At Last !!

So this is about the time of year here where it should be cooling down a little. When I say this I mean it's 80 degrees in the heat of the day instead of 120. I've been asking people almost everyday when the cold weather is coming. They just kinda laugh and pick a day out of their head to make me feel better. Well about 4am this morning I woke up and I was actually cold!! I had to put covers on!! Granted it was only one sheet, but it still counts after months of sweating myself to sleep. At work this morning everyone was asking if I was happy because the weather was so much cooler. Bring on the cool season!!

Things I've learned after a year in Africa

Ok, so I did a blog like this at 6 months...and all those lessons still really apply..but I have some more, so here we go:

1. I can actually make it a year in Africa...sometimes that still really surprises me.
2. I can make an entire cake from scratch....with close supervision from roommates.
3. Take it one day at a time...more than that is too much to think about.
4. Sometimes people have to call you out on your crap.
5. Living with people....even really amazing people takes a lot of grace
6. I read a lot more now.
7. I'm trying to become more considerate...I live with REALLY considerate people so I'm trying to let them rub off on me.
8. I can become genuine friends with someone who is completely different from me...I mean opposite ends of the spectrum different.
9. Things are gonna change...even if you don't want them to.
10. Goodbyes are hard and I am not good at them.
11. People back home are unforgettable
12. Learning lessons are hard and sometimes I go through them kicking and screaming.
13. I'm thankful I know people who are doing this same thing in different places.
14. Things have a way of working out....even if it's not a way we thought of or wanted.
15. Vacations are awesome!!
16. I'm ready to see my family, eat a burrito, and visit the beach!!
17. I think I'm still gonna be processing lessons learned from this experience years after I get back.
18.I really miss concerts-- Matt and Dave....in 9 months here I come!!
19. There is only One who can sustain me...Him and no one else.
20. Traveling is amazing and I want to do more of it.
21. So many more lessons to go...

everything's a process

Here's a step by step guide on how to fill a generator with gas:
Step 1: Get the fuel pump out of storge
Step 2: Put the fuel pump into the barrel of gas


Step 3: Place the tube from the fuel pump into the gas tank of the generator
Step 4: Start pumping


Step 5: Keep pumping
Step 6: Check the level of gas in the tank to see how close you are to being done.

Step 7: Continue pumpingStep 8: Take the pump out of the barrel and put it back in the storage room

Step 9: Do a little dance because you're finally done
Step 10: Wash your hands because they've gotten really gross by this point

Becoming Normal

Well I've lived in Africa for almost a year, which is crazy to think about. There are a few things that have become a part of my daily routine here that would be ridiculous to think about doing or seeing in the states:
- Untangling goats: throughout the day they get twisted around their posts and each other until they can't move and you have to go help them out.
- Being stared at: there comes a point when you don't really notice anymore
- Staring at white people: I know it sounds insane, but I'm not used to seeing a lot of them, so when I do, I tend to stare too
- Animal Parts: whether it be a skull, some hooves, random bones, or a hide, you usually can see it daily on the street
- Sweating: waking up sweating, falling asleep sweating, sweating in the shower...sweating all the time
- Smelling: refer to above...deodorant just doesn't cut it most days
- Being hit up for gifts: every kid on the street asks repeatedly for a gift...I'm pretty awesome at drowning them out.
- Dodging cows: about 5 in the evening....watch out because the cows are literally coming home and take up most of the street.
- Bugs: they're everywhere...you just deal with it
- Eating with my hands: utensils are over rated and I apologize to anyone who eats with me right after I return...old habits die hard
- Cucumbers, Peanut Butter, and hot pepper: don't knock the combo until you try it

