Year: 2007

  • Leaving The Gambia

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    Sam
    in

    The teaching went well yesterday. I had sweat dripping from my nose into the chalk dust almost the whole time – I never realised that I moved around so much. The students understood me and behaved very similarly to students in Swansea. Hopefully I’ll see some of them again, but maybe in Swansea in the…

  • Bitten

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    Sam
    in

    Damnit! I’m covered in mossie spray and yet I’ve still been bitten. I’ve been bitten in one of the few places that I didn’t treat with insect repellent. Yes, I’ve been bitten on my arse.

  • Down river

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    by

    Sam
    in

    We were up early today for some tourist activities. We went out into the bush a little bit to see birds and to get some breakfast. I’m not much of a birdwatcher, but it was good to get into some dugout canoes and to see some of the countryside. It’s a hell of a contrast…

  • Dirty cash

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    by

    Sam
    in

    Filthy, sweaty money. Just like me.

  • Pool time

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    by

    Sam
    in

    After a very long morning meeting, we’re finally getting some well deserved pool time. Nobody works on friday afternoon in The Gambia. Well, except us. And probably taxi drivers. But at least we’re working beside the pool in shorts and t-shirt. Taxis held together by rust and dust. African Atlantic. Pool side. Don’t forget to…

  • Contrasts

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    Sam
    in

    It has surely been a day of contrasts today. After spending the morning at the Medical School and the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital we visited the MRC’s base in The Gambia. The RVTH is very poorly funded (for example the pathology labs have only H+E staining only, and manual histological processing – imagine how this…

  • Dragged Away

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    by

    Sam
    in

    We had a brief break from work this afternoon & managed to get to the pool between meetings. Its hot & humid. Think white man from the Welsh climate stuck inside a West African hospital & think sweaty. Then imagine a pool, with bar, shady brollies, and a cool breeze. Then the sun came out!…

  • Anatomy Teaching

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    by

    Sam
    in

    I thought I’d got out of teaching anatomy on Monday, in Swansea at least. Prof. Menendez and the anatomy lecturer here in the Gambian School of Medicine have roped me into teaching the 3rd year students in a 1 and a half hour slot on Monday morning (at about the same time as I would…

  • Arrived

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    by

    Sam
    in

    We safely arrived in The Gambia and the hotel after many hours and much tipping of Gambians. The flight was very picturesque, passing south over England, crossing France, the Bay of Biscay, flying over Portugal or Spain, and then north Africa down to Gambia and Banjul. Today, we met with our Gambian counterparts in a…

  • Banjul

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    by

    Sam
    in

    I’m off to Banjul tonight for a week. I’ll be switching my mobile phone off to avoid the roaming charges (because I can guarantee that my Mum will ring me and it’ll cost me £10 to remind her that I’m in Africa) but should still be able to Skype Out and remain in contact while…