Hello guys! I’m enjoying Africa more and more. There’s always something to do here. And the medical aspect of things is pretty cool to see. I’m not too sure when my next blog will be so enjoy this one because it might take me a week to write the next one…
June 23, 2009
Africa is so hot! I’ve never sweated so much. I literally sweat a gallon’s worth. The first thing I do when I wake up is chug a bottle of water. Hospital orientation will start tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it. This evening we went to Robert Deflavio’s shop to just chit chat. In the Gambia, hours and hours are spent just chit chatting with the neighbours. The people here are so relaxed and calm. They are never in a hurry. For dinner we ate this odd fish sandwich and then I played games with some of the kids, in particular Moru and Bintu. Overall I’m enjoying myself more and more. I’m no longer looking at the negative sides of Africa, but rather the positives. It definitely helps that there are nine other group members that are going through the same experience…
June 24, 2009
Today Mr. Baji gave us a warm welcome and officially gave us an orientation. We met most of the staff members at the Hospital and acquainted ourselves with every department. I am really looking forward to working with the people here and observing the many medical treatments provided in this hospital. Oh, also today I finally received my “Gambian name” . It is Laman. :D Starting tomorrow, I will be working in the maternity ward, the following week I’ll be working with outpatient or inside the laboratory! :D
June 25, 2009
As I walk into the maternity ward to find Tammy, my fellow crossroader, I hear small whispers coming from a dark room. I open the curtains and stumble myself into the room. At once I could sense the gravity of the situation. Tammy was holding the flash light, while two nurses were taking care of a fragile body – Kodou Sallah. She has given birth to a 3 kg baby and was now in the process of giving afterbirth. I was so shocked by how weak she was. Her blood pressure was merely 60/40 (far below an average blood pressure of 120/80 *if my memory serves me right :P*) I was saddened by how weak she was and that the nurses were absolutely helpless. The only option available was to wait and hope that she got better. Things like this make me feel as if life is so unfair. I realize more and more as the day goes on, how lucky I am to be born in a country called America…
June 26, 2009
Today I got to see a patient give birth. Wait, I ALMOST got to see a patient give birth… :/ The patient was in labour for 3 hours and I had to leave for 30 minutes to attend our group meeting. And when I came back the mother had already delivered the baby. I was 15 minutes shy… how unfortunate… *sigh* After working in the hospital (we work from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm), I did my laundry. I really hate doing manual labor… haha Around 5ish our group went to the soccer field to play soccer with the Mofinga’s (people in the village) and oh my oh my… we got powned. People here are so GOOD at soccer. I’ve never seen such fast sprinters and amazing ball movement… I was completely exhausted after the game…
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Gambiaaaaaaaaa
Greetings! I was trying to post up pictures, but realized that I did not bring the cable to load pictures onto the computer. So pictures will be posted up after I get back to the states. :\ If you guys could post up your address in the comment section or email me your address that’ll be awesome! I can mail postcards! :D (email: johnminsookim@gmail.com) So here’s a little update of what I’ve been doing these past few days…
June 21, 2009 (Continued…)
Like I said we headed toward the market at Brikama and there I was able to spend some time at the internet café. So whenever you travel in the market, kids from all over gather around us and start yelling “tabu tabu!” meaning “white, white!” They run towards us and grab our hands. After taking care of some business at the market we travelled towards Jamanjelly. This was a small, remote village. We ate lunch there and then attended their village meeting. It was really cool to hear the elders of the village speak and attend a town meeting. They welcomed us and were really happy to see us there. There is so much to take in whenever we travel in Africa - the environment, the people, the food, etc.
June 22, 2009
We spent the day at the hospital. We familiarized ourselves with the hospital surroundings and then did our laundry. Washing our clothes with bare hands was a big work out! Transporting water, rinsing the clothes and drying them by hanging them on strings was some tough work especially out in the heat... After we were done w/ out laundry we attended a baby ceremony in the village. So apparently every time they have a baby here in Bwiam, they celebrate by hosting a week long ceremony. We went there and the happy family greeted us by giving us the most delicious food ever. Afterwards, we played some basketball with some Gambian kids and then I went to bed.
