tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89822322069397039292024-03-05T02:09:17.010-08:00Medical Service in Sydney and the Solomon IslandsI am so grateful to receive a Father Philip A. Smith Fellowship for service abroad for this summer of 2012 courtesy of the Office of Mission and Ministry at Providence College. I will be traveling to Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Sydney, Australia, and the Solomon Islands for approximately 7 weeks to immerse myself in international healthcare and serve those in need. I will be posting on this blog (whenever I have access to internet!) and look forward to keeping everyone updated!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-31440531415677230452012-08-23T05:01:00.003-07:002012-08-23T05:01:58.099-07:00Not an End, But a Beginning
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, it is easy to say that this was the longest day of my
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left Australia at 1:40 PM on
August 21<sup>st</sup> to arrive in New York at 9:30 PM August 21<sup>st</sup>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t believe that this journey has come to
an end, but I like to think of it as more of a beginning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I left off describing my time in Honiara before departing
for the plane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thursday morning brought
early mass again with the sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare
and I headed home to pack out bags reluctantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Rosa suggested that we visit the
Guadalcanal memorial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After hopping in
the car with Emmanuel, about 30 minutes later we arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the top of a huge cliff was the memorial,
including many stonewalls engraved with battle descriptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a guest book to sign in and I saw
that so many visitors were there that week, including some from California,
Norway, and Singapore!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scene was
truly humbling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few more stops,
we headed home to make a guest appearance in the sisters’ English lesson taught
by Laurel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sisters asked us
questions in English about our family, hobbies, and studies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some good laughs and a farewell lunch,
Sister Mary, Saniella, Maria, and Rosa gave Clare and I each a T-shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mine is red with “Solomon Islands 2012”
printed on the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were tearing
up as we were saying goodbye and I was heartbroken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seriously didn’t want to leave this
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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We made it to the airport and saw Sister Catie right away
with Jennifer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They waited for Clare and
I to check in and we said our goodbyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt upset to leave but I was also excited for the fact that I would
get to see my family so soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was
pretty much the only motivating factor pushing me up the stairs to the plane.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Christine and Rick Vosila picked Clare and I up from the airport
and we tried to recount as much as we could of our trip in the short car ride
home from the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t
believe I would have to try to explain my experience now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so happy to see the Bells and we stayed
up late sharing pictures and stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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On Friday morning, I woke up so early due to my usual 5:30
AM mass schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was certainly ready
by the time it was my 11 AM meeting with Sister Rose Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I met with the leadership team at
Santa Sabina over coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the
meeting, Sister Rose Mary, Clare, and myself headed into Sydney to see St.
Vincent’s hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This hospital is
affiliated with the Solomon Islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have a program where each year they take 15 or so patients with a
treatable condition and offer them care and stay at the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about the program with the nurses
there and also met a man from the Solomon’s on dialysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately he was too sick to return and
they are trying to grant him refugee status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We also heard the story of a young girl from Papua New Guinea who stayed
courtesy of a doctor who found her there with a melanoma the size of a
grapefruit on her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She received
surgery and chemo that cured her completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her case was truly a miracle and she is now home in PNG with a child of
her own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After we retuned, Clare and I headed out to a restaurant
with Marcella, Rachel, and 3 of their friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I enjoyed a salmon meal whole-heartedly but felt a little out of place
in a room crowded with people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next
morning, Sue, Marcella, Bernie, and myself grabbed a bite to eat at the café.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bernie was heading to “The Shire” for a
birthday party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is essentially like
“The Hills” and is one of the nicest areas I have ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove her down and got a tour of an
amazing mansion right on the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
seemed extra large to me especially coming from the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sue, Marcella, and I decided to walk around
Cronulla, which is a downtown right near the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had some coffee and lunch and headed home
because Marcella and I needed to attend a 21<sup>st</sup> birthday party that
evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Marcella and Sue dressed me in a fancy outfit and we headed
off to the party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The birthday girl was
a family friend of the Vosila’s so Clare and Rachel would be there as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Australia, 21<sup>st</sup>
birthdays are like sweet sixteens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
greeted at the door with a drink by a waitress and offered samples of French
cuisine throughout the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a
great time on the glass dance floor over the swimming pool and headed out with
Marcella and her friends after a few hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I was exhausted on Sunday morning but woke up for mass and
got ready for a barbeque at Anne Gibbon’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The event was a celebration for all the work
put in to make the fellowship happen and a thank you to the homestay families
for being such great hosts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received a
beautiful aboriginal art cross from Sister Rose Mary, Anne, and Jane
Sulis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That night I also participated in
“Night Patrol” which is a program run by St. Vincent de Paul charity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day a truck goes to various places
around Sydney to hand out sandwiches and snacks to the homeless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Sundays Santa Sabina girls participate so
we joined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was humbling to see the
many homeless and also quite sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
group of 15-year-old kids who came for food particularly upset me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great program nonetheless.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On Monday morning, Clare and I had our final debrief with
Sister Rose Mary about suggestions/ideas for next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a wonderful discussion and recounted
many parts of our trip that were incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t think the fellowship needs many changes, especially with Sister
Rose Mary in charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has put in
endless hours of organization and planning, trying her best to work with
Solomon time and schedules!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a
remarkable woman and I am so grateful for her work that made this the best
experience of my entire life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I headed over to the convent where Sue Bell works as a
nurse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I shared our pictures
and stories with the sisters, many whom have met some of the Solomon
sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I headed home to pack after
that, because the Bells wanted to take me out for my last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told them not to make it an extravagant
outing, but of course it was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stephen,
Sue, Marcella, Bernie, and I drove to Sydney and had a drink at an upscale bar
based on the 1920’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The inside was
amazing and our waitresses were flappers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We then went to a remarkable French restaurant named Felix where Mr.
Bell was friends with the chef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
interior was beautifully decorated and so fancy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried oysters for the first time and enjoyed
my meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am seriously going to miss
the Bells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laughed so much over our
time together and it is safe to say I was treated like a queen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I departed for the airport the next
morning, Marcella, Bernie, and I said our goodbyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said a “see you soon” to Sue because she is
coming to my house in two weeks while she is in NYC!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stephen carried my suitcases to the Vosila’s
car and I was officially off to the airport.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The flight was long as expected, but I caught up on some
movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I were getting so
anxious as we approached New York after the 6-hour flight from LA!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made a friend sitting next to us and
probably overwhelmed him as we explained our trip and showed him pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we were a little overexcited!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After landing, I ran to baggage claim where
my family was waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so happy to
finally see them and we hugged for 10 minutes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Collin and Dad carried my bags as I started talking a mile a minute to
my mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met Clare’s family and said
our goodbyes. We will be seeing each other at PC in a week! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
On the way home as I looked out the window and caught up
with my family, I felt a sense of peace and happiness that I had never
experienced before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not devastated
to leave the Solomon Islands, but so grateful to have been able to experience
my time there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t feel like my
journey has come to an end at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part
of this mission is relaying the story to family and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that I will not lose touch with all
those I have met in Sydney and the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The sisters have truly helped me more than I have helped their country,
and I cannot believe how much I have learned in 7 weeks time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From hiking mountains, scuba diving, and
performing surgeries, it is safe to say that my dreams have come true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each day was a challenge, yet also an
opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not forget the
sisters who made me double over laughing or the children in the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But most importantly, I will not forget the
feeling of tranquility that surrounded me each day on the Islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how I will now live my life, and how
I will perpetually preach the Solomon gospel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you to all who have made this journey possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you to Father Robb and the Smith
Fellowship Selection Committee and the generous donors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you to my friends who have supported me
since the day I found out about my trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And thank you to my family who has been my anchor through the ups and
downs of this journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you have
enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have loved writing it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-28809742294737082192012-08-16T07:14:00.002-07:002012-09-18T18:02:02.723-07:00Lukim iu behind! (pidgin "see you soon")<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday, August 11, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another weekend at Fanualama, and I knew it was going to be
incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I woke up, I couldn’t
believe it was my last Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop
was leaving today so we had to say our goodbyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First he took us to the market like usual
where we stocked up on vegetables, taro, peppers, cucumber, breadfruit,
cabbage, and of course… 3 pineapples!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
carried our groceries through the market with the sisters and it was lucky we
had extra helping hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I decided
to walk to get Internet access, so the sisters took our groceries home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After checking some emails quick, we walked
to the Cathedral where the Aligegeo students were having practice for liturgy
tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We listened to their singing
and it was fun to recognize a majority of them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their voices are beautiful and I want to take videos of them singing
tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked home after practice
with Sister Loretta and prepared some lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She decided to make the taro, which is actually potato and coconut mixed
in a bamboo stalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I thought I
was eating bamboo, but I realized after that they just package it in
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister heated the bamboo stalk on
the stove, broke it open, and peeled the potato out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was delicious!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Richard unfortunately was still not feeling well, but he
refused to back out on his promise to take Clare and I to see his village, Lilisiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I felt bad he was sick, I wanted
to see where he lived so badly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
hopped in Bishop’s truck with Patrick, Agatha, and sister’s 2 nieces Wendy and Gladys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bid Bishop goodbye at the wharf and then
set off on our journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard kept
apologizing for his English but I could understand him just fine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and Patrick took us down a long sandy road
right along the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Families were
posted up under their houses on stilts doing laundry by the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard showed me his primary school, and I
could not believe how small it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
knew everyone we passed, showing me how close the villages are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were all his “wontaks.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never witnessed a more beautiful place
in my entire life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lilisiana is known
for their houses on stilts coming out of the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people ran out of land to build on, so
they created artificial island villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The people are also known for making shell money and all of the jewelry is
for sale all over Solomon’s, especially in Honiara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We winded down this path and I just gazed at hut after
hut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way they were built so
intricately seriously blew my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was in a trance until I literally almost ran into a wild pig!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was HUGE and was bathing in the mud. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little piglets followed behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard decided to take us to his home, and
on the way we met Phillip, the main singer in church, and George, one of the
altar boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their huts were so tiny and
had many family members living inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We kept walking as the little children ran around unclothed staring at
us and decided whether or not to wave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was so lucky to be with Richard and Patrick so Clare and I didn’t
seem like tourists (well, we were as close to locals as we could get).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived the church where Father Moses says
mass and Richard’s house was just to the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I met his many many family members, including sisters, older brothers,
nieces, nephews, uncles, and his mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their hut was probably the size of a triple dorm room at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was so happy, and his brother Gabby
(the soccer player) even rode into the backyard on a canoe for good
measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a moment to realize that
I was sitting on a wooden bench outside of my Solomon Island friend’s woven grass
hut in his village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was out of this
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing Lilisiana in all its
beauty despite the impoverished people was a remarkable sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no feeling of despair among these
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Richard led us down another road along the beach to reach a
freshwater lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked and talked
for a long way, and I asked Richard to do an impression of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said in an exaggerated girl voice, “WOW,
COOL!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t stop laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mimicked him as speaking a mile a minute in
pidgin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also joked how he couldn’t
flare his nostrils or say the color purple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He pronounced it “poypull.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Richard was not acting shy today at all and was actually leading a song and
dancing once we reached the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
water did not look too pleasant or clean, so I held back for a second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially after I saw 20+ little boys
swimming!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard danced his way into
the water and the boys loved him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare
joined, but I decided to just enjoy the view with Agatha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, it looked like it was about to be
torrential so I helped Patrick wrap all of our “baskets” (bags) in palm
leaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the rain came it felt
wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys and Clare were
making water lily necklaces in the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked Richard if Lilisiana was named after the water “lillisianas” but
he didn’t laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it was pretty
funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare cracked up so I felt
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We noted how humor is not
universal!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to get close to the
water to peer in and then I remembered something I had read about the Solomon
Islands in a travel book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Beware of any
fresh water and do not swim: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>crocodiles
and snakes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know how I
remembered that; it must have been my dad telepathically warning me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I jumped out of the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked Agatha out of curiosity if any
crocodiles were seen at the lake and she said oh yes all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wanted to tell Clare to get out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the
little boys were making this strange yipping sound and she said it was because
crocodiles swim away when they hear dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, wonderful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare said by the
time she realized she was in danger they could have used her water lily
necklace for her funeral so she just stayed in the water. Luckily everyone was
fine and we began our journey back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was having the best time and enjoying the sun once it came out again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard and Agatha headed back toward the
market while the rest of us headed back to Fanualama.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After evening prayer and a wonderful family dinner prepared
by Ben, Clare, Sister, and I went to Aligegeo to watch talent night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really wanted to watch but I was going to
be so angry if they made me dance again!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luckily, they didn’t but there was some other action that took
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as I was getting very sleepy
at the end of the show, Sister had the man in charge put on dancing songs to
let the kids have fun for a few more minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boys, including Patrick, grabbed Clare and I and we danced for a
song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t bad at all, just really
funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat back down as they played
one more song before announcing the winners when all hell broke loose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the teachers, Lucy, who is Sister
Loretta’s niece, was judging and sitting behind the speaker with her small
daughter Cathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of a sudden, I saw
speakers fly and people start to fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lucy was hit with one of the speakers and was bleeding from her
mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought the fight would die as
Sister yelled at the boys to calm down, but nothing stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw that everyone was getting angrier and I
was worried about Sister getting hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>None of the male teachers were doing anything to stop the fighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to check on Lucy and as soon as blood
dripped from her mouth, one of the boys screamed that he saw blood and ran
outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was not going to get sick,
he was going to get a weapon because he was related to Lucy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was essentially his blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got so nervous and realized that this was
an entire different culture and I had no idea how to handle myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After seeing Lucy was all right, I just tried
to keep still on the bench not drawing attention to myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, Patrick grabbed Clare, Sister, Lucy,
and me and led us out the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pushed
through all the boys and made sure we didn’t get hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea who had a weapon and who didn’t
so I just stared straight ahead with my flashlight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were taking Lucy back to Sister’s so I
could clean her mouth and see how badly she was hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare was carrying her daughter and holding
hands with the others as the boys led us back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of a sudden the boy that ran out to get a weapon appeared in the
path with, yes, a machete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart
leaped and I stepped to the side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
saying how he was going in to get the boys that hurt Lucy but Sister grabbed
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and Patrick held him down and
led him back to the house with all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t believe how she was dealing with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself standing next to machete man
as we were walking and I quickly stepped behind him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea what was going on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Luckily, by the time we reached the house, some boys and
Lucy had explained the story to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two
brothers who are from North Malaita started the fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are also the brothers of one of the male
teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were angry because their
brother that is the teacher did not want to have dancing events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In their North Malaitan culture/religion,
dancing is not accepted. Deputy and Sister overruled the teacher because they
argued it was a nondenominational school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The student brothers planned to wreck the equipment so no other dances
could be held and to defend their brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Lucy got involved, the boys that are Sister and Lucy’s relatives
were just defending their own blood, literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lucy is from South Malaita, married to a North Malaitan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has blood relatives in the South and
in-laws in the North.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The south and
north have tension from time to time, but because Lucy is blood-related to the
South, they decided to fight for their side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>South Malaitans also retaliate without any delay where other cultures
may wait some time to seek revenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
we made it home, I checked out Lucy’s mouth and luckily all her teeth were
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a massive welt on the side
of her jaw and cheek and a bruise on her shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t think her jaw was out of place so I
just wanted to put ice on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, did
you know that ice does not exist in the Solomon’s?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I literally took a frozen chicken out of the
freezer, wrapped it, and placed it on her for 30 minutes while Sister Loretta
gave lectures to the boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also gave
her some Advil because she does not have a refrigerator or anything cold at
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My practical Kilu’ufi experience
was put to use tonight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One way or another, the 15 boys outside were all Lucy and
Sister’s family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the boys went
to the brothers who started the fight and received 100 dollars from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently compensation is needed when
something like this happens so the fighting stops for the time being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow, the villages and larger families
will be made aware and Lucy will then receive more adequate compensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No police involvement, just family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s funny because the whole time I’ve been
here I knew Sister was Malaitan, but she seemed so similar to me that I totally
disregarded her following tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She knew the 100 dollars was needed and also knew that she could calm
down a man with a machete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a woman.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I’m going to try to sleep after this one, and hope the
Aligegeo students are safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
thankful nothing more serious happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is safe to say I had a first hand experience of Solomon culture
today:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>villages, crocodile lakes, and
talent night brawls.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday, August 12, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I awoke this morning to Sister Loretta sitting at the
kitchen table with tea saying, “Pineapple is waiting for some people!” in her
high-pitched, hysterical voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told
them I had a horrible dream about a fight and a talent night and they replied
they had the same dream too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shared
stories and breakfast while clearing up some of the details I didn’t understand
from the previous night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was our last
Sunday mass, so we got ready and headed off to the Cathedral early with the
Aligegeo students.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mass was beautifully said. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hymns the students sang were amazing as
well as their offertory processions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
love that their culture is still alive through the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two are intimately linked, responsible
for preserving this tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Father
Moses said mass, and at the end, Ben Ivy invited Clare and me to the
altar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simon and Phillip presented us
with two wooden crosses with engraved mother of
pearl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe the
appreciation from the community, truly confirming the fact that I do not want
to leave.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After talking to the students for some time, we walked back
to Fanualama to change for our trip to Buma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Buma is a Catholic settlement area where there are DMI (Daughter of Mary
Immaculate Sisters) and also Sisters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de
Gaulle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sisters, Clare, Agatha, and I
squeezed in the seat of Bishop’s truck as Father Moses escorted us. I heard it
was a long ride, but I was prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Actually, just kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
immediately started feeling sick due to the bumps and puddles and potholes left
and right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were driving up and down
instead of going forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was bouncing
and eventually had to close my eyes and lay on Sister Matilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally reached the village about an hour
later and met all the sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also
met 2 Father Lawrences, one the son of Immaculate from the women’s group and
one who has traveled to Providence!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before I could finish shaking hands, a 2-year-old boy Pius (pronounced
Pee-yo) ran up to Clare and I growling and speaking an unknown tongue (not
pidgin).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone hysterically
laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pius is full of energy and
refuses to wear any clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to
take pictures of the beach scenery and the chapel but if you look closely you
can probably spot him in the corner in every single photo from today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we walked in the church he ran on the
altar and handed me a baby Jesus sculpture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sister Loretta had to sit down she was laughing too hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were sitting in Father Lawrence’s
hut, Pius was so wound up and I noticed he started chewing 3 separate
betelnuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially, this means Clare
and I played with a 2-year-old who was high the entire day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many children do it and become addicted, but
it is similar to tobacco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the
Solomon culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a cappuccino
with the Sisters of Charity from Croatia and I learned they were all
nurses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They took me on a tour of their
clinic and talked about their baby delivering experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were leaving they gave Clare, the
Sisters, and me rosary beads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Father
Moses blessed them on the way home while I held the wheel.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We invited Christina over for dinner tonight, so Sister
cooked breadfruit (like chips) and Clare and I took care of the eggplant,
peppers, and pineapple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christina will
be 20 on Tuesday so it was a birthday/friend celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed our food as I ended up telling
everyone about the “My Strange Addiction” TV show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister just stared at me when I told her some
people eat grass or chalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t
stop laughing at her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I
had some gifts for Christina and walked her halfway back to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I decided to show the Sisters all
of our pictures from the trip and of our families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up taking Photo Booth pictures and I
have never laughed so hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were so
out of breath from laughing but continued once I played a video I took of
everyone singing one of the liturgy songs in the truck on the way back from
Buma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is such an amazing communion
song and has such a catchy tune that I keep singing it everywhere I go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s in Father Moses and Sister’s home
language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have officially laughed
myself to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until tomorrow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tuesday, August 14, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have arrived in Honiara safe and sound, thankfully!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After hearing so many horror stories since I
have been here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>engine failures, breakdowns,
and lost at sea excursions, I definitely hesitated to step on the boat
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll recount the events of my
last day in Auki first.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I woke up and had a pit in my stomach, not sure whether it
was due to sadness of the last day or not feeling well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also Collin’s birthday!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy birthday you 18-year-old!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Father Moses said mass and I went back to the
house to prepare for my last day at Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wanted to go meet the students in Clare’s classes, so I headed to
Aligegeo with Sister Loretta and her at 8 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a morning assembly, and I was interested to hear if Saturday
night’s events were discussed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucy, the
victim, was not at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The principal
reprimanded all of the students in the dining hall, followed by the deputy
principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is so tough, I felt like
I was getting yelled at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After her stern
warning to the students, she called Clare and myself to the front to thank us
for our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so embarrassed to go
up, after all, I was working at Kilu’ufi for the majority of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They thanked Clare for all her hard work with
the speech contest and teaching, and thanked me for my participation in “school
activities” aka DANCING!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire room
erupted in laughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare made a short
speech and when we were walking through the hall to exit, I did a few exit
moves out the door for good measure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I accompanied Clare to her two morning classes where we did
a word scramble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the letters
they were unscrambling were from their vocab and also words such as America,
University, soccer, Clare, and Cayla!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clare gave out cookies as prizes, which the kids loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We answered their many questions about family,
sports, and our studies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwoK7wMXYXjSsezi68c60aKVBbw9Jg3vBPXriSIzvSguJiK05xd5fp7ctIW1TqI3aojLwYNjMsf4LyynQj_YMbsDsYx-nW8Fbg7dQpzzT97o4i8sbNQla59SfDeF2I1j9KJ8nj84fkpvD/s1600/DSCN1782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwoK7wMXYXjSsezi68c60aKVBbw9Jg3vBPXriSIzvSguJiK05xd5fp7ctIW1TqI3aojLwYNjMsf4LyynQj_YMbsDsYx-nW8Fbg7dQpzzT97o4i8sbNQla59SfDeF2I1j9KJ8nj84fkpvD/s320/DSCN1782.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baseball hat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I headed off to Kilu’ufi after, just in time to start ward
rounds in children’s side with Dr. Solomon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bishop Chris had given me some World Series baseball hats to give out,
and I’ve never seen such appreciative smiles from the little boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were two children in horrible
shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One small baby was partially
comatose with an intense fever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
younger girl was actually in a coma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
asked her uncle what her condition was, and he replied malaria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I questioned Dr. Solomon about the
malaria, she told me that her blood test was negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was most likely suffering from meningitis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked why her uncle had given me the wrong
information, and she said that he refuses to believe it was a condition that he
could have prevented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a bit
confused, but Dr. Solomon explained that the girl previously had rubella, from
which she suffered a severe fever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
parents did not take her to a clinic to help to reduce the fever in
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when she was finally given an
injection for rubella, it was too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She went home and as she was playing with her friends, she collapsed
with convulsions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is still having
seizures, so that is why her family believes she has cerebral malaria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although it hardly ever happens in the US,
when a child has a high fever that is not reduced by aspirin, brain damage can
occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She suffered the consequences of
meningitis, for which her parents were responsible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blaming it on malaria gives them peace of
mind and an answer, because they cannot adequately test to prove it is
meningitis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I glanced back over at the
family and felt sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were crowding
around her with wet washcloths, trying to help a little too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon said that she would be fine, but
the family wants to take her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
told her that the illness was untreatable and beyond her control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They knew she was going to die, so they
wanted her to pass away at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr.
