Hi All,
I created a website for the Sierra Leone fieldcourse (I work in the office of the professor who created the course, Dr. Frederique Jacquerioz), so please take a look.
http://www.sph.tulane.edu/tropmed/Sierra%20Leone%20Field%20Course/introduction.htm
Katie
Friday, October 10, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Farewell to Sierra Leone!
Hi All,
Thanks so much for reading and responding and sending news and updates while I was in Sierra Leone! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!
I'm now getting ready to leave - saying goodbye to friends, buying last minute things... trying to figure out how I'm going to pack it all! Today is my last day in Kenema; tomorrow I leave for Freetown to spend a day then head out on Tuesday (and finally arriving back in PA, hopefully, in the early evening on Wednesday). Feel free to call/email/text/whatever once I'm back stateside.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Katie
Thanks so much for reading and responding and sending news and updates while I was in Sierra Leone! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!
I'm now getting ready to leave - saying goodbye to friends, buying last minute things... trying to figure out how I'm going to pack it all! Today is my last day in Kenema; tomorrow I leave for Freetown to spend a day then head out on Tuesday (and finally arriving back in PA, hopefully, in the early evening on Wednesday). Feel free to call/email/text/whatever once I'm back stateside.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Katie
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
DGH update 4 (? I think?)
Here's a quick update of our project - we talked with Action Plus about their proposal to have a domestic violence ward at the hospital and they seemed interested. Elizabeth, the nurse and GBV coordinator, gave us contact information for the central office in Freetown. We contacted them to see if they would be in Kenema (Elizabeth said they might be). They're unfortunately not going to be here but we might be able to schedule something for the Monday before we leave. Katie, Emily and I are working on drafting a basic outline for a proposal to DGH to help Action Plus. We're also meeting with various organizations to confirm/ask about having students do practicums with them (as discussed in our meeting) and following up on lingering questions regarding women's health and rights in Kenema and Sierra Leone.
That's about it - we're also doing lots of other last minute things.
That's about it - we're also doing lots of other last minute things.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
More issues with the po-po
This was an email from the coordinator in Sierra Leone in response to an event that occured while we were in Sierra Leone. Several students were "requested" to come to the police station because they had reports that white people were taking pictures of government buildings in Kenema approximately three hours earlier. We did not take pictures of government buildings (at least, not on purpose) and we were not the people reported to the police because we were not in the area when the event occurred. However, we were easy scapgoats.
There was an imprompt meeting between the students, Dr *** and I, the reason been that is the students were taking pictures of some government, building and other areas, in that process, a police intelligent officer by the name of Mr *** who was the same man who met them the last time at the Pastorial centre with the immigration officer few weeks back, while they were taken the pictures, the same policeman came in and asked them some questions from which he took then to the police station then one of the student called me, that they are in the police station and I also called Dr *** so the two of us went there immediately thinking it about the immigration process.
The first step Dr *** did was he met with the Local Unit Commander (LUC) straight off, we went to him and Dr *** briefed him about the students and explained detailed that that is not the first time the same policeman/immigration officer has met these students. After which the LUC called the Regional Immigration officer, the meeting was really in the fact that:
1. These recent problem has nothing to do with immigration papers.
2. That the immigration officer who met the student two weeks back and made interrogation in the pastorial centre and his subsequent with Dr **** on that issues which is knowledgeable to the regional immigration officer, and after which some clarifications was done from us which made the officers to be stratified with the explanations.
3. Another question that came from the meeting was that even after the student's passport has been stamped in Sierra Leone, it is the duty of any visitors/students who happens to go up countries to acquaint themselves/briefed the immigration and the police about their purpose of their visit.
4. That in future, since Kenema is a small community, the LUC advised that we should always take any student to them and introduce them so that they will not face any embarrassment from any officers, by doing so it will help them to get full security and also protect them from any unnecessary problems. As a whole thus the meeting was an imprompt one, but its help us a lot for common understanding and for future students who will be coming thereafter. So very thing went out successfully.
There was an imprompt meeting between the students, Dr *** and I, the reason been that is the students were taking pictures of some government, building and other areas, in that process, a police intelligent officer by the name of Mr *** who was the same man who met them the last time at the Pastorial centre with the immigration officer few weeks back, while they were taken the pictures, the same policeman came in and asked them some questions from which he took then to the police station then one of the student called me, that they are in the police station and I also called Dr *** so the two of us went there immediately thinking it about the immigration process.
The first step Dr *** did was he met with the Local Unit Commander (LUC) straight off, we went to him and Dr *** briefed him about the students and explained detailed that that is not the first time the same policeman/immigration officer has met these students. After which the LUC called the Regional Immigration officer, the meeting was really in the fact that:
1. These recent problem has nothing to do with immigration papers.
2. That the immigration officer who met the student two weeks back and made interrogation in the pastorial centre and his subsequent with Dr **** on that issues which is knowledgeable to the regional immigration officer, and after which some clarifications was done from us which made the officers to be stratified with the explanations.
3. Another question that came from the meeting was that even after the student's passport has been stamped in Sierra Leone, it is the duty of any visitors/students who happens to go up countries to acquaint themselves/briefed the immigration and the police about their purpose of their visit.
4. That in future, since Kenema is a small community, the LUC advised that we should always take any student to them and introduce them so that they will not face any embarrassment from any officers, by doing so it will help them to get full security and also protect them from any unnecessary problems. As a whole thus the meeting was an imprompt one, but its help us a lot for common understanding and for future students who will be coming thereafter. So very thing went out successfully.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
More than half-way: Freetown, Bonthe, and Conferences!
A-wuah! That (phonetically speaking) is how you greet 2+ people in Mende. Bu-wuah is greeting to one person.
Since I last wrote, much has happened. I reached the half-way point of both my time here and my practicum. I had very mixed feelings about reaching the half-way point but ultimately, I was a little sad. I'm having a great time and learning so much!
A few weekends ago, I was able to attend a human rights conference training and sensitizing traditional leaders. The traditional leaders were paramount chiefs from three districts in eastern Sierra Leone (Kenema, Kailahun, and Kono). Districts are like states in the US. Paramount chiefs are technically elected officials but most of the leadership is hereditary, and they are in charge of each chiefdom (chiefdoms are like parishes or counties in the US). There are conflicting opinions about the permanence, efficacy and quality of paramount chiefs, but, regardless, they are in charge of each district and their approval is necessary and extremely helpful when visiting or working in a chiefdom. Anyway, the conference was mostly made up of men, lead by the most charismatic, capable, diplomatic woman I've ever met. She was speaking the entire time about how women and children should be given more rights and they, as the paramount chiefs, should champion these human rights. The conference was over two days and I didn't see her falter once. It was awesome!
The following Monday, I left for Freetown (the capital) for another conference. This conference was for all of the district surveillance officers (of which there are 2 for each conference) to meet and report on their quarterly findings. The surveillance officers keep records of immunization rates and actively look for specific, mainly epidemic-prone, diseases (polio/AFP, yellow fever, measles, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea and vomiting, Lassa fever, neonatal tetanus, TB, etc.). The conference highlighted many of the challenges people face in healthcare daily. For example, in the United States, we know exactly how many people have tuberculosis and, for the most part, we treat everyone (even those who have latent disease). In Sierra Leone, testing for the disease is extremely difficult. The normal test we use
in the US is a PPD test. In Sierra Leone, everyone gets the TB vaccine (BCG) so everyone tests positive with the PPD test. So the only way to tell if someone has TB is if they have clinical symptoms! And, this is just the scenario for one disease! Add in poor road conditions, weak reporting at the local level and poor access to health facilities and you'll begin to understand some of the challenges surveillance
officers and healthcare workers face.
This past weekend, I went with several Tulane students (and a few Irish guys we've met here) to Bonthe Island. Bonthe Island is two districts west of Kenema and the island was once the headquarters of the British anti-slavery post in West Africa. We took a bush taxi to a town called Mattru Jong and then a four-hour boat ride down the Jong River to Bonthe. If any of you have read "Long Way Gone: Memories of a
Boy Soldier," Mattru Jong is where he waited for his family after his village was attacked. Mattru Jong, however, is a beautiful place and we met the paramount chief's eldest daughter, who took care of us while we were there. We had a bit of an adventure getting to Mattru Jong (there are random police checks, only some of which are faithful to their honorable jobs). Although I got a bit sick while there, the
island is beautiful. It looks completely different from the rest of the country. Instead of red dirt, they have white and black sand. The town is a mix of run-down British-style buildings and small typical Sierra Leonean houses. The food is also quite different – they definitely don't use as much pepper and there's more seafood. All in all, it was a quick, but memorable, adventure. We arrived back late
Monday night and Tuesday got back to work.
I think that's about all for my update. Three weeks from today I'll be back on US soil! :) :(
Katie
Since I last wrote, much has happened. I reached the half-way point of both my time here and my practicum. I had very mixed feelings about reaching the half-way point but ultimately, I was a little sad. I'm having a great time and learning so much!
