Follow Up

I finally found a working wireless connection, sort of, and I may be able to squeeze out enough band width to get this posted even if it looks weird. This is the folow up to that dreadfully depressing post I made the other day. Yes the boy, Edward, died but we all did our best and must move on. Several successful surgeries since have made life easier. I will post again some time next week if possible.

I’m back at the hotel. It’s about 6PM and I’m feeling badly about the rant that I posted this morning. Oh it’s all true and maybe even worse. But what’s the point? It is what it is and I’m here to do the best I can with what I’ve got. A good friend whom I respect got me started on the saying “All you can do is all you can and all you can do is enough.” I’ve got to stay in that space. Yes, the kid’s still alive and I’m sitting here sucking down my second half liter lager and tomorrow will be another day.

So why be here at all? I think I owe you a visual. We’re six degrees below the equator at about 6000 feet. It’s the middle of winter and the weather is glorious, delightfully warmed by the sun in the daytime and chilled in the evening to a perfect October New England night – except it’s different. The air has a sharpness and tingle to it that I’ve never experienced anywhere else. There are exotic wild flowers, some of them huge, growing everywhere and when the sun rises behind a mysterious mist each one is a lightshow of its own. Somewhere around three in the afternoon the light abruptly changes into a golden glow reminiscent of Provence but, again, different. It has a special radiance to it and any object that is backlit develops a surreal aura. The clouds kicked up from the dusty streets create a path of sunbeams that seem almost like a painting. I’m still trying to figure out how to capture that with a camera. The people here are among the warmest, most gentle and childlike I have met anywhere. This is not true for all of Africa or even Tanzania but this area, for all its cell phones, internet, etc. still remains aside and apart and mostly uncorrupted by the modern world. We are still stared at by the children which is fun and the adults are so anxious to communicate, practice their English and teach us their language. Other than that unpleasantness in the bus station the other day I have never encountered a negative vibe from anyone. It is a non-confrontational society which can be frustrating at times but certainly makes one feel comfortable and safe. Things will change soon. For years I have been writing about the need for a paved road between Sumbawanga and the outside world. It is happening now.

It will change the character of the town and take away the innocence of the people but the tradeoffs are necessary in regard to quality of life. Matching funds have come from the USA and other countries to finally do the job. Crews from China and the UK are already on sight and work will begin in September. The chief of the UK company is staying at our hotel. His name is Nigel and he is a portly man in his 60’s who has already shared with us that this is to be his last project. He needs to do one more before retiring because he has taken such a beating in the stock market. I know he was into serious business when they rolled a huge safe into his room. His local payroll will be all cash. I asked him if we need to worry about bandits coming in with AK-47’s and he assured me that at first contact he will help roll the safe into their truck. On other fronts our Dutch internist, Robert, has been joined by his girlfriend, Marjon. She is a lovely lady of perhaps 55 who seems to suit him perfectly. Robert has been traveling the world for the last four years working with various organizations for six months at a time. He’s hard to figure out. He seems to have unlimited funds stemming from a furniture company that he sold in Holland. He went to medical school at age 42 and has been traveling since finishing his training. He is compulsive about patient care and carries on constantly about the conditions here. Grace and I have both had occasion to tell him to quit whining and just get on with it. He accepts it good naturedly. Jasper should be back at work in the next day or two. I plan to have a few words with him about abandoning me with no organization. But in the end he will apologize obsequiously and go about setting things right which is all I really want.

Tomorrow will be about getting some fairly minor cases done – if the proper anesthetic material arrives from another town – and working on the program for the students. We’re looking forward to next weekend at the Lodge at Lake Tanganyika and day at Katavi wildlife preserve but there’s much to do before then.

Comments

[Tzipporah]

I'm a reader of your daughter's blog, and this is the second year I've followed your Sumbawanga trips.

Hang in there. You're doing excellent, important work, and letting us Westerners in on only the least gory and depressing aspects of it, no doubt.