Solomon almost laughed when she told me the story because of their
ignorance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She even said the family
wouldn’t care if she died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They admitted
to her it was meant to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor
child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon convinced them to
stay (the hospital is free after all…).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know the children’s ward is never “happy” but I was looking forward to
moving on to the rest of my day.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once we reached the maternity ward, Dr. Solomon and I sat
and discussed how we would keep in touch in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would really like my assistance with her
VAW (Violence Against Women) organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If she were to build a shelter, she wouldn’t have to get it approved by
the government, she would just have to buy the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knows that the ministry of health would
approve it even if the government does not see the benefit of having a place
like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agreed to brainstorm with
her and try to find some contacts for her in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is such a strong woman, I do not have any
doubts that her dream will come true, and I would be honored to be a part of
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also wanted me to look into
having a team of psychologists or counselors to come train nurses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The future is looking bright for the women of
the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nurse Cathy was on the office, so she joined in our
conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason, we got on
the topic of relationships in the Solomon’s, and I asked many questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it is so common for men to have other
wives, I asked if the majority of men cheat on their spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both replied that probably most men have
other women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to flat out
ask if their husbands had other women, so I just said that both of them seemed
happy and had a good relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
hesitated and Dr. Solomon said that she would not be frightened to leave her
husband if he was with another woman because she knows the right people to
approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said the problem is that
many women feel they are trapped because of culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked why women wouldn’t leave if they were
upset?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They answered that most women
expect their husbands to have other wives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If they decided to get a divorce, the children go with the husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was outraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cathy said that even if the mother has a
newborn, finds out her husband is seeing other people, and wants to leave, she
is obligated to stay because of her child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once separated, mothers can never see their children again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon said once again that because she
knows the right people, she would be able to regain custody of her
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She really just wants to
educate women that they do have a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For instance, there is a bill being passed called “Family Protection”
enabling women to still see their children after a separation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if you live in the bush, a mother
would never even know this bill was being passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just another form of abuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I commended both women on their strength and
asked if other women were just as strong; that they would hold in their
feelings despite being cheated on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
said that most times the women are strong, but often they become
depressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she has had women
cry to her in the labor ward about how a child is not their husband’s, her
husband abuses her, and she didn’t want any more babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also has witnessed mothers trying to run
across the road to kill themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Solomon’s used to be called “The Happy Isles” but since this abuse is
prolonging, it is not a happy place for many people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could barely believe what I was hearing and
stayed quiet for a couple of minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
phone rang and Cathy went to answer it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She called for me and said that I was wanted at Aligegeo for a
“function.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, no!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means I was leaving Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t even stomach the thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said my goodbyes and see you soons, and
tried not to shed a tear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon is
looking forward to our project, as am I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After popping my head into the Operating Theater to say buy
to Dr. Joe, Jason, and the nurses performing a lower leg amputation, I hopped
on the bus to Aligegeo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I arrived,
I was escorted to the Home-Ec classroom where all the staff was there along
with Sister and Clare!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
pineapple, cucumber, and biscuits as a thank you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the teachers made a speech thanking
Clare for her help, and one teacher even referred to me as “the other
one.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although my time at Aligegeo was
short, I was honored when they presented me with a hand woven basket and a set
of shell jewelry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the party, we returned to the house where I told Clare
and Sister that one of the nurses had told me our ship for tomorrow was
broken!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said they had heard the
same thing and went to town to refund our previous round-trip ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow we would leave on another boat at 9
AM, but I was a little nervous about this schedule, engine problems, and
Solomon time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, it was my last
night, so Clare and I sat outside with Agatha and Patrick for the rest of the
afternoon while he taught us pidgin on a IPad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were laughing so hard at my pronunciations and my statements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Loretta was lying in a hammock rocking
back and forth and we were yelling funny phrases in pidgin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am seriously going to miss her!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could sit and watch her facial expressions
and be entertained for hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Richard started calling me from the priest house near
Bishop’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked up the stairs trying
to find him and found him drawing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
and George come to study in the priest house after school because their homes
in Lilisiana are not great for concentrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Richard was finishing his drawing for me and I was so excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He signed it and I cannot wait to frame
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also drew another one because
Clare had mentioned possibly turning his drawing into a fabric for Serengetee
T-shirts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard would make money for
his school fees and the money raised could be donated to Kilu’ufi for medical
supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am excited for him and also
so sad to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was walking back
he said, “I am sorry that you are leaving.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My heart broke!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed to cheer up and our final celebration dinner was
just the cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare, Sisters, Agatha
and I enjoyed a cassava pudding, vegetables, chicken, and fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laughed the entire dinner and said that we
were going to stay up the rest of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After cleaning up, Sister Loretta and Matilda gave Clare and me a
present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We received a necklace,
bracelet, and earrings each with a Pacific Arts Festival banner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shell jewelry was beautiful and I was
seriously honored that they would do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The presents didn’t stop there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Agatha presented us each with a lava lava with the map of the Solomon
Islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was too cute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also gave us each a necklace Are-Are her
home village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shells used for my
long necklace with a shell dolphin are native to her land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt so blessed and couldn’t believe that
the Sisters ended the gift giving by handing us each a wrapped present for our
moms!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told them that this was the best
Collin’s birthday I ever had!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
blasting island music, playing a round of cards, and Agatha braiding our hair,
I was starting to fall asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the
time I finished packing it was near 12:30-1 AM and I never wanted the night to
end.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I awoke on Tuesday, I realized it was still my brother’s
birthday… what a long day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Father Moses
was called out to say a mass for an opening kindergarten so Sisters led the
rosary instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After, everyone shook
hands with us and I said goodbye to Richard, Simon, George, Gabby, Christina,
Veronica, and everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben was going to
drive us to the wharf with his nephew who is going back to medical school in
Cuba.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We luckily found a boat that was
not loading yet and we were able to buy tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was smaller so we heard the ride would
take 6 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started worrying and one
of the Marist priests who is friends with the sisters started making fun of
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name was Father Julio and he is
hysterical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was going to be sitting
with us on the boat and I told him he better start praying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He started walking to go get me a beer and I
stopped him!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think that would
make me feel better at 7 in the morning… We sat outside with everyone for an
hour before loading the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister
Loretta stocked us up with biscuits and cucumber to take on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right before we were getting on the ship,
Liborio came with our paintings!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had
wanted to paint something for us but we couldn’t get in touch with him before
we left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had asked for Fanualama chapel
and Clare wanted Mary and Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
paintings are absolutely breathtaking and so colorful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Libo is so talented and I will never forget
how he made those crutches in one afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was happy to swallow my seasickness medicine but still felt sick
saying goodbye to Sister Loretta, Agatha, and Sister Matilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They sat with us until they were kicked off
the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We joked around and tried not
to be emotional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seriously plan on
seeing them again so I had to keep a smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Agatha handed Clare and I each another gift for our mothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These women have gone above and beyond.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After falling asleep in the tiny seating area few times,
Clare, Ben, his nephew, Father Julio, and I finally arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so delirious the whole time I vaguely
remember discussing Immanuel Kant’s philosophy with Father Julio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so happy to stand up but wobbled over going
down the stairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t worry! The
medical student caught me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I jumped off the ship (I’m getting more
coordinated) and said my final goodbyes to Ben.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is such a hard worker and great man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I saw two sisters in blue so Clare and I walked through the gates to
meet them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their names were Sister Maria
and Mary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their driver drove us to
Rosiena, their home in Honiara right near the central market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I totally forgot how crowded this city is
compared to Auki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we arrived I was
completely shocked at the interior of their home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wooden floors, a huge kitchen, counters, 3
sofas, a TV, and fans everywhere!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
room is huge and equipped with a fan!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’re living in luxury right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After checking some email (they have internet), I took a shower WITH
WATER PRESSURE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I totally forgot what
that felt like!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also have hot
water, not that you even want it. After a wonderful dinner of pumpkin and
cucumber, I missed Sister Loretta’s laugh and Sister Matilda’s sarcastic
whispers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, the 4 sisters
here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Mary, Maria, Rosa, and
Saniela are just as welcoming, and I know when Thursday comes I will not want
to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watched Olympic highlights
before heading off to bed. Being here makes me miss Auki, despite its few luxuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss the small kitchen, the outside
bathroom, and the chapel outside my window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday, August 15, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I couldn’t believe Clare was making sure I was awake at 5:30
AM!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sisters were all ready to go in
the car with their driver, Emmanuel, and we headed off to Kukum parish in the
dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We opened the outside church and
sat in the dark until the priest arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The view from the back window showed the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By now, I know almost every song we sing for
prayer, and afterward Sister Maria thanked me for singing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her that was the first time anyone had
ever thanked me for carrying a tune and she laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think having a beautiful singing voice is a
trait carried by most Solomon Islanders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 7:30 we were back, and enjoying breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sisters told us that Sister Vero was
coming to see us in the afternoon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
Sister Rosa wanted to take us to Tenaru in the morning to visit Sister Catie
and Sister Stephany!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I excitedly hopped
in the car as we drove 15 minutes down the road to St. Joseph’s at Tenaru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sight brought back so many memories, like
crazy Sister Catie’s laugh and parrot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
spotted her bright pink lap lap from the clinic and watched as she ran towards
our car and left all of her patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was already hysterically laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
couldn’t believe I was back where I started and how close I feel to the
sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed catching up as well
as a nice meal with Sister Stephany and Rosa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sister Stephany actually had malaria so she wasn’t feeling too
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also saw our friend Jennifer
who was just finished taking her trial exam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even as Clare and I move on and travel, the sisters continue their hard
work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After arriving back at Rosiena, the sisters were finishing
up with their English lesson from Laurel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is a volunteer traveling from New Zealand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Mary and Saniela wanted to take us
into town to do some last minute shopping!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We also had to prepare for a dinner celebration tonight at the other
sisters; house down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the
Assumption therefore Sister Matrina’s feast day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sisters took us to an unbelievable wooden
carving store where Clare and I were impressed by the Ngzoo-Ngzoo figures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are warheads and symbolic of Solomon
tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many other sculptures
of canoes and faces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed to
Central Market and I felt familiar with the area! I couldn’t believe how much
more crowded and dirty it was compared to Auki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Honiara is like the NYC of Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are people from every province selling their goods, so the market
is 3x as big as Auki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pineapples and
fruit were everywhere!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We splurged on a
few fruits and various items before treating the sisters to ice cream!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got vanilla with ngali nuts which was
delicious (they ran out of coconut).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
heat was unbearable and I was excited to go back to the house.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clare and I popped in the Insanity work out and Sister
Saniela joined us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a great
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to top it off, as I was
“swimming” (showering) I heard a familiar and beautiful sound:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Veronica’s laugh!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sprinted downstairs and found her sitting
with the sisters!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so excited and
she just laughed and laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said
the mountain was still waiting for me (Mount Chiromagati, the one where I
almost cried climbing to the peak) and started the teasing already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cut up pineapple and mango as we shared
stories about Sister Loretta and Matilda from Auki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Veronica and I also told the sisters
how I thought she was jumping on the roof when the earthquake hit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also told the story of how I fell down the
mountain and laid in Cindrella’s yard screaming, “Where do I live?!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe that was only 3 weeks
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like Sister Veronica is my
aunt or sister and we have been apart for so long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to leave her again; she is an
incredible and strong woman.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After prayer together, we walked to Panatina Ridge, the
other sisters’ house, for our celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We shared laughter and so much food for Sister Matrina’s feast day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were even presented with a cake and 2
straw hats!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as I am really getting
comfortable, it is time to leave.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After getting home around 9:30 PM, Clare and I showed Sister
Vero all the videos and pictures of Auki, including Sister Loretta’s infamous
nostril flare film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
uncontrollably laughing once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sister Vero and Sister Loretta are best friends and now I can see
why!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of their laughs can light up
an entire room, maybe village!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we
headed to bed, Sister Vero gave Clare and I each a bracelet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she will miss us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, I have been treated so special in
the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people give, give,
and give more, and it is time that they are given some gifts themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-482948554173665782012-08-10T14:49:00.001-07:002012-09-18T18:16:47.737-07:00The Final Stitch<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tuesday, August 7, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the first time I was completely exhausted this morning
when I woke up to my alarm in the pitch black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I managed to get out of bed and woke up quickly after mass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Loretta was having her toe operated on
today, so I had someone to walk with to Kilu’ufi!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed our walk, but I could tell she was
so nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited outside the
operating theater with her as we saw Dr. Jason and Dr. Joe getting ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spoke with a woman outside of the theater
who shook my hand and thanked me for “yesterday.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then I realized that this was the woman’s
mother that had the C-section!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was so grateful and said she was worried the entire
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the credit goes to Dr.
Solomon and the team because they are truly amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because Sister’s operation was so quick, they
took her in on time actually!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I scrubbed
up but decided it would be best to hold her hand instead of cut her toenail
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do still want a place to sleep at
the end of the day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Joe was laughing
when I refused to do the cut but he was also nervous because he is part of Auki
Parish!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some numbing and a few
quick cuts, Sister was all done, but she was in pain! I felt horrible but she
took the bus home and I instructed her to rest for the remainder of the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After Sister, we saw a young boy with a fractured wrist and
also a prisoner with fluid in his knee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The nurses took care of both procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was a little nervous to see a prisoner even with the guards
in the room, considering he was arrested for assault/manslaughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason said he was ready with sedatives
and I hoped he was joking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Dr.
Solomon came in, she told me she saw Alick this morning getting on the boat to
go home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wished him well and gave
him money to buy snacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly saw the
light in her eyes when recounted the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I held down the fort in the Operating Theater while Dr. Solomon took care of a woman in septic shock in the maternity ward. </span><br />
<br />
Dr. Solomon
came back and reported that the hospital ran out of “Panadol” or Tylenol, to
give the mother in septic shock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
sweating with a fever and infection and the hospital could not help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon said she had to go to outpatient
and ask the people outside if they had any extra tablets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, she gathered five from various
people and was able to give them to the mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could not believe that this happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Could you imagine a hospital running out of Advil?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon said that the director had not
ordered more because the hospital doesn’t have the money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the medicine is freely given out if
prescribed, there is no “profit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
again, government corruption rears its ugly head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr. Solomon and I saw a few more patients in the children’s
ward and maternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no real
action, so I decided it would be helpful to the sisters if I went to town to
pick up some produce for the rest of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clare and I caught a ride with one of the parish teachers and went to
get Internet first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I caught up with a
few important emails and received a picture from my mom and dad showing me my
room in my house in Providence that they furnished for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe their hard work and it
made me miss them incredibly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than
ever, I feel so lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the market, I
decided I wanted to buy something to make for lunch for the doctors
tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We haven’t taken one lunch
break yet, and Dr. Solomon mentioned maybe taking one tomorrow (we’ll
see…)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked up a loaf of bread,
peanut butter, jelly, cookies, and watermelon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although this may not sound appetizing, this lunch would truly be a
delicacy at Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping to
find some pineapple or bananas at the market, but nothing was available besides
Betelnut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to be creative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After picking up sodas for them, I was
satisfied.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While waiting for the bus to return home, Clare and I saw
the ice cream stand was open and enjoyed every bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I proceeded to drop the watermelon and watch
it roll down the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fine
when I caught it but I realized I drew attention to myself when I saw a crowd
laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is already intimidating going to the
market as the only white person, but I cannot seem to blend in no matter what I
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The motif continued when we caught
the bus, as I was the only person crammed in the front facing everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only thing I could do was laugh as I was
about one inch from a stranger face-to-face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I sure stick out like a sore thumb, but that’s how it is in the US too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A true universal trait.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sister was still sleeping in the hammock when we got home,
and Clare and I decided to do Insanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Agatha met us in the conference room under the Bishop’s house and soon
there were maybe 10 people all joining!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chrisma’s mom Jill, grandma Gladys, friends, and Sister’s students were
all doing Insanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it was
hilarious but also partially dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I toned the exercise down while Clare took Shaun T. seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t even fathom that a grandmother
that had never exercised in her entire life was starting with this torture
video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow I think we’ll do some sit-ups and
fast walking!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The girls here are really
excited about exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think
they have been introduced to any type besides soccer or sport, and mainly the
boys take over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is important
for them to realize that they are capable of setting aside a half an hour each
day to be active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will make for a
healthier population and give them some confidence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After dinner and playing cards until late, I am signing out
until tomorrow!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday, August 8, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I awoke to pouring rain outside my window and the cool
breeze felt amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I finally got
up, I attended the morning mass said by Father Moses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After, Clare gave Richard back his birthday
present backpack that she sewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anything bought from the Chinese shops here is the absolute lowest
quality so of course his new backpack broke the first day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was happy to have it back, and pulled me
aside to show me a drawing he made me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
could have just hugged him but I held back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was saying how his English isn’t well but he wanted me to accept a
gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even put an octopus in the
center because I was admiring one on his other design!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is planning to show us his village on
Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His house is on stilts in the
water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Richard joined us for breakfast and then headed off to
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterward I realized if we had
not asked him to come over, he would have been starving all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had crackers for breakfast, which barely
sustain me, so I can’t imagine how a growing boy would feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aligegeo high school students receive 4
crackers for breakfast and rice for the rest of their meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that food and lack thereof turned
out to be the theme of the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Sister Matilda and Clare headed off to teach
kindergarten, I took out my lunch supplies to make a feast for the
doctors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sliced a huge watermelon (I
am actually sore from carrying it back from the market) and placed it in a
Tupperware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself happy to see
how much I got for my money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the
market did not have any vegetables, bananas, or pineapple, I decided to make
them my specialty:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>peanut butter and
jelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt disappointed that I
couldn’t be more creative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made about
a loaf’s worth of sandwiches and sliced them diagonally for effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I packed a container of cookies and 4 sodas
for the director and 3 doctors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right as
I packed everything up in a tablecloth and tied it so I could carry it on my
shoulder for the long walk, the sky opened up with more rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect timing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it slowed down a little I commenced my
journey looking like I ran away from home with my knapsack, but luckily I
caught a bus to Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let the
director know about lunch and also Dr. Jason when I saw him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received a pat on the arm and a, “You
should come here more often!” He obviously means I am doing such a good job in
the operating room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I informed Dr. Joe
who raised his eyebrows 3 times, and just shook my hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe how happy they were to
just eat peanut butter and jelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
never seen them take a lunch break once, and if anyone deserves it, they
certainly do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon was equally as
excited as her eyes widened and she promised to take a break today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that wasn’t going to happen but I
figured she could eat it for dinner if not!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I dropped the cookies off in the operating theater for my nurse friends
and headed to the children’s ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the children’s ward, there were some new admissions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I played with a little boy named Junior Sammy
for about an hour as the doctors and nurses were reviewing him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was admitted based on “failure to thrive”
or failure to gain adequate weight or grow for his age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His AST enzyme count was abnormal after blood
work. Dr. Solomon said that this represented an acute viral infection in the
liver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that she suspected it
was due to malnutrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she
feels sorry for the babies who have to suffer because the parents are either
ignorant or just unable to provide their children with necessary vitamins and minerals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Americans have baby charts where the
pediatrician will mark the child’s height and weight compared to the
average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on the World Health
Organization chart, a Solomon Island baby at 60% of height and weight is
considered normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Babies can survive at
1.2 kilos.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoTSY_mPVmt0IxThaKSkXY9K5UtbPAqA3p8reUJSccDIKB_8qOAOD0FymhfcsPC0OPORZsRAys_p-cefm0UG3U1pP63SA8ZBFTTAJArWxL4yI_nkNEHsSWL8kmEx1PaSjBno3oI2Kh3JP/s1600/DSCN1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoTSY_mPVmt0IxThaKSkXY9K5UtbPAqA3p8reUJSccDIKB_8qOAOD0FymhfcsPC0OPORZsRAys_p-cefm0UG3U1pP63SA8ZBFTTAJArWxL4yI_nkNEHsSWL8kmEx1PaSjBno3oI2Kh3JP/s320/DSCN1431.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Collin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the time we finished the rounds in the children’s ward,
we moved on to a quick operating theater case that Dr. Jason took care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was around noon, so it was time to head to
the maternity ward to see patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr.
Solomon began seeing a few, but as I walked through the ward a particular baby
caught my eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was staring at me from
his wrapped blankets in the middle of the hospital bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mother was nowhere to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just 2 days old, this baby was absolutely
beautiful and perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a seat and
decided to just hold his hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Veronica,
the woman whose husband I convinced to stay at Kilu’ufi due to her baby’s small
weight, came over to talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slowly all
the mothers began asking me questions and wanted me to name their babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whoa!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They apologized for staring and said they just like to look at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even said the baby boy I was playing
with looked like me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about
childbirth for a little, and Veronica said that I looked like I was 15 years
old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a riot entertaining these mothers
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recognized some from when I
operated on them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They decided that I
was to marry a Solomon boy and stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
agreed and they are working on finding me one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally the baby boy’s mother came back and let me hold her son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was completely in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He yawned and yawned and even sneezed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was the cutest little nugget I have ever
seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother really wanted me to
name him but I felt so bad!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Veronica
wanted me to write down a name so I finally gave in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Baby Collin it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told the mother I was taking him to America
and Veronica told me I couldn’t because the woman was married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Um, I was just kidding!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that if the mother wasn’t married
and had a child it would be up for grabs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are still so many
traditional customs and taboos in the Solomon’s that really need to be
eliminated for women’s sake.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It was around 3 PM and once again I was famished!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon kept saying she wanted to eat
lunch but I told her we could press on with her patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I am only here for so long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is good training for when I start
working!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a few vitals for her and
we set off to her outpatient gynecological clinic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once a week, women come in for various issues
that they wouldn’t go to Dr. Jason for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were two women with ovarian cysts that presented a lot of
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was 20 years old and a student
at Aligegeo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of their pain got
worse with menstruation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After booking
them for the surgical tour, Dr. Solomon explained more of the taboos with
menstruation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women who live in the bush
still abide by the rules of isolating themselves during this time of
month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also need to be in isolation
during birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that this is
abuse and the most dangerous and unhealthy practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also said that women have no access (even
in Auki) to sanitary napkins so once-a-month you can expect girls to just stay
in their house or miss school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Around 4 PM, Dr. Solomon slowly led me to the office where I
collapsed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does she work like this
every day?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I handed her the sandwiches
and she devoured them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed some
melon while reading over her speech on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dr. Solomon is involved with a women’s rights group run by the United
Nations, Unicef, World Health Organization (WHO), Ramsi, and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, they asked her to be a
representative for Malaita because she is so knowledgeable and so
powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon has been a part of
a study where women volunteered to let researchers come to their home and
interview them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both qualitatively and
quantitatively, data on abuse was collected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Over 2/3 of women are abused and it is more likely that a woman will die
from abuse than malaria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no
such things as social workers, and Dr. Solomon is working to affiliate one with
the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also wants to advocate
for women’s centers and shelters to prevent violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is extremely difficult because women have
always been submissive throughout the Solomon culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women in America don’t even admit to being
abused, so imagine how difficult it would be for a Solomon Islander where this
harassment is socially accepted?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
commend Dr. Solomon for taking on yet another project and advocating for
women’s rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an overlooked
aspect of health in the Solomon’s, particularly mental and reproductive
health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women become depressed/anxious
as a result of the abuse and fail to be treated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, even though a couple might be
married, men essentially rape their wives to have more children (more
children=more money when they work or get married, such as bride prices), which
could be detrimental to the mother’s health and baby’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I admire Dr. Solomon’s courage and her
ability to stand as a role model for any woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is the only woman (besides the sisters) I have met who has held a
job without having children yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is
an incredible woman and I am eagerly awaiting her talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Just as I was about to walk home, it was torrential yet
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon walked me out, and I
caught the bus home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived at
Fanualama and smelt something incredible (still starving…) I saw Clare headed
to the back of Bishop’s and I followed her to an amazing sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agatha and Sister Loretta were making a
cassava and coconut pudding in the outdoor grass hut!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They grated the cassava and milked the
coconut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After wrapping a pan in palm
leaves from the trees, they placed the two ingredients on top and covered it
with more leaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They placed the pan on
hot stones and put more stones on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What resulted was a delicacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
consistency was like thick oatmeal but not sweet, just crispy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shared the best dinner of fish, cabbage,
papaya (popo), and pudding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister
Loretta wanted me to watch a movie called, “Gifted Hands” starring Cuba Gooding
Junior as a pediatric neurosurgeon completing an operation to separate the
heads of Siamese twins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all watched
the film and joked that I would be doing the same thing tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this rate, anything is possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thursday, August 9, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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I couldn’t believe today was my last day in the operating
theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was seriously upset as I made
my walk to Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I arrived, I
was thanked thoroughly for the food I brought yesterday and I was happy
everyone was pleased. The doctors were seeing 2 abscesses today. Nurse David took care of the first, a woman with a mammary abscess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The lymph node under her armpit was also extremely swollen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason said this type of abscess is
common, but I had never seen anything that looked so painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her baby was only a week old. I will
spare the details but let’s just say there was a lot of cutting and scrubbing
involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I finished I ran into the
other room to sit down while David walked in mimicking me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said that I was supposed to
move toward the patient not away!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
joked the rest of the day about this experience and I told him I would get him
back!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I took a quick break, it was time to fix an old woman’s
fractured leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked like her
shinbone was cracked from falling up the stairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She winced in pain as they tried to straighten
her leg and set just the back with plaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her knee was too swollen with arthritis to put a cast on her whole leg
so they would wait a week until they could drain her knee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then a little boy’s turn for abscess
removal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy was put under so
much ketamine he was having trouble waking up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He broke into a sweat and his eyes were going back and forth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so upsetting to see him like that and
it reminded me of David After Dentist, “Is this going to last forever?” except
it wasn’t funny!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kept calling for his
dad in a little voice saying he was hungry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt terrible as they wheeled him away, but there was an appendectomy
to get through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
While we waited to the patient to stabilize, I had many
interesting conversations with the doctors and nurses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason and I discussed his training in New
Zealand and how it is hard to move around to different hospitals such as
Honiara and Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would like to
do more training but unfortunately he cannot leave because of the shortage of
staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then moved on to a wonderful
conversation with David who wants me to find him an American girlfriend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him about the show “The Bachelor” and
he wants to be on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he would
prefer a Spanish woman, so who do you think I suggested?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dani.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I described her appearance and received many “Ooohs and ahhhs.” I told
him how all the boys in the US stare at her when she walks by and he agreed he
wants to meet her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dan, next time you’re
coming with me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our conversation then
moved on to Solomon food and everyone laughed when they found out I ate
sandpaper cabbage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is sort of
the spinach equivalent in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
regarded as not that tasty and it is easily grown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is what many families eat when they cannot
find anything else, but I loved when Sister made it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nurses were laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told them about the cassava pudding, the
mangrove fruit, tayo, and coconut rice and they couldn’t believe I liked
it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I was starving and it was time
to go into the appendectomy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was around 1 PM
and I was already exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason
wanted me to help. This surgery was grueling and very physical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I watched</span> Dr. Jason
whenever he cut, and helped with whatever he needed in the 2-hour surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The man had much more muscle than the women so it was a very tiring operation.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he was stitching the patient up, Dr.
Jason and I chatted about the sports I played and activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told them about field hockey and martial
arts which they loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason told me
he was a singer songwriter and was in a band!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I told him to bring me his record and I hope he listens!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were finished, Dr. Solomon told me
that there were going to be twins delivered, so I said my goodbyes and walked
over to the labor ward. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x3m8Gv6KKAyuH-TyFYfSaOdoI-u7tap6Jbqc211kSnciCFegHjO7DWk5wi5CV7oGqTfe5bdB9YvkuQwGeP8xpjNgorVUp8VkxBTfn7Te6EAdc8rw4WSDZUwete9GmtV2Wb4JtYsi2ZCU/s1600/DSCN1488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x3m8Gv6KKAyuH-TyFYfSaOdoI-u7tap6Jbqc211kSnciCFegHjO7DWk5wi5CV7oGqTfe5bdB9YvkuQwGeP8xpjNgorVUp8VkxBTfn7Te6EAdc8rw4WSDZUwete9GmtV2Wb4JtYsi2ZCU/s320/DSCN1488.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Jason in the Operating Theater!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The twins were not expected for another couple hours, and it
was approaching 4 o’clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked
around the ward and ended up chatting with one of the nurses, Cathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a well-spoken woman from Western
Province.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She translated the “slang”
that some of the men were saying to me when I walked by which I appreciated (I
think..)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She ended up telling me her
life story about how she wanted to marry a German doctor but her parents
wouldn’t allow it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They instead arranged
a marriage for her so she would remain in the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that she still thinks about him and
he still writes her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told me that
she was adopted and has a niece that goes to Berkley in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also said that her great granduncle was
actually the man that saved JFK when he was shipwrecked during WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you read up on the Pacific part of the
war, you will learn that the story goes that JFK was stranded, wrote a message
on a coconut, and was saved by Solomon Islanders who delivered the message to
the US base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is exactly the story
Cathy told me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that her uncle
was one of the men on the island who rescued the canoe JFK was drifting in with
two others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JFK exclaimed that he was
American not Japanese, so her uncle rescued the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He proceeded to climb up the coconut tree and
grab an unripe (soft) fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He carved a
message on the coconut and hopped in the canoe to sail to Rendova where the US
base was stationed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They delivered the
message by night and left JFK on the island because he refused to get on the
boat in fear of getting hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The US
base received the message and rescued JFK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her uncle’s name was Biuku, but JFK pronounced it “Book.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I could seriously talk to these people all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are so aware of their family history and
so cultural in tune.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured I should
probably head back so I started the walk home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I barely reached the road outside of the hospital when a man came up to
me with his hand outstretched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
normal, so I was not really alarmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
until he introduced himself and told me that he was a bipolar patient in the
Psychiatric Unit who had been off his medication for 8 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he came back to take some because he
is starting to work as a mechanic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
told him he was doing the right thing and tried to keep my smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t help feeling a little nervous as I
walked away down the road but all was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a nice meal and seeing the Bishop after his return, I went to
Aligegeo with Sister Loretta and Clare to watch the students practice their
speeches for a competition tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a provincial competition and 17 students are competing from 4
schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our friend Christina is one of
them so I was quick to go listen to her speech on women empowerment and equal
rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I listened to 4 different
speeches tonight on poverty, development, and equality and I am truly impressed
with the caliber of their English and confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked to the dining hall (where my
infamous dance took place) and noticed that so many people from different organizations
were decorating the room with palm fronds and chairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christina then presented Clare and I with the
sweetest letter and gifts of bracelets and lava lavas, or sarongs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She apologized her English is not that
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We invited her for dinner this
weekend and Clare and I will try and spend as much time with her as
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will miss this country and
the beautiful people greatly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reiterating the words of Samuel, one of the speech competitors, “The
Solomon Islands may be impoverished, but it is a rich country in its
people.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday, August 10, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clare, Sister Loretta, and I traveled to Aligegeo early this
morning to help the students prepare for their big speech day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so excited for Christina and her women
empowerment speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was planning on
staying the morning and then heading to Kilu’ufi for Dr. Solomon’s talk and
then making it back to see the award ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The deputy principal stayed up all night decorating, and the dining hall
looked fabulous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was donned in palms,
flowers, and lava lavas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids had
the day off from school and were crowding around the hall waiting for the
judges to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The minister of
education arrived along with the UNDP, or United Nations Development
Program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were running the speech
contest to raise awareness for their eight new goals or initiatives to be
achieved by 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were environment
sustainability, eradicate poverty and extreme hunger, improve maternal health,
lower infant mortality rates, reduce diseases such as HIV/AIDS & malaria,
globalization and development, empowerment of women and gender equality, and
ensure primary education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal was
for the students to either write an essay or give a speech on any of these
topics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dining hall was packed, and
there was even a bamboo band for entertainment!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The whole event was very formal, but I had to run to Kilu’ufi for Dr.
