Ships log #19

This past week has flown by with us putting in many physical hours to put the operating theatre to rights.  All the   instruments for the coming field service have been checked and resterilised.  We have this opportunity to have every set opened, relabelled and adjusted if required - a real luxury which is not possible in a hospital at home that runs 24/7 - 365 days of the year.  I am also coming to grips with the plastic surgery requirements for the coming surgeon and with unfamiliar trade names of dressings and equipment.  This a bit of a challenge at the outset as the surgeon becomes familiar with surgery back on the ship again (he has been many times before) and what we have available for him this time !!  Mercy Ships mostly relies on donated products from a variety of reputable companies so it is sometimes like opening a present at Christmas time - its not really what you want but it will do fine :)

We are gearing up now for screening day on Wednesday with mass orientation meetings and discussions about how to react to patients who are in distress, medically very unwell, have disfigurements that are quite unsightly, and those that Mercy Ships are just unable to help at this time.  Everybody has been allotted a job on the day which involves either being at a station for assessment of each type of physical affliction or surgical need , movement of patients from one station to the next, entertainment of children, provision of water or prayer, security or care of those where surgery is just not possible with Mercy Ships.  We need to have breakfast at 5am (YIKs !!) as the plan is to start assessing patients by 7am.  Prospective patients are probably already accumulating at the screening site ( a local high school) and many would have travelled miles from home to attend.  Advertising has been put throughout the country but those from surrounding countries may also turn up in the hope of a cure.

I am anticipating undertaking my job at the final checking station with some trepidation but also with  excitement at the prospect of interacting with a huge number of the prospective patients for the Africa Mercy during this field service.  I will attempt to ensure that each patient is treated as an individual and has as full an understanding as possible of their surgical journey to come.  My hope is that we can meet everybody's needs in some way.

I have no photos for you this week, even though I have been out to the markets over the weekend, due to just not taking my camera - but will  describe some aspects of my local surrounds.  The ship is berthed in a dock area (of course, you say) which is surrounded by container vessels, which change  constantly, fishing boats and warehouses.  We have to walk about 1.5 km to the port gate - shuttles run on some days - but the walk is good for us and due to the weather being cooler here and also lower humidity its quite  comfortable being outside.   We then take either a taxi or bus van (where we are packed in like sardines) to the market or beyond.  Markets were just as busy and chaotic (to the uninitiated anyway) as  Guinea but full of life and friendly locals.  We managed a few interactions again with our basic French and I purchased a fresh avocado and just enjoyed discovering the different types of fruit and vegetables available here in the Congo. There were also stalls with ready made local clothing and was tempted to get another skirt and blouse but perhaps next week. There is a real supermarket nearby if we need any western provisions and  many small restaurants selling local and foreign food.  The beach, which is within a half hour walk, has big surf and we are advised not to swim there due to he undercurrent but some of the guys have discovered already that  it provides good entertainment for their surf boards so they are pretty happy.  The surrounding countryside, I understand, is very picturesque, with plenty of safe walking tracks and views of gorges and forest areas.  I intend to get out there next weekend and discover it for myself (photos promised).

Its late now and there is still plenty to do tomorrow and an early night would be a good idea in preparation for the big screening day.  I hope they will provide us with caffeine in the water bottles on the day !!  Hope, all my dear family, friends, and followers of my adventure, you are well and hearty. Aurevoir for now :)

Ships log # 18

Just a quick note to stay that I have arrived safely in Pointe Noire (Republic of Congo) despite nearly missing my connection in Addis Abab !!  Alls well that ends well though and it was fortunate that I was the only white girl on the flight so was easy to find as the missing passenger.  The staff were very friendly and said - madam your flight is waiting to depart - I now know how royalty feel :)

Am getting used to life on board again and have been welcomed back by so many people it has been quite touching.  We are busily putting the operating theatre department to rights after everything was shuffled around in the packing up prior to sailing to the Canary Islands.  The major screening day is next Wednesday then surgery begins in ernest on 2nd Sept.  I will be part of the final checking team to make sure all patients understand when to come back for surgery and also what is to be expected - I can imagine very few would have had any experience of going for an operation so it may be very daunting.  Fortunately we once again have local translators to assist in this process.

