Week 2

We are still having a great time here. Will just add a few quick highlights/random comments:

- Audra went to a village up in mountains on Monday where she is helping w/ an group that finds specific needs (medical, educational, etc) and essentially helps to meet them. She said it was an amazing experience, the people had never seen a Muzungu (sp?), which means white person, in their little villages. She plans on frequenting many villages like this to provide assistance

- I acutally had an attending on my rounds twice this week and it was great. I am really learning so much it blows me away. Unfortunately, someone screwed up the intern's schedules so there is only one intern covering all of medicine (normally 4 for 4 services). B/c of this I am without an intern so it leads to an increased number of challenges. Still, I really enjoy it. One of these days I will post a blog just of great cases though this will likely bore most of you. When you come here you are supposed to meet with the head of the hospital before you start working but b/c he wasn't here they let me start anyway. Thursday after rounds I was doing a procedure on a patient and he, for some unclear reason, came on the wards and walked into the procedure room. It was quite funny b/c the next day I was in a meeting with a lot of people to meet him and he was so excited about me doing a silly procedure he made everyone clap for me. Then, I asked to be excused from the meeting (b/c it took 2.5 hours and I had not rounded yet) and in front of everyone talked about how there were a lot of liver abscesses here and the residents don't know how to drain them. He asked me to teach them. I then informed him I did not know how to do this (medicine residents do not do this in the states) but would read how to, do it, and then teach it. He was really excited. It was quite entertaining. 

- As many of you know, we love to host parties so we had about 25-30 people over and had a cookout. We played bocci w/ coconuts and a lemon but a dog came and bit one of the coconuts in half thus ending the game. It was so much fun and the most beautiful view of Kili to date (it is often cloudy, see below). Afterwards we projected a movie (Brewster's Millions) on a wall in our house. 

- Many of you probably think we are living in this very hot and sunny enviroment here, could not be farther from the truth. We have had light rain about 7 of our 19 days so far and most of them are cloudy. We are several months out of the rain season and this is quite unusual. It is also not that warm, it is the middle of winter here. That being said, it is the perfect temperature, highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s. It is slowly warming up by the day. 

- Because of our location in the world our days our quite short. Sun comes up b/n 6:30-7am and it is pitch-black by 7pm. B/c of this we are usually in bed by 9pm at the latest. 

- We have no TV. As hard as it is for many of us to imagine living life without one, it is so nice. Every night Audra and I spend time talking to each other, friends, or reading a book. We also play a lot of cards. If there is anything I have learned from this trip so far it is how important and great it is to live like this. 

- Audra's birthday is August 4th and I am taking her to Zanzibar for the weekend, we will be spending 4 days there. 

- We absolutely love the people here, they are so amazing. The woman are so hard-working, the carry everything on their head. Everyone is so friendly and they really love Americans (I was a bit suprised-most countries I have been to recently don't like us that much). I think a lot of this stems from the US giving a lot of money for HIV. 

- We eat really well here. There are a few places in town that make great pizza. Audra, as always, finds a way to make a great meal out of anything. Everywhere we turn there is fresh produce for dirt-cheap prices. There is a bread shop 10 minutes from where we live and every time I walk in there I get the biggest smile on my face because it smells so good. They have some of the best bread and pastries I have had anywhere in the world. 

- We attend this fantastic little chapel on the hospital campus here. The services are great and their worship music is amazing, anyone would enjoy it. Audra and I were trying to dance with some of them and I think we almost made them fall over laughing. Unfortunately, my dancing skills have not improved by changing continents. 

- Audra is getting some clothes made today. She bought 3 huge pieces of fabric for 10 dollars and there is a tailor coming to one of our friends houses to make all the girls dresses. My sister Michelle and Paul, her husband, are having a baby in a few months so we are going to see if they can make her some baby outfits from the material. 

Sorry for all the tangential thoughts. We will keep you posted. We are running our second Hash this afternoon. We miss you all and love most of you (sorry don't know who all is reading this blog). 

Cheers, 

Chris and Audra