April 4

Thursday April 4, 2013

We had six orthopedic cases today and we staggered them between two rooms.  There were three cast changes, another smaller case and two larger ones.  We were done by mid afternoon.  There is still no internet at Cure, so one of the surgeons lent me his laptop with a wireless device so I could check my email.  He had asked me earlier what life was like without the internet.  Most people in Ethiopia don’t have easy access to the internet, so I am seeing what it is like.  Although I miss being able to go on line and check my email and communicate with others, it is forcing me to slow down and do other things.  If there was something urgent, my family knows how to reach me, and I can still send and receive text messages, so I don’t feel completely isolated.  I haven’t had this much time alone with few responsibilities for a long time.  It is relaxing.

I was thinking again about going somewhere this afternoon to get on line, but I didn’t need to thanks to Dr. Teddy.  I was going to go for a walk maybe to the zoo nearby, but again it became dark and windy and soon it started raining again.  It didn’t rain quite as hard or long today, but I was glad to be in a dry place instead of out walking.  Eventually the rain stopped and a rainbow came out.  There was even a part that looked like a double rainbow.

I went out walking for about an hour, along a route I had gone the other day, but in the reverse direction.  It would have been hard to figure this direction out if I had not gone before.  I walked to the main road and down the hill and passed an orthodox church that I have gone by many times before.  They were having an outdoor service so I stopped for a few minutes.  There were about six women in purple dresses with head scarves or covers on singing on the steps into a microphone so the whole thing was amplified.  There were rows of chairs with at least fifty or more people sitting and others standing.  The men were on one side and the women on the other, most with white scarves covering their heads.  A local man asked me if I knew what was going on.  I knew it was still Lent for the orthodox Christians.  He explained that it is a fast day and they fast all day until sunset.  Orthodox Easter is on May 5^th.  I wished I had my camera, although it probably wouldn’t have been appropriate to take a picture.

I continued my walk to a large square with people everywhere, music playing, vendors, taxis, and people everywhere.  It was about 6 pm, so many people were out.  There were all kinds of street vendors selling trinkets, vegetables, junk and much more.  There were many buses and taxis and people walking in the street.  I turned onto the side street to loop around back to Cure.  I had walked the opposite way earlier in the week, so I knew how to go.  It was much quieter and calmer once I was off of the main street.  A few people said hello, but most kept going.  There were a few little huts selling drink, videos and other things.

After I returned I had my dinner of soup, rice and vegetables and will wait for the hyenas!