A quick catch up and up date

Have realised that there are lots of things that I meant to put on here and havent got round to and its getting later and later... so a quick summary:

The last few weeks in Cochabamba hae been good if a bit quiet, the hospital was interesting but quite slow, some of the highlights were the trips in the community to vaccinate dogs and do interviews with ladies about maternal health and why they dont go to hospital (my husband wont let me, its too far, I´m scared, the doctors dont respect us). Also met a Dr who works in the Dept of Publich Health in the University, and is co-ordinator of the governments family and intercultural health program in Cochabamba. I asked him what he thought about why ladies here dont use family planning - his eyes lit up and he started this long talk about how family planning in Bolivia wasnt necessary as they arent overpopulated, and family planning is a neoliberal imperialistic plan by the US and UN to kill poor Bolivians - a form of genocide. Only once people are educated should they use family planning he said. It was weird, I really dont understand the reasons for thinking like that, unless its a reaction to previous sterilisaiton programs in Bolivia which I think happened with support of donor agencies.....

Other highlights out of hospital - dressing up and dancing in a local carnival (sorry I cant upload photos!), eating lots of meat, fruit, bolivian pasties, visiting a prison where the prisoners are free to organise there own community within the walls, interesting but also scary to think how the hierarchies of power are reached and maintained...

We also got invited by the secretary for health of the local council to a small community meeting on the outskirts of town which was really intersting - the secretary is going to visit lots of these meetings and do health workshops as well as try to find out what the community thinks about the hospital. She is a very cool lady and in the end I wished I could stay and help her.

So thats more or less it for Cochabamba, I´ve moved to Villa Tunari in the Chapare, region of coca growers and Evo Morales stronghold! Its been interesting, I arrived yesterday and was told that the timetable was 7-5 with 2 hours for lunch, and I would have a 4 week placement in Emergencias with no days off, every 4th night on call (starting last night - 1 suicide attempt with fertilizer, 2 stillbirths, 1 normal birth, a 2yr old with pneumonia and probable sepsis, a stabbing) - its been quite hardcore but also quite amazing, the people are so intersting and different, but I really really want to get out into the jungle and see the communitites and swim in rivers and see blind birds in caves and eat fish and do loads of stuff. Hopefully will be able to escape at some point! But my Spanish is getting batter, I can communicate better with patients and today felt a bit more comfortable in the hospital - up to now Ive been quite scared/nervous about dealing with patients.