A few weekends ago, I was able to attend a human rights conference training and sensitizing traditional leaders. The traditional leaders were paramount chiefs from three districts in eastern Sierra Leone (Kenema, Kailahun, and Kono). Districts are like states in the US. Paramount chiefs are technically elected officials but most of the leadership is hereditary, and they are in charge of each chiefdom (chiefdoms are like parishes or counties in the US). There are conflicting opinions about the permanence, efficacy and quality of paramount chiefs, but, regardless, they are in charge of each district and their approval is necessary and extremely helpful when visiting or working in a chiefdom. Anyway, the conference was mostly made up of men, lead by the most charismatic, capable, diplomatic woman I've ever met. She was speaking the entire time about how women and children should be given more rights and they, as the paramount chiefs, should champion these human rights. The conference was over two days and I didn't see her falter once. It was awesome!
The following Monday, I left for Freetown (the capital) for another conference. This conference was for all of the district surveillance officers (of which there are 2 for each conference) to meet and report on their quarterly findings. The surveillance officers keep records of immunization rates and actively look for specific, mainly epidemic-prone, diseases (polio/AFP, yellow fever, measles, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea and vomiting, Lassa fever, neonatal tetanus, TB, etc.). The conference highlighted many of the challenges people face in healthcare daily. For example, in the United States, we know exactly how many people have tuberculosis and, for the most part, we treat everyone (even those who have latent disease). In Sierra Leone, testing for the disease is extremely difficult. The normal test we use
in the US is a PPD test. In Sierra Leone, everyone gets the TB vaccine (BCG) so everyone tests positive with the PPD test. So the only way to tell if someone has TB is if they have clinical symptoms! And, this is just the scenario for one disease! Add in poor road conditions, weak reporting at the local level and poor access to health facilities and you'll begin to understand some of the challenges surveillance
officers and healthcare workers face.
This past weekend, I went with several Tulane students (and a few Irish guys we've met here) to Bonthe Island. Bonthe Island is two districts west of Kenema and the island was once the headquarters of the British anti-slavery post in West Africa. We took a bush taxi to a town called Mattru Jong and then a four-hour boat ride down the Jong River to Bonthe. If any of you have read "Long Way Gone: Memories of a
Boy Soldier," Mattru Jong is where he waited for his family after his village was attacked. Mattru Jong, however, is a beautiful place and we met the paramount chief's eldest daughter, who took care of us while we were there. We had a bit of an adventure getting to Mattru Jong (there are random police checks, only some of which are faithful to their honorable jobs). Although I got a bit sick while there, the
island is beautiful. It looks completely different from the rest of the country. Instead of red dirt, they have white and black sand. The town is a mix of run-down British-style buildings and small typical Sierra Leonean houses. The food is also quite different – they definitely don't use as much pepper and there's more seafood. All in all, it was a quick, but memorable, adventure. We arrived back late
Monday night and Tuesday got back to work.
I think that's about all for my update. Three weeks from today I'll be back on US soil! :) :(
Katie
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
DGH Update 3
Here's another update from the DGH group.
Last week, Emily and I went to the national quarterly surveillance meeting with all of the surveillance officers from around the country. James was very helpful, and we met and heard from all of the DSOs concerning their successes and challenges when doing surveillance in the country. While we were in Freetown, Katie Robinette followed up on several referrals and appointments we had (Katie R wasn't able to go to Freetown because she wasn't feeling well before leaving. But she's better now). We're also still trying to organize, arrange and brainstorm questions to follow-up on, people to talk with, and possible recommendations. Our timeline is to continue organizing and brainstorming as we go and begin interviewing specific people and organizations, with hopes of solidifying some recommendations to present to possible partners before leaving (the recommendations would still be pretty vague, but we're hoping to get some approval/suggestions about what we're thinking).
Last week, Emily and I went to the national quarterly surveillance meeting with all of the surveillance officers from around the country. James was very helpful, and we met and heard from all of the DSOs concerning their successes and challenges when doing surveillance in the country. While we were in Freetown, Katie Robinette followed up on several referrals and appointments we had (Katie R wasn't able to go to Freetown because she wasn't feeling well before leaving. But she's better now). We're also still trying to organize, arrange and brainstorm questions to follow-up on, people to talk with, and possible recommendations. Our timeline is to continue organizing and brainstorming as we go and begin interviewing specific people and organizations, with hopes of solidifying some recommendations to present to possible partners before leaving (the recommendations would still be pretty vague, but we're hoping to get some approval/suggestions about what we're thinking).
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Update from DGH group 2
Katie, Emily and I have continued to do interviews since we last spoke. Among others, we've met with GOAL, Defense for Children International, Red Cross, Humanist Watch, a community health officer and others. I don't have our schedule in front of us. We have conducted over 20 interviews. We have also compiled information for all of these interviews and spent the end of this past week reviewing them all and making a comprehensive list of gaps and problem areas that we identified.
Just this Friday and Saturday, Emily and I were able to attend a conference for the Eastern Region Paramount Chiefs led by the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL). It was held at the Pastoral Center and we really enjoyed it.
Through James, the new M&E officer for Lassa, we are going to be able to attend the Ministry of Health's Public Health Conference in Freetown this Tuesday and Wednesday. Emily, Katie R., Katherine, and I (and probably Andrea and Chelsea) will be attending. We just made the arrangements today, so I apologize for the last-minute notice.
Another thing I should bring to your attention is that we had an immigration officer from the Eastern Region come to the Pastoral Center Saturday morning at 8am and demand to see all of our passports (just us Tulane students). He proceeded to take down our names, passport numbers, visa numbers. We really didn't know how to handle the situation and will are hoping to contact the SL Embassy and US Embassy to make sure that this was an appropriate request. Dr. Goba fortunately showed up at that time (to randomly ask if anyone wanted to go to Liberia) and so he was there to talk to the immigration officer, but he showed up after we had been discussing things for quite sometime. The men at the Pastoral Center said they had never seen that happen before?!
Just this Friday and Saturday, Emily and I were able to attend a conference for the Eastern Region Paramount Chiefs led by the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL). It was held at the Pastoral Center and we really enjoyed it.
Through James, the new M&E officer for Lassa, we are going to be able to attend the Ministry of Health's Public Health Conference in Freetown this Tuesday and Wednesday. Emily, Katie R., Katherine, and I (and probably Andrea and Chelsea) will be attending. We just made the arrangements today, so I apologize for the last-minute notice.
Another thing I should bring to your attention is that we had an immigration officer from the Eastern Region come to the Pastoral Center Saturday morning at 8am and demand to see all of our passports (just us Tulane students). He proceeded to take down our names, passport numbers, visa numbers. We really didn't know how to handle the situation and will are hoping to contact the SL Embassy and US Embassy to make sure that this was an appropriate request. Dr. Goba fortunately showed up at that time (to randomly ask if anyone wanted to go to Liberia) and so he was there to talk to the immigration officer, but he showed up after we had been discussing things for quite sometime. The men at the Pastoral Center said they had never seen that happen before?!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Notes from Sierra Leone
Sierra Leonean food is spicy!!! They use a ton of pepper!!! But, it's really good - lots of cassava, and leaves and groundnut (peanut) soup. I especially like street food though and I've been lucky not to get sick yet ;)
The setting is very tropical - not savannah. Kenema town is very dusty and not too pretty but the outskirts are beautiful. Lots of forests and trees and swamps - very much like New Orleans.
Sierra Leone was a British colony (I think they actually called it a protectorate for a while) and after the American Revolution, the Brits let those slaves that were loyal move to Freetown. One of the national languages here is actually Krio, a mix of English, French, and African languages (similar to Creole).
The setting is very tropical - not savannah. Kenema town is very dusty and not too pretty but the outskirts are beautiful. Lots of forests and trees and swamps - very much like New Orleans.
Sierra Leone was a British colony (I think they actually called it a protectorate for a while) and after the American Revolution, the Brits let those slaves that were loyal move to Freetown. One of the national languages here is actually Krio, a mix of English, French, and African languages (similar to Creole).
Monday, July 7, 2008
Liberia, Elections, Fourth of July in Sierra Leone, and Reaching the One Month Mark
Hello All!
Thank you so much for the updates, emails, forwarded messages, e-cards and world news! It's really nice getting all of your emails – please keep them coming, although I'm terrible at responding. I'm trying to keep up but thus far no luck!
Life in Kenema is almost becoming normal. There's a routine to my day now and everything doesn't seem so strange and uncomfortable. I was sitting in church today and realized I'd been here over a month, yet it doesn't feel that long at all. While there are some things I miss (hot showers, boneless chicken, milk), I am really enjoying my time here. Even the "annoyances" become fun. The other day, another Tulane student (who's not staying at the Pastoral Center) came over to visit and marveled at our everyday life. She lives at the Tulane Research House, which is gated and walled (as many houses are here). She was surprised by the people we knew around the Pastoral Center and by the children who greeted us as we walked up. Many kids know us now – we have bubbles, paper and pencils, and in general, treat them kindly (some other people don't necessarily). They're really funny because they know most of our names but are confused with the name 'Katie.' There are three Katies here right now – and we all introduce ourselves by saying "my name's Katie." So, now we're known as "skatie." It took us a very long time to figure that out!
