Imagine a time not too far in the past, that this blog came to you as a letter by airmail from Chad posted in the first week of the New Year, with a bit of luck you would have been recieving it about now mid February. So here it is, a blog written by Andrea that lay unposted hope it is not too late to count as news.
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Mid January
Ndjamena
Mid January
Ndjamena
Well Christmas is over and New Year too but we thought a few pictures of
our Chadian Christmas might be of interest.
The play for the patients and relatives went well after a few false
starts quite a bit of encouragement and some confusion about the shepherds
following the star from the East. About 100 people were watching, one patient
even walked from her private room the first day after her operation. The
Christmas story relayed in Arabic was mimed out by angels in white (lab coats) and Mary in a laafée .Others in Jalabeers
borrowed from our Muslim guards and nurses and one of the shepherds in a
turban. This all helped to fix it in Chad and relevant; and a comment was heard ‘Oh so Christmas is
about the birth of Issa’ so we did get the message over! Food of course
followed, meat and donuts not quite mince pies but tasty.
We attended a concert the following day in the French cultural centre it
was a selection of choirs and groups from all over Ndjamena a great venue in a
theatre out under the stars. There was some excellent chorale singing, the
dancing very Chadian, and sometimes not
clear how it fitted with Christmas but still good fun.
Our real treat was on Christmas Eve when we had a camel ride we’ve been
talking about it since we arrived but it has to be the right season(not too wet
for the camels feet) and also not too windy as we found out when our first
date was cancelled. It was good fun and
nowhere near as scary as I imagined there’s quite a bump as the camel goes up
but otherwise it’s very sedate. The place is down by the river in Ndjamena but
being Chad here’s the bizarre element you ride around a golf course! Not that
you would recognize it no grass just beaten mud for greens and sand in between.
We then went on to Church where the service lasted until 5am .We didn’t manage the whole time I have to say and came home in time to sleep before covering the hospital on Christmas day. It was quiet and we handed out some presents and sweets to patients which were well received, apart from one little girl who was terrified by the small doll we gave her The day finished with a great Christmas dinner including tinned sprouts(not to be recommended) but sticky toffee pudding to finish was very tasty.
Our New Year started with a cancelled weekend away due to a patient with
post op problems(now doing well at home) We still had fun with a walk to the
grand canyon ( a big man made crater ex rubble mine for the roads, just where we turn off the main road to get here) and
a chinese meal but we are now back to work properly with plenty to do. Rob is
now here to stay for 6 months to do admin and also Mike a doctor who covered
our leave in the summer has come for a couple weeks to help. Just as well as we
seem to get busier all the time deliveries are now around 40 a month and the
operating log has 41 cases in it already for this month.
We pray that your new year starts well and continues under Gods
guidance, with his peace and Joy.
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