I think cavemen knew what they were doing when they grilled their food over a camp fire...they had fire back then, right? Anyway, Amy and I purchased a double burner hot plate 3 days ago. In the world of kitchens, this is the equivalent of a double-wide trailer. It's no penthouse, but it's real nice! We brought it home, I plugged it in, and it worked. Perfect. So the next day I went to boil a pot of water to pour into our water filter. This was a momentous occasion. Not only was I trying out the new hot plate, but I was also using our new pot and water filter.
First, as the pan heated up, it began shaking and vibrating like an earthquake. Then I noticed water leaking out of the side of the pan at the point where the screw attaches the handle. No problem...I just won't use the top 2 inches of the pan. But then I decided that it would be a good idea to touch the base of the hot plate, just to make sure it didn't get dangerously hot and would be safe to have little kids (or Amy) be around it. Upon carefully placing the tips of my fingers on the side of the frame, something shocking happened. I completed the circuit. A sizable amount of electricity surged up my arm. And if that wasn't wretched enough, the crummy thing stopped working about 2 minutes later! It's broken! Our brand new double wide!
I've decided that it's probably best to opt for a grelha e carvão (grill and charcoal). After all, I was the grill-master at 1011 State Street.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Amy + webcam = a dangerous combination
Let me paint this picture for you...Amy and I are house sitting for one of the FGH workers for the next 2 weeks. She has internet. Last night, as I sat in bed reading, I heard a peculiar noise coming from the room with internet. Amy was belting out "circle of life," from Lion King. Then I hear her screaming, "Can you hear me? I can see you! Can you see me? Flip me the bird if you can hear me. Do I look like a crypt, wearing this blue bandanna?" Yep, she got her webcam to work on skype and was chatting with her dad and sister. Next thing I know, she has moved the camera back and has cleared a space to make room to demonstrate her African dance moves for her family. She asked me to join in...which resulted in me nearly getting kneed in the face.
Work update: We are done with Portuguese class and starting our projects. Had a long day of meetings on Friday concerning our protocols, worked for a bit this weekend, and are continuing to get things straightened out with the ethics committee and whatnot this week. At a meeting this morning, I found out that Gonhane, the secondary clinic near Inhassunge (which just opened three weeks ago), has 120 new positives...about 90% of which involve people with CD4 counts less than 50. After being diagnosed, approximately 22% of these people didn't return to the clinic to receive their medication.
Work update: We are done with Portuguese class and starting our projects. Had a long day of meetings on Friday concerning our protocols, worked for a bit this weekend, and are continuing to get things straightened out with the ethics committee and whatnot this week. At a meeting this morning, I found out that Gonhane, the secondary clinic near Inhassunge (which just opened three weeks ago), has 120 new positives...about 90% of which involve people with CD4 counts less than 50. After being diagnosed, approximately 22% of these people didn't return to the clinic to receive their medication.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
African Tooth Fairy
Best thing I’ve heard in a while came from Amarra, the 6 year old daughter of Stacy, the nurse practitioner who runs the clinic in Namacurra. Amarra just lost one of her front teeth. Sitting next to her at dinner, I asked her if the tooth fairy had ever visited her. She states very matter-of-factly, “yes, but last time it took 3 days for the tooth fairy to take my tooth, because her wings kept getting caught in my mosquito net. So I had to put my tooth on a table.”
Also, I need to post a clarification of the previous posting about the bug in my room. A certain someone in Djibouti has brought to my attention that it was more than a brief girlish shriek that I made when i saw the demon bug. He called me a liar and insists that I post a clarification of this statement. So, here it goes...I didn't briefly scream. I may have screamed and hyperventilated for 5-10 minutes. There! You happy?!
Also, I need to post a clarification of the previous posting about the bug in my room. A certain someone in Djibouti has brought to my attention that it was more than a brief girlish shriek that I made when i saw the demon bug. He called me a liar and insists that I post a clarification of this statement. So, here it goes...I didn't briefly scream. I may have screamed and hyperventilated for 5-10 minutes. There! You happy?!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Snail Mail
Amy and I have had a few requests for mailing information. The mail isn't exactly "reliable" so the best thing to do if sending mail to us, is to send it to the FGH office in Maputo. Then they'll carry it up here when someone is traveling from Maputo to Quelimane. Also, don't mail anything of value, like electronics or pieces of pretty jewelry that you're dieing to give to us.