These past few weeks have been very interesting! Last week, I was able to take a ride to Liberia. For those of you who are interested, a disease called Lassa fever is endemic in parts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea (making up the Mano River Union) and Nigeria (don't ask me how that happened). Lassa is a viral hemorrhagic fever and, while the mortality rate is not too high, the morbidity rate is and the disease can have some serious complications (hearing loss just when you're getting better). But don't worry – it's transmitted through a rodent's urine which I won't be coming in contact with. Anyhow, there is only one facility in the Mano River Union that has Lassa diagnostic capabilities and guess where it is – KENEMA!!! So every few weeks, the Lassa car drives to the Sierra Leone – Liberia border to pick up samples from the Monrovia clinic (10 points if you can tell me who Monrovia is named after). So I (and a couple other students) went along for the ride. It was pretty cool to see more of the country (including rubber trees, who knew?) and to get a glimpse of Liberia. The security around the border was a little crazy – first SL customs, then SL guards, then the bridge, then UNMIL (UN Mission in Liberia) checkpoint (with Pakistani soldiers), then Liberian guards, then Liberian customs. Ei!
Also that weekend, I was also able to take a day trip to Bo and Pujehun (two districts bordering Kenema). We saw some diamond mines, which are actually just holes in the ground and people sifting through mounds of dirt. But, the experience made me never want to buy a diamond… I'll tell you more when I'm back in the states. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience.
Then this weekend was the Fourth of July. We made "hot dogs" and gumbo and invited our friends to come celebrate America's Independence Day. The party guests were an interesting mix: MPH students (us); undergrad scholarship students; Mormon missionaries (one from the US, one from Liberia); one Irishman; three ex-pat NGO people (one American, two Brits); and several Sierra Leoneans. Trying to explain Independence Day was fun, although fireworks don't translate well.
I think that's about all the updates I have. I'm still looking for postcards here - there isn't much of a tourist economy, but I'll keep looking. Thanks again for the messages and well-wishes! And for reading this long email!
Katie
Thank you so much for the updates, emails, forwarded messages, e-cards and world news! It's really nice getting all of your emails – please keep them coming, although I'm terrible at responding. I'm trying to keep up but thus far no luck!
Life in Kenema is almost becoming normal. There's a routine to my day now and everything doesn't seem so strange and uncomfortable. I was sitting in church today and realized I'd been here over a month, yet it doesn't feel that long at all. While there are some things I miss (hot showers, boneless chicken, milk), I am really enjoying my time here. Even the "annoyances" become fun. The other day, another Tulane student (who's not staying at the Pastoral Center) came over to visit and marveled at our everyday life. She lives at the Tulane Research House, which is gated and walled (as many houses are here). She was surprised by the people we knew around the Pastoral Center and by the children who greeted us as we walked up. Many kids know us now – we have bubbles, paper and pencils, and in general, treat them kindly (some other people don't necessarily). They're really funny because they know most of our names but are confused with the name 'Katie.' There are three Katies here right now – and we all introduce ourselves by saying "my name's Katie." So, now we're known as "skatie." It took us a very long time to figure that out!
These past few weeks have been very interesting! Last week, I was able to take a ride to Liberia. For those of you who are interested, a disease called Lassa fever is endemic in parts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea (making up the Mano River Union) and Nigeria (don't ask me how that happened). Lassa is a viral hemorrhagic fever and, while the mortality rate is not too high, the morbidity rate is and the disease can have some serious complications (hearing loss just when you're getting better). But don't worry – it's transmitted through a rodent's urine which I won't be coming in contact with. Anyhow, there is only one facility in the Mano River Union that has Lassa diagnostic capabilities and guess where it is – KENEMA!!! So every few weeks, the Lassa car drives to the Sierra Leone – Liberia border to pick up samples from the Monrovia clinic (10 points if you can tell me who Monrovia is named after). So I (and a couple other students) went along for the ride. It was pretty cool to see more of the country (including rubber trees, who knew?) and to get a glimpse of Liberia. The security around the border was a little crazy – first SL customs, then SL guards, then the bridge, then UNMIL (UN Mission in Liberia) checkpoint (with Pakistani soldiers), then Liberian guards, then Liberian customs. Ei!
Also that weekend, I was also able to take a day trip to Bo and Pujehun (two districts bordering Kenema). We saw some diamond mines, which are actually just holes in the ground and people sifting through mounds of dirt. But, the experience made me never want to buy a diamond… I'll tell you more when I'm back in the states. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience.
Then this weekend was the Fourth of July. We made "hot dogs" and gumbo and invited our friends to come celebrate America's Independence Day. The party guests were an interesting mix: MPH students (us); undergrad scholarship students; Mormon missionaries (one from the US, one from Liberia); one Irishman; three ex-pat NGO people (one American, two Brits); and several Sierra Leoneans. Trying to explain Independence Day was fun, although fireworks don't translate well.
I think that's about all the updates I have. I'm still looking for postcards here - there isn't much of a tourist economy, but I'll keep looking. Thanks again for the messages and well-wishes! And for reading this long email!
Katie
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Update from DGH group
Here's an update of what we've been up to this past week. We've met with several NGOs and individuals (Dr. Bah and Michael, Planned Parenthood, Africare, CRS, Concilliation Resources, Caritas) and have plans this week to meet with several more. We're hoping by the end of this week to analyze our interviews thus far to determine what the common themes are and come up with more specific questions for the more local, community-based organizations. Everyone has been very helpful in providing us contacts and we really couldn't get along without Michael as a guide, translator, and all around go to guy.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Still hot and rainy... but fun :)
Hello All,
The weather has remained consistent throughout my stay here, although the rain is becoming less predictable. Now, it rains not just at the end of everyday but in the middle and at night. Huge thunderclouds roll in and everyone runs for cover. The other day, I got stuck under a tarp in the market for a half hour until I gave up and walked back in the rain. It was actually quite refreshing!
The course I was taking has come to an end and several students went back to the US on Thursday. The course was great – we were able to get to know many Sierra Leonean students who attend Eastern Polytechnic Institute and I think they taught us the most. Many of them are so intelligent and aware of the problems facing health care (and life) in Sierra Leone and their observations and discussions were wonderful. Although many people do not talk about the war here (it's referred to as a civil conflict, civil war, or just 'the war'), a few Polytech students shared their experiences with us. A student I was working with worked with MSF (Doctors Without Borders) for almost three years in the middle of the conflict as a nurse. Others went with their families to nearby countries, like Guinea or Liberia. Interestingly there is no real concept or acknowledgement of mental health issues that people might be dealing with. While post-traumatic stress disorder is known, many people deny that it may be a problem.
I've also learned some Mende. Mende is the dominant tribe in southern Sierra Leone and most people in Kenema speak Mende or Krio. Krio is usually easy to understand and very difficult to speak – it's basically what we would perceive as bad English. Sentence structure is slightly different and many words are shortened or in French. Mende is difficult to understand but fun to learn because it's so different. There is a family along the walk to the hospital that tries to teach me a new word or phrase in Mende every day. They laugh at me when I pronounce words wrong but they are very kind. There are also some kids that hang around the Pastoral Center who try to teach us Mende. They especially like to be able to teach us something!
Now that the course has ended, I'm beginning my practicum. For the rest of the summer, I'll be meeting with NGOs (non-governmental organizations), government officials, hospital employees and others to find the resources, programs and gaps that exist in Kenema. The ultimate goal is to identify a gap for an international NGO, Doctors for Global Health, to assist in filling. I'm working with two other Tulane students, and we've already had some good luck – at a seminar we attended for a training-of-trainers on HIV/AIDS, we met several people who work with local NGOs and have several appointments already! It's pretty exciting and I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer.
Some people asked about the housing and food here. I am living in a Catholic Pastoral Center. It's very nice, with mosquito nets, ceiling fans, and a FLUSH toilet! Everyone here is also very nice and helpful. The Center is a little outside of central Kenema. We eat two meals a day at the Pastoral Center – breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is a little dull, with white bread, tea, and alternating Laughing Cow cheese and fried eggs. We usually supplement with fresh fruit (pineapples, mangoes, avocados). Dinner is more diverse, although the staples are pepper (lots of it!), diced ham, and plantains. The food is really spicy, but the spice doesn't add much flavor. When we get food out, it's usually cassava (a potato-like tuber), rice, cassava leaves, and a really spicy sauce made from palm oil. Again, meals are supplemented with yummy fruit.
I think that's about all for now. Thanks for getting through this long email! Please send emails back!
Katie
The weather has remained consistent throughout my stay here, although the rain is becoming less predictable. Now, it rains not just at the end of everyday but in the middle and at night. Huge thunderclouds roll in and everyone runs for cover. The other day, I got stuck under a tarp in the market for a half hour until I gave up and walked back in the rain. It was actually quite refreshing!
