Ships log # 11

This posting is going to be over several designated days as there is just so much happening that I have had no time to get to the computer and have just been writing frantically in a notebook each night !!



Thursday (last week)

This evenings community meeting took a different format and was in fact the graduation ceremony for the seniors of the on board high school.  The 3 graduants were all girls of long term crew members, one who had been living on the ship (or the previous model the Anastasis) her entire life.  It was a very special event for the ship as a whole as they hadn't had any school leavers for a couple of years and of course rather emotional I imagine for their individual families as they are all the eldest in their family and are planning to further their education somewhere other than on the ship.  It was much like a university graduation as they wore clokes and mortar boards and deceived a diploma.  They were given the honour of walking out under a shower of bubble blowing as confetti was deemed impractical (not least to say annoying for the domestic staff !!)

I had picked up my African outfit during the afternoon so was well set to dress for the formal occasion ....

.... and have had a chance to wear it 3 times since (Friday's dayworker farewell, church on Sunday and Tuesday evening's Guinea farewell celebrations in the town centre).  I must say I am extremely pleased with how it came out and it is very comfortable to wear.  The top and skirt can be worn seperately. 

Friday (last week)

This crazy fun day began with completion of checking of the first aid kits with the humidity suddenly going thru the roof  !!  I was out on the dock and realised my nose was dripping, then my skin was beading with perspiration and my eyesight was becoming blurred due to the moisture dripping from my forehead onto my glasses.  My scrubs were rapidly becoming damp in ever increasing patches...which you may notice on my back from this pic...do I look like I am melting ?

My colleague, Thorhild from the Farrel Islands (Denmark), and I rapidly completed our task and high tailed it back up the gang plank and relief of the air con on the ship PHEW !! Following a cold shower and change of scrubs we retreated to Starbucks for a Friday hot waffle and a chai latte. 

Eating waffles on a Friday has not been a regular pastime of mine due to work commitments but everything is a bit laid back here in some respects - long lunches and breaks - as we have discharged the last patient but there is plenty to do to pack up the ship in readiness for the sail.

Lunchtime saw me done my new African outfit again and be part of the thanks and celebrations for our day workers.  These wonderful local people have keenly come to work on the ship (they are paid) to assist with translation, taken on many of the domestic, galley, deck and engineering tasks and generally been the daily connection with the Guinean people.

There was a lot of emtionally charged farewells especially between the long term crew, who had been here for the entire out reach, and the day workers, who had started on the Africa Mercy way back in August 2012.  Many of them do not have another job to go on to.  They have all received certificates and records of commendation from Mercy Ships which I am assured will greatly assist their future job prospects.  They will have learnt new skills and had an opportunity to be part of a cooperative workplace environment.

Here we gather together in the dinning room  for lunch before the farewell ceremony...

... and final goodbyes on the dock...



(L-R) Umu, Tina (OR educator), and Fatumata

The evening saw me invited out with the dental team to a local night club - complete with coconut palm trees, lighting effects (African style) and a 6 piece jazz band in an outdoor setting.  The saxophonist resembled Louis Armstrong and played the soprano, alto and tenor sax, there was also a pianist, African drummer on the djembe (which is a wonderful sounding hour glass shaped instrument held firmly between the knees), electric guitarist with an instrument that resembled a bulbous banjo, and 3 vocalists (one of which was a Bob Marley look-a-like).  We jived the night away with numerous other Mercy Shippers, as it was a popular fairly local venue.  Just as we departed the building in order to be home by the 10.30pm curfew, the power failed in the street - but we could still hear the drummer playing on !!  As out taxi drew away the power returned - they were lucky tonight as power outages are a common occurence where electricity has to be shared between suburbs on a daily basis.

Ships log # 10
Well the pack up and the goodbyes have begun - went out a couple of nights ago to a local Italian restaurant with the cabin mates as one of our number leaves on Saturday (the rest of us sail to the Canary Islands) and there have been or will be numerous ceremonies aboard ship for the local Mercy Ministrys' personnel and  the many local paid day workers who help in the running of ship and of course with translation for patients. There are at least 5 dialects, including French that are common throughout Guinea.  The OR day workers are predominately locally trained  RNs and one is a doctor who has been studying in France (as there is no training in Guinea) but to further his career he needs more funds to go back overseas. 

