How time flies...

Today I had my second to last clinical day in South Africa!! I can't believe it. The time here continues to speed by so quickly. So...what am I doing for the next month and a half? Well...after this week wraps up, we have 2 weeks with no clinicals to finish up assignments and do our Senior Sem paper. For you all not accustomed to APU jargon, this is our 15 page ethics term paper that we have to write before we graduate. I am going to do mine on HIV/AIDs status disclosure to children. (A lot of parents don't know whether to test their children, or to tell them if they are/aren't HIV positive. It's so sad.) After 2 weeks, we have presentations and finals and then it's a week of driving through the Garden route headed for Capetown. We're in Capetown for the rest of the time until I leave on a plane to come home December 14.

I feel so privileged not only for being here, but for everything I have at home. I saw patients come into the clinic today, so "wasted" (clinical term for extreme malnutrition and infection as a result of the HIV disease process), it was remarkable. I watched one man who had been struggling to stand, gulp porridge faster than a young child who had just received a milkshake. It's hard, because at home we tell patients that they need to eat and drink water when they are sick (with HIV or whatever). Here, oftentimes that is not an option. Here's something I've seen before, but came across again and found interesting:

Germany : The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States : The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week $341.98

Italy : The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Mexico : The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland : The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt : The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador : The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan : The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad : The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23