Week in Review

Ok, so I stink at blogging. No suprise. In my defense, this is the 4th time I've written this post. Each time. I write it adding more details of the week, only to find that as I try to publish it, the internet connection is lost and everything I have written is lost with it. So here I go. If I lose it, I will have saved it onto a word file and will be able to upload it when the connection is back. It has been quite a week for us, here are some highlights.

• Cox's Bazaar - Cox's Bazaar is the southernmost major city in Bangladesh and a tourist destination located on the Bay of Bengal. The day after Christmas, we took a trip down there (about 45 minute drive) and played on the beach, swam in the Bay of Bengal, and visited the local fish market (an intense sensory experience). Cox's Bazaar is famous as the starting point of the world's longest continuous sandy beach.
• Election day - Monday was election day in Bangladesh. These were the first elections held in 7 years. Bangladesh has an interesting political system. The founding fathers figured that any government in power would be incapable of holding free and fair elections so after each 5 year cycle, the government resigns and an interim government takes over to preside over the election process. In 2006, the interim government determined that the country was so corrupt that is needed an extra 2 years to clean up the mess. This election pitted the Awami League's Sheik Hessina (daughter of the George Washington of Bangladesh) vs. the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Kalied Zia (wife of a popular former president who was assassinated in office). Both women have been prime minister before and both spent time in jail for corruption during the last 2 years. In the end, the Awami League won in a landslide, claiming parilment seats out of
• Dulahazara Safari Park - This is a zoo/forest preserve located about a mile south of the hospital. This place is famous all over Bangladesh and over 1 million people visit per year. Because of it's proximity, Dr. Kelley has taken care of many of the people who work at the park over the years for things like Baboon bites and the occasional poor person who sneeks into the lions area looking for food, only to wind up as food himself. We were treated like royalty, allowed to drive the Kelley's LandCruiser through the park, go behind the scenes, and go for a ride on an elephant. Grace loved it. We'll have pictures posted as soon as we can.
• The hospital has been slow because of the holidays, but we are still taking care of patients. This week's operations included a carotid endarterectomy. Bangladesh, in spite of being so despirately poor, still has a growing problem with obesity and vascular disease. We've also had some very sick people to care for with very little resourses. More stories for another post.

Jon