During our usual Friday morning devotions and staff meeting  (always combined) last week these friendly, relaxed and humble people I have had the pleasure to work alongside recieved leaving certificates and records of service as they have trained on the Africa Mercy to become OR nurses and leave with a much broader understanding of asepsis and surgery.

L-R : Moise, Umu, Fatumata, Dr Fara

** Just a note her - for those who have read the previous blog and there were gaps in the totals of surgical proceedures - they are not complete :)

You may have noticed at this point that they have not the usual attire on their heads - this was just an excuse to have another crazy scrubs day as the lst one was so enjoyed by all such that the whole team got into the act again... !!
Our esteemed leader Dr Gary Parker (maxilofacial surgeon and head of surgery), Maryka (Maxfax team leader) and Melanie (NZ) chose to stay in sensible attire - but you may notice that Gary has elephants on his scrub trousers ... :)

Pack up in the OR involves wrapping  everything securely in locked cupboards  or secure shelf units that convert to cages once doors are added - very ingenious...

...the remainder equipment needs to be jammed together, secured with bungies and strong magnets to the walls and floors and cushioned with mattresses from the wards - as the last of the patients are discharged.

What an exercise..... PHEW !!...which has to be undone when we get to Congo :)


But now mostly complete....YEH !!

...and just to emphasise the UN nature of my colleagues (L-R) Australia (Barbara), US (Allison), Sth Africa (Maryka), Germany (Michel) and married to NZ (Melanie) !!

I have busied myself ensuring all the emergency sets - crash cart, malignant hypothermia box, etc - are checked , cleaned and up to date, and today have the job of doing the same for all the first aid kits from the ships vehicles - 25 in number I believe !!

Last night I joined the ukele club at their beach venue windup - have been meaning to go to the class for the past 3wks but they say it is never to late to learn - and was able to join in by learning 2 chords which set me right for ALL the songs !! Band master Sean (anaesthetist) in the blue shirt on the left of the tables continued playing and singing long after the rest had given up. I think he would rather do that all day than do anesthetics. He and his wife, who is a gynae surgeon, are shortly off to Rwanda with their childen to assist in training medical personnel for a further year in Africa (originally from the US).  I continue to be amazed at what colleagues have done in this country or been involved in other missionary exercises worldwide.  I am less than a novice but very keen to learn and take part.

Cabin mates (L-R) Kathy and Carolyn, and Frances from across the hallway were there to enjoy the sun and music.

The local beach is not one you would swim at due to the pollution but the venue is fun filled with many men/boys playing soccer and pizza available from a local truck.  We dined well and were there til after 9pm.

The highlight of the evening, however, was the sunset ..... but the photo definitely does not do it justice :)

The day has begun and I must desist from gazing out the window at the ocean - first aid kits await - Au revoir and bon jour xo

Ships log # 9
What a great week it has been - full on with surgery as we come to the end of this out reach in Guinea where 482 maxillofacial, 162 cleft lip or palate repairs, 99  reconstructive, 116 orthopaedic, 63 gynaecological, 1617  eye, and 297 general operations have been performed over a 10 mth period, along with 51 club foot corrections using a non surgical (Ponseti) method.  An unquantifible number of connections have been made with local people and organisations - which include orphanages, churches, schools, womens' and mens' prison as well as  local missionaries and their children, who have enjoyed a mutual combined group activity each week with the children on board the Africa Mercy.

I visited the paediatric ward at the local hospital on Tuesday night (this being a weekly occurence from Mercy Ships personnel) and played games with the children and also helped keep the parents (who are required to care for their children on a fulltime basis) entertained.  We played Jenga (block stacking game), blowed bubbles, coloured in pictures, threaded some bead necklaces and kicked a balloon around.  My basic french (improving all the time) came in useful again and I managed to engage everybody with something I said or did !!

Friday night I accompanied another group of crew after work to set up a projector  at an outside community area showing a movie of the classic story of Jesus.  We attracted between 200-300 people (I estimated) in an open space adjacent to their meagre dwellings, many of which were quite young childern who insisted on climbing on our knees on a rotational basis - some fell asleep before mothers could locate them in the rapidly dimming light. The movie was a translation in Fula (one of the local dialects) with the local pastor contributing to the meaning of the story in French during the crucification scene which was also translated into Fula. The pastor utilised Mercy Ships personnel to spread the word about the meaning of christianity and to model the love of Jesus. We finally got home a little after 10.30pm after a most enlightening and enjoyable evening.

