I've arrived...and still standing.

So I've made it to the ship in one piece. So wonderful to be back. Definitely more developed here than Liberia and much different but I am excited.

The night we arrived on the ship I was standing at the reception desk getting my picture taken for my name badge (ya, not nice how they make you take your picture the night you arrive) and I thought I was going to faint. I have never fainted before but I was pretty sure this is how I would feel when I fainted. I felt like I was swaying back and forth...a lot. I looked around and kind of held onto the counter thinking I was going to collapse at any moment when I looked out the window. I then realized the boat was listing (swaying) really far back and forth...then I felt dumb. Well, at least until I found out later 2 other girls I am freinds with who flew in with me admitted to the same feeling. In Liberia if you looked at the horizon you could tell the boat was moving back and forth a little but only when you tried to look. Here, if you stand still for a minute..or sit a computer... it is very evident. I was hoping it wouldn't be enough for me to notice or get sick over and it hasn't.

I have now had 2 days back on the ward. I got so excited going back down there for the first time and seeing all the patients. I had one day of orientation and then was on my own. The whole french thing is taking some getting used to. The translators are great but there are still many dialects from all over. At one point the other day a nurse and I were trying to teach a patient something that would be difficult to teach to someone who speaks english let alone a dialect most don't know. However it took a nurse and 3 translators to speak to the patient. It went something like this...I would tell our ward translator something who would tell a caregiver the same thing who would attempt to tell another caregiver the same thing who spoke the patient's language and tried to tell the patient. I REALLY wish I could have known what the patient was really told. Im pretty sure it was not what I had originally said as I saw many shrugging shoulders along the way amongst the translations. lol. It's like Chinese telephone but through 4 different languages. Good times...more to come:) Surgeries and everything are going well so far though. Thanks again for all the prayers and support!