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There are so many things to do here in Africa. Just spending the day walking through the village is an adventure in itself. I'm starting to get closer to the people within my group and am adjusting quite well to the environmental settings here. The one thing that I cannot stand is the nights here. It is so HOT! Without any AC on, the night is an absolute killer. I sweat so much. As soon as I wake up I drink a gallon of water just to rehydrate myself... Tomorrow we will officially start working in the hospital from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm. We will be doing rotations our 6 weeks here. (maternal care, ER room, eye/dental care, lab, pharmacy, etc.) On saturdays, surgeons will come to the hospital and we are able to watch them perform surgery! I'm really excited about that. I really like the fact that we end things at 2:00pm so that we have enough time to go to the village and interact with them. It's always a pleasure meeting new people and getting to know more about the culture in Africa. Well... it's time for lunch so I'll talk to you guys later.
June 21, 2009 (Continued…)
Like I said we headed toward the market at Brikama and there I was able to spend some time at the internet café. So whenever you travel in the market, kids from all over gather around us and start yelling “tabu tabu!” meaning “white, white!” They run towards us and grab our hands. After taking care of some business at the market we travelled towards Jamanjelly. This was a small, remote village. We ate lunch there and then attended their village meeting. It was really cool to hear the elders of the village speak and attend a town meeting. They welcomed us and were really happy to see us there. There is so much to take in whenever we travel in Africa - the environment, the people, the food, etc.
June 22, 2009
We spent the day at the hospital. We familiarized ourselves with the hospital surroundings and then did our laundry. Washing our clothes with bare hands was a big work out! Transporting water, rinsing the clothes and drying them by hanging them on strings was some tough work especially out in the heat... After we were done w/ out laundry we attended a baby ceremony in the village. So apparently every time they have a baby here in Bwiam, they celebrate by hosting a week long ceremony. We went there and the happy family greeted us by giving us the most delicious food ever. Afterwards, we played some basketball with some Gambian kids and then I went to bed.
-----------------------------------------------
There are so many things to do here in Africa. Just spending the day walking through the village is an adventure in itself. I'm starting to get closer to the people within my group and am adjusting quite well to the environmental settings here. The one thing that I cannot stand is the nights here. It is so HOT! Without any AC on, the night is an absolute killer. I sweat so much. As soon as I wake up I drink a gallon of water just to rehydrate myself... Tomorrow we will officially start working in the hospital from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm. We will be doing rotations our 6 weeks here. (maternal care, ER room, eye/dental care, lab, pharmacy, etc.) On saturdays, surgeons will come to the hospital and we are able to watch them perform surgery! I'm really excited about that. I really like the fact that we end things at 2:00pm so that we have enough time to go to the village and interact with them. It's always a pleasure meeting new people and getting to know more about the culture in Africa. Well... it's time for lunch so I'll talk to you guys later.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
My first 3 days...
Okay, so I finally managed to come to a internet accessible area in Africa. So many things have happened since my arrival to Africa and Iĺl try to cover the basis over the hour span I have in this cafe area. Enjoy! :D
Note: Group Members include Allison (our leader), Molly, Heedeok, Tammy, Alex, Russel, Matt, LingLing, Diana, and myself.
June 19, 2009
Today was an absolute adventure. Upon my arrival to Africa, I could not help but notice the poorly constructed airport in Dekar. It was literally the smallest airport I've ever seen in my life. After claiming our baggage everything was so hectic. Originally a bus was supposed to come pick us up from the airport to drive us to Bwiam (a 14 hour drive), but something came up and the bus did not show up. It was 5:00 am in the morning and everyone within our group was tired. Mr. Baji, our host, thankfully got 5 taxis for us and took us to his friends house in Dekar. We lounged there for 3 hours and a bus finally showed up. We put our baggage on top of the bus and left to Bwiam.