The course I was taking has come to an end and several students went back to the US on Thursday. The course was great – we were able to get to know many Sierra Leonean students who attend Eastern Polytechnic Institute and I think they taught us the most. Many of them are so intelligent and aware of the problems facing health care (and life) in Sierra Leone and their observations and discussions were wonderful. Although many people do not talk about the war here (it's referred to as a civil conflict, civil war, or just 'the war'), a few Polytech students shared their experiences with us. A student I was working with worked with MSF (Doctors Without Borders) for almost three years in the middle of the conflict as a nurse. Others went with their families to nearby countries, like Guinea or Liberia. Interestingly there is no real concept or acknowledgement of mental health issues that people might be dealing with. While post-traumatic stress disorder is known, many people deny that it may be a problem.
I've also learned some Mende. Mende is the dominant tribe in southern Sierra Leone and most people in Kenema speak Mende or Krio. Krio is usually easy to understand and very difficult to speak – it's basically what we would perceive as bad English. Sentence structure is slightly different and many words are shortened or in French. Mende is difficult to understand but fun to learn because it's so different. There is a family along the walk to the hospital that tries to teach me a new word or phrase in Mende every day. They laugh at me when I pronounce words wrong but they are very kind. There are also some kids that hang around the Pastoral Center who try to teach us Mende. They especially like to be able to teach us something!
Now that the course has ended, I'm beginning my practicum. For the rest of the summer, I'll be meeting with NGOs (non-governmental organizations), government officials, hospital employees and others to find the resources, programs and gaps that exist in Kenema. The ultimate goal is to identify a gap for an international NGO, Doctors for Global Health, to assist in filling. I'm working with two other Tulane students, and we've already had some good luck – at a seminar we attended for a training-of-trainers on HIV/AIDS, we met several people who work with local NGOs and have several appointments already! It's pretty exciting and I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer.
Some people asked about the housing and food here. I am living in a Catholic Pastoral Center. It's very nice, with mosquito nets, ceiling fans, and a FLUSH toilet! Everyone here is also very nice and helpful. The Center is a little outside of central Kenema. We eat two meals a day at the Pastoral Center – breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is a little dull, with white bread, tea, and alternating Laughing Cow cheese and fried eggs. We usually supplement with fresh fruit (pineapples, mangoes, avocados). Dinner is more diverse, although the staples are pepper (lots of it!), diced ham, and plantains. The food is really spicy, but the spice doesn't add much flavor. When we get food out, it's usually cassava (a potato-like tuber), rice, cassava leaves, and a really spicy sauce made from palm oil. Again, meals are supplemented with yummy fruit.
I think that's about all for now. Thanks for getting through this long email! Please send emails back!
Katie
Sunday, June 22, 2008
RE: Hello from Sierra Leone
Yes, How de body is a foreign language! You could confuse everyone more by asking "bee-see-ey" which is Mende for how are you. It's so much fun learning how to say different things in other languages :)
The town is not really very colorful because it's covered with red dust (except when it rains and then it's red water). The women have beautiful fabrics and I'm so jealous of their clothing. And, yes, there are lots of little plastic teapots and containers and bowls.
I'm going to try to send a longer update later this week. I was going to today, but am slowly running out of internet time!
The town is not really very colorful because it's covered with red dust (except when it rains and then it's red water). The women have beautiful fabrics and I'm so jealous of their clothing. And, yes, there are lots of little plastic teapots and containers and bowls.
I'm going to try to send a longer update later this week. I was going to today, but am slowly running out of internet time!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Hello from Sierra Leone
Hello Everyone!
I hope you're all having wonderful summers, wherever you are! I'm currently in Kenema, Sierra Leone, for the summer taking a class and working with a NGO on a needs assessment. I've been here about a week and it has been an interesting learning experience already!
This week has been full of traveling, lectures, walking, and observing. I left the US last Thursday, flying first to Brussels then on to Freetown (the capitol of Sierra Leone in the northwestern part of the country). We arrived at the airport in the evening and took a hovercraft across the large body of water separating Lungi airport and Freetown. There's not enough flat land on the Freetown side of the water to build an airport but there is also no convenient way to get across the water (not sure if it's a river or bay - maybe delta is a more appropriate word?). There used to be a helicopter but, due to political reasons (no money to grease the propellers?), it's not running. There's a hovercraft and ferry. We opted for the hovercraft. We finally got across the water (we being several students and professors because there are only 2 flights a day, every other day, that come into Freetown) and made it to the hotel (which had a/c - oh, how I miss a/c!). The next day we had lectures but the exciting part of the day came when a few friends and I went to a football game (not American football). It was the first game playing on the field for several years because of some weird regulations (?). The game was between SL and Nigeria and, although Nigeria won by one, the game was still a lot of fun.
The next day we traveled to Kenema, where I'm staying until August. Kenema is in the southwestern part of the country. The road wasn't too bad for most of the trip but it wasn't the best ride ever. But we made it! We're staying at the Catholic Pastoral Center, which is a huge complex of rooms, football fields, plantations, schools and more. I really haven't yet figured out where the center begins. It's about a half hour walk to the hospital and into town and I think the people along the route are getting used to all of the strange white females walking by their house daily. The kids call us "p mwois" which is Mende for white person (basically). We can call them "mende-mwois" (meaning a Mende person) but mainly we just wave and smile. I'm also learning some Mende and Krio. Mende is an African language and Krio is English, French, and African languages. To say 'how are you' in Krio you say 'how de body?' It's a little complicated to try to learn two languages, but all the people seem to appreciate the effort!
The rest of the week has been very full. Lectures, rotations, and hospital visits have pretty much filled up my days and it's a little hard to get around after dark. We've heard conflicting responses to safety after dark, so we're all trying to play on the safe side, considering how much attention we draw any way. So, many nights we sit around the Pastoral Center playing cards. Usually, it works out for the best though because I've been going to bed very early and not sleeping very well. Although I think I may miss my mosquito net when I return (strange sort of protective feeling), there are lots of unusual noises and there is almost always a thunderstorm at night. I am getting better sleep though now that I've adjusted a bit.
Sierra Leone has thus far been a huge learning experience. Walking around the hospital, talking to nurses/doctors/public health specialists, and meeting people around Kenema has been very interesting. People are extremely friendly and helpful. The Sierra Leonean students who are taking classes with us have also been especially helpful, showing us around the town and market, and making sure we know where to find things. They are immensely helpful resources and are fast becoming friends.
I think that's all of my updates for now. I hope everything is going well in the US, Russia, China, and wherever else you may be. Please write back - I love getting updates! Also, I have no idea what's going on in the world, so world event updates would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Sunday and Happy Father's Day!
Katie
I hope you're all having wonderful summers, wherever you are! I'm currently in Kenema, Sierra Leone, for the summer taking a class and working with a NGO on a needs assessment. I've been here about a week and it has been an interesting learning experience already!
This week has been full of traveling, lectures, walking, and observing. I left the US last Thursday, flying first to Brussels then on to Freetown (the capitol of Sierra Leone in the northwestern part of the country). We arrived at the airport in the evening and took a hovercraft across the large body of water separating Lungi airport and Freetown. There's not enough flat land on the Freetown side of the water to build an airport but there is also no convenient way to get across the water (not sure if it's a river or bay - maybe delta is a more appropriate word?). There used to be a helicopter but, due to political reasons (no money to grease the propellers?), it's not running. There's a hovercraft and ferry. We opted for the hovercraft. We finally got across the water (we being several students and professors because there are only 2 flights a day, every other day, that come into Freetown) and made it to the hotel (which had a/c - oh, how I miss a/c!). The next day we had lectures but the exciting part of the day came when a few friends and I went to a football game (not American football). It was the first game playing on the field for several years because of some weird regulations (?). The game was between SL and Nigeria and, although Nigeria won by one, the game was still a lot of fun.
The next day we traveled to Kenema, where I'm staying until August. Kenema is in the southwestern part of the country. The road wasn't too bad for most of the trip but it wasn't the best ride ever. But we made it! We're staying at the Catholic Pastoral Center, which is a huge complex of rooms, football fields, plantations, schools and more. I really haven't yet figured out where the center begins. It's about a half hour walk to the hospital and into town and I think the people along the route are getting used to all of the strange white females walking by their house daily. The kids call us "p mwois" which is Mende for white person (basically). We can call them "mende-mwois" (meaning a Mende person) but mainly we just wave and smile. I'm also learning some Mende and Krio. Mende is an African language and Krio is English, French, and African languages. To say 'how are you' in Krio you say 'how de body?' It's a little complicated to try to learn two languages, but all the people seem to appreciate the effort!
The rest of the week has been very full. Lectures, rotations, and hospital visits have pretty much filled up my days and it's a little hard to get around after dark. We've heard conflicting responses to safety after dark, so we're all trying to play on the safe side, considering how much attention we draw any way. So, many nights we sit around the Pastoral Center playing cards. Usually, it works out for the best though because I've been going to bed very early and not sleeping very well. Although I think I may miss my mosquito net when I return (strange sort of protective feeling), there are lots of unusual noises and there is almost always a thunderstorm at night. I am getting better sleep though now that I've adjusted a bit.
