Again, there have been a shameless lack of updates by me lately...work is still very busy & I have also just got back from a four day weekend at the game park about 4 hours drive from here. But the good news is that I am staying on until October (in fact, I would be home today if I'd gone when I first planned). My visa is being processed, I have a repeat prescription of profilaxis, now I just need to get some more money together! The group of volunteers certainly fluctuates: at the moment we have 5 Irish & 1 [View Full Entry]

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The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy for me work-wise; so I apologise for my lack of updates! That said, no one at home seems to be responding to my emails any more, so I'm not even sure if anyone is still reading this! (You know who you are, please get in touch & let me know all the news from home!) I have now more or less taken over the daily running of the volunteer accomodation & management of the mess kitchen staff. It's certainly kept me on my toes with the number of people coming & going [View Full Entry]

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My apologies for not updating for so long. First, I was away for nearly two weeks, travelling on the Lower Zambezi for five days, then up to Livingstone/ Victoria Falls for another few days. Then this week has been really busy; taking care of the accomodation for the new medical students who are arriving from Ireland tomorrow, as well as going shopping with one of the cooks to buy ingredients for some different recipes I am trying to teach him. He made me laugh by asking me if I had come to Africa to see the black people, and was surprised [View Full Entry]

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Yes, I had a blood test this morning and it was negative for malaria...what a relief! I thought I'd better, as I had an absolutely stinking headache all day yesterday, not to mention the temprature, chills, aches and pains etc. Guess I must just have a bug. But it's not going to stop me going away tomorrow! When I come back, I should have loads of photos & details of my trip to add on here. I've decided that I want to stay on here until October...if I can get a work permit. Need to talk to my boss at the [View Full Entry]

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Yes, that is when I leave for my safari & trip to Victoria Falls. I am so happy to be going off to see a bit of this huge country. It feels like I've barely been here, as I have only left the hospital complex once for anywhere further than walking distance since I arrived here. Typical me, I have been feeling unwell for the last few days; and am hoping it's not malaria. I don't think it is, but if I don't feel any better I will go and get a blood test done on monday. Just keep on taking [View Full Entry]

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I can't believe I've been here one month today (or tomorrow). The days have just flown; despite the odd trauma of being robbed twice, & the great inconvenience of losing my phone. Still, it's Friday afternoon, the sun is shining, and it's only another 10 days until I take off to Victoria Falls. I can't wait, not that there isn't a lot of work to get through before then. Two containers of stock have arrived that I need to go through & record next week, plus teaching the cooks here some new recipes (other than chicken stew & nsheema), measuring up [View Full Entry]

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The Zambian bank holiday was yesterday (yes, I know, odd to have a Thursday off & then have to go back to work), so after a very leisurely lie in (even with the power off so no coffee!) I went out to lunch in Katete with some of the med students & one of the doctors. Sadly, Fly, one of the cutest dogs in the hospital, decided to follow us as we walked up the main road to town- only to run under the wheels of a passing truck. It was pretty horrific, especially as her owners were devastated when we [View Full Entry]

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Yes, please note the above...you do not know how lucky you are to have uninterrupted power 24 hours a day, let alone hot water when you want it! Still, it could be classed as fun to have a cold shower in the dark at 6am- if you're insane! But at least it is sunny every day, I'm getting a tan, & new things are happening every day. Yesterday I wore scrubs for the first time ever. That was fun, I really liked wearing the green cap, but I'm glad I don't have to do every day I go into work. The [View Full Entry]

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I seem to be getting more & more acquainted with the creepy crawly variety of African species; beside the adventure with the cockroach in the last entry, I have now managed to accidently kill the lizard that lived on my windowsill (by trapping it under the door), trying to get rid of various spiders, and found a praying mantis on the wall. Weirdest of all, yesterday I found a frog on my kitchen floor-when I'm in a land locked country, miles from any water! NB, don't ever try to get a frog out of the house with a dustpan & brush; [View Full Entry]

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Well, it's the start of my second full week here; and I really enjoy it. The work is hard, but busy, which is good & I have my own little house and garden, which I love as it's my own space to do what I please with. I think that the other volunteers have been easy to get to know & are all really friendly. We are relying on each other for entertainment as there are no other sources really; no tv, no cinema, etc. Plus, you need to make friends quickly when so many people are passing through. Whether they'll [View Full Entry]

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