FGH
Avenida Maguiguana N32
Maputo, Mozambique
CP604
FGH
Avenida Maguiguana N32
Maputo, Mozambique
CP604
The Green Hills of Africa
What an inspiring day! Yesterday we woke up at the butt-crack of dawn and headed to the border of Mozambique and Malawi to renew our VISAs. First of all, the sunrise here is just as awe-inspiring as the sunset. Secondly, Hemingway wasn't joking when he wrote, "The Green Hills of Africa." It was amazing. The terrain changed from the palm tree-clad city of Quelimane, to fields of mandioca, papaya, and pineapples. Then came the rolling hills and the brisk weather of the western plateau, around the Alto Molocue area. Blue skies, red dirt road, chickens, people on bikes and working in the fields, thatched huts, and an excellent music selection that I was jamming to.
If ever driving through the green hills of Africa, here are my suggestions for the perfect music mix:
1. Into the mystic--Van Morrison
2. The boy in the bubble--Paul Simon
3. Catch the wind--Donovan
4. You're gonna make me lonesome when you go--Dylan
5. Nothing but flowers--Talking Heads
On another more clinical note, Inhassunge (the clinic where Amy and I are going to do the majority of our projects) had 2 cases of leprosy last week. And also, we've learned a bit about ritual scarification, which is an interesting cultural practice in this area of Mozambique, especially Inhassunge. Sort of like tattooing, but the women are the only ones who have it done as a coming of age ritual, and it is often done with unclean instruments and can be a vector for transmitting HIV. More to come on that later...
If ever driving through the green hills of Africa, here are my suggestions for the perfect music mix:
1. Into the mystic--Van Morrison
2. The boy in the bubble--Paul Simon
3. Catch the wind--Donovan
4. You're gonna make me lonesome when you go--Dylan
5. Nothing but flowers--Talking Heads
On another more clinical note, Inhassunge (the clinic where Amy and I are going to do the majority of our projects) had 2 cases of leprosy last week. And also, we've learned a bit about ritual scarification, which is an interesting cultural practice in this area of Mozambique, especially Inhassunge. Sort of like tattooing, but the women are the only ones who have it done as a coming of age ritual, and it is often done with unclean instruments and can be a vector for transmitting HIV. More to come on that later...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Bugs and Birds
Last night, as I was preparing for bed in my dark room (trying to curtail energy costs and make Al Gore proud), I saw a dark shadow move across the wall...about the size of my hand, fingers included. It wasn't moving like a lizard, so I flipped on the light to see what it was. It was either some form of beetle or cockroach. After the initial shock and a brief girlish scream, it met its maker.
At 5:30am, I awoke to the sound of someone raking or sweeping outside my back window. When I realized that I couldn't fall back asleep, I got up and looked out back to see a dozen chickens grazing outside my window. They belong to the people who live behind us. Oh, Africa...
Tomorrow Amy and I are leaving bright and early to venture to the Malawi border with one of FGH's drivers. We need to renew our VISAs, and apparently you have to travel to the border to do so. We're pretty pumped to see the country by car, and will most likely have to spend tomorrow night in Malawi. If you don't hear from either of us in 3-4 days, it's safe to assume we've been deported.
At 5:30am, I awoke to the sound of someone raking or sweeping outside my back window. When I realized that I couldn't fall back asleep, I got up and looked out back to see a dozen chickens grazing outside my window. They belong to the people who live behind us. Oh, Africa...
Tomorrow Amy and I are leaving bright and early to venture to the Malawi border with one of FGH's drivers. We need to renew our VISAs, and apparently you have to travel to the border to do so. We're pretty pumped to see the country by car, and will most likely have to spend tomorrow night in Malawi. If you don't hear from either of us in 3-4 days, it's safe to assume we've been deported.
Monday, September 1, 2008
our house is a very very very fine house
Although I’m beginning to get used to the concept of sharing my home with giant wall-crawling lizards, I still can’t help but let out a shriek whenever I turn a corner and see one of those unholy beasts scurry across the room. Like spiders, they are good in theory because they eat bugs. Unlike spiders, they can be the size of a small cat. The air conditioner lodged in my wall provides the perfect conduit for these little creatures to venture in from the great outdoors. (yeah, our new house has a couple a/c boxes. fancy shmancy!) But one creature that is not welcome in our new home are those nasty little hopping spiders. 3 of them met their maker today. Hopefully the 4th escaped and will tell his friends to set up shop in someone else’s home.
