En familia

---

This will need to be brief due to slow connection and I´m afraid still no pics - I took a few today but I´ll be here uploading them all day.

I arrived today at my host family - such lovely people! I think I´ll be very happy here, I´ve really been very fortunate. I live in a family with three kids 13, 15 and 18 but they´re not like teenagers in a bratty sense, they are lovely kids, very into family and their school work and they´ve been really friendly. Their mum is very motherly and loves her garden so we´ve talked a lot about gardening. Wish I´d known and could have brought her some bulbs or seeds from home. The dad is also great and plans to take me soon to see his team play football. He´s a good laugh and the atmosphere at home is really fun and very loving.

I´ve taken some photos today - first in town and a few first views up in the hills where I now live. I´ll try to post them to the blog tomorrow, with a better connection in town.

I start in the hospital tomorrow. I´m preparing myself mentally for a bit of a shock but I´m also really excited about it. A team of American burns surgeons were here a few weeks ago and really did loads of surgery all in one week. They´ve offered the head doctor for the burns unit a fully paid trip to the US to train with them in the summer. As he doesn´t speak a word of English, I may add a third string to my work with the hospital: teaching him and one of the nurses some English. This will prove really useful to him when he goes on his trip. The other two bits - help with the children, teach them and play with them as well as looking at how we get all the info to the authorities to apply for a UK lottery grant for charities overseas - should keep me busy. This is good because while the family were busy this afternoon - Andres, Maritza and Carolina with homework and their parents working - I had time for the first time to really miss home, hubby etc. Not work, I hasten to add! I miss home all the time, so the trick will be to keep really busy and try to be as useful as possible for the time I¨m here.

Gotta go, now, my time is already up nearly and I want to upload these words. Lots of love to all family and friends - I´ve photos all over my walls in my room of you all!

xx

---

Comments

[Sam Lane]

Can't wait to see the photos
Good to hear it's all working out. Looking forward to seeing some pics... Good luck at the hospital, hope it goes OK... Sam

[Sarah Prince]

Glad you have arrived in once piece!
Sounds like you are settling in well - looking forward to seeing the pics - what's the weather and temperature like (such a British question!). Makes life seem very ordinary here! xx

[Auntie Chris]

Just checking to see if you have settled in and you sound happy and keen to get busy. The time will fly by but in the meantime enjoy and have fun!!