Have connected with some NZers already and will be working alongside Sue from Tauranaga which will be great and have Australasian dinner out planned for next Friday - I think this 8wk period will fly by but be satisfyingly busy and productive.

There is lots to explore in this new country where I have discovered that the populations is the same as NZ and there a very high % of Christians (more than muslims) - unlike Guinea where it was about 90% muslim and 5% Christian.  French is not the predominat language so I am madly brushing up on two types of greetings in the local languages - Kituba and Lingala.  WOW !! The learning never stops - and much to the mirth of my family I have started ballet classes very kindly provided on board by one of the crew members _ I am now the proud owner of a pair of pink ballet flats and appreciating the movement and music of the class much more so than when I was 12 yr old and didn't want to practice - and I wondered why I didn't improve :)

Enough for now - have made use of the quicker broadband time early in the morning so away to breakfast now - hopefully add some pics over the weekend

Cheers to all - Vicki

Ships log #17

Well hello :)

I'm back ..... while in the final stages of repacking for Africa I thought I would update my blog on what I have doing during this time of R+R in London.   The 8 week period has been hectic at times (train catching all around the UK), stressful (negotiating the tubes),  thought provoking (writing articles focused on my thesis content), and just relaxing (enjoying the super summer and the sights and sounds of the big apple).

I have also met up with some former Mercy Shippers resident back here in London ...

.... here with occupational therapist Sharon at Windsor Castle....

....amongst many other unplanned events - me here waiting for Kate Middleton to finish her phone call !!

I have spent quite a bit of time dissecting my thesis while in the UK and have managed to write 2 articles suitable for publication and produce 3 more drafts so a great start I feel to be completed when I get home and reattached to  my trusty referencing program - I am lost without it and need it to finalise articles so that they are suitable for different journal formats.  I am very pleased to have so many focus points to discuss and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the thesis after a break of several months.  For those who haven't caught up with the news I got an "A" for my thesis so will now graduate with a Masters of Clinical research (distinction) in December of this year.  Am somewhat pleased with myself :)

I have so enjoyed spending so long in the UK and have come to appreciate London and absolutely love all the old buildings....

...the many churches - such as Westminister Abbey...

... and St Pauls cathedral...

...and the ancient architecture of this prolifically Victorian city...

...here near Chancery Lane ...






.... and here on Parliament buildings.

I have also had the opportunity to see the countryside full of historic villages (aren't they all ?) and townships beside the waterways here at Foxton Locks...

... catch up with NZ friends and relatives and visit the north  near Cambridge where I discovered there was a university college named after my daughter...

... with a stunning dinningroom prepared for a formal dinner...




..... and to Scotland and the sight of vast amounts of bracken, heather, and castles !!

...with many noteworthy buildings in Edinburgh ....

....and then there was the fringe festival - WOW !!! - what more can I say - a definite for anybodies bucket list I think   :D

 But naturally I could not leave town without talking about the bag pipers on almost every corner - and the military tattoo which was genuinely a sight to behold !!!

.... south  to Southampton and Chichester....

 ... and the hills above Brighton ......

.....and west to Henley-on-Thames.

I loved it all !!!  - but I think the Edinburgh fringe festival was the most memorable.  We went to 22 shows over 5 days plus watched numerous street performers and just took in the wonderful ambiance of the city with its stone buildings, secret alleyways and many lanes and courtyards.

I could have stayed there another week !!!

