Third hospital visit

After accompanying the broken arm and visiting Dora's cousin Eva (who is *still* in hospital, but apparently still doing well) I went to the big hospital, just some 3km outside Moshi. I got bitten by a moskito yesterday and wanted to see when it makes sense to do a Malaria test. So I directed my Sunday morning run (how else would you go to hospital???) towards KCMC (Kili Christian Med Center). There was a sign to a "Joint Malaria Program." So I went there and a British accent greeted me.

He was amused about my question of a malaria test. It does take 7-10 days for the parasite to appear in the blood. About as long as the time until you will realize first symptoms (I was hoping maybe I could beat the symptoms...). He confirmed it was perfectly fine to not use prophylaxes and said that the malaria risk was extremely low right now in this area. And even lower on Sansibar. Only in Mwanza is the risk slightly higher, so I have to be even more careful there. But he said not to worry and just seek medical help when flu-like symptoms appear.

The Brit turned out to be from London and had been in Africa for seven ears (the y in Swahili isn't pronounced, so people often tell me how many ears old they are and that they working in "energe efficience", for example. It's really cute!). The second long-time euro guy I met in a few days. I remember the other student talking about maybe coming back and spending a few ears here. I, for once, know I would get an ear full from a few people if I had the same plans...

Hmm, I don't know how many ears Klaus has, but here is to a Happy Birthday, even if it's a couple of days late!

I am now close to half time, but of course with all the traveling ahead I don't have quite the same amount of time available for the rest of research. I do have about half the thesis written. I am at 50-odd pages. The student who did the first thesis here a couple of ears ago ended up with close to a 100 pages and some 13,000 words. I already have 11,000. Not that quantity makes up for quality, but I think I can really minimize my stress when I am back home by having most of my thesis written already. I did decide spur of the moment to add two more things into my thesis: Public transit and Waste management. Hmm, still need to tell my prof. But they really don't add much work, as most of it came already out of talking to people, based on my personal interest.

As part of it, I did a traffic count (y)esterday. There are actually more SUVs, Landrovers and Pick-up trucks (combined) than the Dala-Dala local buses on the main road. And of course there are no exhaust regulations whatsoever. If it rolls, it rolls.

Today I am invited to a Communion, though I think it's an evangelic event and really known as a confirmation. Either way, it should be interesting. There also will be another wedding next Saturday in Arusha. If I go there (and bring my camera this time) I will be able to take some pix. There is also a send-off party on Thursday, in Dora's hometown. Plenty of partying before I head on to some vacation, so I better use this nice Sunday for a bit of typing on my thesis...


Later that day:

In another true African scheduling magic we are not going to the communion. Half an hour before we were supposed to leave Dora got a call that visitors were coming from Mwanza. Can you imagine traveling 26 hours on a bus via Nairobi in Kenya and then calling a friend that you stop by for dinner in an hour? The visitors were two pastors and were there for a big meeting in Moshi. Dora knew about the meeting but apparently not about the visitors. We had a nice dinner, including a highly interesting small fish that I had no idea how I could squeeze any meat out of the extremly narrow thingy (the whole, fried fish was served). My question was quickly answered. ETWDFT. Eat the whole damn freaking thing. After I saw Dora do just that I tried, too. But I had to stop short of ther eyeballs. Actually, I didn;t touch the head at all. So Dora asked "Kwa nini?" (Why?). I just said I couldn't eat the eyeballs and they were all laughing. Dora quickly grabbed the rest of the fish off my plate amnd gone it was. However, one of the pastors also gave the head to Dora, so I think eyeball-eating is not for everyone.

The last interesting experience was the praying that the pastors were doing. Each of us got their turn. It lasted about a minute per person. The quiet mumbling always got louder at the end and both pastors were speaking at the same time. When it was my turn I was hoping the second mumbler would deliver some subtitles in English. But no, he mumbled something different than the
other pastor in Swahili. Supposedly they prayed that my travel will be fine, so I should be all set now.