Saturday, December something, 2008 (I think)

Good day, everyone.
Apologies for the errors yesterday but 1) this comp is, as mentioned, a dinausaur and 2) doesn like to share apostrophes, spare t-s or some numbers.
Rugs, for example., are priced from $150-$200, not starting at $10.

So. I am feeling so much better this morning, after a night where I tought I had given my last breath in a severe asthma attack. Good thing Carl was there. It seems like I got rid of most of what was plaguing me, so thatś a relief to all. Not much fun.

Sanderś climb was wonderful, and so were the pictures he brought back. The staff is delighted and some will undoubtedly be used for some sort of publication since is shows the hospital and some outlying buildings clearly. There are so many - and some huge - trees here that several buildings are completely hidden from view.
Sander had to use a harness and carabiners to get up the tower, and now Carl wants to go as well. More power to them! Jimmy, the head engineer, is a wonderful oddball (as I said yesterday: most here are) who told us that engineer and ingeneous come hand in hand here. If a car breaks down and cannot be repaired right there, a bunch of guys come, lift up the car and carry it back to the hospital. Most parts needed are just made from whatever materials lay around, or taken and reshaped from old vehicles. Nothing is thrown away and nothing is taken for granted. In the mean time the bouganville and hibiscus bloom overhead, reminding you that all takes time.
When we were on our way from the airport to the hospital, the tyerod of the car broke. We didn´t tumble into the river, so all was well. We waited for a van from the hospital to pick us up. By then it was completely dark. The driver broke off a bunch of branches and laid them on the road ahead of us, toward the oncoming traffic, with a big rock placed on them. (Not to keep the branches there, but to discourage drivers to run over them amnd staying on our path). An ingenious substitue for a flare. We were on the way left side of the road, right past a curve and no shoulder - just a ravine. It was still a bit worrysome, but not too much. We all waited in the dark until a new van came, which carried a crew to do the impossible and take us to the hospital. Less than an hour later they followed us home, car in perfect condition. You do what you have to. No waiting until Wednesday two weeks from now, as in the local garage in Honesdale or elsewhere.

I have two new jobs. One is to translate Dr. Maibach´s brochure from a Swiss supporting organization (BSHASH) into real English. I have fun with that. The other is a never-ending job of updating the thousands of charts in the admissions office, where useless papers are rarely removed from bulging charts. It can be decades before it is done. Many times patients are dead anyway- two sheets of paper is enough for that chart.
That work by itself will keep me busy whenever I am not working in the ward, which I will continue tomorrow.

This afternoon Sander, Carl and I are hiring the services of Margerite, our former house lady. She is the mother of Marigite, the girl whośe schooling is now supprted by Tina. She will take us on the taptap to Verrettes, otherwise a 2 hr walk each way. And taptaps, though dangerous, are so much fun. We are going to buy farine (flour), zufs (eggs), dley (milk power), kanel (cinnamon) and..??.. (nutmeg) there. And that great rum for the holidays, of course. Tomorrow I will bake at least 20 Christmas breads and distribute them to the nurses on Monday. Should be fun. Since we are staying at Alumni House, we are lucky enough to be able to do that. It is the only house that has an oven and 24 hr light and water. A treat: a real cold shower instead of the daily bucket.

OK. Thatś enough for today. I am sure there will be something of substance to say tomorrow, since are going to a 3hr voodoo event tonight. And meeting the priestess some time this afternoon. I am very excited and am glad I asked. Even Carl wants to go!

By the way: I cannot make corrections here because I cannot really see print or screen. So itś by luck if it all makes sense.

Tata.
Love, Marianne