Today I made yet another trip to the local market but this time with a focus on buying some material to have a top and skirt made - Sundays is less crazy at the market and it is easier to make decisions and keep a clear head for bargaining !!  I managed to get some suitable material and even locate the tailor and choose suitable adornements - I don't want to give anymore details at this stage as even I don't know exactly what the finished product may look like - but I hope to attach a photo on the next blog as it will be finished in 2 days.  All the women use tailors here to make the gorgeous outfits that they wear and they are all so unique ...and mine will be just that :)

This next week is pack up week in the OR where everything needs to be either bolted to the floor, cling wrapped or fully secured in cupboards in readiness for sailing to the Canary Islands.  Following that my final 2 wks will see me employed in crew services (??) .....my duties are yet to be divulged but if it involves cleaning the public toilets then I know where there is a good supply of gloves !!

Since it is my usual laundry slot time the drier awaits - and then a good book on the deck - and am actually starting to miss not cooking my own food but do you see me complaining - No not all :)

Ships log #8
It feels vey calm living here on the the Africa Mercy - the christian community feel is very pleasing to the soul and helps me to contemplate life in a peaceful and rational manner despite the many thoughts about what life has to offer me going around my mind.  The city (Conakry) is also calm this week as their is a UN mediation group I believe in town assisting in  the premanagment of up coming elections in Guinea - due either later in May or early June.

I am up early again today to make the most of the internet connection speed and lack of personnel around (most still sleeping at this time).  I have found however that living in close proximity to 450 people (50 of those are children) has not been arduous and have found my little spaces for aloneness - the Ipod shufffle has been a god send and the library is a haven.  Often my cabin is quiet in the evenings as well as my cabin mates choose to socialise in one of the many lounge areas or at Starbucks. I have even managed to watch "Man v Wild" and "Top Gear" when somebody had found them on the communial TV.  So life is generally pretty good and even got some acute orthopaedics to do in the OR last night !!  One of the crew members had an accident so had to come for surgery - no worries there as one of the curent surgeons stitched him up and I gave some advise about dressings and equipment required.  You might be saying - am I missing the ortho trauma theatre  ?? Just a little I think :)

Will away to breakfast now and prework devotions - more for the soul to contemplate - am feeling very pleased that I have signed up for another stint of service later in the year as this is definitely the right place for me currently - about the long term though - this year will decide that - bonjour et cava ? Cava bien xo

Ships log #7
Have just returned from an after dinner stroll along the dock after eating out on the upper deck as I needed a bit of fresh air and some breeze.  It seemed quite stuffy on the ship this evening.  Had been helping my cabin mate sew brocade onto her outfit for a wedding next weekend so needed to rest my eyes from threading needles and awaken my body again.  There were vultures circling overhead (we counted 8 and wondered what had died??) - also encountered a large rat as it disappeared down one of the many open drains around the port - my walking mate jumped a she saw it which made me think there was something near my feet - fortunately not a close encounter of the dreaded kind but close enough !!

It has been a pleasant long weekend here with Friday off which is the usually occurence here every 6wk - there was no special reason but that we need it - sounds good enough for me :)  Many people have taken the opportunity to go away for a night or two.  I went with a dozen other women to another local island (Casa) for a day trip yesterday which was truly a paradise with many coconut palms and wide sandy beaches and hardly a person in sight.  The water was once again pristine and warm with no waves this time so we lolled in the briney several times and then sunned ourselves unashamedly.  Some will be suffering today but I managed to  adequatley protect myself - I have still coloured up however but the intensity is not as it is in NZ and according to one of the nurses from Auz she has found that as well.

This morning I was pleased to be able to accompany one of my cabin mates to a local craft market by Mercy Ships vehicle instead of having to walk along the hazardous roads or getting in a well worn taxi.  This particular market had leather goods and many ebony carved animals - they were all truly beautiful but unfortunately the one I liked would have taken me way over the luggage allowance.  I resigned my self to buying a table cloth from the women's co-op shop and some earrings made from dyed coconut shell.  Am very pleased with them. 

(photo to come)

Tomorrow I plan to go to a local church where the service is in a combination of French and English with lots of African singing (the best part) and then head back to the market to get some brocade for the wedding dress as we don't quite have enough.  The initial exercise in getting the braid was an adventure in itself (previously described) so am looking forward to returning and perhaps get some for myself this time :)

Ships log # 6

Life this week so far has been fairly routine (but most interesting) with continued maxillofacial surgery to repair cleft lips / palates, 2nd stage scalp flap  releases for reconstruction of nose / lips with bone grafts from rib or iliac crest, and general surgery  for unusual and excessive hernia repairs. The spiritual life of the ship melts into  work as we start the day with departmental or ship wide devotions  and usually  singing.   Ship wide worship (with lots of singing) is always on Sundays and each meeting is acompanied by words of the days that inspire and make you think about how you perform your duties and react within this communal life.