A 911 Call in Bush/Desert of Africa

It usually starts out with a local we know getting a call from someone he knows out in the bush. I personally don’t know how this call happens because I have never gotten reception way out of town but somehow it happens anyway. The local then calls one of my teammates because they own a car that could get to the sick or injured person quicker than a donkey, camel, or horse-drawn cart. The driver then assembles the appropriate people to come along with him. For example, in the case of a burn patient, I am the lucky passenger. Well, one of the lucky passengers. It is always hard to say how many people are actually gonna end up in the car. A person who knows where to go is always key, and there are usually a few people who simply want a ride out to the village and always bring a lot of stuff with them.
After everyone is assembled we finally start heading out to the bush.
The ride to wherever we’re going can take anywhere from 15min to one hour one way and you never know which it’s gonna be until you get there.
Now everything in the bush/desert looks the same to me, but our navigator occasionally points in a certain direction, and the driver turns to head that way. Since it’s rainy season right now, at times we have to stop the vehicle and someone walks out to see how deep an area of water is and if we can make it across. No one wants to dig a car out of the mud...but let’s face it, it’s been done here multiple times.
We finally get to our destination, which is three nomad tents this time.
Three tents in the middle of nowhere! My hat is off to the great navigation. We all get out and assess the situation. We decide that this particular patient needs to come in for treatment so people start packing up supplies and putting then in the back of the vehicle. Before we leave, the nomads offer us some warm milk. It was very friendly of them, but warm milk isn’t the first thing I want to drink in the middle of a 90 plus degree-day. My teammate and I are taking turns downing the bowl of milk. This process gets harder when I start to drink chunks of something along with the milk…I know…it gave me chills too.
We’re ready to leave and there are way more people in the vehicle than when we started…it’s gonna be a fun hour long ride back. We have to stop several times along the way to greet people because some of them wanted medicine (which we didn’t have), or some of them just wanted to simply greet us. I know all the stopping should have been avoided since we had a really sick patient in the back, but we were at the mercy of our navigator and he had pointed to go greet the people so what were we to do? After a long ride, we finally make it back to town, drop everyone off and head to the clinic…until the next phone call.

Inserting an IV in the Dark

There are a lot of skills needed in the everyday life of a nurse. Some are very practical and measurable. Others aren’t really seen on paper, but highly important nonetheless. One of the more practical skills is the ability to insert an IV. In nursing school, the successful insertion of your first IV is a really big deal. There are announcements to other students, pats on the back, and the eating of lots of ice cream with no guilt. When you get to the working world, you try to become one of those nurses who are known as being "good at IVs." People ask you for help when their patients need an IV, other units call you over to insert them, and I must admit…it’s a pretty good feeling to have a successful IV insertion especially if the patient is a hard stick, or other people have tried and for whatever reason didn’t get it in. This feeling gets even better when you’re successful with a difficult area of the body like a foot, or you get an IV on a kid, not to mention a kid’s foot (let me brag for just a second…I have gotten an IV in on a kid’s foot one time, and it was an amazing day).
Well a lot of things that I have felt completely competent with in the states scare me slightly now that I live in Africa…including inserting an IV in a patient. The other day I made a house call to a patient who needed an IV. It was getting close to dark, and when I walked into her mud house/room, I couldn’t see anything. A couple people had some flashlights and started pointing them at the patient’s arm. It was no bright fluorescent lighting of a hospital, but I had to work with what I got. I get everything set up. Meanwhile a family member is tying a rope to the ceiling so we have something to hang the fluid from. I get the needle in her arm with the help of a flashlight, but her vein "rolled" a little (common problem) so I had to work a little to get the catheter in the vein. Well apparently I wasn’t going fast enough in my search for a vein, because the patient’s dad reached over my shoulder and began pointing out where the vein was. I guess he thought I couldn’t see it.
My problem wasn’t seeing the vein, but making it stay still so I could get the catheter inserted. I do not have the Arabic skills to explain that to dad, so I bite my lip and try to be patient as dad reaches over me and points the vein out multiple times. And let me just say, it’s a big step for me to be patient and not say anything. Well after a little work I finally get the IV inserted properly and with the help of friends, family members, and flashlights, I get the IV taped down to the patient’s arm. Needlessly to say I was pumped that this actually worked.

What They Don't Tell You About Rainy Season

Ok so it's finally started raining around here which means it has gotten a lot cooler. The other day it got down to the mid 80s...and I know that doesn't seem very cool, but let me tell you....it's a wonderful thing. What I didn't really think about coming with the rain was all the bugs:
bugs that are small
bugs that are big
bugs that are huge
bugs that crawl
bugs that fly
bugs that bite
bugs that sting
bugs that stink
bugs that leave blisters if they touch your skin, bugs that eat holes into your clothes, bugs that make the most annoying noises known to man, bugs that are kamikaze and fly straight for your head, bugs that are itchy, bugs that are so small you can feel them crawling on you but you never actually see them, bugs that are very hard to kill even after many blows.
Let's just say, I have become extremely thankful for window screens....at least they keep the huge ones out most of the time.

