Happy 4th of July

Well, I can't hide it even in typing so I might as well say it. Today is the saddest day of my trip. I keep thinking of everyone at home, on this mostly likely warm and sunny Friday, getting off of work for a 3 day weekend, going downtown to watch the parade, grilling out and watching fireworks with friends and family. I love fireworks. I would kill for a real cheeseburger or a hot dog. Real ketchup and mustard. okay, that's enough.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

Fridays at the hospital are slow. Real slow. We aren't shadowing today, although morning announcements mentioned there would be a birth this morning up in the labor ward. We weren't invited and the Patron of the hospital locked himself in the secretary's office, he's too busy to assign us. So we're in the computer lab waiting for staff to come in to teach. No one has come in in 3 days. I think they're either getting frustrated of trying to type without looking or they don't see the value in what we have to teach. Tamara and I have started shadowing every morning for about 2 hours this week, but we're in the computer room from 11-3 every day with a half hour break for lunch at 1. It seems like plenty of time for staff to come in, especially since the hospital virtually closes down at 12 and only special cases are taken after that time. Its ok though, we get internet. Lately we've just been bringing books. We stole away with about 10 novels left behind at the GSC office in Arusha from previous volunteers. We're going to need to reload soon though.

Shadowing has been interesting. We've pretty much stuck to the ground level of the hospital, where the general clinic and the CTC (care and treatment clinic- for HIV positive people) are. Yesterday we shadowed orthopedics. Lots of patients with cysts and aches and pains. No surgeries yet. Next week Tamara and I are going to talk to the patron and see if we can work out a semi-concrete plan to shadow in the morning and have specific staff come in to train so we don't just sit around all day. I also hope we can move up to the second floor next week where the labor ward and operating theaters are. Next week Monday is a Farmer's holiday saba-saba (7-7) also nane-nane is a holida (8-8). It'll be nice to have a short week next week.

We're going to leave early after lunch today and go into Moshi this afternoon. It was one of the volunteer's birthday's yesterday. She lives in Marangu which is on the other side of Moshi from us (farther away from Arusha). We're going to have a Sally's brithday/our Nation's Birthday party... well, more like dinner and then getting back to Marangu before sunset at 7. All of the volunteers who are still in Arusha are coming out to Moshi this weekend for this. Tomorrow we're climbing a little way up Kilimanjaro to the waterfalls. It should be beautiful, but its so cold up here, I can't even think about getting into water. If you can imagine: Moshi is at the base of Kili and Marangu and Machame (where I live) are on either sides of Moshi but up the mountain. So I live part way up Kili and 2 of the others live part way up kili but about 2 hours away from Tamara and I. So not only is it winter in Tanzania right now, and the rainy season won't leave us alone, but we're part way up a mountain. I would give you a temp if I had ever seen a thermometer, but by my judgment, I'd say its about 55 in the mornings with rain and clouds and then it can warm up to about 70 in the afternoons when the clouds pass and the sun comes out. Needless to say, when I packed for Africa I didn't bring the right kind of clothes. My hands usually go numb at the hospital because its a partially outdoor hospital and the concrete keeps all the cold damp air in, and there's not enough time with the sun to heat up the place. I don't know how the patients deal with it through the night.

Happy Independence Day to you all. Eat lots and lots of food for me!