Yesterday I walked down to the local market (20 min away) with a couple of other women to search for braid to decorate a friend's formal dress - we finally found it amongst a rabbit warren of  stalls selling everything from groceries to fruit to electronics and hardware. The narrow spaces were slightly clostriphobic at times and everybody was out to get somewhere in a hurry.  Little regard was given to us white girls but finally after literally up stair and down alleyway we found where the tailors and cutters (lost count of how many) sit and sew and also the haberdashery stalls - we were very pleased as we had almost given up.  There was a large array of different widths and designs of brocade, binding and thread, and with lots of running to and fro by the keen venders we were able to find a match for our material.  Great relief and satisfaction insued :)  I have been somewhat impressed by the designs of the dresses that the local women wear here as they are all in the same genre but all are unique - now I see how !!  Most regardless of their wealth status have dresses made exactly to measure and because of the vast array of patterned material available here and the brocade trims each can be made to be quite unique. The material is also printed with a wax process that I have not seen before and seems to keep its colour over time despite being printed on cotton - I have yet to see a faded looking dress so I am hoping I can get one made for myself as it would be quite a treat.

Today I am up early as the interent is better and I can watch the habour from the computer suite as the light comes into the sky.  I have started walking for exercise at 0615hr as I have been quite lazy since being here and also eating too much yummy stoggy food :(  We must go out in groups of preferably 3 so have just been walking around the dock area so far but am intent on starting a walking group on Mon/Wed/Fri with map supplied so that security know which streets we are taking.  There should be no reason why we will not be as there are a lot of defence buildings near the port so lots of gendermes  but there has been some unrest in city of recent days consistant with the coming elections.

Well think its time for my walk around the deck before breakfast - bon jour to all :)

Ships log  #5

YEH – got a sleep in this morning !!  well sort of – after at least 4 other alarms went off at various times in my cabin their owners either getting up to go for a run before the sun got too hot – crazy people – or heading off for early breakfast before going to join an orphanage visit to help out or to other Mercy ministry (but more about that in another post - then finally mine at 8.30am so that I could get to breakfast by 9am – I am so institutionalized!!  But I also had my laundry slot at 10am so plenty of time to enjoy a quiet coffee in the lounge and read a UK gossip mag (yes we do have them here if someone was kind enough to bring them from home).  It was actually a welcome quiet time as lots of people have gone ashore to the market also this morning (Saturday).   I am on call today so need to stay ship bound but will head off to a local island tomorrow for some R+R and some body surfing J

Now just a few more pics from last weekend of roadside stalls full of local fruits and produce…. pineapples, mangoes, apples, coconuts, limes, oranges, figs, sweet grapefruit, unknown green leaves, cashew and peanuts, also papaya and watermelon just to name a few .  We are enjoying most of these fruits in the dining room and they all seem sweeter and larger than anything we would usually have at home …

Here is me enjoying a mango….  (photo to come)

 

…and the most yummy chewy omelet filled baguette I have ever had ….the bread was straight out of the oven !!

We ate at simple restaurants …

…serving meals in 1000’s of Guinea francs…

10,500 GF = US$1.50 (apprx NZ$1.80)

... usually with an interesting roadside outlook…

… and which included passing cars in transit to unknown destinations with live chickens atop the roof !!

Now more about mangoes… I saw a young boy (?8 yr)harvesting mangoes with a long bamboo pole with a knife attached to the end.  Here he is carrying the pole (adjacent to the house) which I would estimate to be 10m long…

…and here he is harvesting the mangoes with the pole reaching way up into the tree ( I would suggest magnifying your page to see how high up the pole is) …

.. and once again mangoes dripping from the tree !!

On arriving in Kindia township we visited one of the big markets which sold everything imaginaeable and edible !!  It was a truly crazy place with every piece of spare ground covered with wares or people – both sellers and buyers  - and then a car would try and drive thru - while much honking and shouting ensued  !!

…and much to our relief we found the material stalls with every pattern and colour available.

