1 post from November 2009

Today I was cleaning out my kitchen cupboards, to see what I need to use up in the remaining 6 weeks at Mbingo, when Fervent arrived at the door.  I told him to scoot, because I was busy with work, getting ready for going to Canada.  About half an hour later, Godlove came tearing across the compound, shouting “Auntie, auntie, Fervent says we’re going to Canada – when does the plane arrive?”  I guess they were expecting it on the airstrip any moment, and Goddie was already packing up for the journey.   This was one of many visits from children today.  The first was from Goddie who at 6am, just as I opened my eyes, began to shout “Auntie, auntie” at my window.  Who is going to do that in Canada?  Maybe I should take them with me.

 

The last 5 weeks have been a sort of nightmarish, never-ending story of shingles.  Life has consisted of pushing myself through class each morning, staying in recovery room with the students as long as I can manage (trying for noon at least), and a great deal of sleep.  Today I did have a bit more energy and actually got a few things done.  There’s a vaccine against shingles – for any of you of my vintage, I can’t recommend it too highly!!!  It would be WELL worth getting.

 

The students are doing pretty well, despite the lack of attention from their teacher.  They do well in recovery room and are a huge help to the anaesthetists who really could not get through the day’s work without the speeding up that recovery brings.  As well, most patients are going back to the wards stable, and with good pain control, so this course has been well worthwhile.

 

Rains are becoming less, in both frequency and in amount.  I had forgotten, but as dry season comes, the haze over the hills increases – to my disappointment.  The lovely clear views of the hills that we quite often had during rainy season are no more.  Last rain should be about November 15.  Already the sun is very hot at midday – but the evenings and mornings are cool.  The locals are complaining of cold, and wearing jackets and sweaters more.

Two weekends ago, I went with Dorcas to her farm, where she had allowed me to help her plant the corn.  That was 2 months earlier - and now the corn is well above our heads.  Her farm is on a very steep slope, but the soil must be fertile as both the corn and the beans planted amongst it look very good.  She is happy.

Today I had the energy to visit Bruno, a longtime hospital employee who among other jobs, prepares the coffee.  He has been around the whole compound, picking the coffee beans off the bushes that grow here and there.  Down at the hospital farm buildings, he has a large concrete pad where the coffee is drying in the sun.  Then it has to be shelled, roasted, and ground – all of which I saw this morning.  Then it is carried across the highway to the provision store – where I was able to buy another ½ kg this morning.  I love the Cameroonian coffee and will miss it.

 

Sonel, the national electrical company, did not supply NW Region for over 3 weeks, because a new transformer was being installed.  For my students, all of whom live “in the bush” – i.e. off the hospital compound – this was a real frustration because there was no light for them to read in the evenings.  During last week Sonel began to function again, but in its usual erratic way.  For 3 nights this week, there was not enough power reaching my house to fire up the fluorescent bulbs.  They would either do nothing at all, or flicker endlessly in a manner that made me feel like I was about to have a seizure.  It was probably good that I felt so sickly, as about the only thing to do was go to bed – my eyes are long past the age when they can read by candlelight .  Last night, thankfully, after a weak start, the lights did come on – and tonight seems to be ok too.  Running the 2 generators here for over 3 weeks will have cost the hospital a huge amount, as well as being so much work for the electrical techs – but it was sure nice for us living here to have such consistently good electricity.