Highlights of the month!

Here are some highlights of the last month or so, end of November and
December! Just a little update as I go off on my Christmas break and head
towards the Indian Ocean in Kenya for a little beach and relaxation and a
reeeeeally long bus ride! Oh and one low light to mention which was the
loss of our dear colleague Graeme back to Montreal to finish his university
year! Rubingo camp will never be the same without you Graeme! Two months was
too short a time to be here with us and it isn’t the same with only the
girls left, what can I say we miss your masculine presence! Ha ha. Oh and by
the way this blog entry is dedicated to you, Graeme Burrows, and the
omnipresent Burrows Endowment Fund ;) .music is life!

Ok on to highlights:

-attending The AIDS Support Organization\s (TASO) annual drama festival for
the Mbarara region. Getting to see traditional dances, music, and songs as
well as some interesting, and enthusiastic, dramas highlighting the
problems faced by children infected and effected by HIV/AIDS

-white water rafting at the source of the Nile River, and then coincidentally that same
day, having our first visit to a Ugandan nightclub while being filmed for a
travel/tourism segment on the national TV channel. That was a looong day :)
-visiting the local government health centre to spend some time learning
from the nurse/midwife there, feeling for fetal positions in the womb and
measuring the top of the uterus to determine gestational age!

-running an intravenous drip of Quinine, while in the back of a truck as
Graeme manoeuvred over some bumpy ass road, with the solution bottle hockey
taped to the head rest and me counting drips using my cell phone display light! That was my
best MASH 4077 moment and Graeme and I enjoyed it thoroughly

-oh which reminds me of another highlight, the inauguration of medical/music nights! When Graeme and I were the only two white-ies at camp for a few days and spent the evenings listening to his
speakers and learning about medical conditions by candle-light! We covered the clinical stages of
HIV/AIDS and intestinal worms!! Remember, roundworms are big, bad, and can
BLOCK your friggin intestines right off (if you want proof I have a
disgusting picture in my medical dictionary to show you :)

-figuring out I can pee behind Mel's tent in broad daylight with total privacy and no one
seeing me, which means I can avoid un-needed trips to the outhouse. By the way does anyone
else know what to do when your long drop toilet starts to
fill dangerously close to the top?!?!

- finally cleaning and organizing the second room and medical supplies of the
Aid Station!! Thanks to mel for the help!

-Katie's stories about the questions asked at family planning sessions!
Always good for a laugh.

-And finally...the long awaited visit from my dear friends Nate and Paul
from back home on Arbutus Street! Although they could only spare a few days
away from their schedule doing prep work in East Africa for their new
charity Under The Reading Tree (supporting libraries in Africa!) it was such
an honour and joy t have them come right to my home in Rubingo Camp. I was
very excited to share everything with them so they would know about life
here, and in turn it was great to see our home through their eyes, it truly
is one of the most beautiful places on earth. And a highlight within a
highlight, the slaughter of the goat I bought in honour of their visit and
gave to Paul for his birthday present. It was my first goat slaughter,
fascinating and educational at the same time¡ Here you actually are
connected to where your food comes from. Paul, I am glad I could be a part
of the first time you killed an animal yourself and in your words "finally
became a man¨!!! The feast and dancing that followed was one of the best
evenings we have had in camp and all the workers agreed :)







National Immunization Day



















A traditional instrument being played at the TASO Mbarara District Drama Festival

















Excitement at TASO Drama Festival!! KT, Graeme, Mrs. Nasuna and Moses (Our HIV clients)














The whole crew at festivities for World AIDS Day in the neighbouring district. Me, Rose, KT, Evas, Perez. Unfortunately the hats were the best part of the program!!! It got rained out and was a bit of a dissapoinment or as Evas put it..."Stupid AIDS day"!!










Children performing for World AIDS Day....that part was good.











KT and Graeme having ???too much??? fun.


















Nate hanging out on my tent deck.
















Excitement...before the slaughter!!!