Habari Zenu!

I have been in Tanzania for a week now, and I could not have asked for a better trip. It may have taken about 16 hours to get Moshi from London, but it was definitely worth it. Not only is the setting absolutely incredible, with Mount Kilimanjaro looming above us, but the people here are so kind and welcoming. My favorite moment so far has been when I was spotted walking home and a little boy screamed "Mizungu," which means foreigner/traveler (apparently it is not offensive, just a statement of fact). Within seconds, about 10 other children had come onto the path and were trying to speak English to me. They didn't ask for anything, just wanted to say hello.

I spent last week learning about African culture and some Swahili. I didn't realize that few people speak English, so the lessons were definitely worth it. In Tanzania, as opposed to many other African countries, English is taught as a subject, much in the way that we learn spanish. This is because when the country becaume independent, the president wanted to unite the country through language, and chose Swahili as the way to accomplish this. The down side is that only people involved in tourism or who have had higher education can have a conversation in English, despite the claim that it is a national language.

As a result, my first day at St. Joseph's hospital was a bit of a struggle. The doctors were very eager to tell us what was going on with each patient, but it wasn't quite the same as hearing the actual doctor-patient interaction. Hopefully I will learn more as time goes on... Despite this, my time on rounds was very interesting. Many of the patients had the same ailments that fill the beds in American hospitals. However, the hospital's X-Ray machine just broke, and with minimal surgical opportunities, many of the patients that could have been easily diagnosed or cured in the US were undergoing palliative care to relieve symptoms and ease death. While it is hard to see, I also hope that this trip will really help to show me the importance of listening to the patient when making a diagnosis. Without fancy machines to take out much of the guesswork, it's a whole new philosophy out here. I am excited for the next two weeks, and hopefully they will be just as great as my first.