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 :)
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 :)
