It's 03.38 on Monday 27th of jan, I'm writing this in bed in my tent.
I can't sleep.
Bridget (ITU nurse) is snoring like a mofo in the bed next to me. Nikita - in house manager is also snoring like a mofo in the bed down from me and for some reason I keep picturing velociraptors trying to get into the tent.
So that's where I am at.
It's day one and I am so pleased to be here. I arrived a week or so late because of work and interviews, but have slotted into the team so easily.
Saturday mornings commute to Heathrow was traumatic, I missed travelling with Homerton nurse Lisa (who was going to NYC on the same day) because I worried about missing the plane and so set off super early. I thought that I had over packed and after walking 2 mins from my house to Kentish town station, I had strained all my chest muscles and had pleuritic chest pain. All made worse by the raging hangover caused by some Homerton receptionists ..... As an aside, thanking everyone who made it too my party thing. Big up the the two Chris 's for accommodating me and the noise. Was lovely, and I know that I say thank you ALOT, but I really do mean it - in the absence of family, friends who put up with me and my maddnes deserve a medal. Love u guys more than I can ever comfortably articulate or show.
So I'm at k town station trying to pay for a one way and alas, a flash back, my debit card is in the pin pad of KFC, Dalston. No panic though I have another.
The train ride was uneventful, I was sleeeeeeepy and quite famished actually but made it to bag check queue, by now I was bent double - the rucksack was killing me (but I did find space for a couple a duty free clinque products. Word.)
The queue, jeeeeeeeeeez, I though Africans packed a lot, my god, some of the Indians in the queue had massssssssssssive boxes, card board boxes. Enough to fit in a Sml Indian family......
I suddenly felt really silly with my berghaus trek bag. And bwoy, did these Indian people stare at me!!!! I did look disheveled though, embarrassingly colonial with my multi pocket Gillet and hiking boots. Everybody else was in traditional clothing or denim. I literally screamed Gap-year.
Bag dropped, now for security and not the first time this trip I braced my self for the 'boy or girl?' question and then having to explain that my metal pronged Afro comb was not a weapon of mass destruction but of course a comb. I cannnnnnot be the only person in the world who carries an Afro comb in hand luggage. Every airport I have ever travelled through I have had to demonstrate its purpose (I must admit that it doesn't help that it's handle is a black power fist lol) and I did come close to losing it in Australia (of all places)
So made it through security, got my duty free goods and boarded.
As the only high top, could be a boy could be a girl, black person on the whole plane and the last to board (booked a seat so took me time) walking down the Isle was just short of doing a fashion week catwalk.
Silence and stares.
But as I am learning Indian people are extremely polite. They will stare, but are never ever rude, they are totally dedicated to pleasing and go the extra mile to help.
As an aside I was totally concerned that I might be the butt of racism here, I was consumed by worries of rejection due to my gender, race, background.
Totally unfounded.
Is there something about London/ the western world that turns people, what ever there background into meanies? Xenophobic hateful meanies?
I have had nothing but absolute love from the Indians here so far. At times I have felt like a celebrity! (Hopefully not in a privileged entitled way - eek)
There also seems to be a fascination with my hair, In the car to Mysore mall, one of the Indian boys asked if he could touch my hair, I said yes (why the hell not? Who am I gonna impress here). He patted my hair and then suddenly 5 hands out of nowhere were stroking my head. Yikes.
So, the plane journey was pretty uneventful, I had curry for each meal and did this thing where I watch somebody else's tv screen. Literally dono why I do it, every long haul. Strange.
Oh actually something did happen, before we even started moving, one of the overhead hangers opened and a box of toblerone fell into an Indian girls head, she was about my age and cried. OF COURSE, I came to her rescue and literally did nothing but reassure her, I'm beginning to realise how esteemed Drs are held in Indian society. As soon as I introduced my self her mother almost breathed a sigh of relieve (and grinned and waved at me intermittently through the journey). The lady sitting in front of me turned round and announced that she was lucky to be sitting next to "the DR".
Oh dear.
Mumbai, crazzzzzzzzzy. People EVERYWHERE. Hot, noisey. I need a wee. So I go to the disabled toilet. I take my time, freshen up, comb the fro. Knock knock.
Outside, not one but two people waiting to use the toilet, both in wheelchairs. The shame.
I'm pretty proud with myself, Mumbai airport - not easy. The american women who threw an almighty hissy fit in the middle of baggage collect because her cases were scratched made my day. Literally stared at by everyone, I don't think the Indian people actually understood the emotion, and for shame for that women, true western behaviour.
The domestic flight was again uneventful, by now I was knacked. I joked with a British Indian that my bag could be anywhere as I trusted the airport staff when they threw it on a conveyor belt and ushered me onto a coach which drive 2km to the plane.
But I got my bag!!! And after a panicked 45 mins wait for the Raleigh staff to get me, I was in the car being driven to Mysore.
GALS IN INDIA !
I love it. I feel good vibes.
The sun was blazing, as we approached field base I woke up to, a greeting from some fresh volunteers. I was utterly knacked, dishevelled, sweaty and half asleep and bless them, they took me to the shower and left me to a bucket bath.
A bucket bath my friends is as it sounds but ya don't get in the bucket, a bucket is filled with warm water (cold) and you lather up standing over it, using ya hands (cup) to scoop water onto ya body. It's efficient and really makes u clean with what you have got.
I brushed my teeth with bottled water, got dressed, and joined the team.
The team, so Raleigh is a project that promotes personal development in young people by placing them in sustainable development projects in poor communities around the world.
It is highly organised. I am the doctor at field base but am working with Bridget an ITU nurse who is highly trained, with years of experience in teaching, emergency care etc etc.
I have a lot to learn from her, and am glad for her presence.
A lot of the medical stuff is very strictly protocol driven. What's common is common.
My duty these weeks, is a lot of first aid teaching. A lot of hygiene teaching.
On field base now are around 12 25ish year old who are team leaders and have been here for two weeks being prepped on their roles which will be to lead groups of late teenagers who come next next. Il explain more has this happens.
Bridget and my job is multi fold, we ensure that the team leaders remember their first aid (they have all been taught in England)
We go through hygiene hand washing etc
We restock the medic kits
If someone gets Ill we follow protocol and liase with London to decide if they need to come back to base, a hospital or need a few days in field base looked after by us.
A have a list of other duties but it's my first evening, so as I do them I will report.
The support is great. There are four veteran uk Raleigh staff here who have worked here for Raleigh for years. The house has wifi. I have a desk! Woop!
Il have more time to write later as the other medics and the team leaders are going
To the expedition sites tomo to do a survey and set up before the 150 young ones come next week. We will have a practise case vac and medi vac. Il practise being on duty and liaising with the teams via radio. Exciting!!!
I've just had lunch and actually I am being spoilt here on field base, our cook is apparently a South Asian celebrity chef! I just had roti and veg curry DELICIOUS!
Il start jogging tomo at 6.30 sharp, the weather will be getting hotter and I'm drinking water by the liter.
The people here are amazing. Life is good, I cannot believe that I will be here for another three months!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment