Thursday, December 10, 2009
eurasia inspired haikus
Militia stands guard
No border crossing today-
The people must vote!
Painstakingly slow
Sveta cooks the hominy,
Puts the cheese inside
Tick, tick, ticking clock,
Passing time with War & Peace-
Please pick up your phone!
No border crossing today-
The people must vote!
Painstakingly slow
Sveta cooks the hominy,
Puts the cheese inside
Tick, tick, ticking clock,
Passing time with War & Peace-
Please pick up your phone!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Dogs don't get TB
What do babies crying, barking dogs and gunshots have in common?
They are things I am frequently awakened by in the middle of the night! Don’t worry the guns are not a threat. Think looney tunes a la Yosemite Sam’s wild west versus bombs over Baghdad and you have a good idea of the situation here. Practically everyone owns a gun and employs it as a sort of party favor whistle. I am only mentioning this out of annoyance from sleep deprivation. And because I am missing 'my solitude of Brooklyn'.
One very cool albeit unexpected thing I discovered is a bowling alley. This is one thing I never thought I would find walking along the boardwalk on the Black Sea in the Republic of Abkhazia. Actually, I never imagined that I would be walking along the boardwalk on the Black Sea in the Republic of Abkhazia.
Related to work: The Ministry of Internal Affairs has given the green light to ‘make education’ in the prison. There are some serious misconceptions about TB here.
Since October I have been having a support group weekly in the hospital and monthly at one of our ambulatory points.
Here is an excerpt of a few things I have heard:
“Dogs can’t get TB so is it true that if I eat a dog I can be cured of TB?”
“I heard that if you take a newborn puppy and feed it only fresh cows milk for several weeks then cook it and eat it, you will be cured. Is that true?”
“No, that’s not true. Monkeys don’t get AIDS but you don’t see people eating them to cure them of AIDS do you?”
“Anyway, if that were true I’d been cured years ago cause I’ve eaten 2 dogs already and I’m still sick”
“If UV light kills the bacilli then why don’t they just cut your chest open and lay you out in the sun to cure you?”
“Or cut your chest open and pour benzene on your lungs to kill it?”
These are a few things that I have heard.
Very uninformed indeed.
So far, there is not much discussion about the upcoming presidential election set for December 12. I think no news is good news.
They are things I am frequently awakened by in the middle of the night! Don’t worry the guns are not a threat. Think looney tunes a la Yosemite Sam’s wild west versus bombs over Baghdad and you have a good idea of the situation here. Practically everyone owns a gun and employs it as a sort of party favor whistle. I am only mentioning this out of annoyance from sleep deprivation. And because I am missing 'my solitude of Brooklyn'.
One very cool albeit unexpected thing I discovered is a bowling alley. This is one thing I never thought I would find walking along the boardwalk on the Black Sea in the Republic of Abkhazia. Actually, I never imagined that I would be walking along the boardwalk on the Black Sea in the Republic of Abkhazia.
Related to work: The Ministry of Internal Affairs has given the green light to ‘make education’ in the prison. There are some serious misconceptions about TB here.
Since October I have been having a support group weekly in the hospital and monthly at one of our ambulatory points.
Here is an excerpt of a few things I have heard:
“Dogs can’t get TB so is it true that if I eat a dog I can be cured of TB?”
“I heard that if you take a newborn puppy and feed it only fresh cows milk for several weeks then cook it and eat it, you will be cured. Is that true?”
“No, that’s not true. Monkeys don’t get AIDS but you don’t see people eating them to cure them of AIDS do you?”
“Anyway, if that were true I’d been cured years ago cause I’ve eaten 2 dogs already and I’m still sick”
“If UV light kills the bacilli then why don’t they just cut your chest open and lay you out in the sun to cure you?”
“Or cut your chest open and pour benzene on your lungs to kill it?”
These are a few things that I have heard.
Very uninformed indeed.
So far, there is not much discussion about the upcoming presidential election set for December 12. I think no news is good news.
The Supra
I don’t know how to respond except to say that I am sorry. Things have been a bit hectic in the field but still I have no excuse for, as Brooke accurately put it, ‘blog neglect’. So to make it up to you I will make 2 entries today.
I am writing from the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, where I have been for the past 4 days to get a Russian visa. Today, I leave for Zugdidi for a few days to work in the field, then back to Sukhum for a couple more days and on the 12th I leave for one week holiday in Istanbul!