Solomon’s speech!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
When I got to Kilu’ufi, I helped out in the wards for a
bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard came to outpatient excused
from school because he was feeling so sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I gave his slip to Dr. Jason and hopefully he will get an X-ray this
time to get everything sorted out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was also a CVA, or stroke patient in the waiting area with blood pressure
230/130.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was shouting in pain as we tried to help her
swallow her pain medication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon
still wasn’t in yet and it was 11:30 AM so I was getting worried because her
talk was at 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They called her mobile
and she was at home with a serious migraine but was being picked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had made her lunch before her speech and
she was happy to eat something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said
she thought it was malaria but hopefully she would feel better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite her illness, her talk was very
enlightening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the staff came to
the classroom and she summarized a workshop she attended in Honiara regarding
VAW or Violence Against Women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a
representative for UN Women and was discussing the findings of the study that
2/3 of women are abused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She recounted
case studies and initiatives to make women feel safe and also to establish
places where they can have shelter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
would also like to train someone in outpatient to deal with abuse cases and to
get the social worker involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right
now the social worker, police, doctors, and government are all on different
pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked up most of her talk in
pidgin, but I asked her if she knew anything about the speeches going on at
Aligegeo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she had heard about
them but her research wasn’t connected!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She wanted me to get Christina’s contact information so she could come
speak at the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully I can
create a foundation for an alliance with Dr. Solomon and younger girls for
women’s rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My job now is to connect
the two establishments so when I leave they can move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a woman, Sheila, who is arriving
at Fanualama today for a women’s rights workshop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She started a Catholic Women’s Group to make
village women aware of violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told
Dr. Solomon about her and she wants to meet her as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that these connections are made and
that progress is made to stop the women and child abuse in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George, one of the operating nurses, told me
that you can actually buy a baby in the Central Market at Honiara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same place where you can buy bananas,
pineapple, and coconut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This violence
needs to stop and if Dr. Solomon and various women’s groups can bring
awareness, that is a solid first step.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right when I stepped out of Kilu’ufi, it started to rain
like usual, so I rode the bus to Alegegio to try and catch Christina’s
speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a back way into the
dining hall and got lost for 10 minutes and slipped down a muddy hill, but I
finally found it and I was in time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
rushed in and sat down to watch and was suddenly overwhelmed by excruciating
heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dining hall was so hot and
these people had been sitting here since 8:30 AM and it was 2 PM!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told it was even a hot day for the
Solomon Islanders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids laughed at
all the speeches for some reason, whenever the speakers would make a bold
statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One girl even ended her speech
with, “Women are not recreational tools for exercise.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That got everyone going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christina was so nervous but truly nailed her
speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After waiting 2 more hours for
the judges to decide the winner in “Solomon time” they were finally ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christina had won 3<sup>rd</sup> place out of
17 contestants!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, 2 other girls
who spoke on women’s rights received 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a good day for the ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare was equally as thrilled because she had
revised their essays and worked with them all week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aligegeo also cleaned up in the essay
contest, with Clare’s student taking 2<sup>nd</sup> place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, it was a great day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christina even told us that after form 7, she
wanted to become a Sister of Charity, like Mother Teresa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that she would want to be a nurse
and help as many people as she could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is seriously adorable and her win showed that good things happen to
good people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today was major progress for Malaita in the eight millennium
development goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making the youth
aware is the first step to securing their future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After listening to 2 more speeches from the
ministry, Clare and I walked back to the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bishop invited us to dinner to say goodbye because tomorrow he leaves
for Honiara and New Caledonia so we will miss him before we leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cooked us an incredible pasta with garlic
bread and…. OLIVES! I was never so happy to see kalamata olives and I think I
ate the entire bowl while the other women (Sheila’s Solomon Island women’s
group) were grossed out and didn’t touch them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After dinner, we talked with the 3 women from Malaita about their
foundation of the Catholic Women’s group with Sheila.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, she traveled to the Solomon
Islands and lived here for 10 years with her husband who was a doctor at
Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The labor ward is dedicated to
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she was here, she got involved
with the women who were being abused in their village. They founded a group and
now these 3 women teach others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Essentially, it is like a support group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The sad part is, some women have to ask their husbands if they are
allowed to attend meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize
now that women in America take their freedom for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the older women, Immaculate, was
telling us stories about how her son was a priest and her husband didn’t want
him to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was hysterical and told
us how her son told her everything and she hid the secret from her Anglican
husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he was asked to go to the
seminary, she acted like she didn’t know anything when her husband found out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was laughing as she was telling the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now her husband is a fully
converted Catholic and everything worked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She told him the story after and said that he could be scar sometimes so
she pretended she didn’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listening
to these women recount their stories is so entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me realize just how many unique
stories exist in this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-49109508151646066552012-08-06T19:44:00.003-07:002012-09-18T18:24:29.863-07:00Babies and Birthdays<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday, August 2, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After getting Internet finally, Clare and I walked to the
market to pick up a few things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
Saturday, the Bishop wants to take us to “sea sound” which is a beach area for
a picnic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going to celebrate
Richard’s birthday, a boy in the parish, who is turning 18 on Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris is like a dad to Richard because
his own father does not keep contact with the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has moved to Honiara and taken up a
younger spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I decided to
get him a gift, so we looked through all the shops until we found a soccer ball
and backpack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stuffed our groceries in
the backpack and we headed back to Fanulama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We spotted Agatha in the market so we grabbed the bus home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we got back, Richard was in the garden
so we quickly ran into the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went
back outside, and was absolutely stunned by what I saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laborio and Limo, the two architects and
craftsmen basically replicated my sketch of the crutch I gave to Bishop Chris
only this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My jaw dropped and
Bishop said that he warned me the men were amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These crutches were handmade out of beautiful
timber, and nicer looking than any pair I’d ever seen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him how long he had been working and
he just said, “after lunch.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t fathom that my drawing had come to
life in a matter of hours and that two children are going to be freed from
Kilu’ufi after waiting 6 weeks in bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will bring them their crutches on Monday and cannot wait to tell them the good
news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday, August 3, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m starting to get acclimated to the hospital and as a
result I’m becoming more cognizant of the patients’ conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason today was a particularly hard
day to get through, in the sense that I kept imagining myself suffering in a
concrete building without the necessities to treat my illness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was supposed to assist Dr. Jason with outpatient today, so
I headed there first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was tied up in
the male ward already because last night, a teenage boy went into septic shock due
to a ruptured appendix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason said
his systolic went down to 30 and they worked him up with antibiotics to
resuscitate him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I saw the boy
helplessly lying there, it was my first humbling moment of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one could operate because he would need
general anesthesia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason was to
accompany him by boat to Honiara in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that was that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the 2 doctors at Kilu’ufi was leaving
when he shouldn’t have to, leaving everyone at his outpatient clinic waiting
outside until the nurse could not see anyone else or do anything further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if people came from the bush to
Kilu’ufi, they would have to go home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
ended up helping Jimmy, the nurse, as much as I could. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jimmy ended up taking over the exam room to see patients and
prescribe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who needed the doctor
would have to wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason will come
back Monday, and so will the patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did not hear one complaint the entire day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After doing as much as I could in the outpatient ward, I
went to go find Dr. Solomon in the Labor Ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A curtain divided the one delivery room where 2 women were in
labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so crowded in the small
space and so disgustingly hot that I immediately felt sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon was concentrated on one woman who
seemed to be obstructed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in mind
that people are free to come and go as they please as they go into the delivery
room, but certainly not their husbands due to custom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And privacy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No such thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman had been
fully dilated for 3 hours now, which is a dangerous amount of time in the
active phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon still needed
to do her female ward rounds, so she said to wait and she would perform a
“vacuum delivery.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We headed to the female ward, where I became a bit hostile
toward the situation inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
know why my reaction today was anger instead of sympathy, but I couldn’t help
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rounded first on the surgical
side, where I saw how the patient I assisted with appendectomy was
doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She still had a catheter, drain,
and IV in, which I think is a recipe for infection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way she was improving, but very
slowly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We moved on to an old woman with
a huge mass on her left collarbone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was trying to figure out what was different about her when I finally
realized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had wrinkles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might think I sound crazy, but I have
seen so few elderly people in the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As you can probably infer, the healthcare isn’t top notch and the life
expectancy is quite young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This woman’s
lungs were filled with fluid, she was experiencing night sweats, and had this
tumor that grew in 3 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon
mentioned cancer, and I know that sweating is a symptom of non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We seemed to agree, but
forget about any test to let the poor woman know. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t say anything due to discouragement
and I am not even sure what her treatment she was prescribed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We moved on to a great case:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a woman who got a poisonous snakebite in the
bush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She went to a clinic, where a
nurse aide injected the wound with petrol, aka gasoline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I am not kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I nearly fell over while Dr. Solomon just
continued checking the wound without any reaction even though it was her first
time seeing the patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They just
laughed and said that it wasn’t the nurse aide’s fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excuse me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They said that nurse aides aren’t trained enough to know better, and she
was probably going by “traditional” medicine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I told them that if anyone did that in the US, they would be locked up,
despite their intention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t
understand why, because the aide was only trying to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon said I should just get used to
the system, that’s what everyone else does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is the only way you can cope with events like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked if there was going to be police
involvement and they said there wouldn’t be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I decided not to say anything else so we could move on quickly to get to
the obstructed labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We moved on to an
anemic pregnant woman in need of blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We finished with her quickly and noticed that they called in an older
man for blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked if they were the
same blood type (it was her father) but before they could answer he took money
from the husband and mother and walked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was completely puzzled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr.
Solomon said that the father is going out to search for 3 people to donate
blood so she could deliver and each person gets $100.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people have to come to see if they are a
match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t think of a less
convenient method to get blood, but here it is the only way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a few more patients on the non-surgical side, so we
walked over (no rush, no complaints).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I saw immediately took my breath away, literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a young girl, maybe 13, who was
laying in her bed with family strewn across the beds near her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was only wearing loose pants to cover her
massively swollen legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t take
my eyes away from her legs, which her mother was stroking, because it looked
like elephantiasis from pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
finally looked away, I saw something much worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her massive legs were juxtaposed with her skeleton-like
arms, and her heart literally beating out of her chest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could see it popping through her skin,
and I felt like I couldn’t breathe myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I looked at her chart and saw CHF, congestive heart failure, and it
all made sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The edema, the micro and
atrial valve issues, and her swollen stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a condition you read about, and to see someone so young actually
living it made me sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon started
the next patient, but I needed to ask questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began with, “Aren’t we going to do
anything?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, Lydia has CHF, and there is nothing we can do.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not even Honiara has the supplies to operate?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“(laugh) No, she would need to fly to Australia which is too
expensive, and the government would not pay knowing her prognosis is not
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is too weak for any
operation.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Couldn’t she have underwent an operation in Australia when
she was younger for a transplant/surgery?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Too expensive.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How long does she have?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Weeks, maybe.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So she just has to stay here and suffer?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not trying to be morbid, just real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Dr. Solomon wasn’t being cynical; she was
being honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a great woman and
understands how to work under the limits of her country and government to the
best of her ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The government is
supposed to pay for special medical trips such as these if they are
approved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Dr. Solomon told me
that the people in Parliament spend the money allotted for healthcare on
themselves when they are sick, even if it’s just the flu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many Parliament members have gone to Australia
for minor procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon said
that if she were sick, they wouldn’t even send her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time I realize that the world isn’t
always rainbows when people on mission trips come to “help.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The circle of life is inevitable, and Lydia’s
family knew that and held themselves together automatically to keep her company
for her last breaths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They certainly
mourn for death, but they take life so much further than we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of weeping or panicking, Solomon
Islanders by nature just stay strong; it’s all they know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really needed a miracle at this time, and I got just
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After heading to the labor ward,
it was time to help with the obstructed delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a deep breath to clear my head and
gloved and gowned up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time, I
actually realized that the final product was a baby, so I braced myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The poor woman had now been pushing hard for
5 hours (not even crying!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon
was deciding what to do, and each time she left the room, my heart started
racing and I took my stance (hands out to catch anything/one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother was in the room and kept asking if
we were close and I just kept saying yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You could feel the head so I knew something was bound to happen
soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found out it was her first baby
and when I got so excited for her she started laughing in the middle of
pushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 2:45 Dr. Solomon decided we should use the
vacuum (I’ll leave it to the imagination).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well this baby was a lot bigger and slower than the first one I saw. Finally the full delivery started and the woman stopped pushing, looked
down, smiled, and kept going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
hysterical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was concentrated on being careful so when we finally got it and placed it on
the mother I was elated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new mom
started crying and it was the cutest stereotypical birth scene I could ever
imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The baby boy was beautiful (and
huge!) and after clearing his airways he began to cry as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kilu’ufi Hospital staff and the 3 doctors try their best to
work with their people under their government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I realized today that part of a doctor’s work is moving on and making
decisions, even if it means an unhappy ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got the reality check I needed today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you have family, health, and love, you have everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday, August 5, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was no time to blog yesterday, so now I will recount
the busy day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, Bishop took us to
market at 7:30 so we could pick up bread and various fruit for the picnic for
Richard’s birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After getting the
necessities, Clare and I wandered over to Angela, who runs the shell jewelry
table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, I think we are
done buying gifts for our family and friends!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Angela is a member of the parish and even made us special bracelets as a
gift. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy to give her some
business!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We raced back to the Fanualama
where I saw that Liborio had finished the crutches!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They looked absolutely beautiful and I didn’t
think I would be able to wait until Monday to give them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-xO9oY3vEUKwFXyaSnA4WQCBFqh9-d9uQqPZzF9Vge9rWcKd4fWcQ9-dPC52wqlIBjhCkZeBK_0IFAYlCFZ6pSTVjIkhXbBn1VJQ4ACnqbaI-GgkpXacbB_GDF5KILrIKPwBAFG7K1iJ/s1600/DSC_1008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-xO9oY3vEUKwFXyaSnA4WQCBFqh9-d9uQqPZzF9Vge9rWcKd4fWcQ9-dPC52wqlIBjhCkZeBK_0IFAYlCFZ6pSTVjIkhXbBn1VJQ4ACnqbaI-GgkpXacbB_GDF5KILrIKPwBAFG7K1iJ/s320/DSC_1008.JPG" width="320" /></a>Clare and I helped the sisters pack the picnic and also got
Richard’s birthday presents together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
decided to make him an American CD too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When it was 10:30, Bishop and Father Moses drove everyone in 2 pickup
trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride was stunning and I got
to know many of the girls from Allegegio School on the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Loretta was once again cracking
everyone up and I couldn’t wait to arrive at the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we arrived, Bishop and the sisters said
that since we were partially the guests of honor, along with birthday boy
Richard, we were allowed to go run around instead of cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I were happy to play soccer with
the girls and enjoy the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, it
was too hot so I had some of the girls guide me to the edge of the coral reef
so I could go swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me, I wasn’t
trying to go alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I still tripped
and slipped plenty of times while walking through the sharp coral because of
low tide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was wearing flip-flops but
some of the kids weren’t wearing any shoes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I got to the edge, I jumped in to join Clare who of course had been
paddling around already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris
was also swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I jumped in with
Christina and Veronica, and one of the girls threw me a snorkel!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I looked down, the sight was better than
the Great Barrier Reef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw huge
mounds of coral, bright fish, and so many colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was crystal clear, and I could
actually see and breath at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After I occupied myself for 45 minutes, I swam back in and made it to
lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our sandwiches and
pineapple, Bishop Chris organized a boys vs. girls soccer game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a little unfair, considering
Richard’s brother Gabriel actually has been recruited to the national team in
Fiji and New Zealand!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running on the
sand was so tiring, but the girls held their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the game, some people went to swim
again but I stuck around on the beach to spend some time with Sister Loretta
and the girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ran around for a bit
and they decided to teach me some dancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They couldn’t keep a straight face when I showed them my moves, but I
told them I was just warming up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat
with Richard and Patrick as they tried to find a special North Malaita cultural
song for dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, remember how I
attract disaster?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I saw a cute
hermit crab on the ground and decided it would be hilarious to put it on
Richard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked back over to where
they were playing the music and put it on his arm, all of a sudden I saw a
flash of brown and, “BOOM!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seriously
stopped breathing for a second and then screamed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A massive coconut fell just inches from my
head in between Richard and I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you
joking me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have been a
goner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are countless people in the
Solomon Islands who get injured from these trees and their dangerous
fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounds silly but seriously,
not funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Loretta has realized
my affinity to accidents so she decided to hang on to me the rest of the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was laughing as I walked
everywhere with my hands over my head and invented ”The Coconut Dance.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, they found the song and Christina, Agatha, and Joe
taught me their moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really
enjoying myself and getting a little too into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally got the moves down and then Clare
came to join. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We danced the rest of the
time and everyone incorporated the coconut move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Father Moses drove us to the Fui River to
wash off the trucks so of course there was more bridge jumping!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back at Fanualama, we sang happy birthday to
Richard while many people made speeches for him, including Clare and I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was excited over his new backpack and
soccer ball, so I was happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some
exercise and evening prayer, Sister Loretta told us that she was on duty for
the Allegegio school dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did she say
dance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited for Patrick and Simon
to come pick us up so we could watch the island dances from the students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we walked in their dining hall, I was a
little intimidated by maybe 200 eyes on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clare and I enjoyed a few numbers until Sister Loretta told us it was
our turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excuse me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe came and escorted Clare and I to the door
to walk in to the auditorium where we saw Christina and the rest of the dance
crew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said we were going to perform
the North Malaita dance we learned at the beach!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was too excited to be embarrassed, but also
determined not to mess up their dance because that would be obnoxious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we entered, about 200 laughs echoed
throughout the room and I waved and smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t think they expected us to actually know the steps, because we’re
white girls, but oh did we prove them wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clare and I performed our parts perfectly, even the spinning and bending
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to take my part a little
further and gave it my own little shake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think that went over well!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were congratulated by Christina, Sister, Agatha, and the deputy principal who
actually said that I had talent!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(to Pamela,
Court, Meg, Jen, Dani, Mandy- thank you for supporting my dancing before I got
famous!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, I headed home after
a crazy Saturday night and slept wonderfully.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsVHsWsvidxC81aaygpihbh57-_GOEEJBBGFF3r7yfHLsfUi2pY8q7c6cOgeMSoATFh7cxMx0G2z58KMn1VnIAMywq0GgzbL6FJCz-ud3ZnQ1tKVMpVLzfSuBGK81uCqlnBcL7rhnMAkq/s1600/DSCN1331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsVHsWsvidxC81aaygpihbh57-_GOEEJBBGFF3r7yfHLsfUi2pY8q7c6cOgeMSoATFh7cxMx0G2z58KMn1VnIAMywq0GgzbL6FJCz-ud3ZnQ1tKVMpVLzfSuBGK81uCqlnBcL7rhnMAkq/s320/DSCN1331.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This morning when I awoke from my slumber, I was greeted by
Sister Loretta, “Hello, dancing beauty!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At mass, students were congratulating me on my dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently my new name is dancing Cayla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After mass, Clare and I sat with the beach
crew and waited for Bishop Chris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were going to head to Kilu’ufi for pastoral care and I decided it would be a
great time to deliver the crutches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a pit stop to pick them up, I could hardly wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran to the children’s ward and handed the
beautiful creations to Alick and Rebecca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They fit each of them perfectly and all the parish kids and the children
in the ward were there to witness the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Alick looked beyond thrilled and Rebecca shined her bright usual
smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Dr. Solomon comes tomorrow,
she can sign the discharge papers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
visited a few familiar patients and everyone got to meet baby Cayla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rest of my Sunday was very relaxing; I even fell asleep
for an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I awoke just in time to do
Insanity with Agatha and the sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
definitely could have skipped today but I had to tough it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed dinner with the Bishop and Father
Moses for our Sunday tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
celebrating their feast day and also remembering a parish close by in Lilisiana,
Richard and Philip’s (a singer for Auki parish) village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had recently sent a canoe out traveling
to Gizo that never made arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was a priest and eight others on the canoe, and we think that they ran out of
fuel or hit rough seas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Half of the
people jumped out of the canoe to swim and half stayed in the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some bodies are still missing but three have
been found dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people who stayed
on the boat were found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tragedies
that occur in this country are numerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bishop Chris said his father just sent over 40 life preservers for
parish boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout dinner we
laughed about the dancing escapade last night and exchanged various
stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even want to imagine
that I only have one more Sunday left in Auki.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monday, August 6,
2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started my day off at Kilu’ufi excited that Alick and
Rebecca would hopefully be discharged!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
spent my morning playing with the two of them in the children’s ward while some
of the workers put rubber on the bottom of their crutches to prevent
slipping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was speaking to Rebecca’s
grandfather who said that they live too far from the school, so Rebecca just
works in the garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt so sorry for
this tiny little girl and her high-pitched giggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon had not yet arrived so I worked
with Dr. Joe for a while in the male ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a patient who had just died from anemia and liver failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire family was in the male ward as the
body was taken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the other
patients crowded around the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
again I realized that there is no such thing as privacy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I headed to outpatient with Dr. Jason as he began his
enormous line of patients to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister
Loretta was supposed to stop by with Clare to get her toe checked, so I waited
until they came around noon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason
saw Sister and booked her for the operating theater tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I joked that we were going to amputate and I
think Sister is a little scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr.
Jason can take that surgery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Clare and I were going to head to town for the afternoon,
but when Dr. Solomon came in, she said that there was going to be an emergency
C-section around 2 o’clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could not
miss this opportunity, so I asked Dr. Solomon if Clare could observe the
surgery as well, to which she agreed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clare and I basically ran back to Fanualama and I threw her a pair of my
scrubs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate some crackers and started
speed walking back to Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this
time it was almost 2 and I was so nervous we were going to miss the
operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily we hopped on a bus
and ran to the operating theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
we were waiting, we saw Alick and Rebecca carry their bags out to leave!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After months, both children were ready to go
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of waiting, I totally
forgot about Solomon time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one was
ready for the surgery, including the patient, by 2:30, then 3:00, and then
4:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 4:30 PM I was ready to sleep,
but luckily we started the surgery around 5:15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Poor Dr. Jason had to leave outpatient once again, and all the doctors
looked exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason
administered the spinal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare was so
excited to observe the surgery and I was amazed at her enthusiasm!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The girl is seriously the biggest champion I
have ever met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her first surgery was a
bloody C-section and she watched every bit of it as enthralled as I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon was heading the operation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sliced through layers of fat, muscle, and peritoneum, until the uterus was
exposed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slowly but surely we were able
to lift out the baby boy and it was a beautiful sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare was smiling brightly and the next step was the placenta delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll leave
out the details on that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally,
two and a half hours later, Dr. Solomon, Allison the nurse, and I had stitched
back up each layer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was becoming exhausted, and it was already
dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother and baby were doing
well at the end of the surgery, and I felt accomplished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we cleaned up, Clare and I visited the
baby in the neonatal room of the Labor Ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We both stared in awe at this peaceful baby with crickets chirping the
background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother and surgeons
worked so hard to bring a life into the world, and it was refreshing to sit for
a moment and breathe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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After our moment, Clare and I realized it was 8:30 PM and we
hadn’t spoken to Sister Loretta!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
probably wondering where we were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
doctors were going to drive us home in the medical truck, but they were caught
up in outpatient and I knew better than to believe “soon” was only 1 hour
waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dialed Sister from the office
and she had Ben, the Bishop’s Catechism teacher, come pick us up with herself,
Sr. Matilda, and Agatha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I
recounted our busy afternoon and chatted with Sister as we scarfed down some
potato and pineapple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like I have
truly experienced a physician’s schedule today, and I hope that I will be able
to endure the physical challenge that comes before the priceless reward of
saving lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now 10:00 PM, and
Drs. Jason, Solomon, and Joe are still at Kilu’ufi hard at work.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-27367533050613552812012-08-01T20:43:00.003-07:002013-02-03T20:17:49.994-08:00Operation Kilu'ufi<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday, July 28, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturdays in the Solomon’s are a little different from
Saturdays at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of sleeping
in, we got up early once again to start the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the kids were still present, no late
sleepers here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris was heading
to the market at 7:30 after, so Clare and I hopped in his truck with Sister
Matilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Saturdays, everything at the
market is very fresh and plentiful. We picked out some potatoes, more
pineapple, and peppers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We caught a bus
back and were ready for the day at 9!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Clare and I played soccer outside a little to get ready for
the Auki Parish soccer game in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had a few friends join us, Chrisma and Martha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chrisma is 6 years old and the most adorable
girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was born on Christmas, hence
her name!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed the soccer ball
around for a while and then headed over with Bishop Chris and the soccer team
to check if the game was starting yet (Solomon time).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we found out it wasn’t starting yet,
Bishop Chris kindly drove us to the telekom to get Internet for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After checking in on the cyber world, Clare
and I started the trek home in the heat but Bishop Chris found us!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hopped in the back of his black pickup
truck with all the other kids he carries around and got a ride back to the
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Bishop Chris doubles as a
taxi for all the children in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
so cute how excited they get to hop in the back of his truck and go for a
ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also makes sure to drive them
back safely to their village. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The soccer game finally started a little after noon, so
Clare, Chrisma, and I head to the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our team colors were black and white called Harbour Lights after the
beacon in the Auki wharf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys
ranged from 16 years old to 22 and played a team from Lilisiana Village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This village is made up of houses on stilts
actually built into the water near the wharf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The game was close, but luckily in the last 5 minutes we scored two
goals to get us the win, 3-2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the game, Clare and I were in paradise lying in the
two hammocks underneath the sister’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was so comfortable and cool that we fell asleep reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We woke up to Bishop Chris suggesting that we
take his car to the river to wash it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought it sounded like another cleaning Saturday duty, but when the entire
soccer team jumped in the back of his car, it looked more like a
celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I met the team and felt
pretty cool riding to the river with them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hopped in as well with Clare and Chrisma and enjoyed the ride to a
river called Fui.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This source of water
is where many people get their supply and also where they come to do their
