Arrival in Ilula

Ilula 1-29-2012

It is Sunday.

Yesterday was a comfortable, if long, drive from Dar, with Steve Clarke, an agronomist consulting with Millenium Challenge Corporation, but here representing his other passion, Compatible Technology International, working with Roger Blomquist at Tumaini’s Ag Project.

He said, “Your name is vaguely familiar,” but digging back, I couldn’t get a grip on any mutual past history.  Eventually, we got around to “Where are you from?”  Burnsville.  “Oh, I have a sister-in-law who used to live in Savage.  Kelly Hosford.”  Whom I have known nearly thirty years!  And of course, now I remembered Kelly telling me about Steve and his work and how we should meet someday.   Somehow, I don’t think she actually meant in a car on the way to Iringa.  We had a great time visiting about our mutual interests and will meet at home to discuss them further.  Hopefully, Kelly, you’ll join us!

I gave Steve and Pastor Daniel a whirlwind tour of the IDH campus.  Not long enough by my standards, but we hit the high points and I wanted him to get to Iringa before dark. 

Then I had a nice long visit with the students to catch me up on lots of stuff.  They are all doing well and their first two weeks went well.

It is time for church.  I can hear myself saying, ”Jina langu ni Daktari Ken. Natoka Burnsville, Minnesota, Marekani.”

The next words you read will be after church.

See, it’s after church.

The service was fine.  Dr. Saga interpreted for me.  I do need to get a copy of the hymn book for myself, maybe a Swahili Bible too, but I will check to see if there is an “app for that.”

Otherwise it was a lazy day for all of us.  We visited at lunch and then most took naps.  Mine was an unbelievable 3 hours.  It is not 10:00 PM here and I am ready for sleep despite the nap.

The students have been negotiating about the food.  Anna is a great cook and has been serving wonderful food.  Perhaps too much food.  But of course, as Americans, we eat it all.  As we compliment Anna’s cooking and finish what she has served, we think perhaps she sees the empty plates as a sign that we have not gotten enough.  We have opted for slightly simpler meals in lieu of higher prices.

Dr. Saga has been very concerned that we have not gotten our CTA pass, so I did not go on rounds today.  We are off to Iringa in the morning to stand in line at Immigration and again at the bank where I will pay the fee, then again at Immigration to get my passport stamp.

Some of the wheels have been previously greased, so it should go smoothly.  We hope.

The students are all charming and bright.  They are a pleasure to be around.  I am tapping them for suggestions as we develop curriculum and consider selection criteria for future students, if the rotation should become so popular as to require it.  I infer that the students think that is possible.  How we have been so fortunate to have such great students so far is amazing.  Perhaps that is simply a characteristic of the fine people interested in this experience.

The students and doctors love having the pharmacists around. Laura and Carl have been great and are real assets in the patient care.  I realized this did not surprise me, which surprised me.  I am truly excited to have the interdisciplinary model present.  Then I realized that the Philips Neighborhood (U of M student-run) Clinic is an interdisciplinary model, which is why this feels so natural.