The circle of life....for serious

Hello all! So...it's been pretty hot here lately. I have no sense of what the actual temperature is, but it feels like 30, or maybe a little higher. Every day. It is a little crazy. I miss the Canadian climate. Actually, I just miss Canada a lot. What a great place. I don't think I could ever stand to live anywhere else for a longer period of time. 3 months, though it is short, still feels like too long to be away from Canada, my precious home. Right now I am craving pancakes for some reason. I would love some right now, with a large glass of cold milk. If I were on Survivor, and they played that game where you bargain for food - or give away things (not really sure how it works) - anyways I would give pretty much anything for a glass of cold milk. I am surprised at myself for missing healthy food more than I miss sweet things. But it is true, I really value eating really healthy foods and a balanced diet - and here where things are lacking, I get frustrated.

Also, I would like to stress the genius of washing machines. Never have I truly appreciated a washing machine until now. My clothes are filthy, which I am somewhat embarrassed to admit, but it is the truth. Washing takes so much energy and time, and I am always so tired at the end of the day from the hot sun and a probable lack of complex carbohydrates. A washing machine would be fantastic right now.

Anyways, the real point of my post was to talk about the circle of life. I know you all want to burst out into song, but I am actually serious. Yesterday a patient passed away at the health centre, and it was the first time I have been around when someone passes away. It was such a strange experience. I had not seen the patient, who was a woman, the whole day but I knew she was lying in a bed in the recovery room, and I knew she was sick because I could hear her moaning. However, at the end of the day around 420 she died. I was so stricken by the moment. She lay there lifeless and limp, like she was sleeping, but she wasn't sleeping. She had no life left in her, no oxygen. Her mother was there with her the whole time, and I watched her very carefully from afar. I watched her face, and at first she didn't cry. She was so strong. And then once, for a brief moment, I saw her put her hands over her eyes. Then later, she went to sit under a tree. I was overcome with the feeling to say something to her, to try to convey how much this had an impact of me, a total stranger. I approached her under the tree and said "pole" (po-lay) which is sorry in Luo. Her eyes were so sad, and it made me cry on the way back to the compound.

Later, after reflecting a bit on the event, I thought of how a nurse at the health centre, who had been my preceptor for 2 weeks before going on maternity leave, was in labour at that very moment. She had been in labour since Monday (over 30 hours) and should be giving birth any time now. So one had passed, and one was coming into the world. Never have I seen it so clearly. It was really interesting.

That is all I have to report for now. Tomorrow Wren and I are going to Kakamega forest reserve, which is a huge park area with different animals and trails to walk on. It should be exciting. Next week it is her birthday so I plan on baking her a chocolate chip cake...apparently it is possible! Anyways, hope you all are enjoying yourselves and the summer. June is flying by and soon it will be July. Enjoy :)