Sierra Leone has thus far been a huge learning experience. Walking around the hospital, talking to nurses/doctors/public health specialists, and meeting people around Kenema has been very interesting. People are extremely friendly and helpful. The Sierra Leonean students who are taking classes with us have also been especially helpful, showing us around the town and market, and making sure we know where to find things. They are immensely helpful resources and are fast becoming friends.
I think that's all of my updates for now. I hope everything is going well in the US, Russia, China, and wherever else you may be. Please write back - I love getting updates! Also, I have no idea what's going on in the world, so world event updates would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Sunday and Happy Father's Day!
Katie
Thursday, June 12, 2008
RE: Sierra Leone
Hi! Sorry for the slow updates! The internet is a bit of a walk from where we are staying so I can only access it during longer breaks from class or on the weekends. Luckily, Emily has a computer so I'm going to write emails on her computer then send them when I can get to the internet. Thus far, the trip has been a lot of fun, although challenging. I really feel like I'm learning a lot, especially from the Sierra Leonean students who are taking the class with us.
The food is not great, but it is growing on me (and hopefully not in me! hehehe, sorry that's gross!). It's mostly carbohydrates like cassava (like potato), bread, pasta, kuzkuz. We do get eggs or cheese in the morning and I'm eating chicken during lunch, so I get some protein there. Plus, the fruit is very good. Everyone has been taking turns buying pineapples and sharing them for dinner. Very good!
Holly missed the flight (apparently it took her almost 5 1/2 hours to get from her house in northeastern PA to the GW bridge), but she arrived here yesterday (Wednesday).
The weather is super hot and humid, but I think I'm slowly getting used to it. And it thunderstorms almost every night which cools things down considerably. THere are actually some people here who think it is cold outside and wear very cold-weather clothes (heavy jackets and/or wool hats).
K, I have to run now, but please feel free to pass on this message to anyone else who may be interested. I'm planning on sending a full update on Saturday.
HOpe everything is going well! Please send me updates of what's going on there too!
Love,
Katie
The food is not great, but it is growing on me (and hopefully not in me! hehehe, sorry that's gross!). It's mostly carbohydrates like cassava (like potato), bread, pasta, kuzkuz. We do get eggs or cheese in the morning and I'm eating chicken during lunch, so I get some protein there. Plus, the fruit is very good. Everyone has been taking turns buying pineapples and sharing them for dinner. Very good!
Holly missed the flight (apparently it took her almost 5 1/2 hours to get from her house in northeastern PA to the GW bridge), but she arrived here yesterday (Wednesday).
The weather is super hot and humid, but I think I'm slowly getting used to it. And it thunderstorms almost every night which cools things down considerably. THere are actually some people here who think it is cold outside and wear very cold-weather clothes (heavy jackets and/or wool hats).
K, I have to run now, but please feel free to pass on this message to anyone else who may be interested. I'm planning on sending a full update on Saturday.
HOpe everything is going well! Please send me updates of what's going on there too!
Love,
Katie
Saturday, June 7, 2008
In Sierra Leone safe and hot
hi all,
i got safely to sierra leone last night and wanted to let you know. my flights were all relatively on time, transfers went smoothly, and the hovercraft we took across the large body of water separating the airport from the city was fun. i'll send a more updated and informative email later.
love,katie
i got safely to sierra leone last night and wanted to let you know. my flights were all relatively on time, transfers went smoothly, and the hovercraft we took across the large body of water separating the airport from the city was fun. i'll send a more updated and informative email later.
love,katie
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Update
Post-Mardi Gras was relaxing at first, but quickly became boring. With no parades going down the street, there was little to do but school work ;). Luckily, I like school work. This semester, my focus has changed a bit to infectious diseases - from Tropical Virology to Preventative Tropical Medicine to Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases. My classes continue to be interesting, but I now understand why med students always think they have what they just learned about. For example, the Friday before Mardi Gras (day), I learned about tetanus in my Preventative Trop Med class. Mardi Gras (day) I picked something up from a parade and a kid ran over my hand. Filled with grit and dirt, I was paranoid of getting tetanus! Irony of all ironies, two days after I went to my health clinic appointment to get all my vaccinations for Sierra Leone (in which I didn't get a tetanus booster), I stepped on a nail and needed to get a booster.
In addition to school work and Mardi Gras, I've been volunteering with a local health clinic. It's been a very interesting learning process. My project, determining the extent and reasons for missed mammograms, required much digging, time, and patience. The first step was to determine the extent of the problem. The clinic I volunteer with provides (almost) free primary care services on a first-come, first-serve basis. As recommended by the National Cancer Institute, women over a certain age are recommended for yearly mammograms. Luckily, there is another clinic in New Orleans that offers free mammograms. However, the process of getting a mammogram at this clinic is time consuming and frustrating. I did a brief phone survey of some patients and, frustratingly, found the main reason for a missed appointment was that they didn't know about it! However, the system was changed slightly, and I'm now evaluating again to see if the change had any effect. In addition, the work from my survey is going to be presented this weekend at the Society for Internal Medicine conference and will be published! I was very excited about that!
I've also finalized my plans for the summer - Sierra Leone! Starting June 5th, I will be taking a 2-week class in Kenema, Sierra Leone, learning and experiencing health care in one of the world's poorest countries. Following the class, I'm going to help an organization called Doctors for Global Health perform a needs assessment of the area around Kenema for my practicum (a graduation requirement) for the rest of the summer. I'm looking forward to it, despite the 1000 vaccinations I had to get (ok, maybe not 1000, but my arm was very sore).
In addition to school work and Mardi Gras, I've been volunteering with a local health clinic. It's been a very interesting learning process. My project, determining the extent and reasons for missed mammograms, required much digging, time, and patience. The first step was to determine the extent of the problem. The clinic I volunteer with provides (almost) free primary care services on a first-come, first-serve basis. As recommended by the National Cancer Institute, women over a certain age are recommended for yearly mammograms. Luckily, there is another clinic in New Orleans that offers free mammograms. However, the process of getting a mammogram at this clinic is time consuming and frustrating. I did a brief phone survey of some patients and, frustratingly, found the main reason for a missed appointment was that they didn't know about it! However, the system was changed slightly, and I'm now evaluating again to see if the change had any effect. In addition, the work from my survey is going to be presented this weekend at the Society for Internal Medicine conference and will be published! I was very excited about that!
I've also finalized my plans for the summer - Sierra Leone! Starting June 5th, I will be taking a 2-week class in Kenema, Sierra Leone, learning and experiencing health care in one of the world's poorest countries. Following the class, I'm going to help an organization called Doctors for Global Health perform a needs assessment of the area around Kenema for my practicum (a graduation requirement) for the rest of the summer. I'm looking forward to it, despite the 1000 vaccinations I had to get (ok, maybe not 1000, but my arm was very sore).
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
my room
My room from my desk:
I just learned how to take a video with my camera - here are the results. The first is my room from my desk; the second my room from my door!
My room from my door:
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Mardi Gras
Last post, I made it to Friday night (or very early Saturday morning). Continuing with the marathon...
Saturday, February 2: Endymion - Mid City 4:30pm (MG - 2 days)
There were actually more parades on Saturday then just Endymion... but I was a little paraded out and took a break until the afternoon. Endymion is unusual because it does not follow the normal parade route - it parades in mid city. So, Chelsea, Laura, Megan, Alana, Emily and I headed to mid city (in a car... fateful mistake) to watch the parade. When we got close to the parade route, the chaos began. There was NO parking anywhere near the route. We drove farther and farther away from the route until I was thoroughly confused. When we finally found parking in a church lot, we were relieved to find the church was providing a shuttle to the parade route! While we did pay $10 for parking, it was $2 for each of us, the lot was secure, and there was a free shuttle! Below is the picture of us, thrilled to finally find a spot.
When we got to the parade route, we were dismayed to find the parade had already started. However, we walked several blocks more and came to the beginning of it! However, Endymion was not my favorite parade. There were barracades along the streets and the crowd just wasn't as nice as the crowd along St. Charles. While Alana and I did score some beautiful glass beads at the beginning of the parade, the rest of our spoils did not amount to much and the krewe members were not as friendly. The theme was more interesting though: A Tribute to Rudyard Kipling. The Jungle Book, Gunga Din, and Rikki Tikki Tavi featured prominently in the floats.
While the parade was a little downer, Chelsea made up for it with a wonderfully home-cooked meal, complete with king cake. :)
Sunday, February 3: Okeanos, 11am; Babylon, after Okeanos; Thoth, 11:30am; Mid-City, 12:15pm (MG - 1 day)
While these parades were lots of fun, they were not very original. Mid-city was probably the best - their floats were not the traditional looking floats. Instead, they were made of colored foil. Here is an example:
Additionally, Mid City won the most interesting throw: designer potato chips. Yes, I have a bag of Mid City potato chips, and, No, I will never eat them.
Then, as it was also Superbowl Sunday, I biked up to Napoleon and Prytania (Mal and Claudie's apartment) to go to their party, then biked to TJ's to watch the game. What a game! I can't describe to you the utter joy I felt when the Giants beat the Patriots. Our house was jumping with excitement after the last play.