But now the time has come (the walrus said) to return to the ship and I am preparing my mind and body for fulltime work again - along with the wee cabin  - and the prospects of making a load more friends :)

I am repacked and with a little trepidation am heading for the airport to fly to Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.  I once again have been promised to be met at the other end :)

The anticipation of returning to the ship has been upon me since I arrived in London as it is a special place and has a community feel like no other I have ever experienced.  It is where everybody works towards the one goal and the consideration I have felt that people have for their fellow colleagues is unique.   I will wind this blog up now and prepare my lunch before I am airport bound and a thru the night flight :( but at least I am on my way.

Will be brushing up on my french again en route and hope to hit the ground running.  Ta ta for now. See you in the Congo xo

Ships log * 16
Safely back in London - once immigration had given me a thorough checking and was satisfied that I wasn't planning to work illegally or try to over stay my welcome - now enjoying the peacefulness of Walthanstow (East London) and sanctury at sister Frances place.  Seeing lines of green trees is a pleasure ...

... but hearing spoken english is somewhat difficult - I have been used to the constant deciphering of english spoken with a number of different accents from around the world, as well as concentrating on the spoken french and spanish around me but understanding the English speaking english is REALLY a challenge !!

But I digress slightly ... had a very relaxing week in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) eating many pastries and pizza, had devine seafood paella, and explored the vast array of volcanic terrain around the island.  Cabin mate Chris hired a car and with various friends on two separte occasions we circumnavigated and cross navigated the island fully utilising the switch back  and cliff top roads.

The scenery was stark but incredible and in complete contrast to the man made beaches in the resort areas of the island...

 cacti grew wild on almost every hillside....

...and we managed to get to the the highest point of the island which afforded a spectacular view back to the port (in the distance middle left of photo) and in fact felt like we were on top of the world (see  level with the clouds) !!

Back In Las Palmas we checked out the 15th and 16th century churches ...

...and delighted in the multi pastel coloured houses  ....

...and skinny, steep streets.

The Jardin de Canaria on the outskirts of Las Palmas had a fabulous section of cacti and succulent which had me taking taking numerous photos - the succulents were very similar to at home...











... but the cacti were incredible, some dainty....

and some VERY spikey ...

...but such a variety !!

WOW !! Can't believe it is the end of my first adventure to west Africa - my mission was to fit in and be useful - I am happy I have done that and am soooooo looking forward to returning.

This will be my last blog post for a while resuming mid Aug after I arrive in the Congo - thank you for all the complimentary emails over the past 2 mth  - I have been quite taken aback at the interest in my blog - so long for now - adios, au revoir and see ya bro :)

 

Ships log # 15
Am writing from the shipyard of Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria which is a part of Spain but is geographically located off the coast of Morocco.  We completed our sail here with perfect weather and were able to enjoy worship on the bow accompanied by minki whales on one occasion.

There was minimal issues with seasickness and several people sleeped outside with their hammocks strung up on the deck...

I just enjoyed the view and being at sea :)

It is a balmy 24 deg C here in Las Palmas (but not humid thank goodness) and the water temperature I understand is 21 deg C - YEH !!  We docked successfully on Thurs with the help of local tugs - manoevuring us into a very tight spot (parallel parking in the real world) and then another ship has since berthed up against us - our portside sea view is now obscured by pipes, rails and rusty metal.

We have enthusiastically explored the local surrounds as they are VERY clean, pollution free and friendly - a stark contrast to Guinea.  We enjoyed our first evening out eating fresh fish on the board walk  watching  local families walking, running and simply promenading (!!) in the cool  (21 deg C) of the evening - we were the only people eating so early @ 6.30pm (so institutionalised).  Here siesta time takes up half the afternoon (when the shops mostly close) so people don't tend to come out for dinner until 8pm.  The main beach here is flanked by low rise appartment blocks with quaint adjacent streets . 

 The summer holiday season isn't here yet so it is a pleasure to wander around feeling safe and in fresh air.  Am definitely enjoying the start to my week of R+R and have booked a dive trip with UK nurse (Frances) already.