Istanbul’s not Constantinople, now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople, been a long time gone, Constantinople, why did Constantinople get the works? That’s nobody’s business but the Turks! Oh, sorry, I become possessed with They Might Be Giants every time. . .Which reminds me, any recommendations on what to do while I am there? Would be great to know interesting unusual recs made outside Lonely Planet.
I can’t believe I have been here nearly 3 months! And only 130 days ‘til the Paris marathon?! Training is thus far going according to schedule; Ran 14 miles for first time in the other day.
Recently I had a most interesting experience. I attended a supra, which is a traditional Georgian celebration involving an abundance of food, wine, and tchatcha (homemade grape vodka aka moonshine). The head of the table, or toastmaster, is known as the tamada. The tamada on this occasion was a surgeon working in a remote area near Telavi, which is on the northeastern border of Georgia near to Chechnya. He is providing surgeries for several hundred Chechens. He himself Chechen, came to Georgia to aid refugees who fled from the conflict with Russia. We were fortunate enough to tour his hospital and surgical theater, which was nothing short of amazing. The dilapidated facility in which he works was built during soviet times and is largely abandoned but he manages to perform extensive surgeries with very limited resources. It was a nice reminder of why I am doing this kind of work and of the possibilities for what more can be done. Truly an inspiring individual.
In the future I will do my best to blog more frequently, if you promise to send the latest updates and gossip in your world.
Kisses!
I am writing from the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, where I have been for the past 4 days to get a Russian visa. Today, I leave for Zugdidi for a few days to work in the field, then back to Sukhum for a couple more days and on the 12th I leave for one week holiday in Istanbul!
Istanbul’s not Constantinople, now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople, been a long time gone, Constantinople, why did Constantinople get the works? That’s nobody’s business but the Turks! Oh, sorry, I become possessed with They Might Be Giants every time. . .Which reminds me, any recommendations on what to do while I am there? Would be great to know interesting unusual recs made outside Lonely Planet.
I can’t believe I have been here nearly 3 months! And only 130 days ‘til the Paris marathon?! Training is thus far going according to schedule; Ran 14 miles for first time in the other day.
Recently I had a most interesting experience. I attended a supra, which is a traditional Georgian celebration involving an abundance of food, wine, and tchatcha (homemade grape vodka aka moonshine). The head of the table, or toastmaster, is known as the tamada. The tamada on this occasion was a surgeon working in a remote area near Telavi, which is on the northeastern border of Georgia near to Chechnya. He is providing surgeries for several hundred Chechens. He himself Chechen, came to Georgia to aid refugees who fled from the conflict with Russia. We were fortunate enough to tour his hospital and surgical theater, which was nothing short of amazing. The dilapidated facility in which he works was built during soviet times and is largely abandoned but he manages to perform extensive surgeries with very limited resources. It was a nice reminder of why I am doing this kind of work and of the possibilities for what more can be done. Truly an inspiring individual.
In the future I will do my best to blog more frequently, if you promise to send the latest updates and gossip in your world.
Kisses!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
wipe out
took a little spill the other day while i was running. thought i'd share. . .
and a few other pics that i have taken in my new home.
enjoy!!
Monday, October 12, 2009
lost in rooskeey
I would like to talk about my translator for a minute. She is young, energetic, and tres, tres helpful. A real girl Friday.
Except when she interchanges Russian & English in her translations.
It was Monday morning and we are in the hospital doing rounds on the patients. So we go into a room and I ask the usual questions: how do you feel, how are you sleeping, how's your appetite, blah, blah, blah. She translates verbatim what is being said. I ask for clarification about something and she responds ‘duh’. Again I ask what the patient means and she says ‘duh, duh’. We move onto the next patient and the same scenario repeats itself. This continues throughout the day.
Wha? Seriously?
Unbelievable! And she is saying it without a hint of malice in her tone or facial expression.
After we leave the hospital I ask her if I have done something to offend her as I don’t understand the sarcasm. She looks at me quizzically and says, “Jennifer, I am not being sarcastic, I was saying da. . . Da is Russian for ‘yes’! I was confirming what you were asking about the patient”.
OOHHHH.
Those Russian lessons didn't arrive a minute too soon.
Except when she interchanges Russian & English in her translations.