Parade count: 16
Lundi Gras: Monday, February 4: Proteus, 5:15pm; Orpheus, 5:45pm
Thank goodness these parades weren't until the evening! Alana, Laura, Chelsea and I watched Proteus from the familiar surroundings of Jackson and St. Charles, but after getting 5 bags of seahorse beads (cool at first, but not when they become common), we hiked downtown to see the action down there.
Staying lakeside of the parade, we managed to get ourselves completely tangled in the barracaded mess that was St. Charles and Canal. After finally managing to get riverside of St. Charles, we claimed a spot along Canal to watch Orpheus. By this time, we were exhausted, as were the bands, bead throwers and float attendees at the end of Orpheus. The bands had been marching for over 3 miles with instruments in tow. But many of them gave their last hurrah right around where we were standing!
MARDI GRAS DAY
Getting home at 12:30am when you need to get up at 6am is never a good idea, but particularly miserable when that day is Mardi Gras. Luckily, I live close to the parade routes and could take a cat nap in the middle of the day. But, let's start at the beginning.
understand the chaos yet?
I took a nap, ate a quick dinner and headed to the French Quarter to experience Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street. Interesting experience but one you'll have to discover yourself! However, I did get Bourbon Street beads and an all-in-one .
Final parade count: 22 1/2 (I count the truck parades as 1 1/2!)
Zulu marches directly past my house at 8:30am Mardi Gras morning. My neighbors were up at 6am, grilling and playing music. My house woke a bit slower, but people arrived around 6:30am to eat breakfast, drink (coffee and other... stronger types of liquid), and stake out a spot for the parade. I made pancakes (after all, it IS Fat Tuesday). Zulu, as I mentioned earlier, gives coconuts as their prized throw and I'll be darned if I wasn't going to get one. Luckily, my house has a first floor roof with window access that the krewe members liked to target. From Zulu, I got a coconut (picture below), medallion, fun beads, and key chain. While Zulu did have great throws, it still didn't beat Muses. But, it was tons of fun to have a parade go down my street! Here are some pics:
my neighbors + Holly & Michelle
my house, before the parade
the beginning of Zulu
the king
understand the chaos yet?the public health people, from the roof :)
Alana and Karissa
After Zulu (and after chasing all the people out of my house), we headed to Rex, the King of Parades. While I did make out very well throw-wise, I learned the cardinal rule of Mardi Gras parades: Use your feet to claim throws; DON'T use your hands. When picking up a stuffed Rex crown, I had my fingers slashed when I kid stepped on my hand. I missed much of Rex to fix my hand. Luckily, no tetanus though!
When I came back out, Rex was just finishing and the truck parade was beginning. I rushed to get there, hoping I didn't miss it... however, there was probably no conceivable way I could have missed the truck parade. It started around 1pm and 76 floats/trucks later, we called it quits to take naps and relax. I really think every 18-wheeler in the state of LA was in this parade. Here's a picture of the trucks, to give you a general idea of how boring this soon became:
I took a nap, ate a quick dinner and headed to the French Quarter to experience Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street. Interesting experience but one you'll have to discover yourself! However, I did get Bourbon Street beads and an all-in-one .Final parade count: 22 1/2 (I count the truck parades as 1 1/2!)
Happy Lent!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Mardi Gras Prelude
I really do not know how to explain Mardi Gras. It's exhausting and exhilarating, monotonous, marvelous and maniacal, overwhelming and outlandish. It's a lot like New Orleans, actually.So the last I wrote about Mardi Gras was my first parade, Krewe de Vieux. Wow, if I knew then how exhausting it would be, I would have napped rather than write about my experiences. For those of you who are not familiar with New Orleans' Mardi Gras traditions, I'll provide a little explanation and then I have lots of pictures.
Mardi Gras, while generally referring to a specific day (the day before Ash Wednesday, aka Fat Tuesday), does not actually refer just to the day. Mardi Gras is a season in New Orleans, starting on January 6th. From the Epiphany to Ash Wednesday, various krewes celebrate the season, mainly with lavish balls. Where do the parades and beads and debauchery come in, you ask? On the way to the balls...
The parades are, in fact, the route krewe members take to get to the ball (in most circumstances). There are many krewes and many different parades. And, despite what you may have preconceived about Mardi Gras, most of it does not happen in the French Quarter AND most of it is pretty family friendly. The general parade route starts Uptown (usually around Napoleon) and continues down St. Charles until coming upon Canal and turning around at the Convention Center or the Superdome. The parades don't even go into the Quarter. Of course, Krewe de Vieux is an exception (as is the only dog parade, Krewe of Barkus). Along the parade route, krewe members, usually costumed to protect their identity (there is a remarkably secretive history to krewes), throw out various objects to the proletariats crowded below. The throws are not just beads. They are cups, medallions, shoes, coconuts, footballs, stuffed animals, flowers, fun toys, flags, coins, bags, and even potato chips (thank you, Krewe of Mid-City). These items are highly coveted and everyone from small children to old women will tear you apart to get some of them, a truth I learned painfully on Mardi Gras morning (but more on that later). Specifically, certain krewes give out specific items that are the boast of whomever wins them. The Krewe of Muses, for example, passes out beautifully hand-decorated shoes. The Krewe of Zulu passes out coconuts. Now that we all understand Mardi Gras a little more, I'll proceed to some details and pictures.
Friday, January 25 (MG - 11 days): Oshun, 6pm
It's pouring outside. It's been raining all day and the neutral ground on St. Charles is flooded with standing water. But, being my first Mardi Gras, I put on rainboots and my raincoat (thank you, W&M) and head out to meet some friends I choraled into going out on this miserable night. Sadly, we are some of the few people outside. However, as some of the few excitable people on the street, we get a lot of booty: a rainmaker, plastic sword with sheath, stuffed animal-like rose, and more beads than we can wear around our tired, now wet, necks. The second parade of the night is rescheduled. We retreat, thankful, back inside to hot chocolate and the first of many king cakes.
Saturday, January 26 (MG - 10 days): Ponchartrain, 1pm; Shangri-La, 2pm; Sparta, 6pm; Pegasus, 6:45pm
Not raining today and people have literally camped out on St. Charles - really, there are tents. I am still at the point where I just like getting beads. That will soon change. With a similar group of friends, we bide our time until the parade passes Jackson (usually about 45 minutes after it's scheduled to start if it's the first parade of the day. All bets are off on later parades.). We are sadly disappointed to not get sexy lady beads from Shangri-La but I do get a cup and medallion. We take a short break (Shangri-La does not pass Jackson until around 3:30pm) and head back out for Sparta and Pegasus and return home exhausted from the day's efforts of shouting, cajoling, and waving to attract beads and throws. I decide to relax tomorrow and only attend one parade. Parade count: 6
Sunday, January 27 (MG - 9 days): Krewe of Barkus, 2pm
The second parade in the French Quarter, it's a krewe made up of dogs. It's pretty much adorable and Alana, Laura, Megan and I greatly enjoy the Raiders of the Lost Bark. (Did I mention most parades have themes?) Not many beads, but a nice break from the St. Charles bead frenzy. We stop and get beignets from Cafe du Monde.
(A short break to do work and such.)
Thursday, January 31 (MG - 5 days)
Rain :( One of the most talked about parades, Muses, is rescheduled. I'm sadly disappointed - one of my professors is in this parade and class was cancelled so she could ride in the parade. I don't do any work because of my extreme disappointment (and because, at this point, it's hard to concentrate). But, there is a party at my house that night and I get over my disappointment.
Friday, February 1 (MG - 4 days): Hermes, 6pm; Krewe d'Etat, 6:30pm; Morpheus, 7:45pm; Muses, after Morpheus
You can smell the excitement in the air. It's finally Mardi Gras weekend. At this point, only the strong and determined can make it through until Tuesday. I gird my loins... (hopefully, some of you will understand my allusion)
Hermes rolls around 6:45. We are pumped. Alana, Megan, Laura, Chelsea, Karissa, Melody and I are ready to go. We've perfected our Mardi Gras skills: make eye contact with the person throwing the item you want, smile, wave, shout, and work in pairs. If you can get something from a krewe member, you can usually get it again for your sad looking friend. Glass beads have now become the gold-standard. Hermes theme is Cupid and Psyche. You should look up the myth because I'm not explaining all their floats. Needless to say, the bar has been raised. I get many beads (Krewe beads: winged sandals), a cup, and a flashing 2008 Hermes medallion!
Krewe d'Etat rolls around 7:45. Their floats are by far the most interesting as they make fun of the year's events. Their king (every parade has a royal court) is a dictator. A Hillary float rolls by, as do a Jindal, a Rosie, and a Paris and Lindsey float. Krewe d'Etat's theme is Dirty Dishes and their symbol is a skull. We get flashing gooey skull things, flashing skulls, cups, Krewe beads (disks with the name and a skull on them), and a cup. Krewe d'Etat is highly entertaining.