I also noticed some slightly dodgy scaffold and support structure which would make many a builder crinch with anticipation of an ACC claim.  This was however common place and to be found on substantial apartment blocks under construction.

And the final treat of the weekend was the visit to the Institute de Venemology !!

 This rambling array of mostly disused buildings was built probably around 1960 and was planned to house an exotic zoo.  It is now just home to several crazed monkeys , two very docile crocadiles, and multiple snakes !!

Beyond the left hand door there were dozens of preserved serpentines…

…latin names included..

 …but beyond the right hand door thee were the live ones !!  There were at least 3 cobras which the watchful guardians happily woke up for us with a brush of their brush on the cage…

…some beautiful skinny green ones… 

…and other random types, one of which insisted on hissing at us !!

 And such is life in wonderful west Africa – but today involves doing my washing  (YEH) then coffee break at Starbucks (Yes indeed – the only one in west Africa due to ist support of mercy Ships).  Have a great day to all my wonderful friends and family in NZ and around the world xox

Ships log # 4

Well so sorry folks for being tardy in getting the next post up on my blog site !!  I am blown away by the numbers of people who are reading it and sending me emails of encouragement – thank you.

The week has flown by with continuous surgery during the day and “community’ events in the evening – there is always something going on around here to keep one from being bored or think that you want to have your own quiet time or an early night – we celebrated Dutch Queen’s day and the new Dutch monarchy earlier in the week with orange balloons all over the ship and flowers to all the Dutch ladies (or those related to Dutch gentlemen !!) – the Wednesday medical inservice night had the current Australian general surgeon talk about goitre disease in west Africa and thryroidectomy – and Monday evening saw a full community global hitch up discussion with head office in Texas to discuss future events happening in the organization.

But back to last weekend – I had an amazingly insightful couple of days going up country with 3 other women from the ship – Lea (German), Camille (French Suisse) and Bianca (USA) – we hired a driver (alias tour guide) and drove about 4hr (often the trip takes up to 8 hr) up to Kindia, via Coyah, bumping along and avoiding pot hole filled roads, trucks, people, road side stalls, sheep, and motor bikes driving on the wrong side of the road.  That’s not to say we didn’t at times because it may have been the better route (?).  



On the whole roads were either dirt … or rugged tarseal a little rough on the sides but allowing for passing opportunites at short  notice !!

We planned to see a picturesque bridal veil waterfall (Voile de mairee), swim in some mountain pools (Eaux de Killisi), and eat plenty of mangoes and go for a wee hike (??).

 

I’ll start with the hike – we skipped over rocks (not me) the mountain in the far distance is where we headed to …and scampered up (some vertical) hillsides with me in the rear…   

 

– but the tortoise always gets there eventually) for over an hour up Mt Gangan thru a village which has vast views over the lower plans.  And after a circuitous route (over 3hr worth), nearly 40 deg C heat and under an intense African clear and sunny sky we finally made it back – do I look relieved and tired ?

The village mirrored many traditional villages that we saw en route from Conakry – with thatched mud huts, with some cement reinforced corrugated iron roofed huts, and evidence of very basic cooking and living facilities.  The villagers were understandably camera shy but I was able to record some sights that provide evidence of the meager lifestyle they live…

…and I must say whatever was cooking smelt pretty good …

Carrying babes on backs and everything (!!) on your head is a necessary activity for young and old and starts very young with us seeing some as young as 5 or 6 years old carrying small pales of water or supplies.

…and the animals they keep - wasn't quite sure whether they were sheep or goats (?)

The water supply for village came from a tiny mountain stream which has almost completely dried up because the rainy season hasn’t come quite yet…

... and the land around is fairly barren except for a few random trees and numerous mango trees…

(note the unripe mangoes dripping off the tree in the foreground)

 …and stacks of drying mud bricks – these appeared to be purely made from mud from the rich multi coloured earth.

We visited le Voile de mariee the next morning …

…and then went for a well earned drenching in one of the pools of the Eaux (waters) of kalissi…

..after first navigating a very rickety bridge !!

Here are my 3 girlfriends who provided me with much entertainment and hilarity as we tried to translate for each other.  Quite a feat when there was German, French and English and American (!?) as first languages and French, German and English as 2^nd languages !! – work that one out – even I had to translate three ways at one point !!

L – R : Lea, Bianca, Camille

I have still so much to tell about this trip and this week that I will post this one and start again tomorrow as the internet is getting slower by the minute

Bon nuit to all xo