washing and laundry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought the water
would be dirty, but it was actually crystal clear with a strong current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris backed his truck into the water
and all the boys hopped out and started dousing it with buckets of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many people washing their clothes,
swimming, and washing dishes around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not a typical Saturday afternoon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My job was to keep an eye on Chrisma in the strong current while the
boys washed the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Naturally, after it was finished, there was bound to be some
sort of looming dangerous activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh
no, they couldn’t be walking up to that rickety bridge over the river, could
they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OH YES THEY WERE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you guessed it, Clare followed right
after them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With my history and
struggling background, I remembered a couple of events in my life that should
prevent me from following everyone else. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far, any tiny hesitation/reluctance I’ve
had (e.g. mountains, scuba diving) has been realized and very difficult since
I’ve been on this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who knows
me well will probably recall the story of my dear friend Matt Martin’s boat
cliff jumping experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah, I have finally said no to something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt good about my decision, especially
since there were rocks all in the bottom of the shallow river, the current was
incredibly strong, and I was watching Chrisma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was watching everyone jump off the rocks and laughing and recounting
my last jumping experience with Bishop Chris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was then that I heard it, “Cayla! Cayla!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh no:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the dreaded feeling of letting the entire Solomon soccer team think I
was a wimp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There you have it, of course
I let them pull me up the side of the bridge and put me at the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I jumped in, I didn’t get hurt!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another fear conquered half way around the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I tried to climb up
higher to keep up with the boys, Bishop Chris wouldn’t let me and you bet I
listened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the closest I will
ever get to God physically telling me not to do something.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was about 4 PM by the time we dropped the boys home and
got back to the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I
wanted to test the running conditions so we threw on our sneakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to show her the hospital, to we ran
to Kilu’ufi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not surprised by how
hard it was to breathe and how tired I became after just a short distance
compared to my usual runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made it up
and down the hills and managed to shower and stop sweating before the evening
mass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the mass, we all had dinner
together in the Bishop’s outdoor hut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
dinner included all the people partaking in the music workshop from Brother
Roger and Rob and some of the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was another great meal and at the end, almost everyone gave a speech
to thank Brother Roger and Rob for their 2 weeks of lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow the students will be performing
their pieces at the Cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
heard that the Solomon’s like speeches, and I found out first hand today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even asked Clare to make a speech! Some
of the students played songs on the acoustic guitar as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no one even showed a sign of sleepiness
or impatience after maybe 2 hours of dinner and talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people are so kind and so welcoming; I
wouldn’t have it any other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see
the way they are so thankful for any help or time from visitors makes me wish
that kids in America could appreciate their opportunities more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Solomon Islanders may not have that much,
but they are alive and rich in each moment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday, July 29, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve never truly considered Sunday a day of rest until
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a whole extra hour and 15
minutes to sleep in, which was seriously a treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just being surrounded by the community and
Bishop Chris made me appreciate Sundays more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was adorable how the kids actually look forward to walking 25 minutes
down the road in their Sunday best to get to the cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I attend mass most Sundays, this
was the first time I was surrounded by people with an actual excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like all the hard work and praying
during the week made Sunday a celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And even Chrisma was waiting outside her house for us when we started
walking, dressed in a beautiful red skirt, shirt, and combed hair compared to
her usual unclothed self!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As expected, Bishop Chris spoke beautifully despite the
absolutely sweltering conditions inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the presentation of the gifts, some of the boys (including Richard,
one of the workshop students) dressed in traditional Solomon Island attire including
grass skirts, loincloths, and headbands to dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was amazing and made me wish I had seen
the Pacific Arts Festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brother Roger
and Rob performed with their workshop students and received speeches after mass
and many thanks from the parish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop
Chris asked Clare and I to help pass out the certificates to the students and
we were called up to the altar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
received many more gifts from the people and words of thanks were
expressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris made the point
of saying that many teachers take a break or sleep on their holidays in the
Solomon’s, but Brother Roger and Rob teach more!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They set a good example for all the teachers
in the parish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully the downpour held out until after we reached the
house, and a little bit later Sister Loretta chopped up some cucumbers and
peppers for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chrisma and Veronica,
one of the staff member’s daughters, joined us for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since it was still raining, Clare and I
convinced Sister Loretta to teach us the dances she knows (she’s been talking
herself up!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chrisma had no problem
breaking it down and I learned some traditional island dances, as well as ones
from Papua New Guinea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chrisma was
dancing more like a provocative American teenager and Sister Loretta had to sit
down she was laughing so hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the
chicken dance, hokey pokey, and a pineapple dance, we took a break and watched
Shrek on the computer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all sat in the
kitchen and laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then that it
hit me; Sister Loretta is literally Donkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is hysterical and energetic, just like him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She even agreed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rain stopped, but our Sunday rest continued and I
enjoyed some reading time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare was
outside on the hammock as Sister Loretta fell asleep next to her!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I helped prepare for dinner with the Bishop
while Sister Loretta made some of her famous sweet potato and cassava
chips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to wake up a little
before evening prayer and dinner, so I took out my laptop and opened up the
dreaded Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, Dani and Court!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you proud?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I were laughing at how ridiculous
we looked dragging a mat and chair down the hill into the jungle of a backyard
to work out, but it was necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
we got started, I remembered how much I sweat just at home, so multiply it by a
million in this heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I found the
energy to look up, I noticed we had somewhat of an audience just staring from
the top of the hill by the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t think some of the people have ever seen exercise quite like this, but I
continued once I made sure I wasn’t offending anyone (seriously). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the prayer, we all joined Bishop Chris in his house,
minus the students from the workshop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was a smaller group, but we still sat in a circle with our chairs and ate
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris added his Italian
spice with an eggplant and pasta dish that reminded me of home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brother Roger and Rob leave tomorrow so it
will be quieter around here, but I’m sure there will always be some
action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow Clare is teaching 4
periods of English in a row while I start my hospital work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and Sister Loretta are at the table
working on their lesson plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
know how much is getting done because Sister Loretta just asked me to get the kindle
for the bubble game…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday, July 30, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The usual morning routine took place starting at 6 AM,
except I was anticipating my first day at Kilu’ufi Hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that the sisters and Clare had their
mornings booked, but I had a feeling I would be wrapped up a good part of the
day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I threw on my scrubs and headed off
on the walk to the hospital, judging by the looks I got when I waved, I don’t
think people are too used to me yet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
kept “Solomon time” in the back of my mind, so I did not expect anyone to set
me up for “orientation” at 9 AM like June said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But actually, the hospital administration seemed to be running very
smoothly and under control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>June was
called from her dental clinic when I arrived and I waited to meet her for only
a few minutes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason, one of the
three doctors in all of Malaita arrived a few minutes later and offered to take
me around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a head nurse, Julie,
ended up showing me each ward of the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We looked around the vacant empty spaces of rooms, almost like concrete
warehouses, in the children’s ward, men’s ward, women’s, TB/leprosy,
psychiatric, outpatient and labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have my nurse’s aide certification in the US, but I noticed that many of the
aides were performing duties out of the scope of my responsibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When walking through the labor ward, I jokingly
teased Julie that I wanted to see a delivery today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said I most definitely would see one this
week and I was extremely eager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the
end of the tour, Dr. Solomon (coincidence) had arrived and I was placed with
her as she went around the children’s ward and then the labor. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr. Solomon is a very quiet, young woman who is intelligent
and respectable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was neatly dressed
and warmed up to me as I followed her around the children’s ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found out that she went to secondary
school, and only started university to receive a bachelor’s of science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After her first year, she randomly applied to
medical school and got in!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She trained
in Papua New Guinea for 4 years and said that she hasn’t even received her
bachelor’s yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is why she is so young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was amazed at her tenacity and the true
honor it is to be one of the three doctors per 150,000 people in Malaita.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We saw about 5 cases in the single-roomed children’s
ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first was a baby who had
shortness of breath and coughing at only 2 weeks old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe how tiny and helpless the
baby seemed with a miniature IV stuck in his hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After talking with the patient and picking up
on their Pidgin, I learned the woman gave birth to the baby at home without any
medical attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her husband cut the
cord but she did not know how.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did
not breastfeed or keep the baby warm immediately after birth, which is probably
the reason for the chest congestion/pneumonia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The woman did not seem agitated at all by Dr. Solomon’s discreet disgust
and responded that they live too far in the bush to travel to a clinic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They went to a clinic 2 days after the birth
for Hep B and meningitis vaccines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were then referred to the hospital because of the baby’s condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mothers here are so soft-spoken with no
emotion whatsoever in serious situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could barely hear her as she explained and most of the time she
answered, “yes” by raising her eyebrows (a Solomon cultural sign).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine being the suffering baby, just born
into a family in the bush of Solomon Islands?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt humbled at that moment and made sure to take a second and be
thankful for the healthcare I received as an infant and the care that children
in the US receive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We continued to see more babies (the neonatal ward is combined
in the children’s ward) and also a boy who was in a coma for 3 days due to
meningitis or cerebral malaria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
awake now, but his temperature was slightly elevated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did not appear that there was any brain
damage, but the doctor wanted him to go to Honiara to get a spinal tap to make
sure there was no further infection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
asked why they were not doing a blood test to see if it was malaria, so that
the spinal tap and extra travels could be spared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said that the boy had received
chloroquine treatment just in case, so the parasite would not be detected in a
blood sample even if it were the cause of the coma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a special stain that would show
traces of the parasite, but they did not have any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would have thought?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lack of supplies costing another child his
health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two more lovely instances of lack of supplies really
irritated me as we finished up in the children’s ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were two boys with broken femurs with
casts on just laying on their bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
doctor said they have been there 6 weeks and 3 weeks respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked if there were any complications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer was simple: No, their crutches
were not yet manufactured and shipped from Honiara due to missing screws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh! Great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The children were missing school, their family, and friends literally
just staring at the barren concrete walls with battered Mickey Mouse
wallpaper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only were they bored out
of their minds; they were at risk of infection near babies with
pneumonia/meningitis and reciprocally risking other children’s lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who has ever used crutches, take a
minute to appreciate the ease in which you were handed a perfect adjustable
pair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After finishing up the children’s ward, Dr. Solomon headed
to the labor ward to do her rounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
met some of the nurses and not even 3 minutes after I set foot in the ward, the
doctor was called to check on a high-risk mother who was in labor since last
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran behind Dr. Solomon and
entered the room to find the extremely overweight mother sitting up on a bare metal
table, wincing in pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
receiving intravenous fluid because her hypertension was uncontrolled during
contractions and pushes, affecting the fetal heart rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon and the nurse/midwife said she
was a mother to 4 others, and was dilated 8 cm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This meant that she was in the active phase, meaning contractions should
be every five minutes, and birth could happen anytime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the latent phase, there is usually more
waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon gave me a pair of
sterile gloves and I actually felt the baby’s head!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could not believe this opportunity, but it
was about to get a lot more interesting when Dr. Solomon told me to stay and
observe/help while she finished some patients and charts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was extremely excited but also thinking
that “baby soon” was in Solomon time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was sure I would be standing there the rest of the day but I didn’t mind at
all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
DISCLAIMER- IF YOUR NAME IS MEG SUTTON OR YOU ARE SENSITIVE
TO GRUESOME DETAIL PLEASE TERMINATE THIS SESSION.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mothers in the Solomon’s do not scream in pain or groan like
the stereotypical woman in labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
part of their custom to just remain silent and give birth (naturally of
course…that means no epidural…NO drugs) many times alone because the hospital
is too far for family or the husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
the whole time I could not judge how far along the mother was
because of her utter silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did
not answer many questions, she just squirmed around, occasionally almost
falling off the slippery table and wincing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of a sudden, I saw a lot of blood, I mean A LOT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thankful I had only eaten toast around
5 hours ago so no way was I about to lose it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The nurse danced around happily cleaning it up with a mop and throwing
bandages in a bucket under the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The nurse was delivering the baby herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked the doctor if I could wear a gown,
but she said they ran out so everyone just tries their best to keep blood off
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So maybe after a half an hour, the nurse
needed to empty the bucket and get some more supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to keep my breathing steady as she
left the room (it was beginning to get uncomfortably hot in the room and smelt
horrible).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to comfort Daniela as
she twisted and sat upright. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSKvS4KP0XCmYI4lzOxQr5QSvg69wiZ3mZYoyD5QDgzu397SioBeo5XQlfsS0cX-yiF0Sze4a6StlaQEGUuZD91g48vs01rZE8nRPjKNXDR3K3gVjHCj0ipP_y4HWl7GQndNhaOmlx23h/s1600/DSCN1217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSKvS4KP0XCmYI4lzOxQr5QSvg69wiZ3mZYoyD5QDgzu397SioBeo5XQlfsS0cX-yiF0Sze4a6StlaQEGUuZD91g48vs01rZE8nRPjKNXDR3K3gVjHCj0ipP_y4HWl7GQndNhaOmlx23h/s320/DSCN1217.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Cayla</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All of a sudden, she made an odd expression that I will never
forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was almost like the second
before a projectile vomit where you stop breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember my life turned to slow motion as I
literally saw the head of the baby coming and I was the only one in the
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you expect anything less to
happen to me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never seen a
delivery, but I know that there is time before the rest of the body is
delivered after the head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But have you
have not met Daniela, the silent rocket ship mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My adrenaline shot through my veins and I stuck one hand out for the
baby and one for the door screaming, “NURSE, IT’S COMING!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said, “Woops!” and entered the room
running to the table before the baby touched my hand and in one smooth motion
the entire body followed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She literally
almost dropped the baby because of the fluid and kept propping her up on
Daniela’s stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The baby girl kept
sliding down as the nurse tried to clean up the blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was shaking with excitement but I remembered
one important event that had not occurred yet:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could not be
happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became so nervous because
the umbilical cord was wrapped around the body that maybe there was
damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tried everything to get the
baby to cry, when finally the nurse took a tube into the nose and mouth and
blew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounded like some fluid cleared
and I heard a moan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank goodness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t think I could handle a still born at
this moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just witnessed a
miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still wanted the baby to cry
louder, but it never happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
umbilical cord was severed, the placenta delivered, and the nurse sewed up a
torn perineum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All supplies and bodily
organs were disposed of in the bucket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was staring at the tiny baby the entire time, who apparently had good color and
looked like she was breathing steadily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I quietly asked Daniela what her name was, (no one even told her it was
a girl yet) and she said, “What is your name?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That really happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the
baby’s weight, 3 kilos, and details were recorded, she had me write my name
down on a piece of paper for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
so touched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was included as part of
the delivery team on the paperwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I saw Dr. Solomon after the events, she just laughed and said the nurse told
her that I should have just caught the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After some paperwork and discussing cases, Dr. Solomon told me to take a
lunch break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually thought she was
kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eating was not on my agenda
right now, and I would be happy to move onto the next ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to say goodbye to Daniela before I
left, and entered the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was with
some family, and they were crowded around the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard them say, “Good job, Baby Cayla!” and
I knew they were not talking about me.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVTbiKOMXmipKWJQ48hT9bt-N_y_yVprmpECO_IEGM89MsRMH2q94lSdJEhozpWrW6XyxKbyNIp_qzc6q0d8_P-42tBkXwUYL3qfW-qE2o00FI1VduNqK2hS-PJUsTb3aLou_suKE4XvY/s1600/DSCN1445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVTbiKOMXmipKWJQ48hT9bt-N_y_yVprmpECO_IEGM89MsRMH2q94lSdJEhozpWrW6XyxKbyNIp_qzc6q0d8_P-42tBkXwUYL3qfW-qE2o00FI1VduNqK2hS-PJUsTb3aLou_suKE4XvY/s320/DSCN1445.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Delivery Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span">After my exciting </span><span class="Apple-style-span">adventure, I met Dr. Jason in the
outpatient ward seeing patients who were just outside waiting to be seen or
admitted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not mind this time,
maybe because Dr. Jason looks exactly like Corbin Bleu from High School
Musical?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(maybe).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we saw a variety of cases and he was extremely genuine and helpful
in his explanations and his gestures to the patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would go over the X-Rays before a patient
came in so I was prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw one
X-Ray of a deteriorating left hipbone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bone was actually eating away at itself, so essentially the hip was
rotting and needed a replacement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
could be from an infection, TB, or an untreated injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the patient came in, I was fully
expecting an older man or woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no,
Patrick, was only 14 and was having trouble with his gait. He walked with a
limp in his right leg that had been getting worse but started years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patrick was very quiet the entire time the
X-Rays were explained to his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr.
Jason spoke with hope in his voice, but in reality there was none.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They could go to Honiara to see a specialist,
but this was expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even if he
saw a specialist, they could not operate because of the lack of material and
skill for a hip replacement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially,
an easily prevented problem in the US or elsewhere was costing his boy his
livelihood and almost his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost
all males in Malaita make their money from gardening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This boy would never be able to do that if he
was not able to walk by age 20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr.
Jason said his only hope was an overseas orthopedic team performing an
operation if they happened to come to Honiara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did not see this as realistic given the time, supplies, and
communication and felt absolutely devastated for Patrick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next I saw a woman for an exam with Dr. Jason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had to perform a check on her backside for pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then that I noticed the some cultural
differences of this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is only
recently that men such as doctors, beside the husband, are “allowed” to see a
woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some areas of the Solomon’s,
it is still taboo for a woman to be pregnant/give birth in public and may have
to go into the bush in a hut during menstruation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just think of how many women give birth alone
in the woods and never come back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
exam was not so extreme, but it was the most awkward experience ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those of you who know me know I’m pretty
awkward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when the woman refused to
take off her skirt and Dr. Jason turned around to talk to me I could slice the
tension with a knife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, after
about 5 minutes of nervous laughter from her, he performed the exam and found
some hemorrhoids that he would conservatively treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could see he was sweating after that one
and I was happy to run out of the room. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wrapped up my day with a talk to Julie, Dr. Solomon, and
Jason, and Clare came to walk me back (perfect timing, even without
texting!)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so excited to share my
experiences with her as she told me about her classes all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe we were both getting such
hands-on experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching is not the
easiest in the Solomon’s and I give her so much credit for getting up in front
of kids her age teaching the obscure details of English while they make
comments to her such as, “Are you married?!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We took a long walk around and ended the day weeding in the garden and
jump roping with Chrisma and Veronica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After evening prayer and dinner, we watched Sister Act and were laughing
so hard that the sisters had it on their computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided we’re going to film a “Sister Work
Out Video” with sets and reps of genuflecting. Bishop Chris joked that tomorrow
I will be performing open-heart surgery, but he could actually be right because
tomorrow is “Operating Theater” day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Operations do not occur daily, there are 2 days of the week for all the
cases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m mentally prepared for just
about anything now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tuesday, July 31, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Operating theater day was a bit more routine than I
expected, but still was full of surprises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I left the house early to walk over to Kilu’ufi because I was excited to
get started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived at about 8:30 and
waited in the office for the doctors to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I ended up walking to the operating theater to wait and helped some of
the nurses make the gauze bandages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were two nurses in scrub gowns and hair scarves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The theater is a set of two wooden doors and
composed of 4 very small rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first room you enter is not a “sterile” center; it is the actual minor
operating theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many people end up
walking through the room wearing any outside shoes and clothes to get changed
in the second room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a basket at
the end of the room for “outside shoes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The doctors and nurses then walk barefoot for the surgeries with the
exception of some wearing flip flops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Closed toed shoes are worn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
luckily stuck my feet into Dr. Solomon’s clogs that she let me borrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next room you walk into is a patient
waiting center and also a room for paperwork and phone calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next two rooms are attached and one is
the major operating theater that is actually air-conditioned and has a
sink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other is the sterilization
room/prep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw a sterilization machine
and was very happy to see the tools packaged in plastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already felt better about the day and it
seemed like these doctors were doing the best they could with what they
had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some points they even seemed a
little embarrassed or ashamed saying that they had run out of this tool or that
tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first surgery I observed was an aspiration, or drainage
of pulmonary edema.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The X-Ray of this
man with TB was up on the wall and showed his right lung and rib cage fine, but
his left side was all white, indicating that the whole organ was filled with
fluid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually saw the heart and
trachea pushed over to the right side due to the pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe this man was even
breathing, but here he was sitting on a chair waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon performed the first injection of
lidocaine to numb his back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She made
sure to inject above the rib because there are fewer blood vessels there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought they would be moving him, but he
actually just stayed straddling the chair the entire operation with his head on
the backrest. Sterile drapes were placed around his back with a small hole from
which the fluid would be drained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently he couldn’t feel anything as Dr. Solomon injected a syringe
and expunged fluid that was red/yellow in color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had found the lung, so I helped insert
the IV to drain the rest of the fluid into a bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must have taken a half an hour to drain or
even longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason said that he
would have trouble breathing for a while after while his lung expanded and he
cleared his airways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe
that someone was living under that condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before I could even blink, Dr. Solomon moved into the major operating
theater on to the next surgery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The goal for Operating Theater day is to finish as many
cases that were booked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not the
same type of case so it is not as simple as performing 3 appendectomies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of appendectomies, right before the
second surgery, a boy came to the hospital with a ruptured appendix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had been in pain for 5 days and because
Kilu’ufi’s supplies were not adequate enough for the operation, he would have
to travel 3+ hours by boat to Honiara for the emergency surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There was a woman on the operating table in the other room for a major surgery. </span>Over her noisy moaning and heart rate
monitor, I finally asked which type of anesthesia they were using.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reply was “ketamine.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you heard it, Special K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was this patient “out of it” she was
actually hallucinating from the extremely dangerous and addictive drug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I didn’t respond, the doctors said
ketamine was all they had to inject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
surgery should have taken maybe 20 minutes in the US with the use of cameras
and big screens in the operating room, but it took much longer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next operation I saw was a terrible case of
conjunctivitis that spread to the cornea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This strain of conjunctivitis is endemic in the Solomon’s and many
people can lose their vision if not treated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was an ophthalmologist performing the surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was incredibly impressed by the procedure
and formality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lady was awake the
entire time and didn’t make a peep as he scraped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final two surgeries were a fractured
forearm set and cast placement and a dressing of a diabetic foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t think I would necessarily enjoy
orthopedics, but the setting and cast placement was actually very interesting
and everyone was actively involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was amazed that the same nurses basically did as much as the doctors and knew
what to do on every surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two men
pulled on each side of the arm to set it, while the doctor wrapped the
plaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the last patient came in,
it was about 1 PM and everyone was getting a little tired after being on their
feet surgery after surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
operation was considered minor but it was actually one of the longest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The patient had uncontrolled blood sugar which
caused damage in his blood vessels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
commonly this presents in the feet where sores appear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is actually a known condition from
diabetes, but so rare in the US because of proper care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never seen a diabetic sore until here
where they are common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worst-case
scenario a limb has to be amputated, and this man’s left leg was already
gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason numbed his right foot
where there was a small sore, but said he needed to open it up to properly
dress it and make sure there was no infection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t think local anesthetics were enough as the man was clearly in
pain when the razor was taken to his foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dr. Solomon began to place the ketamine mask on him, but he could still
feel the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After maybe a half an
hour of waiting and cutting, I had to sit down for a second because of the
amount of blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, I will
spare the details, but this sore was unreal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was deep enough to fit one half of Dr. Jason’s pointer finger inside,
so they decided to pack it and operate on it again when he was properly
sedated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Surprisingly after all the action, it was around 2 PM and I
think I was actually starving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Jason
and I were talking about the surgeries for a while, and I asked about the cost
of the surgeries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe his
answer: they are all free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he
wished he got paid according to the amount of surgeries he does or patients he
sees, but that is not the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He makes
money, but not that much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doctor Solomon
is a Level 13 medical professional which is a doctor level with years of work
under her belt but is still paid as a Level 10, which is similar to a
nurse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will never cease to be amazed
by the system here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only reason that
patients don’t line up begging for surgeries like they would in the US is
because adults are not educated enough to be conscious of their health and also
because of the lack of transportation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After talking with Dr. Jason about his history a bit more,
(to Collin and Marcella-he actually performed a fatty cyst extraction on
someone’s back last week that was built up for 10 years, reminds me of the youtube
videos!) I went to the maternity ward to check up on baby Cayla!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daniela and Cayla were doing great and Sister
Matilda has met with them earlier to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I snapped a photo with them and walked around the ward for a
little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When there was not much else to
be done, I headed home for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clare was home after already going to the market and back so we chatted
and played with Chrisma the rest of the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we did some Insanity before the
evening prayer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After, Bishop Chris took
all of us out including Father Moses, to the one restaurant in Auki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great dinner and nice to go out on
the town!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant has the same 5
dishes on the menu all year, so everyone knew what they wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I split a fish and a chicken
vegetable dish and enjoyed every bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the way home, Bishop Chris said that Clare and I should teach the
kids exercise tomorrow, so I think that will be our activity for the day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Matilda wants me to put Insanity on
the computer for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another eventful
day in Auki!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday, August 1, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought today would be a somewhat slow day at Kilu’ufi,
but I was most definitely proved wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The morning was a bit slow, and I waited for Dr. Solomon in the
children’s ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before she arrived, I
walked around and chatted with the mothers and played with their babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worried mother
here, at least how we visibly portray worry in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If worry is laughing and just saying “Okay”
to everything the doctor says, even if bad news, maybe I have seen it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two children, Alick and Rebecca, who were
bed ridden with their broken legs were still in the ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t take one more second, so I found a
tape measure and took their measurements from the armpit to the end of their
foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I first saw them two days
ago, the seeds of a grandiose plan were planted, and I decided enough was
enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to make the crutches
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before getting their hopes up, I
knew that my goal would be somewhat realistic because Bishop Chris’s builder,
Laborio, could probably assist me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
a skilled craftsman and artist who built the chapel at Fanualama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me, if the children took the crutches
that I made by myself, they would probably break another limb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sketched a model out while I was waiting
for doctor Solomon, and so far my materials are:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>timber, rubber stopper or tennis ball, nails
or screws, tape, and a towel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll see
how this one turns out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Dr. Solomon and I were filling out charts, we were
chatting with the nurses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big news
was that last night, apparently the hospital secretary, whom I met, was
intoxicated and decided to drive the ambulance down to a village past Fui River
where the people had a grudge against him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dr. Solomon said these villagers previously beat him up because he was
in the “wrong place doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, he didn’t quite get his revenge because
the villagers stoned the vehicle before he could harm anyone, and as a result
he crashed the ambulance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was
this a dangerous accident, I was almost sick to realize how many people will
suffer because of this broken vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was Kilu’ufi’s only ambulance, and now no transportation will be
available until it is fixed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doctors
were very frustrated because he brought a bad name to the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This man had also been suspected of stealing
money for ambulance repairs in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wait until the director May-June gets her hands on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After finishing seeing the children with Dr.
