6/2/09-Tuesday

AS YOU CAN SEE, PICTURES ARE NOW UP. THE LINK IS ON THE TOP OF THE BLOG.

Right now I only have pictures of the Center of Excellence (COE) and of my house. So bare with me on that.

I’m not sure how often I’ll write in this once things start to pick up at the clinic and hospital, but we’ll see.

Tuesday was probably the picture of any normal day, I got up (in 0C weather mind you) showered, dressed and took the short walk to the clinic. This was to be my organization day (make 3 month schedule, learning objective, blog, etc.). So I did that, and if all things work out well, I will be in the HIV clinic for 3 days a week alternating with the Pediatric Ward of the Princess Marina Hospital 3 days a week which is literally in the COE’s back yard. Ryan tells me that I may be of some use to both places. We’ll see how that goes. I also scheduled in a once a week In/Out-Reach trips. In-Reach, I will follow a nurse to one of the local homes in Gaberone to check up on our clients. Out-Reach, I will spend an entire day traveling to distant places in Botswana and visiting other hospitals and clinic to help out for the day.

The way our HIV clinic works is on a first come first serve basis. Patients show up at 6-7 in the morning and then doctors start seeing them at 8am until they finish; which has been around 1pm the past two days. So, with my afternoons, I will work on my Computer Based Project.

For lunch I went to the local “caf” in the hospital and had two native dishes. Ox tail and something called “pap.” It’s a bizarre twist on mashed potatoes, a denser but fluffier version. I have no clue what its made of but it wasn’t bad and filled me up in a couple of bites.

I left the office around 5pm and went home determined to find this place called “gym active.” So, I put my running shoes on and went for it. JW came with me, although he had some trouble keeping up with the pace. He was probably still jet lagged. Anyways, about two miles later I found it! It was contained in a run down “strip mall” surrounded with barbed wire (similar to our humble home) But inside the gym was nice! And for about P300 ($50) a month I can be a member. I plan to go Wednesday afternoon to get it.

Anyways, the run home was nice and I finally felt like I was in Africa. Running past cars and people of all types and sizes (and an occasional cow or two or three), I knew I stood out. Everyone looked at us as we ran past, but it didn’t matter. Running through the dirt paths and poorly lit streets (as the sun was now setting) I could see a soccer team still practicing just out side the national soccer stadium where the Zebras play.

Night time was normal and boring, but just as we went to bed, the power shut off (apparently a common occurrence in Gaberone). So bed time it was, if we liked it or not, as I drifted away in the dim candle light.