Thinking about my time here, various aspects come to mind
* the team seems to be functioning well, and mostly the same as our recent visit
* it was so good to meet several patients again and to build on past visits. One lady saw me in the women's centre and said she'd like to buy my skirt!
* the community is in fighting mode. It's distressing, not only to us: many people are frightened to come out of their homes for shopping or their regular medicine. They says it's the build up season (humid pre-wet season), or "mango madness". But it's cast a negative shadow on the atmosphere. The police sent in the task force, once G20 was over, and things are a bit quieter now. But they say it's a superficial peace.
* many are concerned that it's the children doing the fighting now, "because they can't be arrested" - there is talk of families sending children out to "fight for us". And they have shotput sized rocks, and steel rods, off cuts from reinforcing rods. Significant weapons!
* the main reason for me coming was to support and supervise Andrea, the GP registrar here. It's been great to talk about medical stuff with her. She's very capable. We've been the only 2 doctors, till yesterday - a new locum arrived, and I spent time orientating him and helping with the computer program. After work we had a drive around for some community orientation.
* exercise! I got sore knees walking in the first week, so borrowed some goggles and went swimming the second week, before work. The water temperature is 31-32deg! I go home to get back on my bike, with the Great Vic Bike Ride starting in a week!
* the school principal and his wife have been here 3 years; they had planned to stay 4, but are leaving soon, very discouraged, feeling like nothing has changed.
Change! How challenging in any context. Perhaps for some people more than others. Certainly it's a process to embrace, with creativity, and openness. Our ideas of how to achieve it may be partly wrong, or even totally ineffective.
Did anyone see "First Contact" on SBS this week? A 3-part series, 6 white Aussies immersed in Aboriginal culture for a month. It's very interesting! Highly edited I suppose, but it raises so many things, and it was great to see the ways they changed. It was also great to hear the stories of the people they met, and the positive things that are happening, as well as the reality of life in various contexts. Try and see it!
So, I leave here on the afternoon plane, hang about in the airport, fly home overnight, pick up the car and drive home! Might be home by 9am, which is 24 hours from now! Feels a bit surreal.. A different world. But I'm very much looking forward to getting home, seeing Tim, and Andy, Cathy and the girls are coming to stay for the week. How good will that be!
