merry christmas

Merry Christmas in Nepal! We went yesterday to see the eternal snow of Himalaya. We seated on the world’s roof… We feel so good just as if our problems had vanished and a new life began.

high ground

I’m getting used to the altitude and the lack of oxygen now. First days I had difficulties for breathing. I felt tired very quickly as we were visiting temples just like tourists.

sacred cow

Our first patient, and what a visitor! All animals are said to be sacred here. I admit that this one is very impressive! Don’t you think so?

impressions

The country sounds like paradise: an incredible variety of scenery. The village is located in a valley among hills and mountains. The people here seem to be very friendly. I feel we’ll be fine there.

nepal

I received a phone call from Alex in Nepal today. He settled in a small village in the region of Khadoa and has already started to arrange our consulting office right in the village. I couldn't find Khadoa on a map, but then not every village and hidden valley are on maps. Alex will pick me up at the airport and take me directly to the village from there. I bought a guide of Nepal and started to learn my first words in Nepali. That’s going to be a new interesting adventure together and I’m happy to discover such a magnificent country. I’m already amazed by the Himalayas mountains. Alex explained that the mountains are sacred to the people here for being a kind of protector and I hope they’ll do the same to us.

katmandu

I can’t believe it and I’m afraid of writing it! He’s going with me!!! Can you believe that? Alex will be leaving for Katmandu a week before me to check about our future needs in Nepal and prepare our settlement there. I’ll join him quickly after that. He didn’t give me any explanation when he came back this morning except that he loves me and he trusts me and wants to go. Well, that’s the only explanation I needed. He talked to Matthew too but he refuses to tell me more about that. Never mind…never mind! He still loves me and comes with me, that’s the only thing which matters to me.

it's over

It’s over. Alex and I had a huge fight yesterday. I told him about my plan to move to Nepal and I told him everything I thought about him, the disappointment, my mistrust for Matthew and their so-called laboratory. I pleaded him to leave it all behind, I told him that he was no longer a physician and had become a kind of money maker. I only wanted him to react, wake up. And he did, only not in the manner I was wishing for. He left the house without a word. I fear our love is over.

trouble

Alex and Matthew are in trouble. The miracle product set up a big debate. Alex refuses to talk to me about that. I don’t know anymore what I can do to help him or to save our couple. All this seems so different from the life we dreamed of, the life we wanted to share and the projects we dreamed of together.

Nepal

Last week I read an article in a monthly medical paper about Nepal. There are so many things to be done over there. I decided to keep it for later to think about it. I feel such a strong need inside to be of help of those in need. Joaquim is doing very well in the reservation. What if I decided to leave for Nepal : I have saved some money, I probably could go, but what about Alex, could I do it leaving him here? Well, I don’t remember the last time we had a real talk together. I’m going to look for more information about Nepal. I could go… Yes, I could , I would. At least, I would feel useful there.

a new product

Alex and Matthew are getting more nervous and impatient. They developped a new product which could be revolutionary for the American cosmetics market. Sometimes I just don’t understand Alex at all. Is it for this product he spent so many sleepless nights working at in French Guyana? Where is my Alex, the one who was so much involved in treating and taking care of people? They’re preparing their marketing approval file before they launch it. I hardly recognize Alex. He tells me that this product would be a great step ahead for medicine but I can't help hearing Matthew's view too when he tells him that they’re going to be rich! I must talk to Alex but I'm waiting for the right moment which seems never to come: I just don’t know if he could even hear me these days.

life has moved on

For a while, I just couldn’t write anymore when we came back. It’s been two months since we landed back in Santa Fe and life has moved on, as it always does. I received new s form Pierre and François. They are to leave in a few weeks for another mission in Ecuador. They promised to stop and visit us in Santa Fe on their way back home. Alex went back to work at ThamResearch and Matthew couldn't hide his contentment to see him at work here again - as well as raving about the discoveries he brought back from Guyana. As for me, I went back working on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. Today is Independence Day. Everyone is celebrating but I cant' help feeling a touch of sadness deep in my heart, why?

we left the village

We left the village yesterday. Welli ran after us for miles. It was so hard on me that I just couldn’t look at him and say goodbye. I know he’s happy here and that the village will go on with or without us. Nevertheless, It’s like I had let a part of me among them. But fortunately I have Alex and we're still together. I’m glad that we shared this adventure.

departure :(

I feel sad to write this but time for departure is getting closer. Within two weeks we’ll have to pack and leave. Surprisingly Alex doesn’t seem to be too upset by that thought. On the contrary, he seems to be quite happy to leave and keeps saying that he can't wait to share his discovery with his partner and buddy Matthew. I can’t think straight about this comeback yet. I really feel I had found my place on earth here, among these people. We’ll have to go anyway, but I’m wondering what our life will be back in Santa Fe: the same as before? I doubt. French Guyana revealed itself as a second chance for Alex and I but it arose another question? …

pure magic

Alex and François had a surprise for us when they came back: huge boxes of food and drinks! We decided to have a party right here in the village. It has been a lot of fun and somewhat unreal in the same time. It ended with everybody sitting around a huge bonfire, listening to the women of the village singing and the elders teeling stories. I can’t describe this moment, pure magic…

amazing

Alex and François left for the nearest town. They wanted to send data to Matthew. They’ll bring back new reserves of medecine in the same trip. Aspirin here is the closest thing to a miracle. I asked Alex to bring back reserves of the basics which means antiseptic, medical devices… I hope that I’ll be able to leave it all in care of Welli (with proper instructions!) before we have to leave. This young man is amazing. He’s only fourteen years old but he’s so willing to learn and understand. Can you figure out that within 3 weeks he learnt almost all the French medical words that we use within the camp? Amazing… I already imagine him being a kind of medicine man even if I know that he may never leave his village and his family.