We (Frances and I) are disembarking from the ship early on Monday morning and into a local hotel until I fly back to London in a weeks time - will be able to have breakfast when and where we want - there are so many pastry and deli shops here as well as frozen yoghurt and gelato outlets !!  The plan though is to walk the promenade from one end to the other BEFORE breakfast (distance as per photo above) - a great start to the day I feel.  The rest of the week will see me exploring the more historic part of town, drive around the island (has good scenery and quaint villages), read yet more books, enjoy more pizza and sample the paella.  I am learning a few essential spanish words and phrases from my cabin mate - greetings, how to order coffee, pastries, paella and beer - and remembering to say "Oola" instead of "bonjour", "por favor" instead of "si vous plais", "gracias" instead of "merci", and "si" instead of "oui"  !!  Have also learnt the first few numbers and plan to extend my brain a bit more each day - lots of fun :)

Not much to write today but will add more after my return to London as will not have much interent available this next week.  It is a shame to come to the end of this portion of my African adventure but am relishing in the thought of returning and continuing where I have left off.  I am a known quantity in the OR now and am looking forward to not feeling like a fish out of water (haha) but being able to orientate new crew members as I was.  Still so much to look forward to. For now - adios amigo  :)

Ships log #14
We are now at sea midway thru the voyage to the Canary Islands having departed relatively on time on Sat 2pm with much noise from local tugs and our own horn - I think the whole of Conakry knew we were leaving - many locals lined the wharf area waving and the decks were lined with most of the crew returning the favour as the gangplank was hoisted up onto the top deck and the last of the ropes were released from the dock - the tug boats ensured the ship slide easily away from the dock before turning a full 180 deg in the harbour to face the open sea - the weather has been VERY favourable with calm seas so far and just over a day to go.  The ship rocks slightly but most have got their sea legs very quickly especially the toddlers who are enjoying running down (!!) the deck an activity not normally permitted but with parents in hot persuit.

I did pirate watch the first night but now we are out of the Gulf of Guinea we are considered safe but  the oil tankers are much more of a target than us - we have 250 people to overpower them her anyway where the tankers often have as little as 6 crew members. We have instructions of what to do if such a crisis occurs.

If you want to track us you can go to  - www.marinetraffic.com - on the live map page put in the name of the vessel as Africa Mercy - we are currently off the western Sahara having passed by Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mauriatinia over the past few days.

There have been various activites arranged for the evenings while at sea but the day sightings of flying fish, common dolphins, minki whales, giant turtles and mantar ray has excited all. It has also been fascinating to see the stars clearly here at night with little reflected light around you on the top deck - many people have the app Starwalk on their Ipod which allows with GPS assistance to see real time stars if you point the device skyward.  It even works inside - a real treat to see as it has names of the stars and consolations and you can zoom for further detail - one chap also tracks the NASA satellites so one was seen a couple of nights ago as it cycled past us.  I have also taken the opportunity to take in a tour of the bridge and the engine room as the engineers and officers are particularly obliging.

All too soon this voyage will be finished as we get back on dry land but so much more still to come - have had discussions with the OR manager about my work so far and have been asked to be a key member of the plastic surgery team on my return to the Africa Mercy in the Congo for Sept/Oct when a regularly visiting Sth African surgeon will come.  I am delighted of course to slot in wherever I am needed - what a joy to be still part of this exercise in humanity.

Ships log # 13

Sunday (last week)
Church today involved dressing for the occasion with my new African outfit again and walking 20 min in the humid heat to the Amour du dieu l'eclise (Love of God church) once again for the final time.  This church is evangelical pentacostal and the service is full of praise of the lord, singing and dancing and helluluyahs.  Today the service was prolonged by over an hour (total 3hr 45min) due to it being Mother's day here in Guinea and many blessings being bestowed on Mercy Ships as everybody is aware of our imminent departure within a week.  I had to stand up for the special prayers for mothers which was quite something amongst all the local women - got lots of knowing smiles all around me.