My first few hours of Africa was quite horrifying. As soon as we walked out of the airport, people were swirming after us asking for money. Left and right people were sticking their hands out initiating conversation, yelling ´money, money, MONEY!' Some were trying to woe the girls within our group and Iḿ sure everyone felt very uncomfortable. The taxis were in the worst conditions possible. I was very surprised that the driver was able to drive the vehicle. (and here I thought that Chris had a crappy car... jk :P)
Somehow we managed to pull through the hectic first few hours and were now safely on the bus. Everyone seemed to have calmed down and were starting to appreciate the beauty of Africa. After 14 hours of driving (stopping for food) we managed to arrive to the hospital safely. So many things happened within that 14 hour ride to Bwiam. The main events were the ferry ride, eating at the African restaurant, and crossing the border from Senegal to Gambia.
June 20, 2009
I wake up asking Heedeok, my roommate for the next 6 weeks, what time it was. It was 11:30 am. We arrived last night at 12:00 a.m., settled in, and took a bucket shower. (we use a bucket of water to shower :\) Afterwards everyone went to bed. I was surprised by how long I slept considering I slept nearly half the time in the bus ride to Bwiam. I suppose I was still tired from all the travelling. Anyways, we ate breakfast as a group (btw the food here is surprisingly good, I doubt that Iĺl get diarhea... ) and then explored the hosptial all together. The hospital was beyond my expectations. It is so nice! I was expecting a very small hospital and did not expect to sleep in a bed, but to my surprise we each have our own room, we have a toilet to take care of our business, and we have access to both water and electricity! I am very fortunate to be residing in such a wonderful place. :D
Later in the evening our group went to the village (the village is just right outside the hospital.) The people within the village were so kind. I took lots of pictures of the children there and many others and will hopefully get a chance to post a few up later on.
June 21, 2009
Today we wake up at 7:30 am and head toward the city to buy food for the coming weeks. It is currently 11:00 am. We took a small van to get here. On our way, one of my group member, Diana, threw up on me. (how wonderful :D haha) She felt a little nauscous due to the malaria medicine she was taking. Thankfully, she feels okay right now so everything is good.
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Brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask that you continue to pray for my safety here in Africa and that I will be able to stay strong. I feel like there will be many challenges coming up ahead. I hope that everyone in the states are doing well and I will be praying for you guys! :D
Until next time...
-John
Note: Group Members include Allison (our leader), Molly, Heedeok, Tammy, Alex, Russel, Matt, LingLing, Diana, and myself.
June 19, 2009
Today was an absolute adventure. Upon my arrival to Africa, I could not help but notice the poorly constructed airport in Dekar. It was literally the smallest airport I've ever seen in my life. After claiming our baggage everything was so hectic. Originally a bus was supposed to come pick us up from the airport to drive us to Bwiam (a 14 hour drive), but something came up and the bus did not show up. It was 5:00 am in the morning and everyone within our group was tired. Mr. Baji, our host, thankfully got 5 taxis for us and took us to his friends house in Dekar. We lounged there for 3 hours and a bus finally showed up. We put our baggage on top of the bus and left to Bwiam.
My first few hours of Africa was quite horrifying. As soon as we walked out of the airport, people were swirming after us asking for money. Left and right people were sticking their hands out initiating conversation, yelling ´money, money, MONEY!' Some were trying to woe the girls within our group and Iḿ sure everyone felt very uncomfortable. The taxis were in the worst conditions possible. I was very surprised that the driver was able to drive the vehicle. (and here I thought that Chris had a crappy car... jk :P)
Somehow we managed to pull through the hectic first few hours and were now safely on the bus. Everyone seemed to have calmed down and were starting to appreciate the beauty of Africa. After 14 hours of driving (stopping for food) we managed to arrive to the hospital safely. So many things happened within that 14 hour ride to Bwiam. The main events were the ferry ride, eating at the African restaurant, and crossing the border from Senegal to Gambia.
