well hello from Romania! :)

I arrived here Saturday morning after a long journey through Bangladesh, Dubai, and Turkey. I'll write more about the work here in Bucharest (and beyond) in the next entry, but for now i'll catch you up on the past couple of weeks in Bangladesh and hopefully post some pictures now that i have a decent connection!

It was a great last week in Khulna. I had spent some time writing up a training course for the ladies that work at my center. It was an all day seminar on antenatal care. I presented it to them on Sunday, and they really learned a lot and found the information really useful. I was glad because I was really nervous about taking what I know and was trained with in New York City and making it applicable and relevant to people with barely any training with practically no medical supplies in the village. But anyway, the following Thursday they invited about 40 local "midwives" from the surrounding villages and i taught the seminar to them as well. I was able to have a translator (yesss!!) and after looking through lots of stuff i found some decent anatomical posters and models so it ended up being a really great day. Made me think about some day being a professor.. :)

On Monday of that same week I was invited to go visit the government hospital. It was by far the saddest sight i have seen in quite a while. Possibly ever. I suppose you could liken it to a war hospital.I was taken to the pediatric ward and there was one room with 35 beds lined up against both walls. There were children sleeping and laying in the hallway on dirty blankets, even before you got into the main room. One mother was holding her 2 day old baby whose infected umbillical cord was going to (in my estimation) end his life within the very near future. There was no electricity, no fans, no escape from the 110 degree weather outside. There was no running water, there were no doctors or nurses in sight. Each bed had a child and about 5 or 6 family members also piled on the same bed resting on linens that looked like they hadn't been cleaned in years. In between each bed were straw mats where other children were laying. Underneath each bed were the peels of fruits and the shells of nuts that the families and children were eating. Flies swarmed around. Death was everywhere, and no one was doing anything to stop it. I visited with each child and their family. I got to pray with most (they were actually asking for it!). And i also got to sit with the families and look over their ultrasound results or lab reports (which were in english) and help them understand what was wrong. The medical doctors just hand them papers, they don't have much interaction - i think possibly it's because it's a very poor population that they are considered "not worthy" of such time. I had this terrible anger in me about the conditions that these children were being "cared for" in. I was not allowed to video or take any pictures, so the only memory i'll have of this place is in my heart and mind. But it was so eye-opening that i made another decision then and there to once again find out whatever it is that i can do with what i have to make some sort of difference.

On Tuesday I travelled to the brothels and ran a clinic for the children there. The previous day i had purchased a lot of medical supplies and instruments, along with a lot of different medications and we packed it all up and took the rickshaw-"bus"-boatride into the jungles. I love those children - they are so sweet. The clinic went well, it attracted lots of people from the area. After i saw the child, another lady from the center would pray for them and the family.

I've also been meeting some new people...mostly Bangladeshi, but i did meet an American family that had me over for dinner the night before i left for Turkey. It was great to have a normal english-speaking conversation :) The rains are starting to pick up now, and the weather is pretty much unbearable.

i read the book "Life of Pi" on the airplane. I enjoyed it. Found it kind of interesting. Check it out :)

well i guess that's it. I should get back to work here.

<3 Nicole