I’ve been sitting here for some minutes wondering how to start blogging. What is there to say? Everything and nothing.
So I guess I’ll start with the beginning?
We’ve been here two and a half weeks, but it feels like a two months. For those who might not know; I’m here with 4 other girls, doing a internship at Yekatit Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We’re rotating between a burn unit, OPD (day clinic where they do dressing (change bandage)) and IC (surgical and medical ward).
They said before we went that “it will be challenging,” “it will be frustrating,” “it will be hard.” And I thought, OK, it will be hard. But I didn’t really know what hard meant. Now I do. Watching people scream their lungs out in pain, kids with the horrid look in their eyes as they are about to enter the dressing rooms, a street boy with no family to tend for him so he laid in his own diarrhea the whole day, clearly psychotic from pain after a 90% electric burn injury – it does something to you. Don’t get me wrong though, they do tend to the patients at the hospital – just in a different way than I am used to. It’s a struggle to understand what’s going on, because the language does make it complicated. Here they do nursing in English, but they can’t really talk to us. We on the other hand can speak to them, only we’re having problems with the medical terms (but that gets better every day). So naturally we’re having some problems understanding oneother. But with some body language, simple words and guessing we make it work 
Hold on, I’m giving you the wrong impression here. It’s not all that bad. I shouldn’t start with the worst, but I’m don’t see the point in blogging if I only tell one side of the story. But here are some positive things about Ethiopia:
1. We are in Africa!!
2. It’s cheap, it’s great weather, it’s something different!
3. We get to learn a lot about burn injuries, and other rare illnesses
4. Ethiopians have adorable kids, so we are super charmed by everyone we see!
5. We went to Lake Langano this weekend. Swimming, sun bathing, good food and out in the wild bush watching monkeys, warthogs, eagles, hippos and much more.
6. We get to spend over two months in Africa learning about different cultures, languages, way of thinking, way of speaking, about myself, about how to interact with people who are so different from yourself you never would have guesses it was possible..
7. I get to avoid the horrible, depressing month of November.. (in cold Norway.)
8. The different calendar they have here says that it’s 27.02.2004 now, so guess what?! I get to have my 15th birthday all over again before I go home!!
9. Did I day that we have great weather?!
10. Lets face it; I’m in Africa. It’s awesome.
Tomorrow after work we’re going to Ntoto, it’s a hill (they call it a mountain), with an overview of Addis. Later in the week we’re going to a leather outlet thingi, to a jazzmusic place, to spa for a massage and perm, and then Sheraton Hotel for swimming in the weekend. To top it we’re going to a fine traditional dinner at Top View Restaurant before one girl, who’s staying with us for a short time for volunteer work, is going back home next Monday. So that’s our totally OK week 
Just some pictures in case you didn’t quite get the point:
Oops, that one is on the side.. sorry, tip your head a little please.
That has to be it for now. I need to go to bed.. There’s so much more to tell, but I’ll do it another time.
Stay tuned