It was Monday morning and we are in the hospital doing rounds on the patients. So we go into a room and I ask the usual questions: how do you feel, how are you sleeping, how's your appetite, blah, blah, blah. She translates verbatim what is being said. I ask for clarification about something and she responds ‘duh’. Again I ask what the patient means and she says ‘duh, duh’. We move onto the next patient and the same scenario repeats itself. This continues throughout the day.
Wha? Seriously?
Unbelievable! And she is saying it without a hint of malice in her tone or facial expression.
After we leave the hospital I ask her if I have done something to offend her as I don’t understand the sarcasm. She looks at me quizzically and says, “Jennifer, I am not being sarcastic, I was saying da. . . Da is Russian for ‘yes’! I was confirming what you were asking about the patient”.
OOHHHH.
Those Russian lessons didn't arrive a minute too soon.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
the kiss movement
I have finally made it to Sukhum! How does one get there you might ask?
It is quite easy actually. You transfer midway between GA and ABH by what is called 'the kiss movement'. A driver from Ga side meets a driver from Abh side on the middle of a bridge and you transfer everything into the opposite cruiser and off you go! On Friday I met my team and went to the TB hospital for the first time. My job is going to be interesting and challenging. . .
On another note, I have been trying the Abkhazian (or is it Abkhaz?) cuisine. On Friday night me and some of the other expats went out to eat at a restaurant overlooking the Black Sea. We had kachapuri (cheese impregnanted bread), shashlyk (Russian style kebabas), and a bottle of Abkhazian wine- sorry to disappoint, no vodka or cognac this time. It was very nice but the kachapuri was a little too dense for my taste. The wine was a white variety and not too bad. The shashlyk was delish.
The on Saturday, 2 expats and myself took an excursion to the Novy Afon Cave and Afon Monastery. We did not go inside the monastery, however, we did tour the cave which was really super cool (with the exception of Kenny G playing to demonstrate the amazing acoustics). We then trecked further north in our massive Land Cruiser to the National Park and mountain lake of Ritza. The water is glacier fed so it is beautiful and pristine. People were filling their water bottles at the waterfall. Tres magnifique!
Today I was able to get in a 7 miler and score some matsoni (yummy homemade yogurt) and lavash (artisan bread) at the market before a torrential down pour that left us without Aljazeera tv- or any tv for that matter. Also the rain took the water from the pipes in the house. Rain rain everywhere, except where it is needed.
Did I mention that everything grows, no fluorishes here? Pomegranate, citrus- tangerines, oranges, lemons, limes, grapes, tomatoes, corn, squash, cucumber, figs, walnuts, herbs- cilantro, basil, hazelnuts. You name it it grows!
Wednesday is victory day here in the big A. I have been told it is a huge celebration with fireworks and such- will get back to you on what the 'and such' means exactly. If it is not a security issue I am going with one of the other expats to celebrate with the locals.
Cognac anyone?
It is quite easy actually. You transfer midway between GA and ABH by what is called 'the kiss movement'. A driver from Ga side meets a driver from Abh side on the middle of a bridge and you transfer everything into the opposite cruiser and off you go! On Friday I met my team and went to the TB hospital for the first time. My job is going to be interesting and challenging. . .
On another note, I have been trying the Abkhazian (or is it Abkhaz?) cuisine. On Friday night me and some of the other expats went out to eat at a restaurant overlooking the Black Sea. We had kachapuri (cheese impregnanted bread), shashlyk (Russian style kebabas), and a bottle of Abkhazian wine- sorry to disappoint, no vodka or cognac this time. It was very nice but the kachapuri was a little too dense for my taste. The wine was a white variety and not too bad. The shashlyk was delish.
The on Saturday, 2 expats and myself took an excursion to the Novy Afon Cave and Afon Monastery. We did not go inside the monastery, however, we did tour the cave which was really super cool (with the exception of Kenny G playing to demonstrate the amazing acoustics). We then trecked further north in our massive Land Cruiser to the National Park and mountain lake of Ritza. The water is glacier fed so it is beautiful and pristine. People were filling their water bottles at the waterfall. Tres magnifique!
Today I was able to get in a 7 miler and score some matsoni (yummy homemade yogurt) and lavash (artisan bread) at the market before a torrential down pour that left us without Aljazeera tv- or any tv for that matter. Also the rain took the water from the pipes in the house. Rain rain everywhere, except where it is needed.
Did I mention that everything grows, no fluorishes here? Pomegranate, citrus- tangerines, oranges, lemons, limes, grapes, tomatoes, corn, squash, cucumber, figs, walnuts, herbs- cilantro, basil, hazelnuts. You name it it grows!