Back To Breaking Things

A couple days ago, my roommate was on her way to go put some more oil in the generator. She got tied up with a visitor so I said I would do it. I had seen it done before I pretty much knew I had it under control. I opened up the proper spot and started pouring. Well I figure that once I got enough oil, I would start to be able to see it coming near the top of where I was pouring. It never did so I just kept on pouring, until I emptied out our oil container. I then checked the oil dipstick and noticed that the whole stick was covered. Now I've never really seen it that high before, so thankfully, I went to ask my roommate what she thought of my oil pouring skills. She immediately shook her head and told me I had put way to much oil in the generator and could really mess it up if i turned it on with that much oil inside (good thing I didn't turn it on). Apparently you have to keep checking the oil level with the dipstick as you're adding it...and not just eyeball it. The roomie said she thought I knew how to do it. I told her I thought I did too. Anyway, we had to wait for someone to come drain all the excess oil...and he couldn't help but shake his head at me too.
The very next day I was doing laundry. I was on my way to the clothes line with a tub of wet laundry when I stepped in a hole and fell down scattering my clean clothes. Well, the hole was there because earlier we had a leaky water pipe in the spot that had to be dug out and fixed. Guess who's big foot broke the pipe when she fell in the hole and sent water spewing in all directions....yep it was me. I ran and turned the water off, waited for the pipe and hole to dry, then fixed it the only way I knew how.....lots of duct tape. Currently the pipe is just slowly dripping (which I consider a victory) but we'll see how long my handy work lasts. With my track record, I'd say I only have a few more minutes. I'm starting to get a complex that everything I'm near falls apart.

But it's a Dry Heat...Yeah, Whatever!

I pride my self on being from the south. Yeah we talk funny, but it's a great place to call home. I grew up in eastern North Carolina where in the middle of July and August, you have to cut your way through the humidity. It gets so humid that it takes your breath away when you first go outside, and there is no use in trying to fix your hair because it's just gonna end up looking like a frizz ball.
Now when I heard about temperatures out west reaching well over 100 degrees, my friends and I would look at each other and say yeah, but it's a dry heat. I have to admit that we said it with kind of a snooty attitude as well. Sure it was a little hot over there, but nothing could compare to an August day with 125% humidity. I never had much sympathy for those dry heat people until I moved to Africa.
It only took me a couple days here to figure out that when it's 120 degrees outside everyday, it doesn't matter if it's wet, dry, or just a little damp.....it's HOT and that's all there is too it. so I'm sorry for all my snooty "but it's a dry heat comments." It will take a long time for that phrase to ever come out of my mouth again. When it's blazing hot, it's blazing hot.....no matter if your hair is beginning to frizz or not.

Giraffe Kisses

I'm on vacation!! I'm out of the desert and have been hanging out in Kenya! It has been so great so far, and so green.....there's trees everywhere here. It's been awesome to have a break, hang out,  and eat lots and lots.  The first day I was here I had chicken quesadillas, an ice cream sundae, cheeseburger and fries, and some chocolate pie my mom brought me...I know--amazing. I kinda haven't stopped eating like that either, but you can't be ashamed about it during vacation. I've gotten to see a lot of friends along the way which has been so great. I'm so thankful for the chance to catch up with old friends....tried to think of something profound to describe the moment, but it's not really working.

Probably the funniest moment of the trip was when I kissed a giraffe. Yep sure did. There's a really cool giraffe park right in Nairobi, and you stand on this platform which makes you eye level with the giraffe. They let you feed them and although their tongue is super long and slimy...it's a pretty good time for everybody involved. Well the guy who worked at the park put a piece of food in his mouth to get a giraffe kiss. I couldn't let him show me up...

As you can see I've had a pretty interesting vacation. Thanks to all who sent me cards and pictures through my parents...they mean more than you will ever know!!