Soon after our return to the ship over 30 departing crew gathered alongside the remaining approx 250 crew members (who were to sail to the Canary islands) for fond farewells.  Emotion flowed and many emails were exchanged.  It has been surprising how easily one forms relationships with people you live and work alongside in such a short period of time.  I have more people to visit in the UK now as well as Geneva, Ireland and France - oh boy what a busy few years may be coming for me!!  As part of the remaining crew we formed a waving line of honour for the departing vehicles heading for the airport - many of these crew members had been in Guinea during the entire outreach (or longer) - a full 10mth of living and breathing this mission in west Africa.

Monday (last week)
I started in my reassigned position today - that of crew services - they are a very pleasant bunch and I have been "taught" how to clean toilets and mop floors properly !!  A bit like teaching your grandmother to suck eggs I guess when one is a mother and OR nurse already !!  I have however learnt a few more tricks of the trade :)

These past few days many amazing stories have emerged from farewell  and final worship events - here are just a few:
- some Guinea day workers associated with the Physio department were taken on a day trip to a local island within sight of the port for a thankyou picnic lunch as they had never been there before, didn't know how to swim, nor enjoyed relaxed time at a beach
- previously nationally known soccer (football) player who has been a patient on Mercy Ships to have a major disfigurement corrected, was recognised in a local restaurant by a teenage boy - the patient had been out of public life for more than 5 yr due to the increasing disfigurement - he of course was very humbled and the event promoted his self esteem beyond all measure
- one of the OR trained day workers will begin work this week at the main Conakry  hospital, Donka, in OR cleaning services and plans to instigate a rubbish disposal program to prevent bodily wastes, etc going into  communal rubbish, much of which is regularly foraged thru by the general population to see if there is anything useful
- a taxi driver who delivered an elderly woman to the Mercy Ships screening day over 10mth ago has taken this woman back into his house upon dishcarge (she had a large facial tumour) because her family didn't want her back because they thought she was cursed
- an infant was secreted away from his extended family by  his father and brought to Mercy Ships for surgery for his cleft lip and palate - his mother had become very unwell and the local "doctor" thought that if they sacrificed (literally) the baby - who was obviously had a demon in him - the mother would be cured.

Tuesday (last week)
Accompanied a couple of crew mates to the local market after work today to buy an African man's shirt (young French chap wanted one) and have another one made by a tailor (UK nurse wanted one to match her skirt for her father to wear !!).  While we were in the tailors (a large building above the markets with a mezzanine floor full of busy seamstresses which is open to the air on both sides)  a storm arrived and the wind blew thru - the horizontal rain accompanied it shortly after and there was a mad scampering to cover material and machines. This was yet another pre-rainy season storm with gale force winds and torrential rain which blew off stall roofs and flimsy window shutters.  We were instructed to sit and wait it out under cover - we huddled on hastily offered stools watching the seamstresses continuing their work in virtually darkness (the power had of course gone off) peddling at their ancient Singer sewing machines with the light from their cellphones to assist.  It was only about 6pm (sun set due around 7pm) but the clouds had completely covered the sun so the little daylight was useless in these surroundings.  We waited in this setting admiring the womens' work and exchanging pleasantries and admiration in our limited french.  Fortunately the young man accompanying us was from France so I was able to ask quite a lot about the dresses that were being fashioned before my eyes - they are amazingly clever making each garment unique with imbelishments and design but they NEVER do any internal finishing - guess it saves a lot of time.

Once the rain started to ease we decided to risk walking back to the ship.  Hailing a taxi was a waste of time as traffic was gridlocked with the roads flooded and impassable in places.  The drainage system is so blocked and the amount of rain in such a short period of time was more than most systems could cope with anyway.  We finally returned to the ship thoroughly drenched but still warm.  The temperature however had dropped from a balmy 35 deg C to around 22 deg C but the humidity had dramatically risen.  This is also apparently a phenomenon of pre-rainy season.  Due to the filthy roads  (and hence water) and rubbish lying around I went straight into the shower on my return - shoes and all - and scrubbed everything to within an inch of its life !!

