come from all corners of the US, some having paid the majority of the way themselves to be here and help these people. The program director here, and all he has given to be here, moving with his entire family to Africa 2 years ago just weeks after finishing residency in the US. The residents and interns here who, despite the lack of tests they can run, or imaging they can get, try so hard to find their way around it.

And finally, the medical students. They are the future here at BMC. As the first class graduates, it reminds me of how fortunate I am to be here to teach them. How eager they all are to review a new admission with us, or discuss a new finding on physical exam. Every afternoon we get the chance to lecture to them, and helping to guide them is our primary assignment here at Bugando Medical Center. We will be gone, but they will be here to teach their own medical students just a few years from now, and then onward to go practice in their communities. Spending time with them makes all of the negatives worth while. 28 days left to help.

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On an administrative note- As I am sure some of you are aware, my posting frequency has dropped off some. My intial goal was to find a decent internet connection here daily, and post while online. It has become apparent that this was rather unrealistic. How mzungu of me. (mzungu meaning foreigner, remember?) Fret not. I will continue to write. But they will be posted in bursts. So expect to see 2 or 3 days worth of posts at once sometimes. Also, to those who have emailed me, thank you so much for taking the time to do so. replies are forthcoming. I've installed some betaware with google gears that should let me compose replies while offline. Again, I only see myself being able to connect a few times a week, so please bear with me; they are coming!

And "Pole" means "Sorry!"