Kiss the Rain

So I experienced my first rain yesterday in over 6 months. I was really excited to see it. Me and the roommates just went out and played in it. We let ourselves get soaked to the bone and when the wind blew, we would marvel at the fact that we had chill bumps on our arms. It was the first time in so long I've genuinely been cold. I wanted to go put on a jacket just because I could have worn it without sweating, but I decided to enjoy being cold instead. We danced around singing "Kiss the Rain," even though we could only remember those 3 words....so we just kinda sang them over and over again.
It was a fun afternoon, and really refreshing that I can truly appreciate something like a big rain. I mean I've always liked rain, enjoy the smell, like watching clouds roll in, but I don't think I've ever been thankful enough for it to just stand outside in the midst of it...to run and play..and take pictures...and just be a part of a moment that before had just been a routine occurrence. I'm not saying that I appreciate everything like I should....there's stuff to be a part of everyday and to simply enjoy it.......but yesterday, I was a part of the rain....and it was amazing.

Things I've Learned After Six Months in Africa

1. I'm much more selfish than I thought.
2. Learning a new language is one of the hardest things I've had to do.
3. Sleeping on a cot under the big African sky full of stars is way better than in a comfortable bed.
4. Water does the same thing no matter what temperature it is. Cold water is really good, but warm/hot water is just as refreshing.
5. You can do without just about anything.....but running water is the hardest to not have.
6. Everything is a process....whether it is buying groceries or getting a glass of water.
7. It is possible to sweat all 24 hours of a day.
8. I long for pictures from home or a Chic-Fil-A sandwich way more than I ever wanted a new outfit or the latest pair of shoes.
9. It takes repeated blows by a shoe to kill a scorpion....they usually don't go down on the first swing.
10. Thinking about my friends or family get me through the hard days.
11. I can't get through this by myself.
12. In the right sauce, stomach and liver don't really taste that bad.
13. Attitude is everything.
14. For the time being, I'm where I'm supposed to be.
15. I can't wait for the day that I'll be cold again.
16. I need to be more generous....with time, with things, with everything.
17.African kids are cuter....they just are.
18. I have to take one day at a time....more than that gets too overwhelming to think about.
19. Living in close community is difficult and frustrating, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
20. Wearing a huge tent-like dress actually keeps you cooler, and you learn to get over the fact that you look like a tent.
21. Some days, the only thing that keeps me here is the reason I came in the first place.
22. There is so much more to learn.

How Bout them Heels?

This is just a little tribute to the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions. I knew Roy and the boys would pull through. I am a bit disappointed that they waited until I was out of the country and unable to see any of the games to go all the way....but I'll talk to Roy later about that and I should be over it soon. And I won a bet because of it and everything (refer to previous blog).....so amazing. Everyone hum the fight song for me, look up at that great Carolina Blue sky and smile, and someone send me a championship t-shirt and a copy of the game. Go Heels!!

The Nose Ring Saga

Now about a month and a half ago, maybe 2 months, I decided to get a nose ring. For those of you that are in my immediate family and might be against this decision, just read the whole story before you freak out. A woman that I worked with did it with a needle and thread. Yes, my nose got threaded and it hurt really bad. So at first I had a little string through my nose that was tied to look sort of like a ring. I got different answers on how long the string should stay in before you actually put in the nose ring. Some said a week, 2 weeks, or a month. I, being slightly impatient, voted on a week and a half, and when the same woman tried to put the stud in, my nose bled a lot and she couldn't get it in. Well since the string was already out I thought we were going to have a problem. I was wrong though. She simply broke of a piece of straw from a broom and stuck it in the hole. Yes, at this point I had a piece of straw in my nose. This phase of the process lasted a while because I had learned my lesson and wanted to wait until my nose was completely healed. In the meantime, I had to buy a stud to go in my nose. Through a mis-communication I ended up with 2 nose rings....great now I have a back up. Well after we tried to get it in that first time and I ended up with a piece of straw, I gave the stud to one of my room mates to put in her bag. Well that nose ring is yet to be found. No fault to her. It was small and she carried a big bag. Oh well. No worries though because I have a back up. The time finally came to try the other stud. Apparently I have a rather thick nose (awesome), because the stud would not go all the way through my nose. You know what that means....back to the piece of straw. About a week later, someone I knew was traveling to the capital where there are plenty of nose rings so I asked her to pick me up one. At last, third time is a charm...I couldn't wait till she got back. Well she did.....and she didn't get one. She said she was afraid that she would pick the wrong one, or that it wouldn't fit (remember....thick nose). I was disappointed, but at least I still had my piece of straw. Finally, one of the local ladies here took me to the market and got me a good price on a nose ring. And finally, I got it in. It was awesome. I liked it....everyone liked it. At last!! Well about 3 days later, I woke up, stumbled into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and realized that the stud was not in my nose. I came back to the room, looked everywhere....really everywhere, and have yet to find the nose ring. It either disappeared, its currently floating around in my brain, or I swallowed it somehow. One of life's unsolved mysteries I guess. I know, I know, it's a long story with a disappointing ending (unless you're my mom which at this point you are probably really relieved). I didn't even get a picture of the finished product. I could go back to the market and try the whole process over for the 47th time, but at this point I'm kinda over it, and I don't want that piece of broom back in my nose.