Solomon, including one baby whose entire lung was filled with fluid most likely
from TB, we headed to the maternity ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were no deliveries today, but I was very upset to hear
that “Cayla” had a fever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon
said it was related to her delayed breastfeeding and probably an
infection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prognosis is good so I
hope all is well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We discussed the
patients for exams and overheard the nurses saying that a mother wanted to sign
“leave at own risk” papers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her baby was
1 kilo, and about the length and width of my forearm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hardly believe how tiny she was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounded like Dr. Solomon had given up
trying to convince them to stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
said that the husband was very harsh with her, and wondered why the baby wasn’t
improving if she was a doctor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said
that he makes the decisions and he is free to do what he wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon is a very strong woman, so I
think she had it with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want
to get involved, but for some reason I felt like I should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I went to check on the baby, just the
mother was inside the room looking upset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She asked me my opinion, (most people think I am an expert in
everything) I told her I thought she should stay longer with her baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she was to leave, the poor thing would be
prone to so many different infections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The immune system would not be strong enough, and the outcome would not
be good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She then told me that she
agreed with me and whispered quietly that her husband is very angry with
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said whenever she sticks up for
herself and the baby, he yells and says he wants to go home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was abuse at its finest, but the poor
woman could not even recognize it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just
at a curiosity, I asked her where home was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She replied that she was staying in Auki with family, while her husband
lives and “works” in Honiara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
times, this means that he has another spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked her why he couldn’t leave alone and come back when the baby was
healthy to bring them home, but she said that he yelled and told her she was
wasting her time; he could take care of the baby himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, I didn’t want to show my rage
or utter disgust for her husband, so I tried stay rational.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I calmly asked where her husband was, and she
answered that he was waiting outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thanked her and stepped out of the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Did he really think that this baby could leave the hospital, travel by a
crowded boat for 3 or 4 hours to Honiara, and survive?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly didn’t want to make a scene, so I
began seeing patients with Dr. Solomon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She knew I didn’t get anywhere, and she told me that Solomon Islands has
just began a women’s rights movement due to the amount of abuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the submissive woman was part of
their culture, men were accepted to be the ringleaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said in a recent study, researchers found
that 2/3 of Solomon Islands women are abused, verbally or physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The government is just starting to pass laws,
but the police do not enforce them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
mother suddenly interrupted our conversation by knocking on the window of her
room to get my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran to the
door, and she whispered to me that her husband was inside now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a rush of adrenaline, and had a master
plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went up to him and shook hands
and introduced myself as a “US medical worker.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hey, I’m a certified nurse’s aide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He told me that all he wants to know is the condition of his baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him that Dr. Solomon and I think the
baby should stay because it is not safe to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He constantly kept saying that treatment
wasn’t working and he’s already been waiting for 2 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said if he just left by himself, he knew
his wife would call him and he would have to come all the way back to Malaita
to get her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you kidding me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After back and forth “arguing” with him, I
could hardly stand his red beetlenut mouth and yellow eyes, obviously on some
type of drug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally he agreed that he
is making the decisions and he will discuss it with his wife, but thinks that
staying a week would be a good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There it was, he was lying to my face to make it look like he had
control of his family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother
thanked me and Dr. Solomon was happy to hear the baby would be staying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only safe place right now was in the
hospital, despite not having any cribs, but that is another story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWnhwNx-S9WcTP5ymhUcRswJSLwzAf9TCgfwFP78Yf7Moso9NHTZ13C6fhEQt7hn3UDaLylpgBgwLwVerQ1Vu7eEg1zQjD9oxeQ_vMQIGi2XhYr4OGog3VJfrExHwaub9lBr7RNFuM2rl/s1600/DSCN1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWnhwNx-S9WcTP5ymhUcRswJSLwzAf9TCgfwFP78Yf7Moso9NHTZ13C6fhEQt7hn3UDaLylpgBgwLwVerQ1Vu7eEg1zQjD9oxeQ_vMQIGi2XhYr4OGog3VJfrExHwaub9lBr7RNFuM2rl/s320/DSCN1096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By this time it was 1:30 and Dr. Solomon and I decided to
take quick break before the emergency appendectomy we were called in for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stepped outside of the hospital and each
got a coconut which was delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
headed to the operating theater and scrubbed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the nurses were preparing and Dr. Jason
came after escaping his busy schedule in the outpatient ward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe how long the appendectomy
was delayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman’s appendix was
already ruptured when she came to the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had been in pain for 5 days now, and then waited 3 or so more hours
to be approved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew this couldn’t be
the best, but everyone took their time and began the operation around
2:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a spinal tap which looked
absolutely excruciating, the young woman barely made a peep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was laid back down on the table and given
local anesthesia where the cut would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because of the broken machine they did not have general anesthesia so
ketamine was injected instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
Dr. Jason starting slicing a little before the drug had a full effect due to
her moans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The slice was honestly the
most inhuman thing I had ever seen, and I think I liked it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I knew the patient was fully out, I got
really interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
ecstatic to see the safety precautions involved and how safe they kept it
despite having few supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again,
I will spare the details, but Dr. Jason successfully flushed out the
infection around where the appendix burst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He guided me through every step, explaining what he was doing and what
organ we were touching now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He drained
the area as well as an abcess, and then he told me the principle was to always
properly irrigate infection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> H</span>e rinsed
the wound with saline and suctioned it back out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After doing this for a while, he was
satisfied, so I helped stitch the fibrous muscle tissue up after inserting a
drain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said the wound must be left
open because it was dirty, and any remaining toxins can keep draining for a
couple days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After two layers of suture,
he secured the skin with 3 nylon sutures while I cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wound was closed, and the operation
finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I absolutely loved it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Dr. Jason and Solomon were laughing at
how happy I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am officially the luckiest person and having the best experience of my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I walked home, it was already 5 PM and Clare was
involved in soccer with the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
totally missed our exercise promise, but everyone understood when I explained
why I was late!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Loretta was
laughing hysterically when I recounted my day and she couldn’t believe how
happy I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Matilda greeted me
and told me she did Insanity by herself today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was so excited for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
prayer and a delicious dinner, all of us are sitting around chatting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McDreamy, I mean Dr. Jason, said I would never
forget this day, and he is 100% correct.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday, August 2, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJCpIwWy1JHs_etNGp9BjMVBGZZVPZHQALBI1-u_sXa1wOqINT5bmLrRVtBahkPp70uloE6CTSRfgi0JATmtWm8fad_Scx0QE87CXDLVklli2P4s_wMFta_AjLIXGH4ny8uCFKtZcfb2o/s1600/DSCN1225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJCpIwWy1JHs_etNGp9BjMVBGZZVPZHQALBI1-u_sXa1wOqINT5bmLrRVtBahkPp70uloE6CTSRfgi0JATmtWm8fad_Scx0QE87CXDLVklli2P4s_wMFta_AjLIXGH4ny8uCFKtZcfb2o/s320/DSCN1225.JPG" width="320" /></a>Just writing a quick post about today’s operations because I
have internet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day started off with
a set and cast placement for a re-fractured arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man had gotten into a fight and broke his
forearm before, and decided to fight again with his cast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say it took 3 men to set it, and
the job was done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was laughing about
how excited I was for the next case of an incision and drainage of the underarm abscess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The young girl’s mother was in the room and
she works at the hospital, so I was a little nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Solomon
sprayed the abscess while I cleaned it. I thought there would be more
action, but I was satisfied after dressing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next case was a patient who broke two fingers after getting into a
fight with her sister-in-law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in charge
of the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IV and ketamine injections, and I
got nervous when she was hallucinating after the splint was in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said that it happens all the time, but
it took this woman a very long time to wake up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, the man with the diabetic foot came back and I braced myself
for blood. Dr. Jason wanted me to help him so of course I gloved up and got in
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty disturbing how I
could see the plantar fasciitis and the bone, but I handled it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nurse, David, was laughing and brought
over a chair because he foresaw me passing out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I proved him wrong!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I
are heading into town to run a few errands for a special birthday party this
weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward to the next post!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp91AIsIsZS-cKUSC3i9Cdg53AWNZ3rSJ6Fy-b0VtPUI3nsP-3E4sPertsg4M8SUqyRFkX-soeOV9yVPtGpnWVFIbhYD8Z1dj_ePGmRl_XL08u5tmNl2Qx-Xi_XbE3hX-F6JQlxwhyphenhyphenysA/s1600/DSCN1223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp91AIsIsZS-cKUSC3i9Cdg53AWNZ3rSJ6Fy-b0VtPUI3nsP-3E4sPertsg4M8SUqyRFkX-soeOV9yVPtGpnWVFIbhYD8Z1dj_ePGmRl_XL08u5tmNl2Qx-Xi_XbE3hX-F6JQlxwhyphenhyphenysA/s320/DSCN1223.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Operating Theater Crew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HIIeJaDNET_JPiGg5fUsLlUaFkyw9CdxI9TNC4TlPEJUcVCOIXLwcAR25ML_POtCapyDt4n-ocwOBA9CHpsZ9kPg3EzpaI5Ok_-PBhlYP_AnGybmAd2_JMQH37b-kZfEHFVA57KI-LJF/s1600/DSCN1456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HIIeJaDNET_JPiGg5fUsLlUaFkyw9CdxI9TNC4TlPEJUcVCOIXLwcAR25ML_POtCapyDt4n-ocwOBA9CHpsZ9kPg3EzpaI5Ok_-PBhlYP_AnGybmAd2_JMQH37b-kZfEHFVA57KI-LJF/s320/DSCN1456.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maternity Ward</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-78670403292602224472012-07-27T16:56:00.001-07:002012-08-27T20:35:27.108-07:00Auki- first days!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday, July 26, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We made it to Auki!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
seriously had my doubts about the boat leaving on time, especially after the
earthquake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept feeling aftershocks a
tiny bit throughout the night and I certainly did not sleep that well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Vero had on the radio and all I could
hear was muffled pidgin and every other work tsunami.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were saying, “No tsunami,” but I
unfortunately didn’t understand that until the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got to the wharf and waited for our boat while every
single person in line stared at us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clare and I smiled but I seriously felt like I was in a cage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After loading the boat, we luckily got a
table and two very nice RAMSI officers sat with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about our experiences in the
Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were stationed for 3
contract terms to build housing for the police force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wish to do this so that the various
province police can move around because they are very biased to their “wantok”
or one-talk, meaning they are from the same tribe/village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is also true of wantoks is that they can
show up to any other wantoks house/province and expect to be put up for however
long they would like to stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
incredibly problematic and expensive for the hosting wantok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything in his home becomes common property
for his wantok family to share, even if they had not known each other well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a four hour boat ride, we arrived in Auki around 12 PM
and were greeted by Bishop Chris right off the boat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He draped a leaf necklace around each of our
necks and welcomed us in the traditional fashion!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris is nothing less than a celebrity
in Auki and all of the Catholic community for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he was walking through the market to
reach us he had already received 2 fish!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now everyone in the crowed wharf was staring and he casually explained,
“Clare and Cayla wantok me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the
people understood!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We threw our bags in
his truck and drove about 5 minutes down the road to the Diocese of Auki
grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This beautifully landscaped
community is home to sisters, brothers, some school and security staff, and the
Bishop himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were lucky to have a
lunch prepared for us as soon as we arrived in his kitchen with other visiting
sisters of charity who were just preparing to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare actually had Brother Roger, who is Bishop
Chris’s friend from New York, as a teacher in high school and he is here
visiting at the same time teaching music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a major reason why Clare became so interested in the fellowship
and it was great that their time overlapped a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After lunch, Clare and I were led to our house with Sister
Loretta and Sister Matilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their house
is so colorful and cute!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is just a
minute away from the Bishop’s, as well as the chapel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I are once again living like queens
as we each have our own room, and electricity!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sister Loretta took us to town so Clare and I could get Internet to post
on our blog and we enjoyed a nice walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The center of Auki is maybe about a 30-45 minute walk from where we
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our trip, we discussed our
schedules for our time here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare would
be going to the secondary school to teach English where Sister Loretta teaches
and I will be traveling to Kilufi Hospital in the morning with Sister Matilda
who is visiting the sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully I
will be able to set up some work there for the rest of my time in Auki.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bishop Chris held an evening prayer and many children from
the surrounding community came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also
held a meal in a little outdoor seating area/hut equipped with grass roof and
bamboo bar!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is already so kind and
welcoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is amazing how all the
kids and adults look up to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
pidgin is spot on since he’s been here, almost 20 years!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bishop Chris was a classmate of Providence
College’s president, Father Shanley, so a PC grad himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The friars that are still teaching at PC all
know Bishop Chris and some of his family is still attending/involved with the
school as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is certainly a small
world!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am blessed to be in the
beautiful province of Malaita and welcomed by everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner, Brother Roger, Clare, and I
were talking about how the Solomon Islanders are the happiest people you’ll
ever meet despite having so little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
said one thing that stood out to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Solomon
Islanders have 3 possessions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>their
family, their community, and their faith.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday, July 27, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day 2 in Auki was just as amazing as the first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We woke up for early 6 AM morning mass said
by Bishop Chris and a priest from Tonga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After that, Sister Loretta and Matilda cooked some breakfast and we got
ready for our organizing schedule day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Sister Matilda had to get 3 huge bugs out my room and I think she was a little annoyed.. There was a massive spider, grasshopper, and a cockroach (I'm not a wimp!) </span>Clare and Sister Loretta headed off to the secondary school right across
the street where Sister Loretta is an English teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Clare got settled, I was to head down
to Kilu’ufi Hospital with both the sisters to find out my program for the 3
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We caught a bus around 9 AM in
the scorching heat and arrived at the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You would have to see to believe the condition the hospital is in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is much more “professional” than the
clinic, but the halls between the wards were outside and inside the wards are
just lines of beds where people lay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From what I could see so far, there was a maternity ward, children’s,
men, women, tuberculosis, and the only psychiatric in the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went with Sister Matilda as she gave communion
to the sick in the TB ward while Sister Loretta tried to find the director for
me to meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The patients looked so
sickly it was terrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, at
Kilu’ufi, they are not responsible for feeding the patients, so most of the
time you will see many many family members crowding around one bed visiting and
feeding the patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sister Loretta found me and it was time to meet with the
medical director, May-June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Yes for
real, June for short).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her office was
the nicest place I’ve seen in the Islands yet, with a rolling chair, air
conditioning, a fan, and a computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
personality was very dry so I was intimidated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was peculiar that her office seemed to be so elaborate while the rest
of the hospital was in pretty tough shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Basically she said it was fine that I worked at the hospital she just
needed to see a formal letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
the most procedure I have experienced so far!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No waivers, no health forms, just a letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Sister Loretta and I walked back to Sister
Matilda in the women’s ward to tell her we were heading back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was praying with a patient while the
nurse was cleaning the beds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the
prayer, she actually found beetlenut in the patient’s bed which is definitely
not allowed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone started laughing,
including the nurse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sister Loretta and I walked back to the house, maybe 20-30
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here begins the start of my
realization how easy we have it in the US to type and print.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Loretta has a computer, so I quickly
typed up a document stating my education, background, and why I am traveling on
this fellowship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote it from the
sisters and Bishop Chris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, printing
at the house would be too easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then
walked to the secondary school to print out the letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the office workers printed out the
letter for me, and now my job was to find Bishop Chris to sign it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was exhausted from the heat by this time
and Sister Loretta stayed behind at the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I walked back to the Bishop’s house, right near ours, but he was not
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I began asking where he might
be, and found out that he was in his office a mile down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I began my journey, letter in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was enjoying myself waving to everyone on
the road as they stared at me and met with Bishop Chris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After he signed the letter, I began the
journey home and barely made it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare
was in the house and told me how she was teaching her own class!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she headed back to the school, I
unfortunately had to walk BACK to Kilu’ufi to deliver the letter!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So maybe 1.5-2 miles later, I was sweating profusely
as I handed my letter to May-June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
said I was set to start Monday for an orientation with the nurses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said I should be very busy because there
are actually only 3 doctors in all of Malaita (151,000 people).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is compared to a state such as New York
which is about 1 doctor to every 400 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I finally completed my journey home (with a tan) and waited for Sister
Loretta and Clare to return home from school.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When they got home, we headed to the market to pick up some
things for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we got the
world-renowned Malaita pineapple as well as some lettuce, peppers, and
tomato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked around for a little
and returned on a bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some
weeding in the garden (Gram would be proud!) with Bishop Chris, we headed to
evening mass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had dinner once again
with the children from mass which was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, Sister Loretta is playing this game on my dad’s kindle where you
have to get 3 bubbles of the same color in a row and they pop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is screaming and laughing every time she
beats a level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s actually hilarious
and reminds me of my mom and I playing jewel frenzy and other games on the iPad
until ridiculous hours in the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-70246677178113077012012-07-25T21:43:00.001-07:002012-09-18T18:35:48.621-07:00Visale<br />
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Sunday, July 22, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do I even begin to explain today’s travels… First, Clare
and I wanted to wake up and cook Sister Catie and Stephanie breakfast before 8
AM Mass. We didn’t have many materials,
ingredients, or power, so we decided on a makeshift banana French toast. After Clare spilled cocoa all over herself in
the dark and I burnt myself lighting the stove with a match, somehow we came
away with a feast by 7 AM and called everyone to the table. The meal was not half bad and they highly
enjoyed it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Clare and I walked to church just across the street and
watched as all the students came in.
Luckily, we picked to sit on the right side (girls) and the pew we were
sitting in was the last to be filled.
Everyone was afraid despite our waving!
There was barely any speaking in the service except for the
readings. The children sang and played
acoustic guitar the entire time and it literally sounded like a choir. They were all rehearsed and the music and
melody of every song was incredible. The
handcrafted alter, grass roof chapel, and painted rainbow colors around the
church was one of the most beautiful sights.
At the end of Mass, the deputy principal of the school had Clare and I
stand up and introduced us as a “nurse and a sports teacher” and said that no
one could go to the clinic unless they were seriously ill and everyone
laughed. It was an honor to be
mentioned.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After church, Clare and I headed back to pack up our
things. Sister Catie was already almost
crying and saying she didn’t want us to leave.
She is seriously a riot. After we
were done packing, there was a patient waiting for her injection, so I walked
to the clinic and took care of that and also cleaned an open sore on her
finger. Clare and I were sitting outside
the clinic just chatting and laughing as Sister Catie took our cameras and took
photos of every single flower and spoke about every single blade of grass, when
we saw Sister Veronica and Sister Leonie drive up in their car. That meant it was time to go, and we were so
sad to leave. Sister Catie and Sister
Stephanie packed the car with food and said that if anything went wrong for the
rest of our trip to call and she will come get us. It was so sad to leave and see her upset, and
her 4-foot tall body running after the car.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We stopped at Panatina Ridge to switch cars where we met
more and more sisters and visitors. We
had a quick lunch, and then started off on our journey to Visale, about an hour
away. On the way, we saw Guadalcanal war
memorials as we drove along the coastline of the island. I’ve never driven on such a beautiful road
and I was in awe as we came out of the city into the more rural villages with
no power or electricity. It is such a
sight to see the rich land and ocean juxtaposed with these poor families of 10,
20 people and their children without any clothes. Sister Veronica comes from Visale and she
explained to us that the road we were driving on had mostly Catholic
villages. They all first learn to speak
the mother tongue, then pidgin a form of broken English, and then English if
they get to a good school. It really
sets the family dynamic, because if one does not go beyond the mother tongue,
you can only communicate with those in your surrounding area. There are 15 mother tongues in Guadalcanal
alone. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After driving through rivers, rickety bridges, and receiving
many laughs from people looking at white people as we passed, we reached Sister
Veronica’s school where she teaches home-ec and health as well as her
house. She is set back from the school
in a group of homes all built for the staff of the school. Her house is owned by the Dominican Sisters,
so whoever will come here next in their placement will stay in this house. Clare and I are sharing one room of the
2-room home, and it is the cutest place ever.
Decorated with beautiful Solomon Island drapes, a purple floor, and a
homemade altar, you can barely notice that there is no power ever! We dropped our things inside and Sister
Veronica took pineapple, rice, watermelon, and tea in the car and said we were
going out to the beach. I was so excited! We drove down a small road and Sister
Veronica pointed out each one of her family’s huts and one of their
villages. It seemed that she was related
to every single person on the road. We
stopped at her sister’s house and met their entire family. The kids were hysterically laughing when they
saw us because Sister Vero told them we came especially to see them. Some of them clothed and some unclothed, they
laughed and laughed and were embarrassed to introduce themselves. Clare and I were enjoying this so much! Although it looked like they barely had a
sturdy house, the children and parents came out holding coconuts for each of
us. We thanked them so much and headed
off to the beach. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We parked at Sister Vero’s cousin’s hut that was actually on
the beach, and walked down to the water with our coconuts in hand. I’ve ever seen such a pristine and untouched
scene. I’ve also never had a swim in
water where 2 people were spear fishing about 50 feet away from me. The water was like a bath, and I just floated
and enjoyed the sun. After our swim,
Sister Vero told us that her nieces and nephews had something for us. We walked near their house, and they set up a
whole table for Clare and me, with a tablecloth and flowers! They cut up the fruit and watched us sit
down. I was in shock. I certainly to not need to be treated like a
princess and I felt so horrible about how selfish we can be sometimes in
America. These kids were in joy just by
giving someone a gift. Not to mention,
they made me close my eyes and tied a beautiful flower necklace around my neck
and one on Clare’s. They were the cutest
kids ever and I wish that they will be safe and healthy in their future. So far, this was one of the best days and I
could not believe by just visiting and doing work I enjoy, I was practically getting
showered by gifts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beautiful picnic!</td></tr>
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After our swim, we drove to Sister Vero’s family village
about 5 minutes down the road. They
literally had about 7 wooden and grass huts and a bamboo archway with flowers
as you enter. It was so beautiful that
this extended family lived together so close, without any power, and looked so
peaceful and calm. There are no worries
in the Solomon’s. Sister Vero set up
camp and opened yet more Tupperware containers of food and served everyone a dinner
of sweet potato, chicken, and more fruit.
She left a ton of food for her family and the parish priest who lives in
their village, and I could see the joy on her face as well as theirs. We headed back to the school and house when
Sister Vero’s sister flagged the car down.
They wanted to give us more! One
by one, the uncle and children carried out pineapple and cucumbers “for the
American students.” The pineapple was
just picked from their garden! I felt so
terrible taking the food, but they are so happy to give. Clare and I just couldn’t believe their
culture. So carefree, easy, and
simple. Sister Vero’s laugh is
contagious and we spoke pidgin saying “see you later” and “good night” out the
window to all the people passing. Some
stopped us saying they wanted to shake our hands. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When we got back to the house, we toured the school and the
clinic where I’ll be going tomorrow. We
each had a freezing cold shower outside, which felt amazing, and said an
evening prayer. Sister Vero, Clare, and
I sat by her table and told stories for so long. We were all hysterically laughing as we
recounted stories of crazy Sister Catie.
She was one of the first sisters in the Solomon’s, refuses to tell
anyone her age, and even though they say you don’t have to wear a veil anymore,
she insists. She also had a parrot
before Pacifica called March, and a dog ate it.
The way Sister Catie told Clare and I we were both almost in tears, but
Sister Veronica told us that Catie put so much attention on the bird everyone
was neglected. When the bird died, Catie
did not eat or do anything for 3 days.
The Sisters had to buy her Pacifica so she would come out of her
slump. We were laughing so hard. We reminisced on the time Clare and I taught
her yoga and her tiny munchkin self, trying to throw herself on the floor eager
to learn. And also how she thought we
were doing “yogurt.” Finally Sister
Veronica told us that she wanted to be a nurse at one point and took her
entrance exam with one other boy. She
passed with flying colors, and the boy failed.
But, just as politics are in the US, the boy’s family who were
parliament of Western Province, paid off the nursing school so Vero would not
get in. They accused her of
cheating. I could not believe this
injustice. Sister Vero is so happy
teaching health, but to think that her dreams were stolen away unfairly is
sickening. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Heading to bed early at 9 PM for another eventful day. I have no doubts I am going to sleep well on
the floor in this beautiful house.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Monday, July 23, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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After my first full day in Visale, a village without running
water and power, I am truly amazed by the community. We woke up around 5:45 and got ready for
mass. We walked to the church and
listened to the choir sing in perfect harmony the entire time. The deacon welcomed us once again and I felt
honored. After breakfast, I changed into
my scrubs and felt a little nervous for my first day at the clinic. First, Sister Vero took Clare and I to the
staff office of the school and we were introduced to everyone. The teachers’ staff room looked like a few
desks pushed together with stacks of books piled on top. They looked so eager to teach despite this
cramped office and I wished that one day the school building could be
improved. All the teachers plus Clare
and I then piled in a room for the “pre-assembly.” This was the first day of school starting the
third term. However, school was supposed
to start last week but because of the Pacific Arts Festival, not enough
students came. This is how things work
here. And also, the principal didn’t
even turn up yet. I felt sorry for
Sister Vero who is one of the nicest an genuine people I’ve ever met trying to
make a difference, with so few resources.
All the students started laughing and whispering when Clare and I walked
in. This seems to be the typical
reaction! I just smiled and waved and
felt so many eyes staring and me and turning away as I looked. It was hysterical. The head staff teacher introduced us and we
spoke about ourselves. Most of the
children can understand some English, but mostly speak pidgin. After the students received their lecture
about no beetlenut, alcohol, or smoking, everyone was seated and 3 girls walked
in holding leis for us! It was the
cutest thing ever as they placed fresh white lilies and a braided palm lei
around my neck. I do not deserve this
kind of welcome, but it is all part of their culture!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I headed off to the clinic where I met Nurse Michaela taking
her time with the line of patients waiting outside. I first worked in the lab,
examining slides of blood to test for malaria.
Keep in mind that this lab is a tiny room with one table and one
microscope. I learned about the types of
parasites in the Solomon’s, mainly Pf and Pv.
Pf is more dangerous and more common.
It affects the liver where the parasite can hatch its eggs. There are three stages, and as they progress
the parasite becomes darker and rounder under the microscope. A positive slide looks like a crescent moon
with the opening connected by tiny dots.
A tiny blood sample stained after 10 minutes is enough to f=diagnose. There are many patients that want to be
tested, but surprisingly, not many have it.
February was the month where most had malaria, with 76 diagnosed and
about 100+ coming in for checks. In the
month of June there were 90 people coming in for checks and only about 17
positive cases. This disease is so
dangerous, and proper prevention is key.
Most families do not have access to bug repellent or mosquito nets, and
their children suffer as a side effect.
It was truly heartbreaking to see this disease take control of these
people’s bodies and their minds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After learning about the lab, I helped the nurse record all
the patients down including their name, age, sex, village, new/returning,
history, and treatment. In total, we saw about 22 patients for the day. Mothers and children kept lining up outside
because Monday is a “free day” meaning anyone can come and people walk from
very far away. I saw patients with abscesses,
infections, diabetic sores, flu-symptoms, forehead gashes, and simple
cuts. I took blood pressures and helped
with dressings. Probably the most
heart-breaking thing I saw were young mothers coming in with their babies, no
older than 2 months old, with a terrible cough and chest infection. These babies were still breastfeeding and
were already given doses of antibiotics, yet still wheezed and could barely
make a sound without coughing. It is
sickening that these children have no control over the family or location they
are born into. The nurse told me that
oftentimes the mothers neglect the children and forget to finish the dose of
antibiotics. It was amazing to see how freely the perscriptions are
dispensed. No signatures, only a $5.00
payment. The only money patients pay for
healthcare in the Solomon’s is if they see a private doctor, get an injection
($5.00-less than $1.00 US), get a malaria test, or get a prescription. Healthcare is just not emphasized. The kids waiting to be seen were staring at
me as well as their mothers. They
couldn’t believe I was there and one grandma even ran away from me scared
because she couldn’t speak English. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Two cases were most memorable for me today. After I came to the clinic around 8:30 AM,
the nurse just left saying she had to take a shower. Schedules do not exist here. So apparently I was in charge, and I was
talking to a lady maybe 20-30 years old who was waiting for her malaria
test. She kept asking me why I was here
and she was so interested in everything about me. I just feel so bad, not feeling sorry for
them, but just that they are so genuine and could have life so much
easier. She asked me my name a couple of
times throughout our conversation, and then asked how to spell it. When she was leaving (no malaria, thank
goodness) I saw she wrote on her hand, C-a-y-l-a. I don’t know what she wrote it for, but I was touched.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Martin de Porres Clinic in Visale</td></tr>
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The other case was an “admittance,” the broadest sense of
the term, to the clinic overnight. For an admission here, basically the patient
just lays in one of the 2 rooms with a bed and sits there all night, even when
there is no nurse on staff. This woman
must have been over 70. Another
interesting fact is that no one knows his or her actual age here. It is 20+, 30+, and so on. This particular woman had a severe case of
pneumonia and needed intravenous fluid and antibiotic. Whenever I asked a question, the nurse agreed
with me thinking I was trying to diagnose.
Once I asked her if the patient could have bronchitis and she actually
gave that as the final diagnosis. I just
asked! Recording everything factually
and worrying about being correct is just not a priority. There is no such thing as a lawsuit. This lady needed an IV, so I helped the nurse
insert it into the vein and I injected the fluid and antibiotic. I am so thankful I brought gloves with me for
the blood, because the nurse did not even wear any. The lady was then just told to sit in the
room with her family until her next dose at 10 PM. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tomorrow brings antenatal care, or prenatal care, at the
clinic. The nurse said only pregnant
women come to be examined, but I certainly have learned that things do not go
according to a schedule. I think I am
supposed to be there around “8:00 AM” which means more like 9. I am learning so much each day here, and
slowly realizing that their system is no system. Diagnoses are made by at a glance and
emergencies are driven to hospital whenever the next vehicle comes to town, but
the people and nurses are happy just the same.
People thank me whenever I walk by, but I feel like I am not doing
enough to help. I am just taking it day
by day thankful for this experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do I even begin to explain today? It started off like usual, heading to church
early for 6 and then having a quick breakfast.
I wasn’t feeling too hot the end of yesterday and this morning, so I
hoped I would be fine for the time I was in the clinic. Clare and Sister Vero set off to town to buy
supplies for the library, and I set off for the clinic. I started walked down
the path and when I passed students would yell out their windows, ”Good morning,
Cayla!” I felt like a regular! When I got to the clinic there were many
patients lined up already, some for antenatal and some outpatient. I knew that having an antenatal day only was
not possible. I jumped right taking
blood pressures to help the two other nurses today who were taking their
time. Once again, I was surprised how
steadily the nurses worked and how they diagnosed at a glance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Randomly, it was time for antenatal, so we walked around the
corner to one of the four rooms that had two rickety beds, one for delivery and
one for exam. With the dust and
scattered medical papers everywhere around the room, I could hardly believe
that this could be a room for pregnant mothers.
The exams were short and sweet, the mothers would come and be weighed
and they would tell the nurse about all their other children and history. Keep in mind that the only comorbidities they
check for are hypertension and diabetes.
I noticed that some of the women had higher gravidity than parity,
meaning they carried a child and lost it before birth. After the talk, their urine was tested for
glucose and protein. High glucose would
indicate diabetes and high protein would indicate an infection. One of the mothers had high protein, but
nothing was done besides record it. Most
of the mothers were bringing in battered “baby books” or medical history charts
with dirt all over them. The nurse would
constantly tell me that I am privileged and lucky to have technology in the
US. There are no such things as prenatal
vitamins, diet, or ultrasounds in the clinic.
An ultrasound is only administered at a hospital if it is an emergency
and it is very expensive. They kept
telling me to come back when I had trained in the US. I was really starting to feel hopeless at
this point.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antenatal Exam Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
During the antenatal exams, instead of a heart rate monitor,
the nurse would stick an old-fashioned horn object on the mother’s stomach and
listen for the fetal heart rate. They
violently pushed to see if the baby was breech.
I was observing but also worrying.
My main job was to write down baby names for boys and girls for the
mother. They usually don’t think of
names until they are born. Don’t worry
Coll, all the mothers liked your name for a boy, so I’m sure there will be
plenty of Solomonese alter egos in your future <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>. One of the mothers was happily lying on the
table and told me that her husband left her for a woman in the Western Province
and she didn’t know who the father was of her baby. I was seriously heartbroken and couldn’t
believe how nonchalant she was. I tried
to smile and go along with everything, not letting anyone see how sorry I felt
that these poor women were denied basic technology to ensure a safe
delivery. The nurse and mothers told me
that in the Solomon’s I probably would have already had 4 or 5 children by now. Their fertility rate is more than 3%. They couldn’t believe when I said that women
wait to have children until after school and a job in America. There have been girls in the Solomon’s that
give birth at a mere 12 or 13 years old.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When the mothers were finished, we went back to outpatient
care and I gave some fluid to a man through an IV who came in from a 2-hour
boat ride from the weather coast of Guadalcanal to get to Central
Hospital. He did not look too well, but
I moved onto the patient we admitted yesterday for her dose of penicillin, but
her IV created a boil in her arm, so we had to remove it and start again. The poor woman sat in the chair as the two
nurses tried and tried again to get a vein, but each time they were too deep in
the tissue. Finally, they looked at me
and handed me the IV. I had my eye on a
certain vein the entire time and was happy to give it a go. I sat down and slowly pushed in the needle
just under the skin, not too deep, and gently pushed. And what do you know, blood started coming
out the other end, I got it! The nurses
were laughing at the irony and congratulating me and the lady looked just as
pleased. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After a break, I headed back to the clinic to wait for the
nurses to open up again and practiced my Pidgin with the people around. As I was sitting outside, I noticed that the
man who was waiting for his ride to Central Hospital was still lying on the
ground looking terrible. When the nurses
came back, his wife who was chewing beetlenut, finally stood up and decided to
take a bus to the hospital. I asked if
there was anything we could do and the nurses just shook their heads. They said because of no mobiles, no service,
and no cars, many patients die waiting to go to the hospital. Even if they had a car, no one knew how to
drive. They said communication is awful
and transportation is worse. The ride
was radioed from his original clinic, but there was no way to check where it
was. The man tried to stand up, but when
he did, he began vomiting blood. The nurse
went over to check on him, and noticed the edema in his feet was getting worse,
and so was the jaundice in his fingernails and eyes. To me, this screamed liver failure. He was also known to be a drinker, so
cirrhosis was also possible. The nurse
said there is no treatment for cirrhosis and he would probably have to wait it
out. Excuse me?! I was witnessing a man slowly deteriorating
in front of my eyes, in front of his children, and the nurses were laughing
about how ridiculous the transportation is and sat back down. They finally turned on the radio which
“didn’t work before” and got a signal.
It sounded like there was some communication but I couldn’t tell. Finally I had it. I was so angry I told them to write down a
doctor’s number who could speak English at Central Hospital and I would walk
down the road until I reached service.
They said it was only a half an hour walk. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Someone easily could have done this 5 hours
ago. I ran to Sister Vero who drove me
to a cell signal and she tried calling the number. I felt horrible to involve her in this but honestly;
I had it with the lackadaisical approach to medicine. Not so cute anymore. Oh and guess what? The number was not in service. I was holding back tears and felt defeated. I was frustrated with the clinic and with
myself. I know this is the system and
they realize they have few resources, but lighting a spark for them to utilize
what they have is nearly impossible. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clare said that some of the boys wanted to take us on a hike
up the surrounding mountain, and I was in need of exercise, so I happily agreed
to go. I changed out of my scrubs and
headed out to the start with Jerry, Godrick, Cecilia, and RisaLynn. I vaguely remembered the Mt. Sorrow hike in
Cape Trib and laughed. This wouldn’t be
that hard; after all, the kids weren’t even wearing shoes. About 10 minutes into the hike, I was
sweating profusely. I could hardly
breathe in the humid air, and the hike turned into a steep climb. I could barely grip anything and started to
panic as these children hopped along. We
reached the top after maybe 20 minutes and I admired the view. I could see the island of Savo in the
distance and I was surrounded by paradise.
Jerry interrupted me and said, “Okay, let’s keep going.” WHAT!
I seriously couldn’t chicken out and let the Solomon Islanders think I
wasn’t tough but when I looked up, I realized it was the huge cliff I had been
staring at since I got here. I love a
challenge and everyone knows that about me, but seriously, this had to be
impossible. Cecilia called it quits but I
sucked it up and bit my tongue, and started the climb by hanging onto to blades
of grass while my feet slipped off the slope because of the mossy rocks and
mud. To make things worse, a rock fell
from above which made me look down and I seriously have never felt that
scared. This feeling of panic mixed with
struggle and embarrassment continued for another 40 minutes of pain until my
mud covered body reached the top. I
guess no one warned me? I was
exhausted. The view was the most amazing
scene I had ever seen. I felt the climb was worth it. But I realized, now I had to go down. Clare was trying to perk me up but I started
to worry about the sun going down and also the fact that I could hear wild pigs
and we were walking through grass taller than me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlPaoXIsB0DIdoig16ZZ3cq3avF338UYsiSufh3hcMlixehl-xW38QWX3cRfk6n9ggfB0DdW6VX38NVoYNzQhMTDprLqY0-lJqWs7NlTeVwfucwrUuPLKk3QJq4IPcN8cVCYEA4dVjv3d/s1600/DSCN0993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlPaoXIsB0DIdoig16ZZ3cq3avF338UYsiSufh3hcMlixehl-xW38QWX3cRfk6n9ggfB0DdW6VX38NVoYNzQhMTDprLqY0-lJqWs7NlTeVwfucwrUuPLKk3QJq4IPcN8cVCYEA4dVjv3d/s320/DSCN0993.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally at the summit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Apparently there was an easier way down (I made sure they
knew I could not go down the way we came), I convinced myself to get moving
even though I was shaking. What was
wrong with me? I finally just decided
that sliding down would be the best for me and finally I was laughing
again. How could I not laugh when I was
enduring the most physical activity probably ever in my life, and RisaLynn
still had time to make me a crown out of leaves while she was waiting for me to
recover. I took a moment to picture
where I was, what I was doing, and who I was with. Clare and I were in the middle of a jungle
mountain in Guadalcanal, with 4 jungle children as tour guides. Jerry kept apologizing to me the whole time
and I was just laughing. He made me wait
while he kicked down trees to clear a path.