I forgot to mention the general structure of the parades! Basically, the parades lead with a royal court (sometimes on horseback, sometimes on a float). For some of the parades, the royal court is made up of famous people; for others, it is made up of New Orleanians. There is a lead float, sometimes describing the theme. The rest of the parade is made up of floats, high school bands (whose sole purpose, I've decided, is because the band parents push everyone back to the sidewalk). With the bands, there are usually dance troops and flag people. There are usually some smaller bands (club bands) on independent floats. In some parades there are flambeau carriers (google it).
Krewe of Morpheus rolls much later. At this point, we are bordering on exhaustion as are our necks. But we truck on... Muses is coming soon. I get a cool medallion from Morpheus.
Muses! This krewe of women is amazing! They give out the best throws! If you go to any parade during the Mardi Gras season, go to Muses. Their theme is always shoes. This year's variation was roller skates. Featuring skating clubs, amazing floats, and great costumes, the parade throws topped them all. In all, I collected a bracelet of shoes, a bag, a roller skate medallion, a rubic cube, glass beads, a poof, and shoe beads. Unfortunately, I did not get a shoe, but Laura got two (she kindly gave her other one to Megan, for Megan's participation in the shoe-getting... remember, work in pairs). Muses was most definitely worth the wait.
I finally returned to my house around 12:30am, after leaving it at 5:30pm.
Remember, Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a sprint. I'll continue with the weekend's festivities, Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras later, seeing as this post is getting preposterously long.
Parade Count: 11.
If you want to look at all the parades that occurred with pictures: http://www.mardigrasparadeschedule.com/
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Decisions, Decisions
If you know me at all, you know how much I hate making decisions. And, when asked how I made a decision, I cannot tell. There is never a decisive point in which I know I've made a decision. Of the big decisions in my life (college, study abroad, living situations, med school, grad school), I cannot tell you how I made that decision. One day, I'm unsure and the next day I'm not. One moment I can't stop debating and the next I have a decision. And, apparently, all my indecision stresses people out.
Luckily (or fatefully?) all of my decisions turned out to be the right ones for me. I thrived at William and Mary, fell in love with India, made some of my best friends, and grew in New Orleans. But yet, I still constantly question myself when it comes to making a big decision.
I am, at heart, a scientist. I like to have just one answer be the correct one. I like to use deductive reasoning to come to the one and only answer. Yet, it is never like that. Why was William and Mary better than Franklin and Marshall? Why India instead of Poland? Why New Orleans instead of Washington, DC? Really - I have no idea. In retrospect, they were all good decisions that helped me grow and change and learn and make me the person I am today.
So now, my decision for what to do this summer: Sierra Leone or the unknown. What to do?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
More on healthcare in New Orleans
As you may know, I've been spending quite a lot of time working on a project for a local community health clinic. My project, determining the extent and reasons for missed mammograms, required much digging, time, and patience. The first step was to determine the extent of the problem.
The clinic I volunteer with provides (almost) free primary care services on a first-come, first-serve basis. As recommended by the National Cancer Institute, women over a certain age are recommended for yearly mammograms. Luckily, there is another clinic in New Orleans that offers free mammograms. However, the process of getting a mammogram at this clinic is time consuming and frustrating.
Let me walk you through what I did and observed. First, I went through the files of all the women who were referred for a mammogram but did not have a report (to see if they actually did have a report). After finding few missed reports (the vast majority did not have a report), I went to the mammography clinic to determine if the women referred got a mammogram but the report was never sent. Again, although there was a higher number of reports, the majority were still missing a report.
Side note - while looking for reports, I waited with women who were getting a mammogram. Remember, these are the women who took time out of their day to get a mammogram. This is what is encouraged. Yet, some of the women waited over 3 hours - and they had an appointment! Those who did not have an appointment waited even longer.
Continuing on with a recounting of my work... Finding the majority of women referred for a mammogram did not get one, I did a phone survey to determine the "barriers to care," the fancy way of asking why they didn't go get a mammogram. What did I find?
Most women said they would have gone if they had known about it and feel it's very important to get a mammogram yearly. Many even gave me lovely anecdotes to impress upon me how important it was to be healthy and do what the doctor says.
The whole process was very frustrating. The women who try to take care of their health end up waiting absurd amounts of time with little information about how much longer it will take until their time comes. The women who don't know about the appointments have few resources to remedy the problem. And this is only my research on mammograms. Imagine all the other broken systems...
New Orleans Health Care Another Katrina Casualty: Loss of Hospitals And Professionals Slows Rebuilding
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/24/AR2005112400730.html
After the Storm — Health Care Infrastructure in Post-Katrina New Orleans
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/15/1549
Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool
http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/Default.aspx
Most Older Women Don't Get Mammograms: Study Shows Rate of Regular Screening Is Lower Than Previously Believed
http://www.webmd.com/news/20060620/most-older-women-dont-get-mammograms
Why Women Don't Get Mammograms (And Why They Should)
http://www.hoptechno.com/book55.htm
The clinic I volunteer with provides (almost) free primary care services on a first-come, first-serve basis. As recommended by the National Cancer Institute, women over a certain age are recommended for yearly mammograms. Luckily, there is another clinic in New Orleans that offers free mammograms. However, the process of getting a mammogram at this clinic is time consuming and frustrating.
Let me walk you through what I did and observed. First, I went through the files of all the women who were referred for a mammogram but did not have a report (to see if they actually did have a report). After finding few missed reports (the vast majority did not have a report), I went to the mammography clinic to determine if the women referred got a mammogram but the report was never sent. Again, although there was a higher number of reports, the majority were still missing a report.
Side note - while looking for reports, I waited with women who were getting a mammogram. Remember, these are the women who took time out of their day to get a mammogram. This is what is encouraged. Yet, some of the women waited over 3 hours - and they had an appointment! Those who did not have an appointment waited even longer.
Continuing on with a recounting of my work... Finding the majority of women referred for a mammogram did not get one, I did a phone survey to determine the "barriers to care," the fancy way of asking why they didn't go get a mammogram. What did I find?
THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT!!!
Most women said they would have gone if they had known about it and feel it's very important to get a mammogram yearly. Many even gave me lovely anecdotes to impress upon me how important it was to be healthy and do what the doctor says.
The whole process was very frustrating. The women who try to take care of their health end up waiting absurd amounts of time with little information about how much longer it will take until their time comes. The women who don't know about the appointments have few resources to remedy the problem. And this is only my research on mammograms. Imagine all the other broken systems...
New Orleans Health Care Another Katrina Casualty: Loss of Hospitals And Professionals Slows Rebuilding
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/24/AR2005112400730.html
After the Storm — Health Care Infrastructure in Post-Katrina New Orleans
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/15/1549
Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool
http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/Default.aspx
Most Older Women Don't Get Mammograms: Study Shows Rate of Regular Screening Is Lower Than Previously Believed
http://www.webmd.com/news/20060620/most-older-women-dont-get-mammograms
Why Women Don't Get Mammograms (And Why They Should)
http://www.hoptechno.com/book55.htm
Monday, January 21, 2008
ओप्शन तो राइट इन हिन्दी
सो नो इ हवे थे ओप्शन तो राइट इन हिन्दी? अन्योने व्हो क्नोव्स हिन्दी वांट तो तेल मी इफ थिस इस कोर्रेक्ट? बेकाउसे इफ आईटी इस, इ थिंक इ मिघ्त राइट इन थे टेक्स्ट अल थे टीम बेकाउसे आईटी लूक्स सो बेऔतिफुल!
Classes This Semester!
I don't think I've ever been quite to excited about all of the classes I am taking! It's such a nice feeling to really want to take classes. In fact, my biggest challenge was trying to schedule all the classes I wanted to take. But, here is the final list. The course descriptions are from www.sph.tulane.edu (courses).
Social and Behavioral Aspects of Global Health (Mark VanLandingham, Mai Do)
This course covers the behavioral, social, and cultural aspects of health and disease in both developed and developing countries. Students learn how behavioral and social theories are relevant to health promotion and disease prevention efforts. They also learn how factors that protect or erode health operate at multiple levels (including individual, community, societal, and global levels), and how interventions are developed to improve health by addressing critical factors at each of these levels. The course also addresses the roles of culture, race, and ethnicity in the conceptualization of health and illness. (It's a core class.)
Tropical Virology (Dan Bausch)
This course covers the broad area of virology with an emphasis on viruses of public health concern in developing and tropical countries. Both historically problematic and emerging viruses are covered. Topics include the molecular biology, epidemiology, and pathology of selected viruses. Focus is placed on developing an understanding of the molecular aspects of the viral life cycle that give rise to transmission and pathogenic characteristics, especially in the context of the co-evolution of the virus and host. Additional topics include the interactions between the virus and host immune response, as well as viral control and the development of vaccines and anti-viral pharmaceuticals.
Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (Susan Hassig)
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills required for the investigation, control, and prevention of a variety of infectious diseases. Students will explore the characteristics of a range of specific disease agents, compare their impact on populations, practice approaches used to investigate disease outbreaks, and examine local and global efforts to monitor, control, and/or eradicate selected infectious diseases. Zoonotic diseases are included in the course.