Wednesday (last week)
Today we were invited to a very significant event for Guinea.  They put on a thankyou concert for Mercy Ships at the Peoples Palace which is a huge conference/event centre in downtown Conakry.  President Conde and his wife were in attendence along with several ministers.  They gave out certificates of appreciation to key Mercy Ships personnel and there were many speeches in french (very little of it was translated unfortunately) but once that was over we (the entire crew) settled back to enjoy the best Guinea has to offer:
- there was an amazing 12 piece women's rock band which had one woman rolling on the floor playing an electric guitar - all were in the commonly worn long skirt and top attire and their songs were in french but the sound and rythmn was infectious
- acrobats and juggles to rival le circ de soleil then performed with no safety mechanisms or appropriate flooring - they balanced from great heights and contorted bodies until it made us feel sick to watch
- a very clever robotic Michael Jackson inspired group of 5 young men continued to amaze and delight with their movements and characterisations which involved hats and shoes coming off and on amongst group members - very clever
- an Englsih speaking pop band had us singing in with known songs with the auditorium shaking with the stamping and loud singing we generated
- traditional African drummers and dancers completed the program with a rousing rendition of continued beating of drums of all sorts (continuously for at least 20 min I estimated)  with men and women dancing at the same time - truly amazing feat of fitness all with a broad smiles on therir faces - this was the best performance I thought
- we came away exhausted and amazed at their technical expertise and were escorted back on our buses thru the back stage area - being able to thank them personally which was both a delight to us and to them.  We were escorted to the venue and returned by presidental assigned security and armed forces - traffic being stopped or diverted for our benefit with flashing lights before us and aft - this honour shows the regard they have for Mercy Ships and are hoping they will return very soon.  What an absolute treat to be part of this event.

Thursday (last week)
Have managed (survived) nearly a week of cleaning toilets and mopping floors - feel like Sadie the cleaning lady in my head scarf and scrubs - one friendly crew member likened me to Hilda Ogden - but what a shame I forgot to bring my curlers !!  It is an interesting exercise being part of crew services (very glorified name I feel).  While I work around the ship cleaning floors, toilets, stairs and office spaces other crew members that pass me are either very polite, sometimes complementing me on a lovely clean window, somtimes stopping for a chat, but usually pass me with a hurried "Sorry" as they step over my mop or place their hand on my freshly cleaned door handle.  I announce to the office workers (many of which I know quite well now) that I am "room service" (with a smile).  To which all have responded by welcoming me in to empty their trash cans and exiting the cramped office to allow for vacuuming.  I feel sometimes that I am just part of  the environment and of no importance but then someone will say that I am being very thorough and so efficient with attention to detail - once an OR nurse always an OR nurse I guess, or maybe thats some of motherly attention to detail coming thru.

Friday (last week)
This night saw us going out to town for a meal for the last time - chose a Turkish restaurant selling Shawarma which is similar to the Turkish kebabs we have at home but much more yummy - we had a starter of hummus which was to die for - so creamy and served with pita bread and gherkins - yum yum :)   We have advised that the plan is to sail from Conakry on Saturday but all exact security and departure details have been withheld for obvious reasons of Security (!!) - there have numerous attempts by stowaways at this port and placment of contraband to be picked up by unknowns in the European port of our destination.  We have been going thru numerous impromptu at sea drills this week and been advised to take all measures to ensure our own and Mercy Ships safetly and security by doing several random stowaway checks of the entire ship.  The sign up sheet for stowaway watch during our last few days was rapidly filled and as turned out was of great benefit as an attempt was made during this last night in port.