My final week of working for projects abroad in Bogo City (and surrounding areas) has arrived and it's time to say farewell to new friends.

This week with no doctors at the city health office, yes that's right, no being ill this week.... No getting medication refills for hypertension or diabetes, etc. and no medical mission either. Not good planning to both be off the same time, but ats the laid back attitude a lot of people here seem to have.

This week involves a lot of follow up screening (2 days in Lourdes) and another day in....( Can't remember where). The first 2 days we went house to house, calling in at a tailors shop, a small street side cafe cooking fried chicken, the barungay captains house etc. it seems almost every place they offer us snacks and soda as they are so grateful to have us and it's how Philippinos welcome their guests! Everyone is friendly and welcoming.

Wednesday starts with Gayle and. Going to the market to buy some vegetables to cook back at the office ready for the education group in the afternoon in La Paz. A chilli for flavouring - I'm not putting salt in!! Sweet potato, potato, beans, eggplant, some other local white root crop. Half we steam, and the other half I stir fry in just a teaspoon of oil, no the cupfulls they seem to use. We have about 20 people turn up for the educate session on diabetes and hypertension (right up my street). Various translating later and much discussion gearing mount of salt...... They all go away happy with many promising to use less oil and to try steaming veg in future.
Thursday is my last day on the job and we do screening in barungay in Bogo City, at their hall (it has aircon and a large fan). We only see about 10 people in the morning, it was interrupted by about 20 mins of heavy wind and rain - nobody was going anywhere unless they had too! After lunch we did the screening at the top of the road at an outpost for the captain and secretary (both were screened). Much busier in the afternoon and then it was off to the final Thursday night social...... Then back to pack ready for the morning

It all fitted in the bag on the way out along with a bp meter and box of disposable gloves I'm leaving behind with the guys to use. After much rearranging it all fits back in, it'll need a good sort out in Aus!