Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Malo e lelei Tonga

Video of the market place in Tongatapu where we had our health fair.




This was our greeting party in Fiji when we got off the plane. Perfect way to wake up in Fiji I think.

This is where we stayed at the Liahona High School

Shelly our instructor and I enjoying some traditional Tongan food at the Medical Review.

Just hang out with a cat and some Raisin Bran in the American import store


One of the nurses and us at the market

The biggest and most delicious bananas ever!

This is the Fundascope I was talking about where you place it on the mother's belly where you think the back of the baby might be to listen to its heart. I really could hear some of them really well with it, once I got the hang of it.

My nurse Mia from the antenatal clinic.

Sarah, Laurie, Amy at the blowholes.

Ciara and a nursing student figuring out the blood glucose levels. They have a  different scale in Tonga than they do in the states. Just divide by 18 :)

A video of the market where we had our health fair.

Shelly trying to wake up the flying foxes (or bats). Will post a video next time of it.


Hello everyone from Tonga! I love it here in this tropical paradise, it feels like home!!! Except for the food is well interesting, but the fruit is amazing. I only have a few minutes but just wanted to let you know a little bit of what is going on. I have been in the hospital for two days one on the surgical unit where I did some crazy dressign cahnges on diabetic patients. They were all infected missing toes and lots of amputees. They are so appreciative though of all the help you give. The reason why so many of their wounds get so bad is because they use traditional tongan medicine  of herbs and leaves on their sores and do not come in until they get so severe. I was also in the antenatal unit where I got to do fundal heights (measuring their bellies to see how far along they are), feeling the position of the baby and hearing the heart beat through a metal cone type thing that you put your ear on it was hard but I got the hang of it. The nurses are great here very friendly. Everyone says hello palangi( Which means white person or angel) to us and everyone knows everyone and where they are staying. It is funny they put gold on their teeth for beauty reasons.  They also drive on the left side of the road here too. The radio stations are hilarious, and play lots of american music, but they tend to forget the names of the songs requested or that they are playing (Yeah the spanish song by Ricky something).