We're Nigerian now :)

So I will defer to Wendi's novel for many of the happenings in the last few days. While prefer to lounge around and read, she is truly the gifted writer and pre-wrote (until we had internet access again!) a lovely blog recounting our outings of the last few days. I'll touch on a couple of other things to refrain from being redundant!

Yesterday, we went to a Baptist church with Dr. Chris and his family. It was wonderful! Although we cut out early (around 12)-- he told us these things can go for 5-6 hours (!), I really enjoyed the service. The preachers are so enthusiastic, and they had a wonderful gospel choir singing both new and familiar hymns and songs. Although Papa, the "Nigerian godfather" (I wish I had a pic of him in his white tunic and sunglasses from the wedding we attended on Saturday!), said he was against booty-shaking in church (not quite in those words), this definitely happened. Not with my booty though.

What was exciting yesterday was that we, having gotten our Nigerian clothes back from Cecelia, who runs the Faith Alive Sewing School (they give graduates a sewing machine and space to start their own business!), were able to, for once, not look like grungy Americans (we, or at least I, feel like walking around with a sign saying, "OUR LUGGAGE DIDN'T ARRIVE!" to apologize for the strange dress). I am trying my hardest to upload a picture so you can see JB and Wendi in their matching bright blue and orange two-piece outfit (Wendi) and tunic (JB), Kelsey in her top and skirt (she also has been able to pull off the head scarf and looks fantastic!), Ajit in his green tunic (apparently this isn't a very common color-- the uninhibited oldest Child of Drs. Chris and Mercy, Emily, told him [in reply to his question of, "Do you like it"?] "it's just ok."), and me in a two piece white-and navy outfit. But I don't think it (the picture-uploading) is going to work. But we really felt, although still oyibu, like members of the community!

It's neat how easy we've adapted to being here. We've acclimated somewhat to the weather. Dr. Chris told us that this is actually the hottest time of year (in May, once the monsoons start, it actually cools off!)-- it's been in the 90s every day and still very warm at night (we are sleeping in skivvies!). We don't even miss running water too much and are used to handwashing our clothes by now. We can refill our water tubs from the well downstairs, although we've been castigated by Mussa (one of the guys who works/is staying here) that that's his job. The power issues (well, lack of) much of the time makes things difficult. It's totally unpredictable. The generator ("the gen") runs some of the time, but we feel bad keeping it on for very long. After dinner, though, there really isn't much of anything to do with no lights! I have found that (maybe I'm so rested!) that I can't quite go to bed before 9-- I just lie there, listening to the sounds of the night. I usually awake by 4 a.m., but try to sleep again until 6 or so when the light and bustle of the morning streets arouse us. Wendi has mentioned that some of us have had "sleep issues" -- some of which we think have to do with excessive daytime napping (ahem, Ajit and Kelsey), but others because of heat and noise.

Wendi mentioned that we met a Nigerian doctor, Osondu, the other day in the clinic. He is really, really cool, and is going to be doing at MPH at Johns Hopkins starting in July (we really want to get him in contact with Nicole [Nicole, we wish you were here!]), assuming he gets a Visa. Apparently this is extremely difficult here in Nigeria. Dr. Chris has been denied even with letters of sponsorship from Mayo and the CDC! His wife Mercy, a surgeon here, has been denied 7-8 times and now doesn't even want to approach the American Embassy. He says that the toughest people are the young (18-year-old) boys at the counters, who have done things like quiz him on "what's a hematoma?" (to see if he's a "real" doctor). He said he, visibly angry, has lectured them for up to 45 minutes. He said he's been told that not even "a letter from the president" could get him a Visa. He said that honest people tend to be punished, because people have schemed their way over by falsifying relationships, etc., but he won't go there. Mom, any tips? We need to pray that Osondu gets over to start his masters program!

We have been able to participate in numerous activities at Faith Alive. There was an HIV support group meeting yesterday which we attended. It was so amazing how prayerful and positive these "(HIV) positive" people are. They are so joyful despite living with a disease with such a devastating prognosis. It truly is inspiring. We also learned some new songs, including the Nigerian equivalent of the hokey-pokey! This morning, we split up and spent some time in different areas of the clinic. Kelsey went with the counselors. John and Wendi were with one of the HIV "teams." Ajit did some work in their (one-room!) ED. I worked with the doctor seeing all of the TB patients and learned a lot about the practical treatment of such a prevalent (especially with the comorbid HIV) disease here.

We all have to do some teaching while here too. Ajit and I have to give lectures to the medical students (here, medicine is a 6-year degree program-- so the audience, composed of 5th years, will have had one more year of medical training that we do!) tomorrow about thyroid and parathyroid/Calcium regulation disease, respectively. JB has the topic of "clinical enzymology" for the next day (who hates biochemistry?!). We are also all going to do a patient devotion as well as a health talk at some point. We are learning a few words of Hausa (my name means "nine"!) but really are fine with English, which is quite impressively widely spoken here.

Well, while we still have power, I should probably try to put something together about my little glands-the-color-of-a-hummingbird's-tongue.... :) I really didn't mean this to be so long, but there's so much fun stuff to write about! Later, my friends!