Akabina

Today was a little busier on the labor ward. I got to see and assist with a few deliveries but what is most exciting is that I saw a breech vaginal delivery! At Prentice they had C-sectioned all of these patients so I doubt I'll ever see one of these again. Lauren told me that over the last 6 months this was only the second one that she saw so I feel fortunate to have been able to see it. What was even more exciting was that I was the first person to see the patient and I had diagnosed the breech presentation with my Leopold's and internal exam. No ultrasound or anything :). This may seem insignificant to most people but I think this is the first time I  was the primary caregiver for a patient and picked up something that wasn't necessarily obvious-- a milestone for me. Akabina is the Lugandan word for "butt"... which the midwives pointed out I had very little of compared to them. Admittedly it's true.

Lauren, Anne (a student from Germany), Alex (a student from Sweden), and I went to the Good Samaritan Cafe on campus and I had jack fruit for the first time. It's kinda stinky when you smell it but tastes like banana candy.

Also in the bowl is Sugar Cane. Delicious!

At lunch we talked about the differences in Uganda vs Western culture. Lauren explained that the midwifes tend to be very stern. They talk to the Ugandan women often with a harsh and stern tone; sometimes they threaten to hit the women when they are not cooperating. To us it seems brutal but Lauren says that the women here actually respond to it very well. The philosophy among the Ugandan women is that "You choose this and you know it will be painful so just take it quietly. Be a strong woman" It's making more sense to me how the women all go through labor steadily and quietly. In comparison the American women all appear hysterical. However I'd like to retract what I said before. I don't think it's a difference in how people perceive pain but how they express it. Pain is pain and I don't think the labor here is any less painful than in America, no matter how harsh the life here may be. There isn't the same outward expression of emotion or thoughts as in America. It's also reflected in how everybody here talks very quietly. So quietly that I have to lean in almost every time to hear their answer.

We had another luganda lesson this afternoon. First we learned numbers:
1. Emu
2. Bbiri
3. Ssatu
4. Mmya
5. Ttaanu
6. Mukaaga
7. Musanvu
8. Munaana
9. Mwenda
10. Kumi

However, the most interesting thing was the lesson about how to tell time here. Because we are on the equator the days and nights are pretty much 12 hours each for 365 days of the year. The reference point for time is related to when the sun comes up. Thus, 6 AM is Essawa emu. 4 pm is Essawa Kumi-- because it is 10 hours after the sun has risen. This is extremely confusing because "kumi" means 10 in numbers but 4 in time. If you think about it their system to tell time actually makes more sense than ours.

Below is a picture of the many holes in the ground that I encounter on my walk home. The good news is so far I haven't fallen into one!

Hope you all state-side are doing well :) Until next time!
-Nina