Bali so far

We arrived in Bali and were met with a 3 hour wait for our driver which was really annoying. We are staying in legian in su's crappages (cottages) which aren't really up to my usual standards but do the job for a bed and a shower rats included.

Placement starts at 8-1 though we usually leaver earlier. We all spent the first two weeks on obs and gynae. Iesha plays with babies all day whilst Sarah and I see deliveries. We hae seen forceps and auction deliveries. There is again no pain relieve and tw women go through the whole thing in almost silence.

I have seen one horrific badly managed shoulder dystocia which will stay with me forever and resulted in a severely brain damaged baby and a traumatised and traumatic I jury to mum.

We have spent most afternoons on the beach though we have also been out clubbing a few times with the crazy Leeds medics and have gone white water rafting which was great.

Bali is a weird place it is full of bogan Australians. It is very expensive to liver probably more similar to Spain than somewhere in Asia. It is nice but not somewhere I would return as other places in Asia but at least the weather is great. This weekend we went tithe gili islands which was much more like the paradise that I was hoping Bali would be. It also was much more European. Though the boat ride was sooooo rough!!! I have also been surfing 4 times and am getting the hang of it slowly. It only costs 3-4£ for a days rental.

Hope everyone at home is well! Just over 4 weeks left!

Whistle stop tour Singapore

We arrived in singapore at 9pm on Tuesday by train as I said. We had a long long day of sightseeing pretty much all of the day! Iesha and I had lunch in the buisiness district and had noodles fish chicken egg etc etc for $2.10 about £1 it was great and the only value thing in Singapore.

We had dinner in the really trendy club street and had an amazing Italian before going out clubbing and baring! Entrance was free for them as it was ladies night and 14 pound for me though I did get 2 free drinks! Basically typical anti male sexism. Clubbing was a really odd experience.

We then and did some more sightseeing an went to little India and quickly left as we had all had enough of India did a lot more shopping and the firms finally got their ALDO shoes which we have been into about 15 different ALDOs multinationally. So I was happy to no more Aldo!

We went to a bar club on the roof top of the most amazing hotel in the evening had one expensive cocktail and danced with the rich of Singapore!

We got to bed around 3.30am with the clocks set for 2 hours later as we all had to pack before our airport taxi turned up at 7.15!!! Singapore was amazing but expensive but more than anything it was so nice to have 2 days of western world before going back to living and working in Indonesia!

Malaysia

We have had a really nice couple of days in KL. We were delayed coming from India (of course) and didn't get to KL until 1.30am and ieshas poor uncles wife's, cousins husband (tenuous family link) had come to collect us.

We stayed at the house the girls ha one room and I had another. The girls panicked at first as they thought there was just a squatting toilet. It was lovely of them to let us stay in their family farm where 4 generations of the same family were living. We were a 25 minute train journey out of KL which was fine. On the first day ieshas uncles wifes cousins husband drove us around to a few cool places such as the Bati caves, dropped us at a mall to do some shopping and had nice lunch and took us to another mall which had a river running through it (see pics). Then in the evening they took us for some really really yummy street cafe food which was satay mutton fish and chicken and fried rice.

On the second day we got up early and went into kl. We saw the shopping malls the petronas towers, kl tower, Chinatown, and had a really really nice lunch and dinner in Bukit Bintang which was some of the best street food I've ever had. We had noodles, prawns, crab, ribs. So much nicer than the Chinese food at home. We got back really late (well 11.30) and everyone was in bed and a mad dog was barking at us. We phoned to wake them up to let us in and the aunti (massi) was do worried she had called England to the auntie 4 times. I guess it's the culture difference that unmarked girls wouldn't be out that late but it was really sweet and we felt awful. Next day we had a nice Indian breakfast and got on the train to Singapore which is a place I absolutely love have had a nice dinner and are in our expensive hostel in our tiny but private room. It is very ££££ here.

Weekend of sightseeing!

Last week had a couple of funny events like being forced (asked) to go to an evening conference and Sarah bursting out laughing as this man sung the indian national anthem acapella! Being asked to do a press conference as to why we are doing our elective here.... but the best bit was the sightseeing this weekend.

We started off with a tour around the back waters which was absolutely stunning. It was on a really old houseboat.

It was really nice. On sunday we went to wash some elephants and then we saw some beautiful waterfalls I will put a better explanation on here tomorrow as I am shattered so am just putting some pictures up!

Weather

Day 3 at the hospital still not loving the placement.. It is okay. However we had a really nice afternoon at the beach and then went to a conference where the free food was really nice. I also met a gynaecologist who invited me to her clinic which she owns about 10 minutes walk from the hospital and to her operation lists at the hospital and told me to bring along the girls too! She seems really lovely. Hopefully this will make tomorrow better.

There is a really nice doctor at the hospital who gives us a tutorial each day too.

Gautham hospital

So we started today... It is a private hospital... Still for many poor people and still very very basic compared to what we are used too but soo much better than AIIMS! The doctors talk to patients and are kind. We are all doing general med/ casualty and only have to do 8.30-1.00 but I think we all need a break after the two weeks in Delhi. I'm going to try and go to some gynae surgery as well and we all may follow up interesting patients.. For example a boy who swallowed a sharpener today!!!

We are going to use the afternoon web it is rainin to revise in our new favourite tea place called teapot. The weather for most of today was beautiful but when it rained it rained.

We decided we hated our homestay so have moved to a much nicer one that the owners have welcomed us in like their family! The room is nicer the bathroom is nicer and it is cheaper. We also get breakfast. They have a big retriever but Sarah still wanted to stay here as it only lives downstairs (she's allergic)!

They also do a cookery class which Iesha and I and maybe Sarah are going to do! It's also in the middle of town! Basically we are much happier. The last place was mank! We had a nice dinner which the total bill came to about £7 and it was really nice

Anyway that's it for today!

First night in Kerala

We arrive in fort (British) kochin last night. We had a nice flight as we got upgraded seats when we complained we weren't sat next to each other!

We were all nervous about no A/C in the rooms however compared to Delhi it is so cold here. We were a bit sticky last night but perfectly comfortable. The windows in the room are left open and have bars and Mosquito nets and is really nice a you can hear the rain.

It rained all night though apparently stops during the day which it has done now! My room is downstairs and the girls upstairs. The girls have blocked up there vents as they think they will fid a lizard on their face! It's a step down from serene Delhi but I quite like it.

Breakfast was an array of banana, papaya, mango, plantain, pancake, toast, chicco fruit etc etc. it is sooooo peaceful and developed here compared to Delhi! People drive in the lines on the road and there are proper roads!

We are near restaurants and cafes and right near the beach though not quite sun bathing weather. The owner is booking us a rickshaw to bring us to the hospital tomorrow morning.

We went for a masala chai earlier in a really cool cafe and went for dinner and had all things English. Sarah had a prawn cocktail and steak and Iesha and I had Indian fish and chips! Was a nice break from Indian and the bill came to about £15.

The photos aren't in order as I can do it on my phone. Also notice the girls have taped up the holes in the wall to outside!