First Few Weeks At Site!

Hey all,

Sorry for not posting sooner!  I'm at the school which is the only place that I have internet so I haven't been able to post anything so far.

Life here is good.  The people are nice, and getting used to the new person in town.  On top of having really nice people the Kunene Region is BEAUTIFUL! It's amazing to wake up here everyday and look out at the view (corny but true!!)

Clinic life:  I am liking the clinic, but because I am new there is not too much for me to be doing yet.  We did rearrange the office and I checked nutrition levels of children who came in for a visit and that was really interesting.  They use a measuring tape (pictures to follow) that goes around the upper arm and measures the circumference in CM.  In the photos you'll see the tape around my fingers but for more hands on purposes a child (5 years or younger) with the arm circumference of 11cm (which is the border of malnourished and being at-risk of being malnourished is about the size of a ping pong ball and a child with 17cm (which is in the green zone) is about the size of a pool cue.  That was really interesting to learn about and use.  We also went on outreach to the farms around my village and that was a lot of fun too.  I got to meet a lot of different people and played with the children in the nearby Himba village.

 

 

 

Life in general:  Life here is good.  I'm really enjoying my time and I have a good site mate who has been here for two years which has been nice.  He's like my 'tour guide' in my village.  It's getting cooler here as winter in approaching and it has been really great to be back in the colder weather!

I've been using my language here and I have been trying to learn more things and talk to people in Damara-nama where I can.  I will have to pick up on some Otjiherero greetings because there are a lot of Herero people here as well.  It's great cause I get these good mini lessons everywhere I go cause my friends speak mostly in damara-nama when we are together so I have to pick up on some words to know what they're talking about (still half the time I have no clue ha ha.  or I will know that they are talking about a boy cause they say //ib ge ___. but I won't know what about the boy is being said or what boy for that matter.)

Below are just two more photos.  One of me sitting on my counter in the kitchen where I watch media and eat meals (not at a table like a normal person).  and one of the best view in my village!

I hope all is well with ya'll!  I'll check in again soon. (P.S. in case you didn't know you can click on the photos to make them larger.  I make them small so my posts aren't miles long)