Nolan - 7/10/08 10:10 AM

7/10/08 10:10 AM

The microscopic insanity that is found in currency within Uganda is astounding. Panic, nay hysteria has overtaken this country and compelled everyone to only except pristine newly printed out side bills. Several of my Benjamin’s have a minor rip in the outside corner. No bank in the country will except them, why? NO GOOD REASON. My teammate has a Jackson with a minor pen mark on it. They were unsure if they would except even that. I say this because of budgeting. I calculated and planned and reasoned and speculated as to the exact amount of money I would need. It would have been perfect, save for the strict religious code that must be followed in money here. I am forced to borrow some money from my research partners, but in the end I feel it will all be okay.

Last night we went out to an Pub with some locals. It was a good time. There were so many international trivia questions that I didn’t know, but the atmosphere was great.

Tomorrow we leave in the morning for an exciting lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra, rhino, and chimpanzee trekking. I have never seen these animals in there natural habitat, so it will be invigorating to observe. So far in Uganda our research has not carried us to many of the older tribes in the south. Part of me would like to visit and learn from their culture, but I also do not want to be apart of the tourist culture which is destroying ancient ways of life.

Justin and I have now wrapped up 2 weeks of our project. We are planning the re-training for all the first aid trainees for late july. Next week we are planning on spending a lot of time in the hospital assisting in surgery or the ER.

Even though it is summer, it is hard for me to not think about studying. The USMLE haunts my thoughts. It is interesting to see the Brain Drain of Africa first hand. We have hired a few med students in Uganda to help us with research and most of them want to pass the USMLE and work in the states. The economy of Africa is not great enough to support the income they want to achieve so they leave for another place where the economic outlook is brighter. It is sad really, this continent will never grow and develop if the people don’t invest back into it. Instead all the best resources get shipped to the developed world.