In heaven

Past week went very fast. We’ve been working at the female medicale ward last week, were it was a mess. Really, they are not organized at all, giving patients medicine for I don’t know what kind of reason. The same is wit the investigations. After a week of just looking and be surprised about the way they give care at the female ward, we had weekend. A weekend of a good time! We went to the Jerma hotel at Kololi to surprise my parents. I had said that we’ll be seeing them the next day (Saturday). When they arrived with the bus, they didn’t even recognized me!! And even when they recognized me, my mum didn’t even cry. So we were both surprised from both sides.
Friday night we (the girls) were in heaven! After weeks of rise, chicken, cooking and seeing only black people, we were back in the western world in the Gambia. Eating pizza and the day after all nice western food. Besides that it was very nice to see my parents, of course. It is good to show them our world, how we live.
Saturday we had a long walk att the monkey farm. I was really dressed for such a walk in the wilderness. (mini rokje & slippers waar ik blaren van kreeg). But it was a very good trip. We’ve seen big spiders, monkeys and even a cow.
Sunday we showed them our world, how we live. We went with the bushtaxi to Serekunda, walked to another place to take another bushtaxi to Banjul. That is the only way to go by bushtaxi to Banjul and also the cheapest.
My parents enjoyed the ride and it reminded me how I felt and reacted when it was my first time in the bushtaxi, although it is only 4 weeks ago. We are used to the condition of the bushtaxi, because we do it more then once a week.

When we arrived in Banjul, we went to the market to buy food for diner. Of course there came a ‘nice’ Gambian guy to help us. We said very clear that we don’t need any help and at that moment that guy wanted to fuck us. We said friendly no. After the shopping, we’ve cooked, eat and send my parent home with a normal taxi.
Monday we’ve relaxed at the swimming pool. Tuesday we arranged a meeting with the deaf school, what Babel would have arranged (we thought it was a blind school). After we arranged our own taxi to the school, while Babel was gone looking for his own taxi, we arrived at the deaf school with no children. Although Babel said he had arranged everything that morning. I think he thought that we want to see buildings with no children. So we went to the school next door. There were also not a lot of children, but we had a nice talk with the head of the school. He even could tell us more about this country then Babel did in this few weeks. He is really a useless guide!
Tomorrow we’re gonna say goodbye to al the luxury. O and also to my lovely parents.

This next weekend we’re going to the inlands to see a medical clinic. .we met a dutch girl at the hotel who lives here in the Gambia most of the time. She has also sponsors for her clinic. I will maybe give some of the glucometers or the paracetamol to that clinic. I will give the glucometers in the last week of my trip to the hospital in Banjul, even if I give them! What I have seen, it is a waist of money. Some students check there sugars at themselves or the patients don’t get the right treatment. But that is at the female ward. This week we spend our time at the male ward and it was a lot different then the female. The doctor is organized, gives med’s that is needed for the patient, investigate the patient at the best way. It even seems that the patients are better then at the female ward. Also the nurses are better. They even know thing about diabetes and about the indication (etc) of the medicine.
Anyway, I prefer to give to glucometers etc to the clinic or to the hospital in Bansang, so that it will be well used.