My Life as a Chimney Sweeper

Our refrigerator runs on gas here. That means you have to change gas bottles and mess with the "striker" and all these other things that sound technical but really just get you dirty. If a particular gas bottle isn't burning very cleanly, soot builds in the pipes behind the frig. Currently the gas bottle on our frig is causing so much soot that I have to clean it out everyday. Basically what happens during this process is I first squeeze behind the frig getting soot all over the bottom of my feet. Then I remove a couple of pipes from behind the frig and clean them out with a special brush. This causes soot to fly everywhere, kinda forming a black cloud all around me....awesome. Then I have to clean up all the chunks of soot while in the process making black footprints all over the kitchen. I have become pretty professional at cleaning soot and even change into a special chimney sweep outfit everyday. I always get Mary Poppins flashbacks of the chim chiminey scene while performing my daily chore. After everything is done, I relight the frig, wash my hands for about 15 min, and then go outside and wash my feet. Hopefully this won't be the routine everyday for the next two years.....ugh.

New Skills

1. Running a generator—I know how to check the oil, the gas level, when to change the oil, and more importantly how to turn it on and off. 2. Walking in the dark—when you’re trying to conserve electricity (because the electricity comes from solar power and on a cloudy day you might be out of luck), you get pretty good at finding your way around in the dark. I would only recommend this if you know your way around somewhere really well…and always wear toe protection. 3. Changing a gas bottle—the frig and stove run on gas…and those gas bottles eventually run out…just hand me the wrench. 4. Eating with my hands—actually eating with my right hand only. Whether it is salad, sauce, rice, macaroni, or esh (similar to play dough), all you have to do is form a little pocket with your fingers and shove it in. This process becomes a little more challenging when you have to pull meat off a bone with only one hand. 5.Keeping a scarf on my head—this takes some practice, but with certain twists and tucks behind the ears…it can happen. 6. Washing Dishes—I, by NO means, know what’s going on in the world of the kitchen, but since my roommates can cook, I have developed into quite a dishwasher. I’ve even conquered my fear of grabbing the wet, gross leftover food that is in the drain after the dishwashing is finished. 7. Killing Bugs—crickets, grasshoppers, flies, scorpions…and other unidentified creatures. Hunting down these insects has enhanced my cat-like reflexes. 8. Holding/Drinking hot things—the calluses have formed…and I’ve concluded that the Starbucks sleeves for your cup are overrated. 9. Sleeping through the call to prayer—It’s over a loudspeaker right next to my house at about 4am…doesn’t phase me. 10. Eating carrots and cabbage—never touched them in the states…will pretty much eat anything you put in front of me here. This new fact will make some of my family very happy being that they are cabbage farmers. 11. Talking on Skype—there’s a delay…you just have to wait for it.

