A trip to the Doctor's Office

A day at the doctor's office...
Going to the clinic here is quite an experience. The doctor (from South Africa) is quite a character and the office itself is quite interesting too. Today we went in just to make sure Nolan's fever was not something beyond the norm.
Before we even got into the doctor's office Nolan said, "I think he's going to prick my blood." He knows the routine by now- any sign of fever and they prick your finger to do a malaria test.
Luckily, today we were the only people waiting, so we got right in (not the norm: 1doctor + lots of expats = long wait time). The Doctor took Nolan's temperature with the ear thermometer and then said, "Oh, we've got a broiler boy." Nolan thought that was funny, but then said with a worried look on his face, "But I have two ears. What about my other one?!" So the doctor took his temp. in the other ear just to appease him!
Then it was on to Nolan's favorite part...the search for poe-tay-toes! During the typical exam the doctor always says, "Let me have a look and see if I can find any potatoes in there (in there meaning just about anywhere...nose, ears, throat, eyes, etc.). If indeed there is some sort of infection, you will be diagnosed with "a patch of potatoes". If not, just a simple, "nothing in there."
Lucky for us, today we had no potatoes and no malaria!

This is the whole doctor's office...a desk, a bed, and one tray of tools...oh, and an eye chart!



Checking for potatoes!



We Give Our Time and Idol Gives Back

February 2010, Zach and I participated in a Saturday morning community service project at a nearby oceanside village. The project had four goals...

1. To help clean up all the trash on the beach.

2. To help sort and deliver school supplies to the children of the village.

3. To educate the adults about malaria and distribute mosquito netting.

4. To give American Idol a backdrop for their "Idol Gives Back" segment.



Housing in the village.



Zach with the children of the village, who are eagerly waiting for new school supplies to play with.



Doodling with the village girls, using their new colored pencils and paper.

Listening to a message about the importance of sleeping under a mosquito net and how to use it properly.

American Idol contestant, Elliott Yamin, and American Idol judge, Kara Dioguardi, talking to the film crew about current malaria statistics and the campaign for "Malaria No More!"

The women walking back to their houses with their new mosquito nets.

Collecting trash off of the nearby beach, so as to make it a more sanitary area, and therefore less of a mosquito breeding ground.



Elltiott was so nice and down to earth. He took time out to say hi and pose with Zach and his friend, Brayden.



The "Idol Gives Back" segment of American Idol aired April 21, 2010. An article on the internet reports that this year they raised almost $45 million dollars for children's hunger and health charities in the United States and Africa (inluding the "Malaria No More" foundation...yippee!) Even though it was a really hot day out in the African sun and it was hard work, it was well worth it. Elliott was Zach's favorite during Elliott's season on American Idol, so he was thrilled to see him in person. While we were snuggled up on our couch in the U.S. back in 2006 watching Elliott sing on the 5th season of American Idol, I never would have dreamt that we would meet him someday, and in Africa of all places. It's also crazy to think that our friends back home were watching clips of Elliott in Angola during the "Idol Gives Back" show and we were standing just feet behind the camera man!