My faithful readers! How kind of you to tune into this adventure once again. The truth is, in this episode, I have little significant to offer but a continued revelation of my day to day life in Tansen. The bugs I am used to and the shrews now fail to strike me down with fear, I must be finally adjusting to life as a Nepali.

Surgery continues as always. I have seen more gall bladder and renal stones than i can poke a stick at. Someone told me that the water trickling down from the Himal has a particularly high calcium content and this manifests as a large proportion of people coming in to hospital with stones in places they shouldn't. Either way the ward is littered with people waiting for their gall bladder to be removed.

I don't know whether to stick with surgery for my final week or to try something novel like paediatrics or Obs and gynae. I think I will make a quick spur of the moment decision at the weekend.

And I forgot to mention the car crash last week!! From within the hospital canteen we heard an almighty screech followed by a huge bang coming from the other side of the hospital. After casually finishing a sweet sweet cup of chiya we were walking to teaching when we saw a large crowd gathering in front of the hospital. We saw to our amazement that a 4 by 4 had crashed directly into the hospital. It had been coming down the steep hill towards the hospital and the brakes had failed! A huge crownd gathered round and after a few seconds of amazement we had to get our doctor hats on and attend to any victims. (Please see pictures in latest album!). Fortunately there was only one serious injury, the driver, whom myself and Anna assessed. He had serious pelvic fractures with a ruptured spleen and is still alive after a stormy 24hours. So luckily everyone had managed to get out of the way of the vehicle.

Now...my mum and dad love to always joke about how few books I have read! Its all in their head, I have read quite a few books but its an ongoing joke that deeply amuses them. I am pleased to announce I have read a book a week since arriving here (6 total). Oh yes! My latest are a very funny series by Alexander McCall Smith starting with 'The No1 Ladies Detective Agency'. Very witty, they cover the life of the only lady detective in Botswana. She's fat and very clever. They remind me of my dads favourite saying 'its never over until the fat lady sings'. Now, although my time in Tansen is far from over with just over a week to go, I believe the fat lady is warming up her voice as the inevitable end advances (like watching England go into a last 16 world cup penalty shoot out). I hope I make the most of everything from here on in!