30th july

30^th JULY

THIS MORNING

I got my period. No hot water, no running water. A dwindling amount of wet wipes, cold water and Dettol soap. AND I COPED! Was a bit worried about having my time of month here, but as long as I dose up on the painkillers and just accept that the baseline hygiene standards are low but increased with wipes and hand gel things will be fine .

I didn’t go into work today, today I had to take Una (my medical roomy) to Siaya district hospital because she had symptoms of Malaria. We got her some treatment and she is actually ok although she has had some D and V, headaches, fever and general fatigue. The symptoms for Malaria are generally non specific here in Western Kenya, we have a high proportion of the worst kind of malaria parasite, and recently patients have been having very non specific cold like symptoms which have turned out to be the beginnings of malaria. So we were a little worried for Una. (She seems ok now though).

Siaya town is so so so so beautiful. Una took me on a tour and I fell in love with Kenya there and then again. We were walking around the town to the sound of blaring African music, I kinda wanted to dance and just skip and hop but, we are still trying not to draw to much attention to ourselves, and so I didnt –sad face. The sun was beating down on my body it felt AMAZING SOOO AMAZING. Problem is, that my body is not quite ready for pure sun and I seem to get dehydrated very quickly and my litre and a half of water intake in London is just not enough for rehydration here. I guess that I have again been working myself and pushing my body quite hard, and not because im being a martyre but because IM IN AFRICA I think Una and I really need a rest.

So this weekend, we are going to a Kenyan car rally in Kisumu!! Initially, I was a bit like really Una-? But to be honest I have the travel bug and really wanna see and do as much as I can, so the ronx that would have moaned like a fucker in London and prob have replied ‘nah mate’, is off out at 6am to catch a bus to another town to watch cars chase each other with my roomy the rally car fanatic (im taking Toni Morrison so I think il be fine –lol).

Lastly, I just had a trip to the loo, and for the first time looked up, OH MY GOD, the sky here is completely unpolluted here, clouds rarely blanket the sky and you can see all the stars! I dono how to explain how breathtaking this sight is, um ya know at xmas ya can buy those globe things that u can shake and muti coloured glitter falls on some xmas scene at the base of the globe, well thats how I feel –kinda like a figure at the base of the globe and completely surrounded by stars. Its like you look up and you feel part of the universe, as in earth is just one planet in a collect of many, ah I dono im finding expressing myself slightly difficult as medicine requires me to write short sentences, this whole talking about emotions and experiences is new but hopefully il get better. I know, If i take a picture of the sky maybe that will help.

Seeing the stars so clearly and seeing so many, shining so brightly all around me i feel part of the universe, but at the same time i feel so insignificant.

Just tried to take a bloody pictures and in the half hour that its taken me to write this clouds have filled the sky! Lol il try again tomo.