The overhead light in the bathroom is slightly dysfunctional. It flickers on and off in a strobe light type fashion, and I’m a little concerned about having a seizure whilst brushing my teeth, so we’ve opted not to use it. Consequently, Amy looked like she was going spelunking while she got ready for bed. She walked into my room brushing her teeth and wearing a headlamp—picture to be posted soon.
We’ve managed to borrow two mattresses from people at FGH, and we have them on the ground, lying on top of straw mats. I just need to get a couple bamboo poles to fashion a frame that I can use to drape my mosquito net over my bed. Africa has done wonders for my creativity! After 3 stifling years of med school, I’m reconnecting with my childhood skills of fort-building; turning empty rolls of t.p. and wrapping paper into swords, telescopes, and fishing poles; smooshing the chairs together in the living room to play “boat” (Remember that Hannah? We always made Elliott be the fish). I’m fairly certain that I can turn coconut shells into lamp shades. And we’ve already got a couple capulannas for curtains. I’ve devised a method for washing our clothes in a giant bucket. And after a long day, when I come home all hot and dirty, there’s nothing better than a cold shower! (no hot water) What else could a girl want?!
Amy and I christened our new place by sitting in our giant hallway/front room (which by the way is perfect for doing cartwheels) eating pizza, drinking red pop, and watching “Little Women” on our computer. Pretty nice way to spend an evening, eh?!
Yesterday was the last day of 3 days of FGH meetings. Our days were packed with listening to people speak about various aspects of the organization and how the clinics are running. All of this, mind you, was in Portuguese. I now have about 10 pages of vocab that I scribbled down furiously during the talks. A recurring theme of the meeting was that Amy and I were labeled as “fearless,” as a result of our lack of inhibition when it comes to speaking Portuguese. Now, let’s be very clear. Not once were we told that we spoke well…we just dazzled people with our ability to embarrass ourselves without caring. I’m giving us an A for effort.
Following the meeting, there was a big party in Dr. Paulo’s backyard (where we have African dance class). There were about 10 people who formed a drum circle and just went to town all night. So we danced around the drum circle under the palm trees and the beautiful African sky, and they played and chanted. It was all very magical and surreal.
The overhead light in the bathroom is slightly dysfunctional. It flickers on and off in a strobe light type fashion, and I’m a little concerned about having a seizure whilst brushing my teeth, so we’ve opted not to use it. Consequently, Amy looked like she was going spelunking while she got ready for bed. She walked into my room brushing her teeth and wearing a headlamp—picture to be posted soon.
We’ve managed to borrow two mattresses from people at FGH, and we have them on the ground, lying on top of straw mats. I just need to get a couple bamboo poles to fashion a frame that I can use to drape my mosquito net over my bed. Africa has done wonders for my creativity! After 3 stifling years of med school, I’m reconnecting with my childhood skills of fort-building; turning empty rolls of t.p. and wrapping paper into swords, telescopes, and fishing poles; smooshing the chairs together in the living room to play “boat” (Remember that Hannah? We always made Elliott be the fish). I’m fairly certain that I can turn coconut shells into lamp shades. And we’ve already got a couple capulannas for curtains. I’ve devised a method for washing our clothes in a giant bucket. And after a long day, when I come home all hot and dirty, there’s nothing better than a cold shower! (no hot water) What else could a girl want?!
Amy and I christened our new place by sitting in our giant hallway/front room (which by the way is perfect for doing cartwheels) eating pizza, drinking red pop, and watching “Little Women” on our computer. Pretty nice way to spend an evening, eh?!
Yesterday was the last day of 3 days of FGH meetings. Our days were packed with listening to people speak about various aspects of the organization and how the clinics are running. All of this, mind you, was in Portuguese. I now have about 10 pages of vocab that I scribbled down furiously during the talks. A recurring theme of the meeting was that Amy and I were labeled as “fearless,” as a result of our lack of inhibition when it comes to speaking Portuguese. Now, let’s be very clear. Not once were we told that we spoke well…we just dazzled people with our ability to embarrass ourselves without caring. I’m giving us an A for effort.
Following the meeting, there was a big party in Dr. Paulo’s backyard (where we have African dance class). There were about 10 people who formed a drum circle and just went to town all night. So we danced around the drum circle under the palm trees and the beautiful African sky, and they played and chanted. It was all very magical and surreal.
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