Wednesday is victory day here in the big A. I have been told it is a huge celebration with fireworks and such- will get back to you on what the 'and such' means exactly. If it is not a security issue I am going with one of the other expats to celebrate with the locals.
Cognac anyone?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
General information: Abkhazia
Abkhazia is one of two breakaway regions of Georgia.
It is approximately 8,600 km2 and is situated in the north-western corner of Georgia with the Black Sea to the south-west and the Caucasus mountains and Russia to the north-east. Abkhazia has been fighting for independence from Georgia since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Abkhazia claimed their independence in 1994 after a 13-month war lasting from 1992 to 1993. Internationally this is recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, and as of 2 weeks ago, Venezuela. An economic embargo is in effect making Abkhazia almost totally isolated with the exception of Russia which maintains a border crossing.
In 1991, the population in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia was 550,000. In 2005 it was estimated at 200,000. Today, there are even fewer people living in the area.
Major languages spoken: Russian, Georgian, and Abkhaz
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
According to MOH estimates approximately 50% of the population are unemployed though this may be a modest estimate.
Natural resources: agricultural, primarily citrus fruits, tobacco, tea, timber; some coal, hydroelectric power
In 1996, MSF started their support in Abkhazia for regular tuberculosis and in 2001 a multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) project was opened. It’s in this context that I will be working for the next 6.5 months as the adherence coordinator in Sukhumi. Currently, there are less than 50 people enrolled in this program. The treatment of MDR-TB is between 21 to 24 months, has many and severe medication side effects and requires DOT (direct observed therapy) for the duration of treatment which means patients are required to come into an ambulatory point 1-2 times per day 6 days per week. Yep, that's right twice daily 6 days per week for 2 years! Understandably, adherence with treatment is very difficult.
It is approximately 8,600 km2 and is situated in the north-western corner of Georgia with the Black Sea to the south-west and the Caucasus mountains and Russia to the north-east. Abkhazia has been fighting for independence from Georgia since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Abkhazia claimed their independence in 1994 after a 13-month war lasting from 1992 to 1993. Internationally this is recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, and as of 2 weeks ago, Venezuela. An economic embargo is in effect making Abkhazia almost totally isolated with the exception of Russia which maintains a border crossing.
In 1991, the population in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia was 550,000. In 2005 it was estimated at 200,000. Today, there are even fewer people living in the area.
Major languages spoken: Russian, Georgian, and Abkhaz
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
According to MOH estimates approximately 50% of the population are unemployed though this may be a modest estimate.
Natural resources: agricultural, primarily citrus fruits, tobacco, tea, timber; some coal, hydroelectric power
In 1996, MSF started their support in Abkhazia for regular tuberculosis and in 2001 a multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) project was opened. It’s in this context that I will be working for the next 6.5 months as the adherence coordinator in Sukhumi. Currently, there are less than 50 people enrolled in this program. The treatment of MDR-TB is between 21 to 24 months, has many and severe medication side effects and requires DOT (direct observed therapy) for the duration of treatment which means patients are required to come into an ambulatory point 1-2 times per day 6 days per week. Yep, that's right twice daily 6 days per week for 2 years! Understandably, adherence with treatment is very difficult.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
running in former soviet union (FSU)
5 mile run in zugdidi.
people: 2 (3 counting the fisherman who directed me back on track)
cows: 15
pigs: 8
chickens: 27
other hooved beasts: 3
number of gates to pass in order to prevent said beasts from escaping: 3
cars: 2
5 mile run in nyc along west side highway.
people: min. 200 to 300
cows, pigs, chickens, and other hooved beasts: 0
gates to pass: 0, not including the metaphorical ones
cars: several hundred
number of days until the PARIS marathon: 200
number of weeks to prepare: 28
this is going to be a bit of an adjustment.
people: 2 (3 counting the fisherman who directed me back on track)
cows: 15
pigs: 8
chickens: 27
other hooved beasts: 3
number of gates to pass in order to prevent said beasts from escaping: 3
cars: 2
5 mile run in nyc along west side highway.
people: min. 200 to 300
cows, pigs, chickens, and other hooved beasts: 0
gates to pass: 0, not including the metaphorical ones
cars: several hundred
number of days until the PARIS marathon: 200
number of weeks to prepare: 28
this is going to be a bit of an adjustment.
Friday, September 4, 2009
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