Did you know we take our Christmas trees down at Epiphany?

January 20^th

 

Yesterday was another bank-holidayin Ethiopia for Epiphany- not sure I had ever really registered that Epiphany was twelfth night but as we only mark it by taking our Christmas trees down and I'm not the most diligent of church goers I suppose it is hardly surprising. Another holiday meant a quiet day with no outpatients although I did do a normal breech delivery in the afternoon (these are not very common in the UK any more) avoiding a caesarean birth (that would make delivery more compicated next time which is important here).

Instead of medical stuff this time I thought it might be time to fill in a few details about my life when I am not working (especially since I have received a report that my accounts maybe too graphic for some-Nicola?). I am staying in a small bungalow, one of two that were built by Maternity Worldwide for visiting doctors such as myself. Bungalow is perhaps a slightly grand term for it but it is brick built albeit with a corrugated tin roof that almost all house in Ethiopia (and certainly Gimbi) have. The main disadvantage of the tin roof is the noise that the birds (crows and pigeons) make first thing in the morning as I discovered on my first morning when I was awoke with a start as it sounded like something was trying to remove the roof. So there is no lie in here and definitely no need to have an alarm clock, as they are at least regular in their activities at about 7am each day.

The bungalow is built on the hillside below the back of the hospital and have a lovely view over a small valley behind looking east so that the terrace gets the morning sun. Someone has fashioned a bird-table out of some pieces of wood and a small amount of bread or rice attracts an array of bird-life to watch from the terrace. The disadvantage of the position is that it means an uphill walk to the hospital which, given the elevation of 2000m in Gimbi, leaves me out of breath although I am sure my blood is getting thicker by the day.

The bungalow has a couple of bedrooms and there will be a midwife from Australia to keep me company from next month (which will be good as it can be a bit lonely). It is all quite compact but a lot more comfortable than I was expecting. I have a mosquito net over my bed which is just as well as I am one of those people who you want around as that they preferentially bite me before anyone else. It is also something very smug about lying in bed hearing a mosquito whining close by and knowing that it can't get you!

There is a small central seating area with an old style 3-piece suite which whilst ugly is amazingly comfortable and also a table and chairs.  I have my IPod here, which is a lifesaver as familiar music definitely makes a place feel more like home. The kitchen is very small but has a modern fridge-freezer and an oven/hob. Only problem here is that currently they are waiting for new gas supplies from Addis and my gas bottle has been empty since I arrived- any way it is amazing what you can manage to do on a single ring!

The bathroom has hot water (unexpected) but it will be a novelty to stand under a shower again rather than use a hand-held nozzle and to have cold water in the basin (the cold tap doesn't work). The water doesn't stop too often (1-2xweekly so far) and as I am only one in my house at the moment the tank holds out for a while and there are big plastic "dustbins" of water on standby for use in kitchen & bathroom (which suggests to me that it can be for longer periods than have occurred so far). Electricity is a bit more hit and miss with power cut for some period of time most days (the hospital has an emergency though ailing generator for these occasions) but I have my candles at the ready and don't open the freezer door.

The weather during the day here is pretty glorious (sorry I do know about the terrible snow in the UK). I don't know how hot it is but it is probably around 24-28 degree Celsius for most of the day with a few hours that are hotter in the early afternoons. Although I could sit out on the terrace, the sun is hot and local sensitivities mean it is "not done" to be scantily clad so I will save sunbathing for the holiday at the end. Thankfully the temperatures fall during the night and so I am able to sleep without a problem (although no covers are required until the hour or so before dawn). I am not sure if the weather will get warmer during my stay and no-one local seems to have any idea either with the only distinction they make in weather terms being between the dry season (now) and the rainy season (May-September) which they say is hotter. During the day I can open all the windows to let the breezes in and then can close them at night that keeps the insects and the noise of barking dogs, the mosque call to prayer and Orthodox Church loudspeaker sermons out.