I must have asked him 30 times if we were going the right way. A little friend Dominic joined us earlier on
the hike, and he was jumping up and down like a monkey. They hysterically laughed as I slid down
whenever we reached a slope and I called it my “system.” Everyone was working as a team, especially
when I slipped off the slope and Clare grabbed my wrists to hold me while the
rest had the pleasure of hoisting me up.
The sun was setting, and the boys kept saying, “soon, soon.” Finally, I saw a grass hut and ran toward
it. They belonged to families and we
just casually walked through their yards waving while their unclothed children
ran around. Jerry pointed to a blue
house and said, “Look, that’s where you live!” and I took off. I thought I was in Sister Vero’s yard lying
down but it was one of the teachers from the school. I asked her where I lived
and she pointed right next door while laughing.
Finally, I saw Sister Vero and she saw me basically black with mud donning
a leaf crown and starting laughing so hard.
Apparently the whole village and the students could see us at the top of
the mountain and were cheering for us the whole time. Good thing I made it! The boys looked fine in their bare feet, just
another day in Visale. I seriously
couldn’t believe it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After my success, the rest of the day brought good
news. The patient at the clinic was
transported to the hospital FINALLY and Sister Vero prepared a meal of fish,
pineapple, papaya and cabbage. I
survived another day, but America’s reputation might be a little damaged from
my hike performance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMnotjG7QEs0GImfwZCU6zelabi3Cuu5J3dyxgCaoJ9KzUDbtPWm-umhVtyVRsfT_aoiZYDDYUhV1VzG_nDWL9qRMdkxHaKappfFFPWaWLUQsCcn2AOL3JfDL6XYvtCqVX980XR2q-1od/s1600/DSCN0995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMnotjG7QEs0GImfwZCU6zelabi3Cuu5J3dyxgCaoJ9KzUDbtPWm-umhVtyVRsfT_aoiZYDDYUhV1VzG_nDWL9qRMdkxHaKappfFFPWaWLUQsCcn2AOL3JfDL6XYvtCqVX980XR2q-1od/s400/DSCN0995.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Mt. Chiromagati with Savo, an Active Volcano Island in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday, July 25, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10:30 PM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I was about to start my blog for the day and took out my
journal to write something down when all of a sudden everything in the room was
shaking. I looked up at Clare sitting on
her bed and she said, “Um, earthquake?”
I threw my book and ran out of my room and everything was vibrating and
almost toppling off the counters. When I
reached the outside door (probably not a good idea) Sister Veronica was coming
up the stairs after just going out for her shower and was like, “I think we
just had an earthquake.” We all started
laughing when it was over and couldn’t even believe it. They don’t happen quite often here, but when
they do, people panic because they think it is a tsunami. Sister Veronica said that she should always
bring an extra pair of pants to the shower in case something bad happens and
she has to run. She is hysterical.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This day has been filled with excitement, beginning to
end. I couldn’t believe it was my last
day, just as I was getting so comfortable in the community and at the
clinic. But I was also kind of
embarrassed to show my face because I’m sure Jerry and Dominic told all the
kids about my mountain climbing experience.
I first went to the library Clare was constructing for the
students. We alphabetized books and she
had plans to label all the fiction books in order and to place mats and
curtains in the room. It was a big
project, but all the kids were looking in through the windows so excited
because the donated books from Australia were just collecting dust before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I walked to the clinic and waited outside for the nurse to
arrive and sat with this one little baby, Frederick, who had a moderate ARI, or
respiratory infection. He has been
coming with his mother for a “repeat nila” or repeat needle for 3 days
now. Frederick is the first baby I have
met that doesn’t cry or run away from me.
In fact, it is quite the opposite.
Whenever he starts crying his mom brings him over to just stare at me
and he opens his eyes so wide. He is
seriously fascinated with my bizarre appearance. It works just up until he gets his shot and
then the tears start flowing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the Solomon Islands, there is no such thing as “first
come first serve.” Who every is getting
a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">repeat nila</i> goes first so the nurse
can get it over with. It doesn’t matter
if there is a semi-emergency or someone has already been waiting for an
hour. And all the people are completely
fine and patient waiting. We did the
usual patients and blood pressures and I found out that everyone already knew I
completed the mountain hike! Then the
action picked up. Sitting waiting
outside for all the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">repeat nilas </i>to
go first was a mother and a little boy, 5 years old, who stepped right on a
metal fish hook. Fishhooks are a little
different in the Solomon’s because the fish are large and strong. The part that was in his foot was probably 4
cm long and he wasn’t even crying. His
mother seemed pretty amused as well. But
as soon as the lidocaine was injected in 3 spots around the hook to numb the
area, he was screaming. I felt so
horrible and tried to calm him down, but I ended up having to hold him in
place. The nurse cut right into the
bottom of the foot with a razor and I do not think the lidocaine was kicking in
yet. Finally after a couple slices, she
got the hook out, cleaned it, and gave it to the mother. The wound was cleaned and the little boy was
sent hopping along on his way. No
worries about tetanus or infection either.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just after I thought I had seen my action for the day, I saw
maybe 10 people walking very fast to the clinic from the road. They looked like they were on a mission but
when they arrived they sat on the bench and waited outside. When I glanced the little boy a woman was
carrying on her back and saw the blood, I figured that they probably should
just wait outside. I took them in and
when the nurse saw the little boy’s head she just said, “Oh, wow that’s really
deep,” in pidgin. Not so
comforting. I glanced at the 11-year-old
little boy, Ezekiel, and saw his eyes were rolling back in his head. I got him some water and told everyone to
stop crowding around him. It is custom
for a whole family or village to accompany someone to a clinic if they are
seriously injured. The nurse didn’t
exactly see the problem with eight of his family members sticking their head
into the 2-foot wide doorway, but after sitting the boy down and seeing his
head closer, they needed to leave. Just
as I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the grandma showed up in a taxi, opened
the door and started screaming at the mother in pidgin for being careless. The boy was home from school with Rubella,
and was climbing a tree when he fell and hit his head and back on a stick. I convinced the nurse to get the family out
beside the mother and shut the door.
Finally we could concentrate and began to clean the deep gash out and
numb the scalp. I was in charge of
cutting his hair and he started to scream.
I told him to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth and
he actually concentrated on this and toughed it out the whole time. After cleaning, the nurse said it looked good
but I could still see dirt. After a
thorough cleaning, we began stitches.
The nurse pulled it through while I cut and after 6, we were
finished. They had taken a bus to a
clinic and his family smothered the boy for another hour until the next bus
came.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjp-c0vXqyHR9E4v_tiaui3a5Zi-O_PMgyB4O9fzVXX_qIXcelja45RB1LXqDivmSanP_GbKqbE57Khh4ntFftqdIDtUipJmgwl3WT_yFxLy9WFOukhyiHshOPd4hKPT3ZJro1-ijxIqt/s1600/DSCN0973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjp-c0vXqyHR9E4v_tiaui3a5Zi-O_PMgyB4O9fzVXX_qIXcelja45RB1LXqDivmSanP_GbKqbE57Khh4ntFftqdIDtUipJmgwl3WT_yFxLy9WFOukhyiHshOPd4hKPT3ZJro1-ijxIqt/s320/DSCN0973.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Available meds in the clinic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were two other interesting patients today. One 24-year-old came in with severe abdomen
pain she could barely speak or walk. The
nurse kind of just stared at her and thought maybe she should take amoxicillin.
I’m no expert but I don’t think amoxicillin would work. It has happened to this woman before but she
only treated it with “local remedy” which is herbal medicine. The nurse decided
to take her in for an exam (first one I’ve seen) and felt her stomach. She felt something “hard” on one side. I think after my IV performance yesterday the
nurse was looking to me a little too much when she asked me, “What do you
think?” Well, I know she needs to go to
a hospital, but that is not possible until Friday on referral day. I said she needed an ultrasound to see for
possible gallstones. For now she is
coming back on Friday, but I secretly told her if possible to go to the
hospital earlier and get checked. The
nurse also turned to me for another patient who was having trouble seeing. Apparently she had clear vision but sometimes
her head hurts and her vision goes blurry.
This happened twice before and was happening again now. The nurse turned to me, and the only thing I
could say was that she needed to go to an eye specialist. There is one in
Honiara at Central Hospital so they agreed to go. I was worried because it was not a simple
“glasses” case. I was suspecting a
possible optic nerve problem. I tried
explaining she needed a brain scan or MRI without scaring them but no one
understood. I took her medical chart
that she brings to the hospital and wrote a note to the doctor about the MRI. I seriously hope this family goes and takes
that advice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyrdxJP7Y6PbkMM1eYmQQg-EFQ-7J1VgmJ77tnEWoscpsLXbxj8t2QdUFbFhcW3zLg9Del8U0AwaP3HRKvHDuWHWX2h5gBJLQt-UqKyVB0xtUME_UTEBIRxZAuT-i3H5ZmhF04JbVvNUR/s1600/DSCN1019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyrdxJP7Y6PbkMM1eYmQQg-EFQ-7J1VgmJ77tnEWoscpsLXbxj8t2QdUFbFhcW3zLg9Del8U0AwaP3HRKvHDuWHWX2h5gBJLQt-UqKyVB0xtUME_UTEBIRxZAuT-i3H5ZmhF04JbVvNUR/s320/DSCN1019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceremony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After entertaining some of the patients with my remedies for
ear problems, getting water out with baking soda and vinegar, I was told to
report back to the school for a little gathering that the students were having
for Clare and me. It was about 1 PM, and
I worked in the library until they were ready.
I could not even believe the room when I walked in. There was Sister Vero, all the teachers, the
principal, our mountain tour guides (Jerry!), and all the kids around us we
have grown close with. There was fresh
fruit and sandwiches that Sister Vero made for everyone and I felt so
overwhelmed. I could not believe they
were treating me this well. There was a
table in the middle for us so we sat down while each person stood up and
spoke. The words of thanks they
expressed were so sincere and they hoped for more students from PC to travel to
Visale. One of the teachers cried and I
almost did as well. Finally, they
presented us with a shell necklace, as it is part of their culture to give
gifts to those who travel far. I
couldn’t believe this moment and how welcoming everyone was. When I got a chance to speak, I spoke
seriously first and then apologized to Jerry for my mountain climbing trauma
and everyone erupted in laughter. While
we were eating, everyone joked about how I was panicking on the mountain and
how poor Jerry got an earful of my complaints.
I filled Jerry’s plate with apology sandwiches over and over again and
everyone was hysterical.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaS_b8AcJJxnYPQzcaiHKWJLaFMiio2kT-HfWODBHQSL3pMMLsmEeSF9V1eEASwMskHfTp748pWkqsYzSe_8NPdip5YZqAecv87DCebZNxY0y_QrnAzypJ-ZQOSwOLMqxDtPEmy5-TLzp/s1600/DSCN1078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaS_b8AcJJxnYPQzcaiHKWJLaFMiio2kT-HfWODBHQSL3pMMLsmEeSF9V1eEASwMskHfTp748pWkqsYzSe_8NPdip5YZqAecv87DCebZNxY0y_QrnAzypJ-ZQOSwOLMqxDtPEmy5-TLzp/s320/DSCN1078.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visale Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After this special ceremony, Clare and I worked long and hard
to finish labeling the books in the library.
After a few hours, Sister Vero took us for a walk on the beach for
sunset. We enjoyed our last night
together and finished up in the library with the help of Cinderella, one of the
teachers. Clare and I were elated when
we were done. Finally these children
have a place to read and study and spend their time constructively if they
prefer not to go home right after school.
Clare’s project will live on long in the history of Sacred Heart School,
and I think most of the kids will think reading is “cool” now that Clare set up
the library!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Sister Vero just turned on the radio and the earthquake was
a 6.6. That is probably not the best
news because I have to be up at 5 AM and on a boat to Auki tomorrow morning. I’m on Solomon time for now. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-78869817394590961762012-07-25T21:42:00.000-07:002012-09-18T17:52:28.235-07:00Tenaru<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday, July 19, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4:15 AM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soon after I closed my eyes from the amount of excitement I
had to be leaving for the Solomon’s, I opened them to my alarm going off to
leave for the airport. Sue was
graciously willing to drive Clare and I, and so off we went! We said our sleepy goodbyes and Clare and I
headed off for flight number 5 to Brisbane.
After a quick trip through security, we arrived at our gate just in time
for boarding and luckily fell asleep on the plane for the hour flight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After arriving in Brisbane, we took an air train over to the
international terminal and got in line for check-in. We scoped out our fellow
travelers and were so excited to board our final flight. After a farewell yogurt and muesli breakfast,
we sat at our gate anxiously awaiting our flight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2:30 PM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because I was unaware of the time difference, we got there
in 3 hours instead of 4! Clare tapped me
as she glimpsed the first of the land out of her window, and all we could see
was mountainous green forests. We were so
excited and ended up making friends with one of the other travelers (despite
the empty plane) who was from Melbourne but has been to the Solomon’s over 20
times for his job for RAMSI. RAMSI is a
special alliance created to help reform and teach Solomon Islanders how to
build a successful community. The
organization oversees departments such as police, agriculture, and building so
that the Islanders can become capable on their own. The alliance was initially started to keep
peace between the Malaitans and Guadalcanal people during the ethnic
tension. We finally touched down in
Honiara, Guadalcanal and breathed a sigh of relief when our first step outside
was hot and humid! After customs, money
exchange, and baggage claim, Clare and I waited in outside in the heat,
people-watching, waiting for one of the sisters to come pick us up. After waiting about a half an hour until 3
PM, we realized that we had no idea what the sister looked like, if she even
knew where to come to get us, or what car we were driving. Honestly, we looked at each other and
laughed. We were told that this is
Solomon Island time, and we had no choice but to follow it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally out of the corner of my eye I spotted an adorable
woman with a white headdress on in the passenger side of a pickup truck
waving. I nudged Clare that this had to
be her! It was in fact, Sister Catie,
running up to Clare and I, hugging us and pushing us into the car. She exclaimed that she was so happy we were
here and sorry she was late! Apparently
another sister was supposed to pick us up but called last minute and couldn’t
make it. Sister Catie, all the way from
Tenaru (about 20-30 minutes away in a car), set out on foot to come get us! On her way she saw Brother Henry, a member of
the community, and flagged him down for a ride.
I couldn’t believe the way things were working out. If Brother Henry hadn’t come to the rescue, I
have no idea what we would have done without any cell phones or directions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clare hopped in the back of the pickup truck with Sister
Catie and our bags while I sat up front with Brother Henry. I had some packages to deliver to the sisters
at Panatina Ridge, so we were on a mission to deliver. Brother Henry gave me the grand tour, and I
couldn’t believe my eyes as I glanced out the window. So many people were walking barefoot on the
roads to their respective fruit and vegetable stands, while some children ran
around without any clothes. The display
of skin and hair colors were all a variety, and I later learned that Honiara is
the “melting pot” of the islands. The
country is absolutely beautiful and untouched.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived at Panatina Ride where I met a New Zealand
volunteer and Sister Leonie, whom I had a package for. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer
and treated at St. Vincent’s and Santa Sabina in Sydney, so I was happy to
deliver some medications for her. After
a complimentary banana and warm welcome, we headed off to Tenaru to see Sister
Catie’s house at St. Joseph’s School.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brother Henry drove us down dirt road after dirt road,
filled with potholes and mud. There was
recently a flood and the roads were not in great condition. I was simply in awe of the beautiful people
in every direction, totally content in their way of life and always seeming to
be on a destination. Even after my
travels to the Dominican, I cannot fathom that there are so many undeveloped
countries and so many cultures that we are unaware of. We arrived and drove into St. Joseph’s
headquarters and marveled at the blue teacher houses on stilts, the gardens,
chapel, student dorms, and finally Sister Catie’s house. It is set up high resting on many poles, and
Clare and I climbed up the stairs to meet Sister Stephanie. She and Sister Catie live together. We were welcomed so warmly and given a tour
of their house. It is truly beautiful and simple, with decorations all
around. They even have a table set like
an altar, where they keep memorabilia and notes of Sisters who have passed. I am seriously so grateful to be here, to
which they responded that they were the lucky ones.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sister Catie drove to pick up her nephew from the airport
again, while Stephanie showed Clare and I around and told us a little more
about the school. Sister Stephanie
teaches the students, form 1-6 (ages 14, 15, 16), agriculture. They go to school from 7:20 AM until 1
PM. After school is out, depending on
the day of the week, they have different activities such as sports, planting or
harvesting rice, or studying. Sister
Catie works in the clinic, which is open to all students and some surrounding
villages. Clare and I will be
participating in both activities, but we will primarily be focused on our
specific healthcare/teaching interests.
Sister Stephanie proceeded to open up and tell us about her vows to
become a sister and how just a couple of weeks later her mother died. She recounted this tale with such grace and
genuine honestly, and said that when she talks about it, it means she is
feeling better, not sad. Her mother was
in a tragic car accident when a coconut tree fell and hit the truck she was
in. No one died except for her mother,
who she was supposed to see the next day.
It was so upsetting yet inspiring to hear her tone and take on the
story. For being so young, Sister Stephanie
is wise beyond her years and I am lucky
to learn from her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknGHH89v6yqsL6I9WlY2xO0jzvdhx3GlDDJL2_U-NBA0clj2p9eSMbft5ASyEd3V3ecppoW5B5v47-jzoJ8VJUcSRP83Osrlt2X5A15Akh4a6dxNN3LiK9hYt8Nrajtq3yEBsqhhQvIxy/s1600/DSCN0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknGHH89v6yqsL6I9WlY2xO0jzvdhx3GlDDJL2_U-NBA0clj2p9eSMbft5ASyEd3V3ecppoW5B5v47-jzoJ8VJUcSRP83Osrlt2X5A15Akh4a6dxNN3LiK9hYt8Nrajtq3yEBsqhhQvIxy/s320/DSCN0712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacifika, Sister Catie's loyal parrot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Sister Catie arrived home, we shared a delicious meal
of chicken, corn, cabbage, and rice. We
all spoke over dinner for a long time, and once again, it felt surreal. After sorting out all my clean water issues
and cleaning up from dinner, Sister Catie said that I was sleeping in her
room. I refused but she insisted that
she is so grateful and that I need to have her room. Sister Stephanie did the same for Clare, and
once again we are being treated! I am
blessed to have come this far and to be a witness of people so genuine and kind
as these Sisters. Right now I am dousing
myself in bug spray under my mosquito net, and waiting for the school bell to
ring at 5 AM to walk to the Morning Prayer service. It is the least I can do after being granted
this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Right now I hear the sounds of the choir rehearsing, surrounded by a
jungle of coconut and avocado trees, in a house on stilts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday, July 20, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1:47 PM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am writing right now on my lunch/free time break from the
clinic this morning! At around 5:45 AM,
Clare came in my room to let me know Sister Catie had woken her up for
mass. I wasn’t really sleeping too
deeply because of the roosters and humid weather, so I was glad to get up and
start my day. Throwing on some clothes
and grabbing a flashlight, Sister Catie, Clare, and I headed off to the Marist
brother’s church down the road. After
hopping over mud puddles and dodging holes in the road, we finally reached the
church only a little late. We walked in
to Mass where there were 3 other brothers praying. The priest was from Holland and was happy to
meet us after the Mass. Sister Catie
introduced us, and by the time we got out, it was light out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We came back to the house for breakfast and Clare prepared
some oatmeal on the stove while I set the table. Right when we sat down and took a bite, Clare
and I smiled and tried to be so polite but soon Sister Catie spit out her
food. She accidentally added salt, too
much salt, to the oatmeal and said she might have forgotten and poured it in
twice! After being relieved about not
having to crunch the oatmeal anymore, we all shared a laugh. After some toast, Sister Stephanie left for
school while Sister Catie insisted we take our time and go to the clinic
“whenever.” I love this place!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow8LKFb9Hm_QagnXk0yRChbdbMrpbiN9yxIVTcABll4-Gsijz-uKhCABnBgN_r2LkBT5JbBTDTTe6n3yyb8fa7c_QelDZJyu8YJDCodwmRT6YeYK8o2GzcY8RY3ydxTk5GK-Ls4jkDDSm/s1600/DSCN0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow8LKFb9Hm_QagnXk0yRChbdbMrpbiN9yxIVTcABll4-Gsijz-uKhCABnBgN_r2LkBT5JbBTDTTe6n3yyb8fa7c_QelDZJyu8YJDCodwmRT6YeYK8o2GzcY8RY3ydxTk5GK-Ls4jkDDSm/s320/DSCN0744.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Joseph's Tenaru Clinic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But I was so eager to see inside the clinic and begin seeing
patients with Sister Catie! Sister Catie
had patients waiting, but took us on the grand “steady” tour of the two-room
clinic. I was getting anxious while her
patients waited but everyone was so calm and absolutely no one is impatient or
objects to waiting. I could hardly
believe the lack of supplies that were in the cabinets. They were stocked with various items such as
gauze, bandaids, tape, and cotton rolls, but only some remained. Clare spent a good amount of time making
cotton balls! I saw the medicine cabinet
with amoxicillin, penicillin, and doxycycline.
The most common cases Sister Catie sees are malaria patients, students
with a cut or open wound, villagers down the street with coughs or cuts, and
those that need injections for infection.
After taking me through each and every one of her supplies, she handed
me the patient book in which I was to take the name, age, sex, status(returning
or new), address, form(if applied), a medical history, and treatment or
diagnosis. Um, OKAY! I had no time to worry or second guess myself
so I delved in to the patients who had already waited about 30 minutes! The first patient I saw brought his own
battered medical history book which was barely legible. It was so sad to see such a lack of care for
this man, and he could not report his exact age. I learned from his book that he was to take
penicillin injections (4 mL) for 5 days for a chest infection. The next woman came in and she had already been to Central Hospital, which is about a 20-30 minute drive
to Visale, and had stitches. Sister
Catie said she already took them out the day. I started attending to a
student who had cut his big toe during soccer. Finally, I met a man who was complaining of chest pain and also a
swollen cut on the inside of his right foot when he was chopping firewood with
an axe. Due to the moist climate and
bacteria in this country, open wounds become infected in the blink of an
eye. Even a cut as small as a simple
hangnail on my finger must be doused in iodine and bandaged immediately. Even though this seems like such a simple and
easy task, it is appalling that so many Islanders do not even have access to
antiseptic or bandaids. These supplies
would be gifts for them, and are definitely something that not many Americans
step back and appreciate. When wounds
become infected, the area on the appendage can swell so large that amputation
is necessary for survival. I became so thankful for all that I
have been blessed with. In order to address his cough, which he said
prolonged for months and came with a wheeze, Sister Catie suggested a round of
amoxicillin. I took out his correct
dosage and placed them in a bag for him.
He is to come back when the dosage is done for a check.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After this exhilarating experience, I cannot wait to begin
my career as a medical professional.
Clare and I headed off to the school to see Sister Stephanie and met
some of the teachers, children, and the principal. After that, it was around noon, and Sister
Catie took us back to the house to have lunch.
We had crackers and an egg/veggie combo, and waited for Sister Stephanie
to come home after school was over. As
soon as she was back, she decided to take Clare and I to the Honiara Central
Market for some shopping. Clare and I
were eager to repay the sisters and could not wait to buy them fresh fruit and
vegetables. We walked about a half a
mile down to the main road with Sister Stephanie and waited for a bus. I was surprised to see a over-sized white van
pulling up right when we got there, which apparently was our ride! We handed the man at the door 5 Solomon
Island Dollars and awaited our journey.
Listening to some reggae, I enjoyed the mountainous view out my window
and the beautiful villages on either side of the road. I was enjoying the ride until about 15
minutes later when I realized that bus’s capacity are basically as many people
as you can fit in 8 seats. I started
sweating profusely and began to laugh as everyone stared at me like, “What is
she doing here?” Clare and I stuck out
like sore thumbs. Finally, after what
seemed like a long time, we arrived at the Central Market. But Stephanie’s phone rang and it was Sister
Veronica, who we are going to stay with on Sunday, and she wanted me to go
about 15 minutes back down the road to the District Medical Office for business
I needed to attend to about working in the Visale Clinic. There was no stress, no impatience, we just
got back on the bus and met Sister Veronica.
When we arrived, I met her by the gates and received a warm
welcome. She is absolutely adorable and
so friendly. She guided me into the
official office which I think made her very nervous. I think I should have been more worried than
I was, but when I went in, the man made me take a seat and asked me what kind
of work I would be doing in the clinic.
He specifically asked if I would be conducting research on the Islands. I explained that I was only here to “look-and-see”
and help as needed. I did not have the
proper permit to research, nor is that part of my program. He then believed Sister Veronica and granted
me permission. Apparently some groups
come from other countries and collect data, which is not supposed to be
released. I felt horrible that they
thought I would be doing this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After this tense meeting, the staff lightened up and some
people even came up to me and asked if I could help in their village clinics
because they needed help. This was very
heart breaking. I want to go everywhere,
but I have so little time. Sister
Veronica was laughing and apologized for the meeting. They wanted to verify she was telling the
truth by having me come along to “testify.”
After that little experience, we hopped on another bus in heavy traffic
and waited to arrive at the market once again.
We finally arrived, and I could not believe the masses of people that
were under this enclosed area. There was
mat after mat laid out with all different kinds of fruit and vegetables. Many of the sellers had the same goods but
were competing for prices. Everything is
so inexpensive compared the American dollar.
After getting about 1,000 more stares and giggles from everyone in the
market, I really started to enjoy myself.
I was certainly a spectacle as we picked out every fresh fruit that
Sister Stephanie wanted. Our purchases
ended up being: lettuce, shallots, pineapple, sweet potato, cucumber, squash,
and 2 coconuts for Clare and I to drink.
As we hauled ourselves through the stifling heat, I could tell that
Sister Stephanie was thrilled with our produce selection. We looked through the displays of
hand-crafted jewelry and shell money, and made some more purchases. Finally, we picked out 4 beautiful apples for
Sister Catie, her absolute favorite.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sister Veronica and Sister Leonie picked us up, essentially
rescuing us from the people who sat one foot in front of me on the sidewalk
staring at me. One group of passersby
even took a picture of me (seriously?!?)
Clare and I were hysterically laughing.
This is certainly an unforgettable experience. Sister Stephanie could tell the natives were
getting restless, perhaps because Friday night is a big drinking night and
countless numbers of people were chewing and spitting beetlenut, which is an
intoxicating seed that stains the teeth brown, causes mouth cancer, and has a
narcotic effect. We drove back to Tenaru
after stopping at a breadshop, and another (Solomon time), and we all went inside
to start dinner. I was so surprised when
Sister Leonie took our coconuts and literally chopped them in her hand with a
huge knife. She then took out all the
meat and peeled them for us to eat. I
didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but it was an interesting
taste. The water was also refreshing but
very sweet and heavy. We enjoyed
ourselves as Sister Catie started chopping up our vegetables to cook. Clare and I made her close her eyes and
handed her the apples we bought and she was so happy! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps one of the best moments of today was when I was in
the clinic with Sister Catie sitting waiting for the next patient. For some reason, I asked her if she knew a
doctor called Roger Webber, because I had recently read a book by him titled
“Solomoni” before I came in order to prepare.
Dr. Webber traveled to every island extensively throughout ten years,
becoming district medical officer and making huge advancements for malaria
treatment. He was stationed on the
islands with his wife and two children, originally from England, and they all
fell in love with the island. I doubted
that any of their time coincided, but the dates seemed to line up, so I asked
Sister Catie anyway. She nonchalantly
answered, “Oh, yes, Dr. Roger Webber and his two children Sophy and Lucy.” WHAT!
Sister Catie named the characters I had just read about word for
word. She was more surprised that I knew
him rather than her! As I recounted the
information I knew about Dr. Webber, Sister Catie reiterated and confirmed
everything. After his wife died in a plane
crash in New Delhi and the two children were the only survivors, Sister Catie
actually watched the children in Gizo!
She knew the snacks they preferred and how they loved to swim. I could not believe this coincidence, and I
later gave the book for Sister Catie to keep and all the sisters were
thrilled. In fact, Dr. Webber began
seeing a Solomon Islander named Heti Bea after his wife died. Sister Catie said that she knew Heti Bea and
that her granddaughter goes to St. Joseph’s!
Sister Leonie exclaimed that she saw Heti Bea herself today at the
airport. Seriously? I could not believe it. Everything happens for a reason, and today
certainly confirmed this. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After dinner and cleanup, I experienced my first bucket
shower, and never have enjoyed one more.
I hand washed my clothes shortly after.
