Monthly Archives: September 2004

September 4, 2004 · 9:35 pm

More photos

I have posted a lot of pictures from my trip to Africa in my galleries.  The latest ones are found under Faces of the Congo.  People – the reason to go anywhere is for the sake of the people whether to visit or to work.  In some of these pictures you will see some of my best friends.

Find the picture of Isabelle.  She could not get used to my name.  Much to the chagrin of her parents she would simply call me “le blanc”. (Didn’t get the gender right either – but she’s only 3)  By the end of the visit she did remember this strange mname of mine.  Isabelle – la belle Isasbelle!

Her sisters are Claire and Karen.  Claire was content to sit in front of the TV or with a book.  Karen was always on the go “turbulente”  as her parents called her.  She was all over me, climbing, jumping, sitting on my lap.  We got to be good friends.

Another of my favorite pictures is of a young woman about 15.  She wanted to have her picture taken with the other kids who were hanging around the airport hanger when we walked by.  No one smiles for pictures without a lot of coaxing or being caught unawares.  It just isn’t “right”.  She makes me wonder what the future holds for her.  School?  Marriage? First or second wife?  Children and hard work in her garden? For us it seems a poor excuse for existance.  For most girls in Africa that would be pretty good.

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Filed under Africa

September 3, 2004 · 7:34 am

Galleries

Have posted some new images to the galleries – Congo travelling

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Filed under Africa

September 3, 2004 · 6:25 am

On Call

I got a call last night.  The emergency doctor needed help.  Some poor guy had had a tooth out and was back bleeding so badly they had already matched blood. 

Usually dental call means we have a lot of emergencies at the office during the week.  Sometimes, we see someone for trauma.  But, since most dentists don’t much appreciate getting out of their comfortable houses after hours, the docs have agreed to only call us for the real emergencies.  There is an emergency room physician on all the time so it does help cut down on the people who think that going to emergency after 5 is more convenient for their work schedule. 

I stopped by my office for a few tools.  Emergency has just about nothing to deal with any dental emergency.  Then headed up to the trauma room at the Vic. 

I walked in and there was blood everywhere!  No doubt that the guy had been bleeding badly enough to come in!  Brought in actually – for the second time that day – from our local federal penal facility.  So there was blood, an emerg room dr, guards, several nurses, and now me.  They offered me a cute little gown and gloves of course.  Were going to give me some glasses when I pointed out that I was wearing some and that this was no different than what I usually did in the office.  They didn’t offer a mask – that was a bit strange to me since I always wear a mask. 

But the dr had done a good job of stemming the tide.  A finger in the leaky dike works wonders to stop bleeding.

So I looked, froze him up and put in a couple more stitches where they seemed to have pulled loose, waited a while and then went home. 

Went home to cold pizza.

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Filed under Dental

September 1, 2004 · 11:01 pm

The Lounge

What a party!  It was really cool being able to talk with other hobbas in real time.  Sometimes the fingers don’t keep up very well, so the conversation gets a bit weird. 

The first time I tried to get into the lounge, I kept getting bumped right out onto the street!  Thought they didn’t like me or something.  There were a lot of people then so maybe there was a bouncer at the door that just ejected us latecomers.  But then after doing my motherly duty and driving my daughter to exchange her too large jeans for a pair one size smaller, I decided to try and get in the lounge again – and voila. 

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Filed under Day to Day