AAAAAAAh, it's sooo hot here, flip!

It's week 2 at Zithulele Hospital and I'm feeling pretty "Ruralised". Hehe, so far we have had a fair amount of power failures (The Hospital I mean - the huts don't have power), I've been attacked by Mosquitos, Gnats, Moths, Cockroaches and more dogs have tried to eat me, and I have survived evening storms and temperatures of like 1000 degrees!

The work has been challenging but good, man this communication thing is turning out to be quite an inconvenience. It is difficult, most people do not understand English at all, so I have been forced to improve my very, very broken Xhosa! I've learn a few very important phrases this week though:

NdiThetha kanini isiXhosa - I speak very little Xhosa

Andivuya - I don't understand
Uyathetha English? - Do you speak English?

Ewe (smile, nod, and say "yes" when you don't have a clue what they've just said, provided the look relatively happy. If they look like they are in pain, frown, nod and say "yes")

Haha, one or two people understand a bit of Afrikaans though funnily enough, which is great, now that's a language I'm more familiar with! So for those of you who may be interested, we get a big spread of patients... Quite a few TB Spines, Burns, strokes, HIV related neuropathies (also often strokes in the younger patients). Also some polio guys in wheelchairs, pneumonia, old-age wear-and-tear, CP and other kids developmental and intellectual stuff... loads of different things actually! The rehab staff here are really great - a well-oiled machine, more or less. 4 PTs, 3 Ots, and an assistant who, thankfully, is a excellent translator!

So we have recently had a measles outbreak in the surrounding area and therefore hospital, which has been quite exciting! The rehab staff all went and got boosters yesterday - nobody's really all that keen to get Measles from our patients to be honest, especially seeing as 2 doctors were pretty unlucky and ended up flat on their backs in the East London Hospital.

Besides work, things around here have been fun! I've played Ultimate frisbee twice with the Doctors and some locals and other volunteers - what an incredible game, I love it! On Friday a group of us went to Hole in the Wall Hotel to chill at their pool. I've run quite a bit - and i'm even starting to get the local kids to race me - I win :) Last week I ran with a pro Marathon runner... My word, never again, I was hoping a dog would come bite my ankle so I'd have a non-pansy excuse to stop. Haha, kidding! Kind of. And today I had my first Offroad motorbike lesson from Roger (Karen's husband - she's head of Physio but away for a week)... I am terrible currently, but I'll get the hang of it!

From a project point of view, I'm going to be working along side a local guy named Mute ("Moote") and OT comm serv Jess to get the wheelchair basketball up and running this year, they started it last year a bit but it's really something I'd like to invest my efforts in to. The court needs A LOT of work, but if we can get enough players, I have a big plans to get funding to fix the court up and make it more wheelchair accessible, and hopefully get some proper sports wheelchairs donated. There are also a few projects some of the other Rehab staff are doing that I'm going to get involved in, but those aren't mine to boast about!

Last week we also went on a home visit to see a CP child, it was a real eye-opener. There were about 8 people staying in that hut... but all-in-all it was pretty well kitted out, very simple though, just the neccessities. This week we also tried to meet with a Chief here in the area to introduce ourselves because we are setting up rehab at one of the clinics, so we drove around for about 2 hours, but we ended up not being able to meet him, it was fine though, I got to see the area more, and got a tour of all the popular weekend spots - backpackers, pizza restaurant, etc. We also picked up a family who were pushing their very sick Grandfather all the way to the Hospital (we had been driving for ages) in a WHEELBARROW, on a dirtroad, up hill! It is insane to me that no matter how hard we try, in places like this, healthcare is still so inaccessible to some people... but they still go to incredible means to get to the hospital or clinic.

Driving around here more has made me realise again and again what a beautiful part of the world I get to experience this year - what a privilege! I am so excited to do some mountain-biking and all that - I'm working on finding a bike, watch this space!!!

Thanks to my Christian friends for all your prayers. Please keep them coming... it is beautiful here, and the people are friendly and great, but I still feel like an alien here a lot of the time, I am struggling to settle down - it is so different to anywhere I have ever stayed. But God provides, this weekend I had the privilege of staying with a Christian couple in Mthatha, the Lamberts. They spoilt me so much, and I also met with the Mthatha Church of Christ for Worship on Sunday morning - it was very encouraging! I am grateful for this year I get to experience God's beauty and Love for ALL his creations :)