the pregnant woman

Yesterday, a woman arrived in the village coming out of nowhere. She was pregnant and the labor had started already. Pierre and I had to react really fast. We still don’t know either where she comes from or how she managed to find her way through the equatorial forest by herself in her state. The baby’s doing well with his 2.9 Kilos. As I was taking care of him, I found myself wondering how much I’d love to have one of my own. But this thought flew away quickly. Always look on the bright side of life tells the song. This is our motto here too.

welli

A new membership has joined the mission, Welli. He followed Pierre and I in our rounds for 10 days. He seems to be very interested in what we’re doing. But Pierre and I agree, we’re going to have to teach him the basics of our job. I can’t stop telling myself that knowledge is not worth a thing if not to be shared and transmitted. However, I feel so much concerned with what really matters. How can a population survive today with nothing and without any medical care?

new neighbors

Yesterday we met our new neighbors. A French scientific mission has settled camp only four miles from our base. Alex and François remained very vague about what they are working on. What a surprise… Honestly, to see new faces was good to me. I didn’t think that the first thing I miss would be people and that our camp would be so isolated from everything. Sometimes I dream of a warm bath and a glass of Chardonnay. God, if Alex could hear me he would laugh of such a feminine lightness as he says.

i don't miss a thing

Finally! It seems to me as if like we had been isolated for ever. We had a terrible storm here that destroyed most of the Lab and the medical equipment. But thank God, no one has been hurt. It took days to Konstantin to come back from the nearest town (4 days by boat!) with enough to replace what had been damaged or broken. At the end, our equipment is lighter than ever. But everything is okay now and I find that I still can surprise my own self. I don't miss a thing, I don't miss civilization, I don't miss modern "comfort". I mean this experience compelled us to adopt the village’s lifestyle and share it with the inhabitants. Why didn’t we do that before? I don’t know but what a waste of time.

mysterious work at the lab

Alex and François spend hours in the Lab. The rest of our team seems to find this normal. There’s some sort of mystery around the topic of their research. A few days ago a new load of boxes and crates arrived from Santa Fe from Matthew and Alex spent hours over the phone with him. But I can’t resent Alex for being so passionate about his work, he’s doing such a great job in the village at the same time. I think each of us found his place here and our presence doesn’t seem to unsettle the inhabitants anymore. Oh yes and the little Yuly finally recovered completely, but how this happened is still a complete puzzle to us.

rain!

It’s finally here: the rain! Pouring like an open faucet above our camp. We should have anticipated that. I can't say how many days it’s been raining now. For sure it’s a big difference with Santa Fe. Anyway, the mission moves on. Alex and François are working night and day. I don’t know precisely what they are working on. Pierre and take care of the children. They look so cute and bright and reactive. The little Yuly (I’m fond of this name) strikes most of our attention. She’s got a persisting fever that hasn’t been dropping since days and we are all clueless about that.

settled

We have finally settled. Eight people are part of the mission. Alex and I are the only ones coming from North America. Marie is a French biologist (and Professeur Malud’s partner too), Konstantin is German and in charge of telecommunications and logistics, Will is a French ethnologist and Francisco is an Italian naturalist. He came with his wife Francesca who is supposed to cook for all of us. I’ll look after the children of the village with Pierre, the French pediatrician of the team and finally, Alex will be working with François. This melting pot is really a stimulating environment and it does feel so good to have a new opportunity to speak French again. What we could call our house is modest to say the least: we’re going to share a room with two other people. It’s not going to be easy! The biggest building has easily been cut in half: one side is hospital, the other side is the lab. The village inhabitants are wondering who we are and what we do… It’s quite understandable. I can’t go out walking in the village without having a growing bunch of kids running around me like buzzing little bees. They follow me everywhere I go and they seem fascinated by my blond hair. François told me that till today they had never seen a white woman with blond hair...

suffering from the weather

This place is so hot and damp that it can get suffocating. Alex is more uncomfortable with this than I am. I guess we need some time to adapt. We’re doing as well as we can with what little we have. The inhabitants of the village are really unique and Alex seems just as fascinated as I am. He ran a lot of tests with them and made quite a interesting discovery? All of them have incredible eyesight. I mean their vision is simply perfect - had they something to read, they certainly wouldn't need glasses, even the elders. I have never seen that before and Alex is trying to understand what he calls the “little miracle of French Guyana”. As for me, I’m wondering what am I going to do those boxes full of reading glasses we took with us? It seemed to be such a great idea when we left the States. Anyone interested? Just let me know :o)

all packed up

We packed all our stuff. At home the atmosphere is tense. We’re eagerly waiting for the departure day. We’ve checked a hundred times all the medical equipment we might need but the point is that we have no idea of what we are to except down there. Matthew even offered Alex to take away some of the Laboratory equipment with him. In return, he made him promise to go on with the research and send him monthly what he calls a state of advancing report. God! As for the Indian reservation we're leaving, I finally met my substitute. He looks smart and I'm sure he will do a great job. So here we are, no going possible now!