October's update!

So, 6 weeks down, many more to go and I absolutely love it. The community here is incredible, so close knit. We have Frisbee matches twice every week and we all went down to Lubanzi Beach for a big match last weekend, although I’m currently on the injury bench. My time here has been full of new experiences… bran muffins and cheese for instance?! Surprisingly nice would you believe. I’ve also seen my first c-section, probably one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Things have been really busy in the pharmacy recently so I haven’t had a great deal of time to get out and do some shadowing and ward work, but as we get used to the work and things settle down it will become a bigger part of my time here. We have also been asked to take up a role in the preschool teaching the children arts and crafts, which will be a challenge as most of the kids speak no English, only Xhosa, but a challenge I can’t wait to embrace.

Last weekend we went to Coffee Bay for a short break, it was amazing, waking up in the morning and seeing dolphins leaping in the bay.  Then for our evening meal we had a T-Bone Steak with all the trimmings done on this massive communal braai with an Apple Crumble dessert for only R45…£4.50 to the Brits! CRAZY! During the days we relaxed on the beach, dabbled in a bit of surfing and experimented in cliff jumping. A well earning break that we took full advantage of.

We have been ‘house sitting’ for some doctors this week, which has been amazing!as it did involve a 52inch TV!! So we’ve had a week of being able to watch films on a proper screen rather than a bunch of us crowded around a tiny laptop screen, it’s also made us very popular with the rugby fans of Zithulele who have been watching the RWC religiously! Saddened to say England have just been knocked out as I’m writing this although 6am tomorrow morning will be THE match here, SA vs AUS…should be a fun game to watch…and I don’t mean watch the rugby I mean watch the rather exciteavble fans screaming at the TV. This morning Stephen nearly deafened us, and that was just ENG-FRA!!

We will be having another braai at some point in the next few days which is something to look forward to! If you’re reading this send my love to everyone at home, and a huge congratulations from Africa to Mark and Elaine of the birth of baby Benjamin John big hugs and kisses to you all! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

One week down!!

Okay, so it’s the end of my first week in Zithulele and Friday here is our 1pm finish (wahooooo ) !!! Earlier in the week Linnea (one of the short term volunteers from Sweden) managed to sort us out a “cultural tour” so at 2pm today, myself, Cara, Linnea and Shane (a medical elective student from New Zealand) met our guide called Prince. We walked and walked through the amazing hills and valleys of Zithulele and we came to a Shabeen, which is a biiit of a dodgy SA pub, were we were served beer out of cartons, and came out looking like slightly off milk, but with ‘When in Africa…’ in mind we all braved it, and it lived up to our fairly low expectations. There were many, elderly, Xhosa men dancing around loving the attention!! From there, we moved on to a celebratory ceremony in a local Clan/Tribe which is in place to worship their ancestors. We were welcomed with open arms and given a lot of meat from one of the 3 cows they had sacrificed for the ceremony, which is an amazing contribution considering cattle is the currency of buying wives over here (and a male with a good wife is seen as a very powerful man). We had to rush inside as the Transkei gales picked up,  and believe me they were strong winds! The Chief and his wife were inside which was an amazing experience in itself until the ‘mama’ tried to buy myself and Linnea to marry her sons, things escalated when the son she had paired with Linnea in her head walked in and all of the other women started cheering as she practically forced them to stand hand in hand, it was so funny and did end in laughs and jokes as he seemed to be just as embarrassed as Linnea. All in a truly amazing South African Experience. So I suppose I should tell you a little bit more about Zithulele and my role so far, well firstly, this place is amazing, everyone is so welcoming, I am on the ultimate Frisbee team! Which is genuinely the most hilarious hobby EVER. As for my role it is pretty varied, mainly I work in the pharmacy prepacking ARV medication for patients with AIDS and HIV , however I do actually go to the clinics and help out in consultations, I am going to get involved each week in the preschool we run and as we get into the swing of things get really quite involved in the maternity section here which completely fascinates me! On Friday’s we go on ward rounds with the doctors where they can present cases they find interesting or particularly complicated, which is followed by “grand tea” which is always a bonus!! I’ll write again soon  guys, thanks for all the support you have all given me to get here, I can’t express my gratitude enough. xxxxxxx

Training!! 37days to go :-)

SA Team!!

So, I had my training course last week! It was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life, so much intense emotion, yet still having the most amazing time ever! I met my whole country group, 20-something girls and one boy, poor fella. I also met my partner, Cara, we get on really well so that's another worry off the list. On the last day we got our flight itinerary, then it really hit home and everyone's emotions peaked yet again for the 3987394430 time that week. So, I leave Heathrow on Thursday 25th August, at 20.40, from terminal three!   ....not that I'm excited or anything.... Ahhhhhhhhhhh! We fly to Dubai, then off to Jo'burg where we chill for a few days, freshen up, meet our country reps and have a little tour of the city; Then we say another round of farewells and it's off to our projects and time to grow up and be working adults....SCARY. I'll try and write again before I leave, if not see you in Africa Babbbbby! Much Love xxx

This is me and my partner Cara.

I now know where I'm going!! Along with other good news!

Well, well, well!
 I am DELIGHTED to share with you that I will be spending next year, starting in August, working as a volunteer for the Jabulani Rural Health Foundation, in Zithulele Village!! It now feels so incredibly real, I know that sounds stupid, but it does, it's like "Oh crap, I'm actually going!!!" My 'project profile' says that I will be mainly based in the hospital, but with opportunities to dip in and out of the pre-school etc! The other good news is that I HAVE FINISHED MY FUNDRAISING! The biggest sense of relief EVER! So now all that's left to do, is my visa and the rest of my jabs. I'm all booked up for training in July, when I will eventually meet my parter, I literally can not wait =D. Just over 3 months left (and counting......)
Au'revoir for now xxxxxxx