Tuesday, March 23 2010

 Some of the pictures are in a previous post but have been correctly titled because I (Morgan) didn't know what they were of. :)

March 23, 2010

Yesterday started the same as every other day – with the braying of the donkey. We also had a rain shower about 4:30 – 6:00 am. I thought it would shut things down, as it does in Idaho, but this soil is different and the tractor drivers were ready get out in the field the same as usual. The mother with the little burned baby girl came early, at 9:00 and we got her taken care a little more efficiently than the day before. I was relieved that it was all over and went inside the house to wash and have a drink of water when I heard Val calling me back outside. Apparently, news of our doctoring abilities has spread across the area and we were brought another little girl about 8 or 9 to repair. You have to remember that these people never bathe so it’s kind of in my nature to not want to get close to them. They are uber filthy and their clothes appear to be in a state of decay because they have never been off them. The mother of this cute dirty child lifted up her daughter’s dress and of course there was no underwear. I don’t believe people here wear undies. So the little child standing on our porch was exposed to the fifty or so people who work right here close and she didn’t seem to have a problem with it. Val and I were startled, but we soon recovered our composure and we looked to see what was the big deal. The problem was that she had been sliced open across her back just above her buttocks. The wound was gaping open and looked to be about 2” – 3” across and 1” deep. It was dirty and had debris in it. We both just looked at each other and I could tell Val was as upset as I was. Someone had done this on purpose. It wasn’t a stab wound, like she fell on it. It was done to her. Of course, any little disturbance at the house draws a real crowd, and anyone who can comes over to watch the show. We decided that we had to clean it first. Alan’s spray bottle came in handy. I sterilized it and then we sprayed the wound clean. Val stretched the wound open and wiped and I sprayed the dirt and what looked like leaf pieces out. I guess the leaf pieces were chat and they put them in thinking it would help somehow. Wes told us later that this is a common practice. We then flooded the wound with saline solution. I held around her tummy and legs with her mom and Val squirted away. Her little buttocks flexed up tight, but she made it through it and was a valiant little trooper. By this time we had a real crowd and we had to stop and shoo the large crowd away. Then, because neither Val or myself took suturing 101 incollege, we elected to use tape. We put some Neosporin around the edges and I did my own version of four butterfly bandages and taped them across her wound while Val held it shut. We then covered it in gauze and taped it down tight onto her washed clean back. Then we gave her a large blue gum ball as a treat for being good. When we popped it in her mouth she just looked at us with her big teary eyes and didn’t smile or anything. We told her “chew” and she did, but not very happily. I’m sure she thought we were giving her something bad. I wonder if she will have it in her mouth for days on end. So she is supposed to come back to Shelley and Val clinic today, but we have not seen her yet.

After all that I needed to get away from everyone so I came into my room and just sat on the bed. Soon, one of my silly maids, Ashareka, came into the bedroom with me. Note: I have to tell the maids that when the door is closed they may not come in. Also, I must tell them to not plastic wrapping down the toilet, as it is not a garbage, as they might think. So the maid went to the window and ran her hand up and down the curtains and looked out the window. Then she turned to me and said, “Is veeery beuuutiiifuuul howse.” Yes, I said, it is very beautiful. Just for a second I wanted to laugh like a hyena. I had a little conversation with her and then I went outside to go for a walk up down and up the airstrip. She asked if I would like her to come with me, but I said she had to stay and take care of Wes. She said, “OOOOKaaaaay.” She’s cute, and silly, and sweet. As I was walking down the airstrip, I looked up and, thank heaven I had thought to bring my camera, for walking toward me was a man with a camel. I was kind of excited, but I didn’t want him to get mad at me for taking a picture, so I acted like I was looking at something else and then I clicked and got the two of them. As I was on my way back up to the other end, along came a whole herd of camels with several camel herders.

I loved it and got several shots. Whenever the local people spy any of the “forenjees” out and about with a camera in hand, they are suddenly posing left and right, trying to get us to take their pictures. On my way back I snapped a few of some local men and boys. I also got one of two of them with their arms around each other.

