The beginning of the end?

It might seem a long time until the beginning of March and our return to our jobs, or at least my return as Geoff is technically unemployed from the end of our contract here, but we don't have many weeks left in Katete.

We intend to go travelling in Malawi for a week with Nat and Will, have a brief stop off in London and then go skiing for a week after we leave, so our departure is about a month away.

It is really starting to hit home now. In the past month we've had 4 new medics arrive and it's interesting to see how like us at the beginning they are. But their different personalities bring a different atmosphere to the Mess, the wards and the hospital. It feels a bit like the changing of the guard.

This week we are losing Fi and Rory on Thursday. It's strange to think that we've had our last weekend together. They have been giving away their household items to the new people and talking of their plans in London next weekend.

Today we did a large barbecue as part of the goodbye celebrations and it was a good opportunity to reminisce about our group experiences. We bought Will a bbq fan for Christmas so there was no need for Rory to take his top off to fan the coals today. We realised that he will probably never have to fan a fire pit again either because all our wood is too wet to do one this week.

Wednesday is the proper goodbye dinner at Phoebe's. We've requested flying ants and Nshima but the rest will be more Western food. Then I think we have to play pool with Rory and potentially go to Drums...

Drums is the nightclub in Katete. Since Geoff and I and Nat and Will don't really do nightclubs (I'm sure you are shocked to discover this), we've been kicking the can down the road. We promised Rory we'd go once in our time here. And we haven't been.

I had been mildly enthusiastic at some point until they came back from their second visit and described the lavatorial situation. That being that any sane person would do their business outside rather than go in the designated building. In the bush I'm fine with that, I quite enjoy it. In the middle of Katete, at night, surrounded by drunk people, dressed in trousers [the ladies appear just to pee with their legs open stood up in Chitenges (even sober during the day) - I know, I know] I can't think of much worse.

I've said I'll go if they catheterise me first...