June 20, 2009
I wake up asking Heedeok, my roommate for the next 6 weeks, what time it was. It was 11:30 am. We arrived last night at 12:00 a.m., settled in, and took a bucket shower. (we use a bucket of water to shower :\) Afterwards everyone went to bed. I was surprised by how long I slept considering I slept nearly half the time in the bus ride to Bwiam. I suppose I was still tired from all the travelling. Anyways, we ate breakfast as a group (btw the food here is surprisingly good, I doubt that Iĺl get diarhea... ) and then explored the hosptial all together. The hospital was beyond my expectations. It is so nice! I was expecting a very small hospital and did not expect to sleep in a bed, but to my surprise we each have our own room, we have a toilet to take care of our business, and we have access to both water and electricity! I am very fortunate to be residing in such a wonderful place. :D
Later in the evening our group went to the village (the village is just right outside the hospital.) The people within the village were so kind. I took lots of pictures of the children there and many others and will hopefully get a chance to post a few up later on.
June 21, 2009
Today we wake up at 7:30 am and head toward the city to buy food for the coming weeks. It is currently 11:00 am. We took a small van to get here. On our way, one of my group member, Diana, threw up on me. (how wonderful :D haha) She felt a little nauscous due to the malaria medicine she was taking. Thankfully, she feels okay right now so everything is good.
====================================
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask that you continue to pray for my safety here in Africa and that I will be able to stay strong. I feel like there will be many challenges coming up ahead. I hope that everyone in the states are doing well and I will be praying for you guys! :D
Until next time...
-John
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
For your Information
I've recently received emails/texts of what my address is for Africa. They told us today that the address is as follows:
Operation Crossroads
Sulayman Junkung Hospital
Post 0.1279
Banjul, The Gambia West Africa
So feel free to postcard me up! :D hehe
There is one catch though! If you postcard or mail me something AFTER July 15, 2009 I will not be able to receive that mail, so please take that into consideration!
Operation Crossroads
Sulayman Junkung Hospital
Post 0.1279
Banjul, The Gambia West Africa
So feel free to postcard me up! :D hehe
There is one catch though! If you postcard or mail me something AFTER July 15, 2009 I will not be able to receive that mail, so please take that into consideration!
Orientation Ends
Today was REALLY exciting! Orientation ended around 2 pm. We had a seminar informing us of the medical conditions that we should be aware of in Africa and all of the safety precautions that we should take when we are in Africa. This includes water contamination, diarhea, malaria, and many other diseases that are common in Africa. After orientation ended our group decided to go to Target to buy a few last minute items. I ended up buying some rain boots and a water bottle. :D
After Target, Heedeok (one of my fellow crossroader that I met) and I met up w/ Mary Feng (friend from highschool) in New York City. As soon as we walked into Time Square I was astonished by the bill boards. I've never seen so many advertisements in my life! Goodness! From the facebook pictures that my friends posted up, I never thought that New York was such an awesome city. As soon as I entered Time Square I could see why New York was such a popular place. We ended up meeting Jasmin (by random chance) and she gave us a nice tour of New York from China town, Little Strip of Italy, and to the Empire State Building. (Pictures will be posted up on facebook soon!)
We will be leaving New York on June 18, 2009 (9:00 am ish) to Washington D.C. and then from there we will be leaving around 4:00pm to Senegal in Africa. I will have internet access once I get settled in Africa. Apparently the air flight will take approximately 8 hours and the transportation (through driving and walking) will take approximately 14 hours to get to our destination - Gambia. Please pray for my safety as I truly embark on my journey to Africa. I am still getting to know the people within my group and will update you guys about my group members soon along with the specific projects that my group will be doing this summer. Until next time...God bless!
-John Kim
After Target, Heedeok (one of my fellow crossroader that I met) and I met up w/ Mary Feng (friend from highschool) in New York City. As soon as we walked into Time Square I was astonished by the bill boards. I've never seen so many advertisements in my life! Goodness! From the facebook pictures that my friends posted up, I never thought that New York was such an awesome city. As soon as I entered Time Square I could see why New York was such a popular place. We ended up meeting Jasmin (by random chance) and she gave us a nice tour of New York from China town, Little Strip of Italy, and to the Empire State Building. (Pictures will be posted up on facebook soon!)