Survey of Environmental Health (Assaf Abdelgani)
Major environmental health problems, including water quality, wastewater, occupational health, trace elements in the environment, municipal and hazardous waste, food protection, vector control, and air quality are discussed. (Another core class.)
Preventative Tropical Medicine (Richard Oberhelman)
This course presents the basic principles of preventive medicine in the context of the special environment (physical, biological, and social) of tropical developing countries. Emphasis is placed upon the prevention and control of infectious diseases of major public health importance. Vaccine preventable diseases are given special emphasis. In addition to presenting concepts and theoretical methods of disease control, detailed examples of actual programs are provided.
Program Skills in Crisis and Transition
This course is designed to equip students with a set of skills related to the assessment and analysis of the social, economic, and policy aspects of complex political emergencies, as well as post-conflict/transitional settings. The course covers selected topics in preparedness, response, and transition in complex political emergencies, and their effects upon the civilian populations and the agencies that seek to assist them. Students develop skills in the following areas: information management, program operations management, and policy and context analysis. In terms of information management, students develop the capacity to adapt surveys to conflict-affected settings and utilize a series of rapid assessment approaches and participatory rural appraisal techniques for data collection. Students also learn to identify and utilize the principal components of crisis prevention and early warning information systems. In terms of program operations management, students develop skills in the construction of a logistics management system appropriate for emergency settings, and learn how to develop key programs of particular importance in post-conflict and transitional settings. In terms of policy and context analysis, students are equipped with analytical skills related to assessing potential harmful effects of humanitarian assistance, international political aspects of humanitarian work, international humanitarian law, and opportunities for promoting conflict resolution, capacity building, and development through humanitarian assistance.
It's going to be a busy, but interesting, semester!
Social and Behavioral Aspects of Global Health (Mark VanLandingham, Mai Do)
This course covers the behavioral, social, and cultural aspects of health and disease in both developed and developing countries. Students learn how behavioral and social theories are relevant to health promotion and disease prevention efforts. They also learn how factors that protect or erode health operate at multiple levels (including individual, community, societal, and global levels), and how interventions are developed to improve health by addressing critical factors at each of these levels. The course also addresses the roles of culture, race, and ethnicity in the conceptualization of health and illness. (It's a core class.)
Tropical Virology (Dan Bausch)
This course covers the broad area of virology with an emphasis on viruses of public health concern in developing and tropical countries. Both historically problematic and emerging viruses are covered. Topics include the molecular biology, epidemiology, and pathology of selected viruses. Focus is placed on developing an understanding of the molecular aspects of the viral life cycle that give rise to transmission and pathogenic characteristics, especially in the context of the co-evolution of the virus and host. Additional topics include the interactions between the virus and host immune response, as well as viral control and the development of vaccines and anti-viral pharmaceuticals.
Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (Susan Hassig)
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills required for the investigation, control, and prevention of a variety of infectious diseases. Students will explore the characteristics of a range of specific disease agents, compare their impact on populations, practice approaches used to investigate disease outbreaks, and examine local and global efforts to monitor, control, and/or eradicate selected infectious diseases. Zoonotic diseases are included in the course.
Survey of Environmental Health (Assaf Abdelgani)
Major environmental health problems, including water quality, wastewater, occupational health, trace elements in the environment, municipal and hazardous waste, food protection, vector control, and air quality are discussed. (Another core class.)
Preventative Tropical Medicine (Richard Oberhelman)
This course presents the basic principles of preventive medicine in the context of the special environment (physical, biological, and social) of tropical developing countries. Emphasis is placed upon the prevention and control of infectious diseases of major public health importance. Vaccine preventable diseases are given special emphasis. In addition to presenting concepts and theoretical methods of disease control, detailed examples of actual programs are provided.
Program Skills in Crisis and Transition
This course is designed to equip students with a set of skills related to the assessment and analysis of the social, economic, and policy aspects of complex political emergencies, as well as post-conflict/transitional settings. The course covers selected topics in preparedness, response, and transition in complex political emergencies, and their effects upon the civilian populations and the agencies that seek to assist them. Students develop skills in the following areas: information management, program operations management, and policy and context analysis. In terms of information management, students develop the capacity to adapt surveys to conflict-affected settings and utilize a series of rapid assessment approaches and participatory rural appraisal techniques for data collection. Students also learn to identify and utilize the principal components of crisis prevention and early warning information systems. In terms of program operations management, students develop skills in the construction of a logistics management system appropriate for emergency settings, and learn how to develop key programs of particular importance in post-conflict and transitional settings. In terms of policy and context analysis, students are equipped with analytical skills related to assessing potential harmful effects of humanitarian assistance, international political aspects of humanitarian work, international humanitarian law, and opportunities for promoting conflict resolution, capacity building, and development through humanitarian assistance.
It's going to be a busy, but interesting, semester!
Krewe du Vieux and Football
This weekend was great fun! After a stress-filled week of trying to figure out my life (aka my class schedule), I relaxed, slept, and had fun New Orleans-style. [Don't worry... or get excited... New Orleans-style fun does not always include raucous drinking and/or flashing.]Friday, after lovely Preventative Tropical Medicine, I headed over to Handsome Willy's for their free hard-shell crabs. No, I did not eat said crabs, but because they were free, everyone was there. Hung out for a bit there until the rain and miserable cold finally forced us inside to Janna's to meet her adorable guinea pig. After much oohing and aahing, TJ, Katherine, Janna, Dawn and I headed to get some food (1. because hard-shell crabs do not fill one up, and 2. TJ and I were frankly disgusted by the smell of crabs). We ended up at Juan's Flying Burrito on Magazine and I don't think a burrito has ever tasted so good. The talking died as soon as we got our food!
Saturday dawned - cold again. I headed with Emily and TJ to a TA session for SPSS. I LOVE SPSS!!! It is quite possibly the coolest program in the world! It's a database analyzer that is Excel times 1,000,000. I don't think I need to say more.
Saturday lunch consisted of my leftover burrito. The burrito lived up to its potential - even half warm and a day old, it was yummy. Lazed around the house for a bit (cleaned my room), then got ready for my first Mardi Gras Parade.
Saturday lunch consisted of my leftover burrito. The burrito lived up to its potential - even half warm and a day old, it was yummy. Lazed around the house for a bit (cleaned my room), then got ready for my first Mardi Gras Parade.
The Krewe du Vieux parades around Marigny and the French Quarter on a Saturday night, so it is not quite as kid-friendly as some of the other parades. But, it is great fun! Although it was FREEZING cold (look at the pictures), Alana, Laura, Megan and I had a raucous time trying to get as many beads and throws as possible. It's true, beads may not be worth 50 cents, but they are in high demand and we fought to get the most and the best (although we didn't do so well - there were 2 adorable kids who got almost every throw and good necklace - but they were adorable and gave us the beads they didn't want!).
After being outside in almost freezing weather, we headed back to my house on the streetcar to warm up. Did I mention that, although we planned on taking the streetcar down to the Quarter, it NEVER CAME, so we walked the whole way, bringing our hours outside up to 4?!? We, needless to say, were very cold and it took us several more hours, some warm pizza, blankets and a heater to finally warm back up again! Emily joined us to watch "Hairspray," although we never actually watched it. But we made plans to watch it on Sunday (which we did).
Sunday dawned, a little warmer, but still cold. The Patriots played the Chargers and won :(. Then, in a most interesting game, the New York Giants beat the Green Bay Packers in overtime! I also managed to get Megan, Alana, and Laura very invested in the game! So, Superbowl Sunday should be very interesting, with an undefeated team and a 10wins in a row team. Go Giants!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Holidays and Back to Nola
Christmas and New Years - wonderfully exhausting. I went shopping in King 0f Prussia, for myself and my dad (did his shopping...). On the Saturday before Christmas, the family and I headed up to New Jersey for my uncle's surprise 60th birthday party! He was definitely surprised. We drove back home, to turn around on Christmas day to go to Connecticut. I finally met my cousin's son, Eli, who they adopted from Ethiopia in the summer. He's adorable! We had lots of fun watching him and making him laugh. The whole family also had a blast playing Stewart's Wii. Who knew?
Liam and Denis
Dad (even with a cast, he's competitive), Denis, Aunt Margie
Mom, Me, Eileen (I think Eileen just beat me) 
Mom, Colette, Me (I think I just beat Colette!)After Christmas, I headed down to DC (actually NOVA) to visit Tiffany and Arielle, my roommates in college. I took the Chinatown bus from Philly to DC - quite convenient. Arielle, Tiffany and I fell right back into the swing of things (after not seeing each other for over 6 months) by talking non-stop, shopping for shoes, and watching movies. It was great to hang out with some familiar people :)
After crawling all up and down the Northeast (Connecticut, NY, NJ, PA, DC), I flew back to Nola on January 2nd.
January 3rd I began my spring intersession class, Training Methodologies in Developing Countries. A picture of the class:
The class was amazing - I met so many interesting people and feel like I really learned how to use appropriate training methods! Now I just need some practical experience. In the few days between end of the intersession and start of official classes, I'm going to work on finding a practicum for this summer. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Goodnight, goodnight!
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
That I shall saw goodnight,
Till it be morrow.
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