A little adjusting

I have been back less than a week and Im slowly starting to settle back in. I think it has been a little harder than I expected. I think there was a part of me that just expected to slip back into where I left, instead I have felt a little lost and have been trying to find my place here again. I have had a couple of days when I have felt quite overwhelmed at the amount of new people that are around and just trying to adjust to being back here. Im sure it hasnt been helped by the jetlag and not sleeping properly.

I have had a few shifts back on the wards and that has helped to remind me of why I am back here. I was able to sit with one of my patients the other day and colour in with her and speak some of the small small Fon that I learnt last year in Benin (she has come to us from Benin and Fon is one of the 52 languages spoken there). She had me laughing so hard when I was trying to teach her how to count in english, she was copying the way I was pronouncing it and she started to sound like she was a New Zealander the way she was pronouncing it. Its the small things like that, sitting with her and trying to speak Fon, colouring in in a colouring in book and teaching her how to count in english that make me realise how blessed I am to be here and why I love it here so much. Where else can you go to work and sit and colour in with one of your patients?

I got to go out and off the ship the other night for a drink with a few friends. It was great to get out and see a little of Lomé. The main city centre is about an hours walk away or a 15 minute taxi ride, they dont seem to have as many zemijands (motorbike taxi's) here as they did in Benin so I think it might be a little harder to get around here. In the short distance we walked I was able to experience lots of the things I love about Africa. Like the African Mama's walking along with their babes strapped to their backs and all sorts of goodies for sale upon their heads. I got a little of that african dirt on my feet too. Oh it was great and I am glad to be back.