We will be leaving New York on June 18, 2009 (9:00 am ish) to Washington D.C. and then from there we will be leaving around 4:00pm to Senegal in Africa. I will have internet access once I get settled in Africa. Apparently the air flight will take approximately 8 hours and the transportation (through driving and walking) will take approximately 14 hours to get to our destination - Gambia. Please pray for my safety as I truly embark on my journey to Africa. I am still getting to know the people within my group and will update you guys about my group members soon along with the specific projects that my group will be doing this summer. Until next time...God bless!
-John Kim
Orientation Begins
Orientation started yesterday (June 16, 2009). I finally got to meet everyone from my group. There's about a total of 50 students all together, making a total of 5 groups (Gambia I, Gambia II, Ghana I, Ghana II, and Kenya). I and 9 other students fall under Gambia I. One thing I can't help but notice is the fact that there are so many girls! I'd say there's about a 1:5 ratio of boys to girls. Also another fact is that most of the people here are from West Point. Apparently West Point advertises Operation Crossroads Africa a lot.
So first day of orientation was all about getting to know the people within our group. We did many different group activities to build team work. There were seminars on what to expect from this program and a Q & A session which helped out alot. I now have a good understanding of what I got myself into... hehe
So apparently we're going to be spending 2 nights at a 5 star hotel in Banjul and will be travelling alot during the weekends. It's only in the weekdays that we'll be volunteering at the hospital. They make it sound like the program is really fun. We shall see... :D
Anyways, 2nd day of orientation is about to start so I shall update you guys later. Until next time...
P.S. I will be leaving the states on June 18, 2009 at 1:00 pm E.T.
So first day of orientation was all about getting to know the people within our group. We did many different group activities to build team work. There were seminars on what to expect from this program and a Q & A session which helped out alot. I now have a good understanding of what I got myself into... hehe
So apparently we're going to be spending 2 nights at a 5 star hotel in Banjul and will be travelling alot during the weekends. It's only in the weekdays that we'll be volunteering at the hospital. They make it sound like the program is really fun. We shall see... :D
Anyways, 2nd day of orientation is about to start so I shall update you guys later. Until next time...
P.S. I will be leaving the states on June 18, 2009 at 1:00 pm E.T.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Final Preparations
The day has finally come. Tomorrow, I will be leaving to New York to attend orientation. Honestly, it never really hit me until the other day that I'm actually going to Africa. I'm actually doing this. Wow. I'm mixed with feelings of excitement and anticipation. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins at just the thought of going to Africa.
Africa... one of the first thoughts that come into mind when I hear the word Africa are people living in poverty stricken conditions. Running water, electricity, air conditioners, cars, bathrooms, internet, and so many other things that we take for granted are probably not prevalent in Africa. The economy is probably unstable, they probably have a poor education system, and an inadequate health care system. In fact, infectious diseases, such as malaria, that are mostly eradicated in most parts of the world are still an every day reality in Africa.
But I look forward to going to Africa. I want to escape the burrow of comfort I am surrounded in. I want to learn from people who do not have these luxuries (that I often times take for granted), but lead joyous and full-filling lives. Perhaps, I'm embarking on this journey to discover something new and profound about myself and life as a whole. Regardless, I look forward in facing the challenges and obstacles that are awaiting for me... Africa, here I come!
Africa... one of the first thoughts that come into mind when I hear the word Africa are people living in poverty stricken conditions. Running water, electricity, air conditioners, cars, bathrooms, internet, and so many other things that we take for granted are probably not prevalent in Africa. The economy is probably unstable, they probably have a poor education system, and an inadequate health care system. In fact, infectious diseases, such as malaria, that are mostly eradicated in most parts of the world are still an every day reality in Africa.