While I was cleaning, Clare told me that Sister Stephanie asked how to
spell our names. She said that when
women come to the clinic in labor, they often ask what they should name their
children. She said that now she has two
names to give them. What an incredible
ending to a day I will always remember.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKjJGv99iEdaJGhwp03CYjI8cIy-VHkSSOsFjplUqLB_CkX73S0Eck7_WA8ZLclKP3dnHOLAqP04Sa7SsHppzUfosfAu9QGp28nhj7u1H9wuJjCjus04X5eDH2YC1WPy3LscSskhV43i0/s1600/DSCN0770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKjJGv99iEdaJGhwp03CYjI8cIy-VHkSSOsFjplUqLB_CkX73S0Eck7_WA8ZLclKP3dnHOLAqP04Sa7SsHppzUfosfAu9QGp28nhj7u1H9wuJjCjus04X5eDH2YC1WPy3LscSskhV43i0/s400/DSCN0770.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(from left) Clare, Sister Vero, Sister Catie, Me, Sister Leonie, and Sister Stephanie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday, July 21, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5:15 PM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am sitting at the kitchen table with Sister Catie and
Clare after almost 12 hours of a busy day!
We woke up around 5:45 AM and walked to mass again at the Fathers’
chapel. It was so dark and took us quite
a while to navigate after falling in the puddles of mud on the way. When we got there, mass was beautifully said
and we headed back to the house for some breakfast. After some toast, Sister Stephanie headed to
the deputy principal’s house because one of her family members was trying to
sell them a pig, while I headed off to the clinic. The clinic was slower than yesterday because
it was a weekend, and it was unfortunate to see that the people who needed to
come back for return doses never returned.
I ended up just cleaning and talking with some of the students, and
dressing the wound from the woman who was hit by a coconut. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because it was a Saturday, the children do cleaning work all
day. This isn’t typical cleaning though,
almost all 300 of the students had machetes in hand, whacking the grass that
grows overnight in this damp weather.
They were so quiet and no one even complained. They looked like they were enjoying
themselves despite the immense humidity.
Clare and I wanted to help, but Sister Stephanie wanted us to accompany
her to the market in order to tell her family that the deputy wanted to buy the
pig. We got a ride from Brother Vincent
and headed off into the busy Central Market once again. I felt like a local this time, and we bought
bananas, peanuts, and catnut. On
Saturdays, the market also has a special flower section which were
incredible. I could stare at the rainbow
of colors for much longer than I did. We
picked up a bouquet for Sister Catie, and also bought some laplaps, which are
sarong type wraps that are handcrafted. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the market, we all had a lunch of rice, bananas, and
fruit. Sister Catie and Stephanie were
pleased, and Brother Vincent stayed for the meal. Everyone was exhausted because of the heat,
but the students were still diligently working.
Sister Catie insisted that we take a “rest” and before we could object,
I fell asleep sitting up in a chair.
Clare and I decided to take a quick nap but could not even stand the
heat in our rooms. We walked down the
road and admired beautiful scenery. The bugs were brutal, but I’ve never seen
such untouched beauty as the villages to my left and right. When we returned, Clare and I wanted to help
around the house more, so we raked the yard that the boys had slashed before. I never realized how much we take lawnmowers
for granted, how they actually take up the dead grass… So we raked and raked
until it started to downpour, which felt amazing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it is much cooler after the rain. Clare and I showed Sister Catie photos of our
family and I received some interesting comments that may or may not be true
(she’s a nun she has to be nice!) I
showed her a picture of Collin and she said, “Oooh, so handsome!” I then showed her a picture of Pam and Bill
to which she replied that my mother looks young and my father looks strong. Accurate?
Maybe…but we were all laughing.
Sister Stephanie prepared a feast of pumpkin, sweet potato, cabbage,
greenbeans, and chicken. She also cut up
the watermelon from the market and the pineapple! After they said this was “The
Last Supper” and were sad to see us go tomorrow, they gave Clare and I laplaps
that they picked out for us. It was so
sweet and they said they wanted us to wear them on the boat to Auki. Clare’s is blue, yellow, and purple tie-dye
while mine is purple and green with dolphins.
They are seriously the sweetest people I have met, and I am sorry to
leave tomorrow. I am excited for Visale
and know that Sister Stephanie and Sister Catie are happy for us in our
journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-40772737559306102382012-07-18T07:40:00.001-07:002012-07-18T07:50:23.571-07:00Can-BrahMonday, July 16- Wednesday, July 18, 2012<br />
<br />
Early Monday morning, Clare and I headed off to Canberra with our trusty tour guides Anne and John Gibbons. Anne is highly involved with the Solomon's mission at Santa Sabina and used to be a chemistry teacher at the school. We started off on our 3 hour car ride and made a pit stop about 2 hours through in Berrima. This historic town is home to a legendary courthouse, of which we took a spooky tour. The town was pretty deserted, and the courthouse even offered a ghost tour at night. Berrima is analogous to an "Amish" country perhaps, rife with history and learning.<br />
<br />
After arriving in Canberra, we all stopped at ACU, Australian Catholic University, to meet our tour guides at the school. We met Pam, the Dean's assistant on Signadou campus, who informed us all about the monetary/loan system for university students. Clare and I found ourselves extremely jealous of their "Hecs" system, in which any Australian wishing to attend university can do so free of charge. When thy eventually earn their degree and make a qualifying salary, they pay a percentage back of their tuition via tax. I raised the question that probably came to your mind as well, "What if you never make that minimum salary or instead, keep pursuing many degrees?" The answer is simply that those "professional students" or low-paid university grads will never pay back the money. The Australian government is equipped with this type of loan system and it seems to be working out. However, their school systems and universities are much less an American college experience as many of the students work part-time during school, live at home, and do not attend school each day. One aspect that I believe the US should incorporate is a more practical education from an earlier age. For example, aspiring teachers start this track day one of university, and the same with nursing. Although the US does have those exceptions, many majors, such as business, have no life experience until they get their first job and wishing they didn't take those history classes. The Australian higher education system is very direct and practical, yet on the other hand, I prefer a liberal arts education for myself.<br />
<br />
After our meeting, Anne, John, Clare, and I drove to our hotel/motel. It was quiet and nice, yet FREEZING! I couldn't believe I was wearing three layers in Australia! Clare and I cranked up the heat, failed at getting wi-fi, and then went to an Australian Football Club for dinner with Anne and John which is apparently a cultural experience. It resembled a diner yet there was a room with many slot machines and TVs of Australian football (different from rugby and American football). We headed home to watch the new Australian premier of their take on "Laguna Beach" called "The Shire" and fell asleep after it's overwhelming plot.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kNVIiQnXmYmpk0mV9kStzadFojV4HmPE57JS8g88PTp5F_hno2C6PPdZ7wU0nw_6Ryzl5ny3boHwS-7wuY0u35GJmfVpLIUk_z9ZOaUlg_rIugDYrerRrKGWmeVvypbw3JOl2aLbOdxl/s1600/DSCN0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kNVIiQnXmYmpk0mV9kStzadFojV4HmPE57JS8g88PTp5F_hno2C6PPdZ7wU0nw_6Ryzl5ny3boHwS-7wuY0u35GJmfVpLIUk_z9ZOaUlg_rIugDYrerRrKGWmeVvypbw3JOl2aLbOdxl/s320/DSCN0674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parliament House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Tuesday we woke up bright and early so we could see the Parliament House before our meeting at ACU. We toured the building which was extraordinary and even went to the roof and got a view of the old Parliament House. Canberra is built around a manmade lake and from the top we could all truly see the circular pattern of the country's capital city. After a look around at the gallery, House of Representatives, and the Senate, we all headed off to ACU to meet with a few people. At the college, we first met with Christine King, an Aboriginal researcher. Over some tea, she talked to us about the history of the indigenous people and let us know of some of the faulty history that Australia teaches. Aboriginals were prejudiced against, much like Native Americans in the US, however, the racism partially remains today and was certainly active until the 1960s. Christine herself was taken from her family along with her sister. Basically, the Australian officers wanted to breed out any Aboriginal in the people, so they took the lighter skinned girls and hoped to perform a "cleanse." Eerily similar to Nazi Germany and Hitler's regime, Clare and I could not believe that we had never closely studied this conflict. Christine is still dealing with constant race battles today, and in fact, it was not until recently that indigenous people were even counted as part of the population.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGkWh7pDPAMa7sTaw15INxdUeEJ3No_APRsfp3dy_m15g39CCOnvGQourT_-4vB0wg6wIZycQyzddzXYKiEpLa8mF_atEjGU5tLf3gyDeE3QoXcMrpgubJtNvAbCKthzCoJtVqbC94JAx/s1600/DSCN0691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGkWh7pDPAMa7sTaw15INxdUeEJ3No_APRsfp3dy_m15g39CCOnvGQourT_-4vB0wg6wIZycQyzddzXYKiEpLa8mF_atEjGU5tLf3gyDeE3QoXcMrpgubJtNvAbCKthzCoJtVqbC94JAx/s320/DSCN0691.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Christine King, and Clare in the Research Center for Indigenous Studies at ACU</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the incredible meeting, we met up with Nick, the head of Campus Ministry. He spoke with us about the involvement on campus and we drew parallels to Providence College. He is extremely involved with the community and it is wonderful that the students have such a young advocate and role model to look up to. Anne and Joh suggested that we head to some museums, and of course I couldn't say no to Quest-a-con Science Museum! Again, when we arrived I was definitely the oldest and most excited but my dreams were crushed when they decided we didn't have enough time to enter because of another meeting on the schedule. I didn't throw a tantrum, but I was close. After peaking through the National Library, we headed off to John XXIII College at Australian National University.<br />
<br />
This college, within the university, is a residence hall similar to a traditional dorm. Students must have proof that they live far away/apply to live there. We received a tour by the hall director and Chicago Native, who was delighted to talk to some Americans. The college seemed like it had great camaraderie and a social life similar to PC. Not exhausted quite yet, we headed to an Australian History Museum and looked at the displays of endless wildlife and aboriginal art. Clare and I were enjoying the historical side of Australia. After a delicious dinner with Anne and John, Clare and I collapsed in our room and watched "Being Lara Bingle." This day was jam-packed with activities! <br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Mount Ainsley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This morning after a jog, Clare and I prepared for our last day, involving the a drive up Mount Ainsley, Australian War Memorial and a performance of the creative arts program at ACU. The War Memorial was very similar to DC, with a reflecting pool and all. I seriously could not believe how rife the building was with battle descriptions and wars the Australian military was involved in, mainly because of their British allegiance. I never quite studied Australian history before so it was interesting to observe the parallels from the US perspective.<br />
<br />
Our last stop was at ACU where we watched students perform "Where the Wild Things Are" as their final project, in groups of 4 or 5. They danced, sang, and performed monologues which were entertaining to watch. After that, we were headed on our way, exhausted and needing to pack for the Solomon's!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above the Reflecting Pool at the Australian War Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now I am all packed and ready after a delicious feast courtesy of the Bells, once again! Sue is so graciously driving us to the airport to catch a 6 AM flight to Brisbane, then on to Honiara. Today is the day! I can't believe it has finally come.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-13362135999839568832012-07-15T07:52:00.001-07:002012-07-15T15:54:07.262-07:00Bondi Beach<br />
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Sunday, July 15, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sue, Bernadette, and I woke up for 8 AM Mass this morning
and headed out into the cold. The Mass
was beautifully said, and Sue even spoke at the end! After a quick coffee at
the café we headed home because my parents were finally back from New Hampshire
and ready to skype. It was around 10 in
the morning for me, and 8 at night for them.
The Bells got to meet the family, minus Collin and Willy, and everyone
was excited. Sue and my mom have already
made plans for a reunion when they travel to the US in September! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XEhXFITlUgg-gaUynkn6pahDwyhCca_Bt81Z0PFtpBjE00SqdM3dNWLgvbesZ9dnptmcVj85ScsRY_mwVa4H973FlQIrrC6Kr2-oyMO1zhEtPeufLz93AtPweEHx1xxPPGYQsv6d0Wef/s1600/DSCN0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XEhXFITlUgg-gaUynkn6pahDwyhCca_Bt81Z0PFtpBjE00SqdM3dNWLgvbesZ9dnptmcVj85ScsRY_mwVa4H973FlQIrrC6Kr2-oyMO1zhEtPeufLz93AtPweEHx1xxPPGYQsv6d0Wef/s320/DSCN0650.JPG" width="320" /></a>After a long talk, we all headed off to Bondi Beach, an
Australian wonder. It was incredible and
so crowded, even in winter! We walked
around the boardwalk and Mr. Bell joked as I stared at the surfers in awe. Everyone looked so beachy and trendy, and in
fact, Marcella pointed out a famous model called Bambi, who was out walking
with her friends. Sue overheard Marcella
say “famous model” and shouted, “Where!?!?” and Bambi’s friends all turned
around and laughed which embarrassed both Marcella and Bernie but I was
hysterically laughing as well. We ate at
a delicious Italian restaurant called “Bondi Italian” and finished the day off
with some shopping at the Bondi markets.
I seriously couldn’t believe how many stands were there and how
interesting some of the items were. The
market had everything from vintage jean vests to sunglasses and paintings. Needless to say I was in my glory and Mr.
Bell didn’t complain once as I went in every single tent (AHEM, dad). We came home and did some things around the
house while Mrs. Bell started cooking a delicious pumpkin soup. Bernie and I walked Jacko, their Jack Russell,
down to the café to pick up some ingredients.
Right now we just finished a movie with one of the Bell’s friends,
Damien, and also skyped her brother who is working and living in London. Tomorrow morning I head to Canberra with Clare
for 2 nights to see the city and learn some history.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUICeijuf9qZ06w75iyZS5KGp4zzh5fbxBH39EgHkELwe8qWQ0XOiv5YfirOzFtP-rvqAwWvHXWjQ2ZKAw8luW-GE8Z_BfDFH6iZQ4cJDI7uPNHWcgtSPDQUIdGCKrgWIieh5HpaMxz1yC/s1600/DSCN0651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUICeijuf9qZ06w75iyZS5KGp4zzh5fbxBH39EgHkELwe8qWQ0XOiv5YfirOzFtP-rvqAwWvHXWjQ2ZKAw8luW-GE8Z_BfDFH6iZQ4cJDI7uPNHWcgtSPDQUIdGCKrgWIieh5HpaMxz1yC/s640/DSCN0651.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-14217855046372310892012-07-15T07:35:00.002-07:002012-07-15T07:35:54.292-07:00More City Sights<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Saturday, July 14, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Mary's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcella, Me, Bernie, and Westfield Tower</td></tr>
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After a quick stop at the café, Sue, Marcella, Bernie, and I
headed off to Sydney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a beautiful
day and we walked past St. Mary’s Cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After seeing some sights, we headed to the Westfield Shopping Center,
which let me tell you, was much better than the Trumbull Mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were very high-end shops and all I
could think of was that both my mom and aunt would have loved to be there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the Bells became aware of my shopping skills,
we headed to a few more very nice buildings, including the old Sydney town hall
and parliament building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a couple
of hours, we headed to a famous restaurant and a family favorite, “Pancakes on
the Rocks.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know how pancakes
could attract so many people, but when we got there, even at 8 at night, it was
packed! We enjoyed conversation and then started another walk down to see the
Sydney Bridge and Opera House lit up at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We walked around and even went inside the Opera House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so fortunate that the Bells want to make
sure I experience all of Sydney, and I certainly have been treated like one of
their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we got home, it
was after 11 so we headed to bed after a great day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-48380425621756943642012-07-13T20:11:00.000-07:002012-07-14T06:16:51.986-07:00GerringongFriday, July 13, 2012<br />
<br />
On Thursday night I left for Gerringong with Marcella and Mr. Bell. They said it was beautiful but I had no idea what to expect. Their family has owned a house there for years and actually Mr. Bell's grandfather was the mayor of Gerringong. Their house was formerly the Gerringong golf clubhouse. It was about a two hour drive, and when we got there I could hear the water from the beach right outside their window but I couldn't see it! After a night of playing cards and laughing, we rolled out our sleeping bags and went to bed.<br />
<br />
The next morning when I woke up I was so amazed that the entire view of the beach and ocean was right outside their windows. I decided to go run on the beach for sunrise around 6:45. When I walked down the hill to the beach I was utterly amazed. I took off my shoes and ran the length of the beach while the sun came up. I spotted some surfers and enjoyed mother nature for an hour. I really have never seen anything so beautiful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1EI8Bl70nFMyqsBBlg_951pTy9QvqinhJTsHJceXT4ZzMBirMHdvt0O9oNOxV3I3AjeQZuS1essOHcvWfg6Iyy1_IjU55BYPVgZYhLz-Hksaz9kCB9exBn35zz2JS1OIeFKBexqdpcNg/s1600/DSCN0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1EI8Bl70nFMyqsBBlg_951pTy9QvqinhJTsHJceXT4ZzMBirMHdvt0O9oNOxV3I3AjeQZuS1essOHcvWfg6Iyy1_IjU55BYPVgZYhLz-Hksaz9kCB9exBn35zz2JS1OIeFKBexqdpcNg/s320/DSCN0453.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bell's House from Behind and View</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mr. Bell cooked us breakfast after that and we headed out for a walk by the rocks on the beach. It was probably a 1/2 mile walk through shells and cliffs which gave me some closeups to starfish and other creatures. There was even a salt water pool on the beach barricaded by a stone wall. We sat on a bench and watched these fisherman drag their tuna into the water, which was about the size of me. We then walked up a steep hill to the cemetery and ended up at a whale watching post. We then headed out because we needed to cram everything in this one day!<br />
<br />
Our first stop was at a local bakery, where we each had a coffee. After that, we headed to the wildlife park so I could see koalas! I bought a food bag to feed the animals and pushed all the little children aside so I could go first. Just kidding! (maybe). After feeding the goats, llamas, and wallabies, we watched a little of a reptile show. I unfortunately pet some large snakes but also got to see really awesome iguanas. Some of the other animals we saw were capuchin monkeys, kookaburras, emus, wombats, cassowaries, camels, water buffalo, dingoes, and a crocodile. I have to say that the emus were the most terrifying. They stare at you like they're going to attack and Marcella and I screamed and sprinted away as one ran towards us. Of course I needed to pet a koala so we headed to the show at 2 PM. The trainer explained that they eat the eucalyptus tree leaves which has an intoxicating effect on the koalas. She also told us to smell the koala, Henry, and he actually smelt like beautiful flowers! I got my picture taken with Henry and was so excited!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgqDbEp23qmn3zLydUOhZ9W9_yPrU5H9CAMybJQVzu2oSxEow_6pe9__UliVnEtSIA_HKg7VMmeMGCia191g8PgDOf0BXnCsI5XRtGKQWyxnE8cIlac4oPhUKkdBkc5lNQdb0_sin7P8Z/s1600/DSCN0467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgqDbEp23qmn3zLydUOhZ9W9_yPrU5H9CAMybJQVzu2oSxEow_6pe9__UliVnEtSIA_HKg7VMmeMGCia191g8PgDOf0BXnCsI5XRtGKQWyxnE8cIlac4oPhUKkdBkc5lNQdb0_sin7P8Z/s320/DSCN0467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surfer at Werri Beach Sunrise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After my immature showing at the zoo, Mr. Bell wanted to keep going to show me the rest of Gerringong. Apparently it is tradition to have an Australian meat pie, which is similar to chicken pot pie. I was a little hesitant and started to go for the veggie but Mr. Bell looked a little disappointed in me so I sucked it up. And plus when I found out you're supposed to put "tomato sauce" or ketchup on them, I was sold. It was actually very tasty! After a long day, we headed home. So far this was my favorite part.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw0Q11c0eMomRMck4GnyhnkTHCXynR0q1xa1jy2E-_uuxLHLKjUL2adPbs647vUFKTd5Ws_AIvzWYdHKU2V947xFOX9J-q63PcqcWxei1ihM3ihR5WtDTcbLVR9H3-pkVt7mC90nufRa7/s1600/DSCN0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw0Q11c0eMomRMck4GnyhnkTHCXynR0q1xa1jy2E-_uuxLHLKjUL2adPbs647vUFKTd5Ws_AIvzWYdHKU2V947xFOX9J-q63PcqcWxei1ihM3ihR5WtDTcbLVR9H3-pkVt7mC90nufRa7/s320/DSCN0461.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDUOpRpzPcVHQmIFxApC-Ra5ivq_L_xQpe0aM9-BMuPJvRGAISQE3LpMqjb5VNeUic6ZiR5nyOpMpL4OlRUMD9GdU9-ZamEkJWB600nD3Fpo8FIZJWhkAOcgGapF_gjS0SateWpF2Gfdt/s1600/DSCN0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDUOpRpzPcVHQmIFxApC-Ra5ivq_L_xQpe0aM9-BMuPJvRGAISQE3LpMqjb5VNeUic6ZiR5nyOpMpL4OlRUMD9GdU9-ZamEkJWB600nD3Fpo8FIZJWhkAOcgGapF_gjS0SateWpF2Gfdt/s320/DSCN0473.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Beautiful Scenery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Vegl0k0YKoVNiNigNv3nuFkQGIh2apOO7Bxrx0iDxjqWjq3QxaCqAIOSuCL5bbkmy0Kckf3hv_cVCzX405UTNdzA0ZZ2nElqNWGl4DiNgUJkwlbMPT9McbrHWda00dESwaGEUW10JrFE/s1600/DSCN0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Vegl0k0YKoVNiNigNv3nuFkQGIh2apOO7Bxrx0iDxjqWjq3QxaCqAIOSuCL5bbkmy0Kckf3hv_cVCzX405UTNdzA0ZZ2nElqNWGl4DiNgUJkwlbMPT9McbrHWda00dESwaGEUW10JrFE/s320/DSCN0509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcella and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fmoe3FYU1cnrE4dMSWIoKH7hQWSgatu8o0QmkgslqC-_wPlLIj7oW-kpQtuXsTGbvnIevFIplItWspdw6nFv9yMLKEVaw2OuCxSpEgVhnSGmQM2r_yzmpH6v_7-Dr_jYFQlJ_w807iZE/s1600/DSCN0554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fmoe3FYU1cnrE4dMSWIoKH7hQWSgatu8o0QmkgslqC-_wPlLIj7oW-kpQtuXsTGbvnIevFIplItWspdw6nFv9yMLKEVaw2OuCxSpEgVhnSGmQM2r_yzmpH6v_7-Dr_jYFQlJ_w807iZE/s320/DSCN0554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bernadette Feeding a Goat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
When we got home, Marcella and I got ready to go out with her friends to Newtown, which is a town with streets similar to Thayer Street in Rhode Island. We took the train in from Homebush and met her friends at a Thai Restaurant. There were about 3 Thai restaurants for every block, I was amazed. I was also staring at the fashion everyone has. It seems like every younger Australian is very fashion forward! At the restaurant there were seven of us in all and they were all extremely nice! I had some quarters and nickels floating around in my bag and when her friends saw them they each wanted American money. It was hilarious. After sitting at the restaurant for almost 3 hours, we headed out to a few places to meet more friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hAnTQXj2b90g3Tg0IYb_ulJTPbhiwZNiKTw1mRo1Gzo8At8iKUaA6DYdMDsLGTLF6SrapmpWhX3vtGY1jm0uJ69so7ZCSyZExpbfJ_URGA_v6oe0hFK9nZmDzu-O1xQnhqveeNZCxZdr/s1600/DSCN0589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hAnTQXj2b90g3Tg0IYb_ulJTPbhiwZNiKTw1mRo1Gzo8At8iKUaA6DYdMDsLGTLF6SrapmpWhX3vtGY1jm0uJ69so7ZCSyZExpbfJ_URGA_v6oe0hFK9nZmDzu-O1xQnhqveeNZCxZdr/s320/DSCN0589.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry & Me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Right now I am sitting by the Bell's pool in the sun. We're heading into the city today to look around and see some more sites. Tomorrow brings Bondi Beach as well!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-28482052539398526222012-07-11T22:51:00.000-07:002012-07-13T19:24:03.449-07:00One Week Until HoniaraThursday, July 12, 2012<br />
<br />
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEAG! I miss all my friends so much and hope they are enjoying the warm weather. I am currently sitting in my room in the Bell's house with a long sleeve, sweater, scarf, and a heater blowing on me! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvsn6blzv7wyF9bOdhwjqtXs4CWlZSpe4qNZUrvj2mdtyfTmG6Qy_CeNJPqWRVsZUCpK8Dm-HxEjNE-VoGu0JtmMJ68ln8pufgYgURUp48627d9rn4VeCCaQE25KE7kmGLSHGuGAPmxzi/s1600/DSCN0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvsn6blzv7wyF9bOdhwjqtXs4CWlZSpe4qNZUrvj2mdtyfTmG6Qy_CeNJPqWRVsZUCpK8Dm-HxEjNE-VoGu0JtmMJ68ln8pufgYgURUp48627d9rn4VeCCaQE25KE7kmGLSHGuGAPmxzi/s320/DSCN0452.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clare and I with Sister Rose Mary the Great!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today was not too busy so far, but good to get some down time. This morning the Vosila's drove Clare and me to Winton to meet with Sister Rose Mary one more time before the Solomon's. She is a wonderful lady and so knowledgeable about the country. Together we mapped out some of my program, which is just tentative. Solomon plans can change in an instant and we joked that oftentimes there is a plan a, b, c, and d. So far, I will be arriving in Honiara, Guadalcanal and will be greeted by Sister Matrina at the airport. From there, Clare and I will go our separate ways for one week, as she travels with Sister Katie to St. Joseph's in Tenaru and I travel with Sister Vero to Visale. I believe the transportation is in the back of a truck, so I am prepared for the bumpy ride (at least on land). While I am with Sister Vero, I am supposed to be shadowing her and visiting the local nurses and clinics, assisting with patients as needed. When I switch with Clare and travel to Tenaru, I will be in Sister Katie's own clinic, as she is an R.N. I can hardly believe I will be in tropical weather in just a week and delving into work. After Guadalcanal for a week, Clare and I will travel by ferry (uh oh) for about 5 hours to reach Auki on Malaita Province. I am DEFINITELY buying seasickness medication for that ride. I'm pretty sure the ferry is a little different than the one I took yesterday around Sydney Harbor, and I am prepared to be paddling and hopping from canoe to canoe. In Auki, I will helping Bishop Chris Cardone O.P., a former PC grad, on his pastoral care missions and perhaps even join him in bushwalking to the clinics in the middle of the island. I also believe I will be assisting with some Home Ec. classes teaching the kindergarteners learn about nutrition, hygiene, and diabetes while Clare teaches them sports.<br />
<br />
After bidding my farewells to Sister Rose Mary, I came back to the house and ran a few errands with Mr. Bell for his cafe. We delivered the supplies and had lunch as usual! (I'm becoming a regular). Right now I am just packing for our little vacation to Gerringong for tonight and tomorrow. Apparently the Bell's have a family house right on the beach and are set in a little town with many shops and restaurants. We are leaving around six tonight with Marcella and meeting Bernadette and Ryan down there. Clare is going about five hours south to ski today, so we each have our little excursions. I am so excited and grateful the Bell's want to show me as much as they can of Sydney. Next post I will recount my stay in Gerringong!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-82620002334277068652012-07-11T08:22:00.001-07:002012-07-11T19:09:53.040-07:00The City and The Rocks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since today was one of my free days, Clare and Rachel
decided to pick me up in the morning to run a few more errands for the
Solomon’s and then to have lunch and go into the city. After my run, they arrived at around 10:30 AM
and we headed off to the camping store to get an extra water bottle and water
purification tablets. After finding
them, Rachel drove Clare and I around Olympic Park, which was absolutely
beautiful. The residents still use the
stadium and ground for sporting events and concerts and many people were
running through the park. Rachel was so
generous to drive Clare and I around all day and to act as our tour guide!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After a few stops, we headed to Balmain to meet Rachel’s two
friends for lunch. They were very
friendly and we enjoyed our Mediterranean meal with many laughs. Rachel had a good idea to stop at this famous
bakery and get their macaroons and head down to the harbor to catch the
ferry. I definitely wasn’t opposed to
that idea! Her friend, Laura, sat with us as we enjoyed the view from
Manley. We hopped on the ferry and saw
the most magnificent sights. We sailed
right under the Sydney Bridge and right past the opera house. Certainly a much smoother ride than the scuba
boat! We docked and walked around the
harbor and Rachel showed us the Opera House.
We then walked to The Rocks which is a part of Sydney that has many
shops and restaurants. After popping in
a few stores, we headed to the ferry because both of our families are meeting
tonight for dinner.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I got home it was about 6 PM and Mrs. Bell came home
around 7. We went to Mr. Bell’s café
with the Vosilas and enjoyed a delicious meal.
