What are you doing for Christmas?

This is a question that I've been asked a lot recently so I thought I'd write the answer here and then you can all be in the know!

The short answer is: working! At least for Geoff anyway.

The Prof is in Holland until the 29th and some other gaps in the rota mean that from Monday night, Gemma and Geoff are the only trained surgeons here, and pretty much in the entirety of Eastern Province. As I type it's just Geoff as Gemma's been back in the UK getting her Consultant post (Well done!).

So they will be working most days and that includes Christmas and no one will be going further away from the hospital than Chipata and only when one of the fully trained licentiates is available to get things started if there's an emergency.

What are we doing then?

Well, we have got a Mulled wine and Mince pies party planned for Thursday - this is the evening closest to Christmas that we are all together - Fi and Rory come back from Malawi in the morning and Nat and Will go to Namibia on Friday (very jealous!). Apparently we will be singing Christmas carols! Which is good because I like singing but I'm not sure the boys are that keen.

Nat had suggested Secret Santa but I've pooh-poohed the idea. I know shocking! [I've helped organise it at work for the past 3 years]. I thought it was going to be a bit tricky with no access to decent shops. Fi suggested we give the worst thing we can find in our houses but that prospect is scary and probably a danger to health. So we've all agreed to appease Nat by giving her a sprayed cockroach in a match box. You probably had to be there but suffice to say that Nat hates cockroaches! :) I've managed to find a good 3 incher for my box, I'm just having to extend the box to fit it in and trying to keep it alive until Thursday - anyone know how long they live?

On the day I'll be joining Geoff and Gemma to give out the presents that Gemma, I mean Santa, is bringing for the Surgical wards. Usually the patients get Chicken and Rice for lunch, as a change from Nshima and beans, but I spoke to the head chef earlier in the week and they haven't yet been given the go ahead to buy the food. I'm not hopeful given that last night was a chicken night for us and we had mince. There's been no custard all week - we are back to hot milk - and yesterday's pudding was just mushed mango and sugar...

Either way the lunch will be served by the doctors!! And me, as honorary doctor unless I'm going to be cooking our Christmas lunch! But I doubt they'd be that mean to make me do it alone - or more likely, that trusting!! We will just have to pray for electricity all day!

There will be no presents exchanged in the Roberts' household by mutual agreement. We have one present from his parents that will have to do! Note that both sets of parents were told that we didn't want presents we had to carry as we had too much luggage already ;)

The big event will be New Year. The Prof is coming back from Lusaka in his car and has offered to do a shop there (we need to send him a list!) and bring 2 bottles of Champagne. As he's alone (his wife is staying on a bit longer with her daughter), he's going to be part of our party or we are a key part of his! I think we might need more Champagne.... :D

In the meantime, I've just remembered that they are away and they have an Avocado tree, so I might pop over and see if any are ripe ;)