But I look forward to going to Africa. I want to escape the burrow of comfort I am surrounded in. I want to learn from people who do not have these luxuries (that I often times take for granted), but lead joyous and full-filling lives. Perhaps, I'm embarking on this journey to discover something new and profound about myself and life as a whole. Regardless, I look forward in facing the challenges and obstacles that are awaiting for me... Africa, here I come!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
In 10 days...
NOTE: I have based my first entry off a letter (with slight modifications) I sent to Mr. Tarte, who is graciously supporting me financially by offering $3,800.
Family and friends,
It has been said that life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. I choose to live the former.
This summer, 10 members (including myself) of various racial, cultural, and educational backgrounds in the United States will join a community in Africa for seven weeks to engage with young Africans. We will be assigned a project starting at the grassroots level with the opportunity to forge an everlasting bridge of friendship, a deeper understanding of a foreign lifestyle, and appreciate the intricate web of social, economical, and political design of a small community. I am going to partake on this journey and am inviting you to partner with me through your prayers.
Operation Crossroads Africa is a nonprofit organization found in 1958 by Dr. James H. Robinson. The program is designed to promote understanding of Africa and African Diaspora based on the belief that one can truly enter another culture by living and working in it. Over the past 50 summers, Operation Crossroads Africa has sent over 11,000 persons to more than 40 African countries. Each participant has learned more about themselves through the program and honed invaluable experiences that have surely impacted their lives forever.
As a Crossroader (pun intended), I will be living in close quarters, cooking outdoors over a wood fire, and eating a modest diet. The pressure of communal living with a diverse group in a foreign environment may be overwhelming and intense at times, but I believe the experiences and adventures gained in Africa will leave an indelible memory in my life.
I am writing so that you may join in on this daring summer adventure of mine. Through your prayers I hope to do God's work and come back to the states safely. I will, hopefully, (depending on internet access in Africa) be updating this blog throughout the summer so that I may share my experiences with you.
Lastly, I will be leaving Texas to New York to attend orientation on June 16, 2009. Orientation will last for 3 days. Afterwards, I will be leaving the states on June 19, 2009 and will be coming back August 9, 2009. (This is for you Paul! :P) I thank you all for your kind support and prayer. I wish the best of luck to everyone this summer and hope to see ya'll soon! :D
Sincerely yours,
John Kim
Family and friends,
It has been said that life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. I choose to live the former.
This summer, 10 members (including myself) of various racial, cultural, and educational backgrounds in the United States will join a community in Africa for seven weeks to engage with young Africans. We will be assigned a project starting at the grassroots level with the opportunity to forge an everlasting bridge of friendship, a deeper understanding of a foreign lifestyle, and appreciate the intricate web of social, economical, and political design of a small community. I am going to partake on this journey and am inviting you to partner with me through your prayers.
Operation Crossroads Africa is a nonprofit organization found in 1958 by Dr. James H. Robinson. The program is designed to promote understanding of Africa and African Diaspora based on the belief that one can truly enter another culture by living and working in it. Over the past 50 summers, Operation Crossroads Africa has sent over 11,000 persons to more than 40 African countries. Each participant has learned more about themselves through the program and honed invaluable experiences that have surely impacted their lives forever.
As a Crossroader (pun intended), I will be living in close quarters, cooking outdoors over a wood fire, and eating a modest diet. The pressure of communal living with a diverse group in a foreign environment may be overwhelming and intense at times, but I believe the experiences and adventures gained in Africa will leave an indelible memory in my life.
I am writing so that you may join in on this daring summer adventure of mine. Through your prayers I hope to do God's work and come back to the states safely. I will, hopefully, (depending on internet access in Africa) be updating this blog throughout the summer so that I may share my experiences with you.
Lastly, I will be leaving Texas to New York to attend orientation on June 16, 2009. Orientation will last for 3 days. Afterwards, I will be leaving the states on June 19, 2009 and will be coming back August 9, 2009. (This is for you Paul! :P) I thank you all for your kind support and prayer. I wish the best of luck to everyone this summer and hope to see ya'll soon! :D
Sincerely yours,
John Kim
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