Tobello, and shopping with Esther.

A million things at one time, tens of people who, at any given time, want /need/ require, demand Esther's time.   Miraculously, it seems that she is able to deal with all the crisis, medical, personnel, shopping, and still have time for everything else she has to do.   She seems to have hundreds of people who need her time at any given time, and amazingly well too, with what appears to be her tens of children    Peter, her husband is the constant 'voice of reason', trying(not all that successfully) to keep Esther on line.

Tobello doesn't deserve the Lonely Planet accolade of "grotty little backwater."

We went shopping there on Wednesday afternoon with Esther, and at various stages two to four of her children, her house keeper assistant Lisa (not Lisa V our co traveller) the driver Lody, and the other school bus driver Ronnie.   

It is about 45 minutes north of the Hohidia mission, along pretty good roadway, and quite reasonable driving.  Many of the houses are almost adjacent to the roadway, and there are definite Christian  and Muslim sections of the journey. The speed limit through some of these towns in 40 kph, ( being the first speed sign seen here) and the speed humps are lumps of old shipping hawsers across the road. 

Our shopping included spending $500 in donated money that Sandie had brought.  The mission decided that the money could be spent on supplying the set up of an independent kitchen for Tamariska.   Tamariska is the separated section of the mission which houses long term leprosy , HIV, and TB patients and their families who choose to stay with them.   The Indonesian govt supplies the TB medication but not the services to house or supply the administration of the drugs( ie the people to visit and give the drugs or the accom.) 

Tamariska

What was purchased were, a refrigerator, two rice cookers, at the fridge shop, some screws at the 'hardware shop', through the labyrinthine Tobello market, to the plastics shop, for some (surprisingly) plastic ware, to the cookware shop for the bottled gas stove, a Hock oven, which is an oven that is put on top of the gas jets, and four local range top steamers ( $4.50 ish) for us all to take home, big dishes, plates, and other stuff, then to Galaxy...which is the Woolies of Tobello.  Where small change is given in lollies. 

There is a story that the proprietor of a local shop found some compromising photos of her husband's very special friend on his phone.  Allegedly these photos were printed rather largely, with identifying naughty  features very apparent and posted over the front door of this supermarket.  Who says they haven't good sense of whatever here.  We must confess that we did indulge and had a ice cream here.

The market was pretty typical of many of the Asian markets we have seen,  mazes of shops, that only a local could negotiate, every colour  of vegetable imaginable, especially peppers and chillies, smells; mostly of fresh fish girts' and chicken innards, splashing into the open gutters , and very politely correcting the locals who have the audacity to accuse us of being American Oi. Oi Oi.

Something fishy here.

On the way back, just on the outskirts of Tobello we stopped at the house of an elderly gentleman who makes traditional wooden shields and swords.  Esther is asking this man to mentor some of the older youth at Hohidai, to continue his skills, which have been handed down for at least three generations at we could work out.

As usual, the kids loved having their photos taken, the pigs were rooting around the houses, and the locals were just sitting around enjoying the dusk.

Just enjoying the passing parade.

Screws/ ambulance.

There is parked in the carport here a Toyota trouper, 4wd Ambulance, that has had its electrical insides removed, dash, back to the firewall gone, and more bits missing than there, short of a completely new dash assembly and wiring loom, the vehicle is nor going to move. There was, however, quite some consternation when Kevyn, appropriated some screws and a bolt from the vehicle to make other things around the mission work like the  motor mower, hinges, table tops, waiting 'room' seats, door catches, etc.  So......there is a need for $50k for a new one, or at least a good high clearance two wheel drive vehicle.

Medical stuff.....provided by Nathalie.

The Klinik days are where the local, and at times not so local people come to what is a clinic.  Notwithstanding people seem to appear at the hospital door at any given time with various minor ailments, Thursday and Tuesdays ( or for the purist pedants Tuesdays and Thursdays) are the days that minor ailments are seen.   Major injuries and illnesses do not have to wait to clinic days.

The treatment is free, medications are free, and there is no rebate from the government.(with the exception of TB andHIV medicines)

A typical Klinik day for the visiting medical staff is as below, with explanatory notes....

Thursday

Slow beginning bought nappies for Lexie from shop.(Lexie is the two year old boy 'abandoned' and in the care of the hospital, his uncle and father is the same person. He sits, but does not independently walk or crawl, and is non verbal.  Toilet training is not widely practiced here as in the west, ( howdy parderner.), and it seems that eventually it just happens, so the visiting staff have taught the hospital staff to put a nappy, of triangular bandages , rather than just a plastic bag, on 

First patient 23yo male wasting syndrome treated outside just in case he had TB  then brought in

Vitals T 37.1   BP    HR 107 sats 94%. RR 48

IVC inserted bloods taken tested positive for HIV we had already diagnosed this

IV Cephtriaxone 2 gms given then challenge to start fluids with the parts we had in stock this is all about putting thing together to make do. Fluids in progress 15 d/m.

(Yeah, what she said)

Next pt in with ethanol use 2 months ago causing blindness came today hoping that they could fix it but too late. (Home made grog, pretty potent, and not much quality control, is a regular problem presented here)

3 rd pt  Victor who is fully adopted by Ester and Peter , came off his bike whilst going down the hill very sore and sorry for himself as Peter wasn't impressed with the antics multiple grazes and the front tooth chipped to the pulp? Off to see the dentist now.( what was not recorded on the patient's record was the fact that the Bule, especially Sandie, were encouraging Victor in his valiant efforts to ride up the hill on the only concrete road in the mission, which we later discovered was a practice banned by parental management)

The road in question, showing the scene of the crime.

Now all the pt have left the ED within the 4 hr limit.....how good is that!!!  Put Dandenong ED to shame.

Good news tooth root not exposed so it can wait till the dentist returns.(Victor's tooth that is).

Next edition dinner with the teachers, and visit to remote village Jere (Jeray).

So if we don't make it back, you know where to start looking