Funny thing about Ethiopia; the men love to walk and hold hands. Alan has had men come up to him and take him by the hand and want him to go with them He doesn’t think it’s that funny, but one of these days I’m going to catch him holding hands with another man and I’m going to get a picture of it. Sooo funny. It’s very common to see two men/ boys walking hand in hand off through the brush.

Last night we had mashed potatoes and fried spam and onions. I had the maids cook the potatoes and I did the spam and onions. The girls were very curious about the spam, and wanted to watch me cook it. I told them they were not to eat it because it was pork. I think they would have eaten it, but I wouldn’t let them. I had to explain to them that it was not in their religion. I guess I hadn’t mentioned it, but most everyone here except the Americans and one of our interpreters is Muslim. I don’t think they know much about their religion, because I never see anyone praying and the girls don’t seem to have a problem with most things. However, last week , one woman got the rest of them to go on a laundry strike with her. She said Muslim women should not wash men’s underwear or socks. So Wes told her to leave, and the rest of the girls went back to washing men’s socks and underwear. Funny thing about the laundry – they use too much soap so that they can’t ever rinse all of it out. Consequently, we all have a white film on all our clothing. It is driving Alan nuts. Alan has laundry issues. I have laundry issues too, but I can’t go on anymore about the laundry.

Yesterday I saw a new bit of construction that had easily gone up overnight. It was a brush and tarp structure. I asked Alan what it was and he told me it was a new restaurant.

We already have another of these structures at the farm/camp, but apparently one is not enough. The reason is that we have two different tribes working here. Sometimes there are fights between the two sides. If you are a member of one tribe, you cannot eat at a restaurant run by the other side. So, another restaurant had to be built.

 It just cracks me up that we call them restaurants so readily. They are just tarp and brushey stick things. Bracken and Mark like to frequent the restaurants for the goat tibbs. Clair and I can’t handle the tibbs, but everyone else seems to be OK with them. Sunday night Alan and I walked down to the other restaurant, for the new one was not yet built, and we ordered some goat tibbs for the men in the house. I know it was Sunday. Don’t get on my case. While we waited for our order of goat tibbs and injera for six, they brought out some chairs and made us be seated. We sat and they stood and watched us watch them. They are not uncomfortable with staring. They love to stare. I think they give tribal staring lessons. As we were sitting, suddenly a woman came and asked if she could look into my eyes. At least that’s what I thought she wanted. After a little confusion and pantomiming, we realized she wanted me to look into her eyes. I guess my doctoring skills had spread through the camp like wildfire down to the restaurant. Since I didn’t have my glasses on and it was pitch black, and she was kind of grossing me out with the hovering eye flies, I had to tell her I couldn’t see well in the dark. What a let down! I made an appointment with her for the next day, but she didn’t come. What I could see was that her eye was very red, and I guess she got something in it and couldn’t get it out. These people have no mirrors, so they can’t help themselves that way.

As I’m sitting here writing this, Ashareka, has once again come into the bedroom. Note to me: I really have to talk to the maids about coming into the closed bedrooms. She is now sitting by my side on the bed and has picked up my scriptures and is reading them to me. I think she wants to impress me with her English reading skills. She is reading John 15. I’m sure she doesn’t know what book it is. Oh well, if she wants to read the bible to me, I think it’s OK, but next time I will get her to read the Book of Mormon. I have one in Ahmaric and English.

The mom with the little burn baby girl came at about 12:00 noon and again we cleaned the wound, debriding? Neosporin, nonadhesive bandages cut in strips to go between each little finger, big one on the palm and down the side of her arm, then wrap with gauze and tape at top and bottom. That’s our method. Julie just called from Addis to find out how the baby is. I gave her a detailed report and will send her pictures tomorrow so that she can evaluate the baby’s condition. The baby has not been fevered, a little lethargic, but kicking and screaming, mad when she sees me coming anymore. She knows it’s going to hurt when I show up. She’ll never trust a blonde woman with glasses again.