The Bet

Ok, I can’t watch TV here, and I’m not up on the latest news, but I do know that college basketball (my favorite sport to watch) is in full swing. Now all who know me well know I bleed Carolina blue and one of my goals in life is to become friends with Roy Williams. Well, one of my teammates here doesn’t feel the same way about the Tarheels, and consequently he tends to trash talk about my beloved team most of the time. All who know me well also realize that I’m not good at sitting quietly while someone trash talks my team. As a result, I’m currently involved in a pretty huge bet. The Tarheels have to win the National Championship. Now I know that’s a pretty lofty goal, but if anyone can do it, Roy and the boys can. WHEN they win, my coworker has to walk hand in hand with a couple other male coworkers through town in traditional dress (guys here hold hands all the time, so it won’t be uncomfortable for them, but a group of American guys holding hands down the street is a different story). If my boys don’t win, I have to dye my eyebrows black again (refer to previous blog). So I just want to ask everyone to pull for the Tarheels this season, especially with March Madness is coming up. Yall have to pull them through since I’m out of town for the time being. Me and my eyebrows will greatly appreciate it. GO HEELS!!

Broken Things and Blackened Eyebrows

I have always been clumsy. There has just about always been some kinda bruise or scratch from me bumping into something or falling down, etc. Here is no different. I have broken so many things since I've arrived here. Here's a list:1. Thermos-people use them here to carry hot tea and coffee. I was carrying one when I dropped it and the bottom fell out and tea went everywhere (books, papers, a phone, etc)2. Two faucets- If you turn them off too hard the knobs come off and water starts to spray everywhere. You then have to run outside to cut off the water (I've gotten pretty good at it)3. A Bowl- I was having fun killing flies with a towel and hit a bowl off the counter that consequently, it shattered everywhere.4. A glass-a really nice one actually. I was washing dishes and it fell off the drying rack and once again....shattered everywhere.5. The bathroom door- I went in there and closed the door and then it wouldn't open again. My supervisor had to drive over with a crowbar and pry me out. As a result, the door doesn't even shut now.As a result of all this clumsiness, the people I work with ask me what I've broken about everyday, and me and the roommates keep track of how many days I go without breaking anything. So far my record is a 4 day streak. We've only been in this new house a few weeks so there is no telling how this list will grow over the next 2 years....I'll keep you posted.About a week ago, I got some henna. It kinda looks like a tattoo but it only lasts a week or two. It's done in really cool designs. While I was getting it done the ladies were telling me where all they get it. Hands (which is where mine is), feet (for married women only), eyes (like eyeliner), and eyebrows. I was just listening and never said I wanted it in those places or anything. The next thing I know is that the henna lady is coming at my eyes. I kinda freak out because I think she's gonna put it on my eyes like eyeliner and I couldn't see this black dye substance going very well near my eyes. Well, my local friend said she only wanted to do my eyebrows, and I guess since I was relieved it wasn't going to be on my eyes, so I said ok. Well currently I have jet black eyebrows. This wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that they are usually really light since I have light brown hair. I came home, looked in the mirror and scared myself since I looked rather goth-like, and immediately started scrubbing. Too bad it didn't help. Thankfully, the blackness is beginning to fade, but I still gave everyone, including myself, a good scare...and laugh.

Sleepless Nights and Crazy Birds

I just moved into a new house. I really like it, but there's always little things to get used to. The first few nights anywhere I don't always sleep well, but last night I had a little help in staying awake. I woke up about 3:30am to a very high pitched chirping sound. Now this isn't just a chirp here and there but a long continuous chirp that strangely resembled fingernails on a chalk board. Well apparently a very strong lunged bird was trapped somewhere in the ceiling right above my room (lucky me) and was letting me know about it. What are come tactics used to fall back asleep when a bird is screaming in your ear? Well at first I just tried to cover my ears with my hands. I could still here the awful noise faintly, but it seemed to be working until my arms got really tired. Next I tried to fill my head with some good noise from my ipod, but I had to turn the music up so loud to drown out psycho bird that there was no way I was falling back asleep anytime soon. Finally I wrapped my pillow around my head with my face down on the bed and my headphones in playing music. I finally was unable to hear the blood curdling chirping, but I became pretty hot as a result of my current position. There were times that the bird of evil would stop his wretched chirping and I would thankfully come out of my pillow dungeon, but he started back up as soon as I got comfortable. I checked...he wasn't actually in my room so I don't know how he knew that my being comfortable was his cue to start up again. After about an hour or so (not exaggerating...really an hour or so), the bird finally found another part of the ceiling to go to, or lost his voice altogether (who cares which one is actually true). By the time he did leave it was already getting light outside so I only had a couple precious hours to sleep. What a night.