Both of these families are so generous to take Clare and me in. Our dinner conversation carried until around
10. (To mom-Mr. Vosila actually worked
for Unilever, IBM, and UT) After sharing jokes a laughter I am exhausted. Tomorrow I will go meet with Sister Rose Mary
once more to finalize and then headed to the Bell’s beach house.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-45308374868914881572012-07-10T01:59:00.001-07:002012-07-11T02:13:23.443-07:00Sydney Homestay!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday, July 9, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Today was the long awaited day for my arrival in
Sydney!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I were feeling much
better from our journey yesterday and woke up early to pack up before our
flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed down for breakfast and
then caught a cab to the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
becoming serious pros through security and before we knew it we were waiting
for our plane from Cairns to Sydney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a walk around the airport we headed on the plane and both read
until we landed in Sydney!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Clare’s homestay family, the Vosilas, picked us both up and
had our names on a sign at the baggage claim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rachel is 21 and was immediately so welcoming and friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an only child she was so excited to show
Clare and me around the city!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
also fabulous to be picked up by a family instead of jumping in a shady vehicle
or driving again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Their family dropped me off at my family’s house, the Bells,
and Clare and I bid our final goodbyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was such a good travel companion the past week and I couldn’t
imagine us being apart! Marcella, 21, and Bernadette, 15, greeted me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They helped me with my bags and showed me my
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also invited me out to lunch
with their friends and Mrs. Bell came home to greet me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed out to a sushi place that had the
rolls on a train at the bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate and
chatted about America and Australia and my travels so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also stopped at their café down the street
that Mr. Bell owns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a chef, and
frankly, I am so lucky!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
After lunch and more warm welcomes, I watched TV with
Bernadette and Marcella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mrs. Bell
started on dinner and we all ate, including their older brother who came over,
a couple of hours later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bells are a
family of 6 children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two live in
London, one in Cambodia teaching, the oldest near the house, and Marcella and Bernadette
at home going to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tuesday, July 10, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Still on my jet-lag schedule, I woke up early to go for a
jog around their block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The houses here
are European inspired and intricately designed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The weather was a bit damp and perfect for running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got ready and headed to breakfast at the
café with Marcella, Bernadette, and two friends, one who was moving to London
that day! He quizzed me on all different American and Australian celebrities
and even hilariously quoted the hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I ordered a delicious egg white omeleete and asked for a coffee and
everyone laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently they do
either a long black or a short black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their coffee is much less in volume but stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They let me know that they think all
Americans drink Starbucks huge coffees, have straight teeth, and have met
celebrities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though our cultures
are so similar, it is so interesting listening to their perspective on the US.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, I headed
out to Winton, which is part of Santa Sabina Dominican School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally got to meet Sister Rose Mary who
organized this fellowship along with Father Robb and whom I’ve emailed extensively
over this past year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sitting in her
kitchen with two other school associates talking was incredible, just to hear
about their history and the history of the Solomon’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite being FREEZING they filled up my
coffee cup about 3 times so I couldn’t complain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sister Rose Mary showed us the Dominican
Archives as well as the Solomon Island Room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All the artifacts made me extremely excited to travel there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crafts they brought back were designed
perfectly and it is amazing to think that jus tout of tree bark they can weave
a straw mat or handbag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also planned
out some of our program while we are there and went over some safety
regulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less is more in the
Solomon’s, pack light clothing, and make sure to wash it in the ocean there to
reuse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clare and I realized our medical
supplies were a little short after we found out that even the simplest cut can
get infected and all open wounds must be covered right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that being careful and also making
the most of every moment is my current plan and I hope to stick with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
After my meeting, Clare and I headed out to pick up a few
things at the “Westfield” (mall) with Rachel, like water bottles and antiseptic
solution. The mall was smaller than ours and even had a fish market
inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that I headed home to
watch a much-anticipated show on TV with Marcella and Bernadette called “Being
Lara Bingle.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was honestly an Australian
version of the Kardashians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lara was a
tourist model for Australia but apparently fell to the B-list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The premise of the show is her trying to make
it to L.A. to model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laughed at her
ditzy comments and it reminded me of something my friends and I would do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mrs. Bell came home late from a conference
with doctors but we caught up on my day when she got back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marcella and I watched TV until we dozed off
on the couch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow brings another
day in this country I never want to leave!<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Displays from the Solomon Archives at Winton</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-45644882759236763742012-07-08T14:14:00.003-07:002012-07-10T02:25:42.224-07:00Scuba Steve<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday, July 8th 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My one word to describe the day: oscillating<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, after talking my big game about “scuba diving at the
Great Barrier Reef” I actually had to execute when I woke up this morning.
Clare looked all ready to go in her board shorts and scuba certification card
in hand and I couldn’t help realizing that I may or may not be insane for
agreeing to do an “intro dive.” I calmed
myself as we waiting for the bus outside our hotel. I thought, how challenging
can it actually be if they take heaps (Australian term) of people out on the
reef every day. I laughed it off. Clearly everything will be fine and maybe
I’ll even have a special scuba talent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ha. Anyone who has
met me for more than 5 minutes knows that I am a walking magnet for the most
incredibly awkward and dangerous things.
You think this would be any different?
So, the boat pulls out on the waters and the captain gets on the
loudspeaker and tells us it’s going to be a rough and rocky ride so prepare
yourselves. Prepare myself? For
what? Well, soon I found out. The weather in Cairns this past week has been
windy and overcast, making it extremely difficult for boats and lowering the
visibility for divers. As I was sitting
on the top deck my stomach was twisting and turning and my head was
spinning. I had taken ginger tablets
with Clare just before in case and I thought I would be fine. I casually asked one of the crew members how
long the ride would be, to which they replied two and a half hours. WHAT!!!!!!
Any one who also knows me knows that despite my medical interest I have an
extreme aversion to anything to do with vomit and/or people in the act. I tried to calm myself by looking out the
window but unfortunately it wasn’t working.
Poor Clare had already surrendered as well as about half our ship. As if I wasn’t nervous enough, I couldn’t
even listen when the crew was giving the lesson about the air tanks and masks
because I was silently panicking. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqZZZ6Q8vVkLbdrH2SU-YfdzxWIkVbl2Dwws7NdsSH4DSIoX8iEjnQBDLWfh7zekuMuUrpiCu5bKUfstjrjrXOG1bwMrFw5zENbh2WwIs2EDhSbvlMqugpOINQ67xtYc4AUc00JVdZ-Up/s1600/DSCN0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqZZZ6Q8vVkLbdrH2SU-YfdzxWIkVbl2Dwws7NdsSH4DSIoX8iEjnQBDLWfh7zekuMuUrpiCu5bKUfstjrjrXOG1bwMrFw5zENbh2WwIs2EDhSbvlMqugpOINQ67xtYc4AUc00JVdZ-Up/s320/DSCN0322.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The warship</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The calm before the storm</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCom94NJsIB0KrNR7gAAKfkWGKRdPwhkzAmN65Z8QzyVqg3YtJEmmb-UhKhD2SSY7mC1l15nXVm1zD9IP8MyLbZ_ADxAXaBWAgfEM1vsWXjcTF52RqDe_IvdzM20sK_kCiJuqVb5B3l3U/s1600/DSCN0327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCom94NJsIB0KrNR7gAAKfkWGKRdPwhkzAmN65Z8QzyVqg3YtJEmmb-UhKhD2SSY7mC1l15nXVm1zD9IP8MyLbZ_ADxAXaBWAgfEM1vsWXjcTF52RqDe_IvdzM20sK_kCiJuqVb5B3l3U/s320/DSCN0327.JPG" width="320" /></a>I eventually occupied myself by talking to a Canadian family
next to me on a holiday (Australian term) with their daughter. They were extremely nice and put up with my
inane chatter. I also bothered the
couple to my left who were from NYIT on a holiday as well. They were just going snorkeling and wondered
why I would ever try scuba diving for the first time in these Pacific swells.
To be honest, I almost backed out. Motivating
me were the incredible views and on the way I even saw the tail of a humpback
whale as it reached the surface. Truly
breathtaking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mMtYiGgAg2N99gdvF6BN7eA2ex6voYY8cQzEIROxVixXHNBk1bXqzV146ba7App__Q2pymireffqoPLp2dyNvR1CT2Kn0FHB-PE1YOJum0DSa1s9ZcURLkcTcUotcx57ybKifj8-7ZHj/s1600/DSCN0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mMtYiGgAg2N99gdvF6BN7eA2ex6voYY8cQzEIROxVixXHNBk1bXqzV146ba7App__Q2pymireffqoPLp2dyNvR1CT2Kn0FHB-PE1YOJum0DSa1s9ZcURLkcTcUotcx57ybKifj8-7ZHj/s320/DSCN0326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></h2>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I laid down the rest of the time to the reef which seemed to help my
stomach. I zipped up my wetsuit (after zipping my leg in it the first
time, OUCH) and hobbled down the stairs to meet my fate. I was in group
number 2 which meant I was going out to the reef right away. However, the
crew had trouble tying the boat down because of the wind and waves so we waited
about another half an hour. In this half an hour I tried so hard not to
be sick. I started talking to a Scottish man in my group and I was like
“Oh, hey I’m really scared” and he was like “Oh, okay.” I thought I made a
friend, but then I got moved to a group of people who only spoke Portuguese and
they couldn’t understand the safety instructions/couldn’t help me if something
went wrong underwater. GREAT. I just sat at the platform and let
the crew (not bad looking I might add) yank on my weight belt, tank, flns, and
mask and tried to look cool. I think they saw past it though as when I
was pushed into the water I choked and screamed that I couldn’t breathe.
After I actually put the right breathing tube in my mouth I tried going
underwater and practicing the skills of clearing my mask of water by blowing
out my nose, taking out the mouth piece underwater, and equalizing my
ears. Not so easy. It was so hard to breathe and to see and the
waves were rocking me into the boat. Clare was already out there on her
dive and I quickly hoped she was feeling okay and safe in the water.
Right as I got used to breathing, I went totally under with my guide and two
others and she guided us around the boat. These were easily the most
terrifying 2 minutes of my entire life. I couldn’t see one inch in front
of me, I couldn’t breathe well, and my ears were compressing with the
pressure. Already at least 3 of intro divers dropped out just sitting on
the platform and all I could think of was that I should have done that.
How long were we going to be under this water? After what seemed like
ages, one person in my group dropped out and we surfaced. It was now just
my guide, Tawnay, and another woman. Here goes nothing. She started
swimming and told us that now we were going to the reef. OH! No one told me
that going underwater like that was just practice. Some of my fear
subsided.</span><br />
<br />
Finally, after choking on so much water and holding on to
Tawnay’s hand for dear life, she deflated my vest and we sank. Once we got really deep in the water, the
breathing actually got easier. Finally,
I saw what I came for. I saw the
magnificent colors of the reef and the schools of fishes swim before my eyes. I felt comfortable now and kept giving Tawnay
the “ok” sign underwater which was completely unnecessary. I had an underwater camera and snapped a few
pictures of what I could. Tawnay reached
her hand into a giant brown and green hole shape and I did the same. It was seriously slimy and started to close
when we touched it. I later found out
it was a giant clam! This once in a
lifetime journey went on for about 20 more minutes until we swam back to the
boat. I couldn’t breathe but as soon as
the crew yanked me out the water they were keeled over laughing at me as I
screamed, “That was awesome!” --coming from the girl who basically threw a
tantrum before. I regrouped with Clare
who also enjoyed her dive but was still feeling under the weather. She is seriously a champion for pulling
through that dive.</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I third wheeled my NYIT friends’ snorkeling trip out after
my dive was over. We swam out with one
of the guides and she was hilarious the entire time. Although the visibility was not very clear, I
was still able to enjoy the remarkable view until a swell filled up my
snorkel. A wave carried us out farther
than we should have been and the crew started blowing the whistle from the
boat. I was actually scared until a
diver from another boat came over with a life tube and I held on. I got to talking with him and found out he
was from Melbourne and had been working here for 4 months. I casually held on to the tube with one hand
and put my face into the water. I ended
up getting a guided tour of the reef!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<br />
After an eternity, we reached land, and Clare and I
basically sprinted to our room off the bus.
After a shower and some food, we both aren’t feeling too hot. But we did it. Oscillating were the waves, our stomachs, and
my nerves. Oscillating my bravery,
courage, and happiness. But always
stagnant is the Great Barrier Reef, despite the weather or wind on the
surface. I truly conquered a fear today,
and that is enough for me.<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-81961328465265795162012-07-07T04:48:00.003-07:002012-07-08T14:40:53.411-07:00Back to Cairns!<br />
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Saturday July 7, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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My one word to describe the day: Distance<o:p></o:p></div>
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The rain woke me up this morning around 6 AM (I am in the
rainforest after all) and I was a little disappointed because Clare and I were
planning to go sit on the beach before we had to check out of Cape Trib Beach
House. The rain eventually subsided and
we were able to go check out the Pacific one last time from this amazing
view. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After checking out, Clare and I drove down the incredible
road in the daylight this time, stopping at a few places along the way. We saw a fruit farm stand and immediately
pulled over, hoping to get some soursop, but they were all out! The fruit stand was interesting. The owner harvested all her crops and placed
them in the basket by the road with a box that says “Thank you for your
donation.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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It wasn’t long until we found another sweet spot, Flora
Villa Ice Cream! We heard many of our
tour guides and new friends talk about this particular ice cream place, so we
pulled over despite it being 10:30 AM.
There were actually 26 different flavors to try! The owners were Bill and Betty Hinton and started
their ice cream shop with Italian culture.
I couldn’t believe how many choices there were, from macadamia coconut
to black sapote. Clare and I decided to
split mango coconut water ice and goji berry rainforest honey yohgurt. Delicious!
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Continuing on this journey, we made it back to the ferry and
back to Mossman and Daintree. After
about a 3-4 hour drive through the cane fields, we reached Cairns once again
and checked into our Queens Court Hotel.
After carrying my massive bag up 3 flights of stairs, I was ready to
pass out, but we still had to return the rental car and explore the city! After returning the car with no issues (yes,
surprising) we got a ride to downtown from our Dutch rental car friend. He was telling us the “cool” places to go and
actually informed us that eating crocodile and kangaroo isn’t that cool. Oops.
Well, after playing that off we hopped out of the car and explored the
vast markets in Cairns. We saw the
infamous hostel Gilligans, where some friends we met at the beach house were
staying. We met them when we recognized
their accents (or lack thereof) on the first day we were there and found out
that they were from Virginia and just traveling around Australia before college. They were hilarious! I was amazed that their parents let them do
this (Ahem Ahem) but they were appreciative and seemed to be living up every
moment, including putting sunglasses on a kangaroo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Clare and I walked to the dock where our scuba diving boat
leaves from tomorrow and walked through marketplaces, shops, and a Ukele
festival! We even passed a restaurant called “Outback Jacks” a rip-off of
Outback Steakhouse?? All on the boardwalk of the Pacific, the waves and ocean
never escape my peripheral. We quickly
jogged back to the hotel, where we have wifi and took a much-needed shower and
got ready to treat ourselves to a “fancy” dinner. Around 6, Clare and I set out to the pier and
checked out every menu, including some entrees around $50! After what seemed ages of watching rugby on
the pier and talking to some interesting people from Wales and New South Wales,
we looked at each other and nodded. We
ditched our fancy dinner and headed to Outback Jacks for some stereotypical
burgers and salad.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The Esplanade Boardwalk in Cairns </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We’re in our cozy little room waiting our scuba
experience for tomorrow! It is safe to
say that the distance I traveled today, although leaving Cape Tribulation, was
worth the trip. The same road will take
me to airport to Sydney to cover even more distance and then to the Solomon’s. I hope in the distance I cover I can really
make a difference, but for right </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">now I am appreciating each and every mile
(1mi=1.609 km).</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-17770217838843758042012-07-06T23:43:00.003-07:002012-07-07T04:50:37.434-07:00Fruit Tasting and Crocodiles!6:30 PM<br />
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Jungle Surfing! Inside out as they call it..</div>
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Our afternoon was certainly sweeter than the morning! After splitting some prawn fishcakes and
salad for lunch, Clare and I set out for our exotic fruit tasting. Leslie, our incredible fruit connoisseur,
conveniently picked us up at the Cape Trib Beach House. We drove to the exotic fruit orchards just
about 4 kilometers away and met the owner, Allison, who told us that she and
her husband bought the land in Cape Trib on a whim. They were teaching in a different part of
Australia and on their way to the Northern Territory, they fell in love with
Cape Trib. Within 15 minutes they bought
the land and instead of traveling to the UK to teach, they ended up starting a
farm! They debated on what they could do
with all the land in order to make a living, and decided to try some exotic
fruit seeds they purchased in Thailand and Bali. Remarkably, even after cyclone Yessie in
2008, their orchard is diverse and abundant with fruit that thrives in the
tropical climate. We sat and listened to
Leslie describe each of the fruits as she cut them and passed around a plate for
us to try. Clare and I were experiencing
pure bliss. The fruits we tried were
Breadfruit, Black Sapote, Pommelo, Davidson Plum, Yellow Sapote, Yellow
Mangasteen, Abui, Rollinia, and Soursop.
Here is a quick recap:</div>
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Breadfruit- we sampled it toasted in the oven with Cajun
spices and olive oil…tasted like a healthy French fry!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Black Sapote- the consistency was thick and custard like,
and tasted like chocolate puddling!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pommelo- This was a cross between an orange and a grapefruit, absolutely delicious<o:p></o:p></div>
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Davidson Plum- it tasted like a grape warhead! Really sour!
The aboriginals are known to collect this fruit<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yellow Sapote- This was also thick and custard like, and
tasted like a mango<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yellow Mangasteen- this is what the orchard is known for and
when it is their growing season the workers are harvesting 24/7 to ship these
fruits to Cairns and Sydney for profit.
This fruit was delicious and tasted like a juicer mango with a big seed
inside<o:p></o:p></div>
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Abui- This was also a thicker fruit and tasted like a fruity
coconut. It was white, custard like, and
they say when eat near the peel it gets so sticky that your lips stick
together!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rollinia- This was also a very tropical tasting coconut-ish
flavor with a spiky skin!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Soursop- MY FAVORITE!
It translates to “wet wool” and is literally eating the best juiciest
flavor you could ever imagine. It is
white in color and tastes like an extremely sweet coconut.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjR6lHYaoaHbU1baFrIHRtDzi79Cp9ccrKGHLOi2tECZpA0-GCfp__rnt_CnhVPwQII_t1qs626Qk4pXjjsKFsiGTeshSTsgc1jfovwT0XjKWdDiTWH5INABo6ZuZMBEKTJ44ZcMP6kw8/s1600/DSCN0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjR6lHYaoaHbU1baFrIHRtDzi79Cp9ccrKGHLOi2tECZpA0-GCfp__rnt_CnhVPwQII_t1qs626Qk4pXjjsKFsiGTeshSTsgc1jfovwT0XjKWdDiTWH5INABo6ZuZMBEKTJ44ZcMP6kw8/s320/DSCN0217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Soursop tasting!</div>
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After Clare and I finished oohing and ahing at all of the
fruits, we took a tour of the orchard and saw the trees the fruit came
from. We also met some Canadians who
were talking about places to go out to eat and recommended that Clare and I try
the famous Mason’s croc or kangaroo burger.
Instead of being totally grossed out, we decided to go to the restaurant
as soon as we got back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VMdW4pc-mQxeFS_Nne2fIerjUN9S5h7neLbQIUZRu8n4XLOsZIgiOBbAJxSCEN196w4uX7-S86KSxqu8aZs63ZcyfTWgfnp4MfA6YWO6LN1B3mayHOqznANixBK1Bz1n9gjF75miV4_P/s1600/DSCN0273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VMdW4pc-mQxeFS_Nne2fIerjUN9S5h7neLbQIUZRu8n4XLOsZIgiOBbAJxSCEN196w4uX7-S86KSxqu8aZs63ZcyfTWgfnp4MfA6YWO6LN1B3mayHOqznANixBK1Bz1n9gjF75miV4_P/s320/DSCN0273.JPG" width="320" /></a>Before heading off to eat once again, Clare and I jogged the
right end of the beach until we reached a look out with an incredible
view. Running the Pacific out of your
peripheral is the most rewarding view. We
continued this run to the car and drove off to Mason’s café down the road. We arrived at 5 PM and apparently they closed
at 5! Clare went running in under the
half gated door and the worker agreed to cook us up some burgers! THEY WERE AMAZING. My personal favorite was the crocodile. It tasted like seafood and chicken with an
incredible sauce. The burger was paired
with lettuce, carrots, tomato, and beets.
The kangaroo was equally as delicious and darker in color. Both were delectable! We sat at our table staring at the tops of
the mountains for about an hour before we headed back to our room which is by
the way, different than the first two nights.
We were moved to a cabin where 2 other families are staying and we share
a kitchen. The people we are meeting are
so incredible and interesting. I cannot
imagine leaving a place where the living in the moment is so sweet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-8079376483828570242012-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:002012-07-07T04:51:02.141-07:00Surfin the Jungle<br />
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Friday, July 6<sup>th</sup> 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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My one word to describe the day: Sweet!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Clare and I decided to wake up for the sunset, and we were
pretty wide awake around 6:30. We went
to the beach, but unfortunately it was hazy and we couldn’t see much. Sitting on a tree branch observing the view
was incredible nonetheless. Because we
were up, we decided to grab a quick breakfast before jungle surfing. Basically my favorite thing in the entire
world is now a cereal called museli. It
is a trail mix/granola combo with yogurt and dried fruit. Sweet!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Jungle surfing was also an experience. We were picked up by one of the guides and he
explained he originally came from England and is studying marine biology. The people we are meeting in Cape Tribulation
are from all over the world and are very extreme travelers. Some of our other guides were from Canada and
Wales, who just wanted to travel and ended up working there because they ran
out of money. Eventually we arrived and
got all harnessed in. Each of the
helmets had a different name on it; Clare’s being “The Hulk” and mine “Rambo”..
fitting? Finally we hiked up to the first platform. It was then that I felt yesterday’s Mt.
Sorrow hike in my legs! I didn’t know if
I could make it but I was so excited to just swing through the jungle. After twists and turns and even zip lining
upside down, it is safe to say that this excursion was sweet!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are just taking a break now and getting ready for our
fruit tasting tour at 1:30! I really
cannot get enough of Cape Tribulation and the rainforest. It is so peaceful and the people who live and
work here are so welcoming. I will never
get sick of the “Goo’day” mates each morning!<o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-45548629816263151662012-07-05T18:21:00.000-07:002012-07-05T18:21:05.955-07:00Thursday, July 5, 2012<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Thursday, July 5, 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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My one word to describe the day:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>breathtaking<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Starting from the moment I woke up, this day was absolutely
breathtaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting our 7 AM start, we
headed to reception to plan out our tours for the next two days. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After much assistance from our girl reception Renelle,
we planned a morning hike to Mt. Sorrow, an afternoon fruit tasting, and a
night-walk crocodile tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Friday, jungle
surfing was booked, but hopefully someone would cancel and then we would paddle
kayak the sunset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so excited to
begin all of this, except I forgot to take into account that I may eventually
get tired.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Clare and I drove to the entrance of Mt. Sorrow, where we
saw that the hike to the top was about 3.5 km of very steep climbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not an experienced hiker but I like to
think I am in good running shape, so I started out confident and ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another couple was just behind us and were
really nervous, but I couldn’t see why at the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether my adrenaline wore out or my jet lag
kicked in, my breath was officially taken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was breathing heavily and also sliding everywhere on the rocky trail
of the rainforest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only thing
pushing me forward were the incredible views, fan palms, vines, and untouched
beauty of the jungle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After climbing
trees, ropes, and rocks, it was safe to say that not even Shaun T. from insanity
could prepare me for the climb to the summit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But when I reached the top, the last of my breath was officially
taken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view over the Daintree
rainforest and Pacific Ocean was timeless and really made me appreciate how
lucky I am to be able to experience this sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the way down I only fell four times, once swinging into a bush and
screaming, while Clare happily pranced down the mountain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAkY5Th73YSB6BL1NWvUfcntzVKYtY_-qqm68U7cuIcSUXiIrMl-uDOBeqPymuZxsBPcPwEUAzbclnvPUF-XGj2OcOXVEhInppfPkir7H5CuXUTw6AgC15uBcyns_Trq03OepRo29SRZr/s1600/DSCN0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAkY5Th73YSB6BL1NWvUfcntzVKYtY_-qqm68U7cuIcSUXiIrMl-uDOBeqPymuZxsBPcPwEUAzbclnvPUF-XGj2OcOXVEhInppfPkir7H5CuXUTw6AgC15uBcyns_Trq03OepRo29SRZr/s320/DSCN0092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Upon our return to reception, we switched a few of our tours
around due to cancellations and no openings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was to go kayaking and then the night
walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after lunch, the wind
really started kicking in, so kayaking was not a safe option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were still pumped for the night walk, and
we decided to wait out the hours we had taking a nap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our tour guide Brett picked us up, who
strikingly resembled my boy Steve Irwin in an all khaki uniform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked on a trail similar to the hike in
the morning, just more level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got to
see an endangered species of frog and learn all about the wildlife, but unfortunately
no crocs or cassowaries were spotted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But don’t worry; I fell in a river to provide some entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my defense, it was pitch black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s all for now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tomorrow morning brings sunrise, jungle surfing, and exotic fruit
tasting. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-19198611034274554382012-07-05T18:12:00.000-07:002012-07-05T18:13:02.840-07:00Wednesday, July 4, 2012<br />
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July 4<sup>th</sup> 2012- Cape Tribulation<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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My one word to describe the day: Freedom<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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It is safe to say that this is the longest Independence Day
I have ever experienced. Starting out at
1 PM on July 2<sup>nd</sup>, I left my house with my family to the journey to
JFK. Minus my mom’s shoe breaking in the airport, it was a smooth ride to the
terminal. Clare and I had no idea what
to expect, but we were getting in our last good-bye texts. Fast forward through July 3<sup>rd</sup> and
this is what you get:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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First plane 5PM- To LAX… not too bad, 5 hours, read.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Second plane 3AM eastern to Sydney… 15 hours later. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A bus ride and 3<sup>rd</sup> plane later… Cairns July 4<sup>th</sup> 2:30 PM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Car rental, realized it was stick shift, return car, drive
new car to Cape Tribulation…7 PM!!!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Clare and I decided from the start that we would start our
journey off a little early by traveling into “the sticks” as the Aussie’s call
it. Cape Tribulation is on the northern
tip of the east coast. It is defined as
the point where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. After getting in the rental car and bracing
ourselves for the last leg of our journey, I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt confident in my driving skills until
the rental car worker said, you know you drive on the opposite side of the
road, right? Oh yes, I replied, not that
bad. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Between the “stay left” reminders from Clare and trying to
maneuver my way through rotary after rotary, we finally saw the incredible
Pacific on our right and immediately pulled over to admire the beach. Rather than barbecues and parties, I was experiencing
freedom at its finest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qz1bIU6zNQetiEecZsCkzvVzX8s67IwxZqUiHiv2d1hS6ZiHvWQM3X0iE5R_GYYiw31g8FzueucdBcxIsMW9nmh65CWPqcEKgqWwh0ADQW5aVil_UEn1MGPI4p_4UaDUS8NOuH7PxxyC/s1600/DSCN0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qz1bIU6zNQetiEecZsCkzvVzX8s67IwxZqUiHiv2d1hS6ZiHvWQM3X0iE5R_GYYiw31g8FzueucdBcxIsMW9nmh65CWPqcEKgqWwh0ADQW5aVil_UEn1MGPI4p_4UaDUS8NOuH7PxxyC/s320/DSCN0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well, everything was going perfectly smoothly until we
realized that the sun set at around 6, and we would soon begin the imminent
journey into the jungle. Two hands on
the wheel and two hours later, we were on a ferry crossing the Daintree
River. With no GPS and only following
road signs, I was sure that our final destination of Cape Trib Beach House was
so close. About an hour and a half
later, and in the pitch black, I started envisioning Criminal Minds scenes. I was driving under canopies, palm trees, and
thick jungle. But bridge after bridge,
cassowary crossing sign after cassowary crossing sign, we spotted a dirt road
leading to the beach house restoring our hopes of ever sleeping again, At 7:01 PM we knocked on the door of
reception, just as they were closing!
Luckily we received our key, and dragged our luggage one last time into
our room.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a delicious pumpkin salad dinner at Cape Trib beach
house, I sit in our luxurious abode and write this. I am so thankful to be given this opportunity
and so lucky to be free to explore the unknown.
Alarm is set for 6:30 AM tomorrow.
Hope I can dodge jet lag and enjoy paradise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00952589154893057620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982232206939703929.post-15156339593688784752012-06-21T11:38:00.001-07:002012-06-26T09:04:02.492-07:00July 2, 2012Departure Date! Stay Tuned!<br />
<br />
The Solomon Islands are off the eastern coast of Australia and east of Papua New Guinea. The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon's in 1890. Around 1976, self-government and independence were achieved. The Solomon Islands were also a key part of World War II, particularly the battle for Guadalcanal in 1942. Rife with history and beautiful scenery, the Solomon Islands are comprised of the mainlands Choiseul, Malaita, New Georgia, San Cristobal, and Santa Isabel. I will be traveling to Honiara, the capital of the islands and the capital of the Guadalcanal province. Part of my stay will also be in Auki, the provincial capital of Malaita. Melanesian pidgin is primarily spoken, and the population is mainly Melanesian followed by Polynesian. My stay will be with the Dominican Sisters and Bishop of the Islands.<br />
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